Marquise Engagement Rings: the smile that caught a King’s eye

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King Louis XIV of France was so taken by the smile of Marquise de Pompadour that he just had to have a constant reminder of it. Since he always got what he wanted, the marquise cut was created just for him. Today you can enjoy this fabulous cut. The brilliance and fire is like no other with 56 facets that glimmer with every beam of light.

Unlike the original intention, the Marquise stone is set length wise when on her finger. It could be referred to as a sideways smile but for me it more closely resembles a football that glimmers. But by it being elongated on the finger, this gives the illusion that her finger is longer and more elegant.

Not all modern marquise are the elongated smile, recently jewelers have experimented with the teardrop shape. This cut is the same as the traditional marquise but with one end rounded. The center still has a bow tie effect that when it is very pronounced shows the low quality of the cut. When choosing your stone, look for this and know that the smaller the bow tie is in the middle of the stone, the better quality the cut is.

Marquise engagement rings are designed to stand alone, but many of these rings have an accompanying ring. This is a specially made ring that will lock around the center stone with accent stones to give a cluster affect. This way your lady has the option of two different looks, all with one set of rings.

Because of the unique shape of this cut, most marquises are held securely with at least 6 prongs. The more secure 8 prong is recommended. But if you are buying one already made, you may not have the option. But you cannot go wrong with the smile of a marquise engagement ring.