Marquise diamonds may not be as popular and well known as diamond shapes such as round and princess, however, they are a beautiful diamond shape that warrants consideration. One of the unique attributes of a marquise diamond is that because of its elongated shape, it has a slimming effect. Women who wear engagement rings with marquise shaped diamonds in the center stone appear to have slimmer and elongated fingers. Even though this is really an illusion, these diamonds tend to have this effect.

When worn in an engagement ring, marquise diamonds offer a very elegant look that some consider regal. The shape of the diamond is so striking, many women opt to have their diamond appear in a solitaire setting. However, marquise diamonds have been known to be paired with baguettes on the side.

So where does the name “Marquise” come from? There is a legend that the king of France, Louis XIV, also known as the “Sun King”, wanted a gemstone to be created to mimic the shape of the mouth of Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson, Marquise de Pompadour, also known as Madame de Pompadour.

Marquise diamonds are one of the ten most popular diamond shapes. The other nine shapes include Round, Emerald. Radiant, Princess, Asscher, Cushion, Pear, Oval, and Heart.

Even though available in other colors, marquise diamonds are almost always sold as white, or clear, diamonds. However, you can find the rare yellow or pink marquise diamond. Just be prepared to pay an extremely high price as these tend to be very rare and not highly sought after.

If you are looking for an alternative diamond shape to the most popular round shaped diamond or other popular shapes such as Princess, Emerald, Oval and Cushion, Marquise diamonds are certainly worth considering.