Also known as a “navette,” Marquise cuts may be slender and long, or plump and wide. However, the majority are around twice as long as they are in width. The most important aspect of a Marquise is its graceful cut. This will ensure it shows its noble birth and sparkles!

Like other fancy cut diamonds, the GIA does not grade Marquise cut quality. For this reason, it is important to note that any jeweler that advertises a GIA-certified Marquise with a cut grade is offering their own opinion of its cut. In other words, a GIA certificate will not have a cut grade. There is also no industry standard for what makes an “Ideal Cut Marquise.” However, there are tips and tricks to choosing a great stone. To help couples do just that, we have assembled the below chart for your reference.

The color grade of a diamond refers to how much color (or lack of a color) the diamond shows. D, E, and F color diamonds are “colorless,” like water. Stones in the G through Z ranges have increasing amounts of yellow tint.

Like most diamonds, smaller Marquise hide more color than larger stones. However, because of the way Marquises are cut, they look larger than other diamonds. So, couples may wish to select a D-F color for a more truly colorless, ice-white appearance. The below chart can help in evaluating color in Marquise diamonds, based on the carat weight of your diamond and your personal color preference.

The clarity of a diamond is how “crystal clear” the diamond is. Almost all diamonds have “inclusions”, or internal markings, that are the birthmarks of a gemstone. The less inclusions a gem has, the more “flawless” it is. Many inclusions are too small to see without magnification. Fortunately, as Marquises are brilliant cut, they hide blemishes fairly well within their sparkle.

It is harder to see flaws on smaller diamonds than larger ones. So, a smaller Marquise may have a lower clarity rating and still maintain an eye-clean appearance. However, as Marquise diamonds look larger than other diamonds, you still want to be cautious and have us (or your jeweler) verify that the diamond meets your clarity expectations. The chart below can help you select the right Marquise, based on your preference of clarity.

Note! Ratings in the “Eye Clean” column assume your jeweler has checked that the gem is actually eye-clean. For example, every time a customer selects a Marquise engagement ring from us, our gemologists make sure the diamond is actually clean to the naked eye, and inform the customer if it isn’t.