Marquise Shape Diamonds Explained

The modern marquise cut diamond is a variant of the round brilliant cut, the most popular diamond shape in recent times. The round shape is elongated to an ellipse with pointed ends using a similar pattern of facets to create the brilliance and sparkle. The origin of the cut is said to be from the court of King Louis XV of France in the 18th century. The King wanted a diamond cut in a shape reminiscent of the smile of the Marquise de Pompadour, the King’s official mistress. The oval shape of the marquise gives it one of the largest crown areas, carat weight for carat weight, of any diamond shape.