Marquise diamond rings

The romantic association between man and precious stones dates back to the time when the male of the species started returning to its cave with flesh and animal hides on its shoulders after a successful hunting expedition . These were then proudly displayed among the sufficiently impressed females. And as Homo sapiens became more in control of their environment, their interests became more diverse. The search for stones and metals required for domestic implements and weapons led to the interest for the more fanciful but less practical colorful and shiny kinds .

These also were brought back to the communities and exhibited before the admiring women. Soon men realized that diamonds were what attracted the women most . A symbol of eternal love, the diamond is universally accepted as a best friend of women . The competition among successful men to adorn their women with the most attractive diamonds continues to this day .

And it is the choice of cut that brings out the best in a good quality diamond . The two predominant factors that jewelers take into consideration before deciding on the cut of a particular stone are : 1) maximum possible retention of carat weight and 2) maximum possible sparkle through elimination of inclusions and other flaws.

According to the budget, and the personal preference of customer, the choice of cut will determine the stone to be used. The standard cuts favored for diamonds are the round brilliant, emerald, radiant, princess, heart, oval, marquise, cushion, pear, step or trap cut (baguette), mixed princess, rose, etc . An expert diamond cutter will take time to study the characteristics of the stone its size, clarity, position of flaws and inclusions, color, etc .

A prominent reason fancy cuts gained popularity in the diamond industry was that the cutter could retain more of the original carat weight of a rough stone containing minor flaws when compared to the traditional cuts . After assessing the size and clarity, the factors generally followed by the industry are: crown height, pavilion depth, table diameter, girdle thickness, crown angle, pavilion angle . Then its shape, number of faces and depth are determined . Modern computerized techniques give cutters accurate information to make the best possible choice.

The Marquise cut:

The marquise cut gives the diamond a drawn out shape having pointed ends, making it resemble a rugby ball from the crest . It is also called the boat shape or navette cut. Its oval look is essentially a variation of the round brilliant cut . As in the case of most fancy cuts, the main reason for a cutter to choose the marquise cut is preservation of carat weight . The first preference would always be for a round brilliant. If the personal preference of the customer is for a marquise cut diamond, the cutter would choose the stone most suitable for it rather than best stone available . Many people see a strong resemblance between the marquise cut and a pair of closed lips. Interestingly, this may be the reason for its name. One popular story behind the naming of the cut is that it was designed to resemble the lips of the legendry Marquise de Pompadour. Or it may have been the other way round that after the cut was developed it was found to resemble the lips of the famous Marquise . The standard accepted proportion of length to width for a marquise cut is 2 :1. The stone for a marquise diamond ring will be multifarious having a total of 56 facets .

The proportions have to be precise and the cutting perfect in order to get the best possible sparkle from the marquise. Regardless of the best of efforts it is likely to display what is referred to as the bow tie effect . This appears as a dark shadow lying in the middle of the stone across its width . This is also common to other oval shapes. It is found in the pear cut also . It equals to a dark bow tie gives it its name . An expert cutter will be able to avoid this or at least to minimize it by finding the exact depth to which the stone should be cut . It should be well within the lower 60% parameter.

Even though marquise cut diamonds do have a sophisticated elegance that is lacking in the standard brilliant cuts, the sparkle of the latter will never be found in them . This is true for all modified brilliant cuts. If this is accepted, it is a good choice for a relatively inexpensive diamond. But if the proportions are not properly determined, it will be lacking in brilliancy. Improper cutting can result in the diamond looking either too fat or too thin . If it is to be set on a ring, the size and shape of the finger it will adorn should be given proper attention. Creative imagination and scientific proportioning must be combined harmoniously to get the best marquise cut . Improper proportioning will be less evident in other cuts when compared to corresponding defects in modified brilliants.

There are several very good reasons for leaving the choice of stone and its final shape to the cutter when deciding on a marquise cut . The most important is that it requires an expert to assess the stone and cut it properly so that it retains maximum carat weight. This becomes all the more relevant when taking into consideration that cost efficiency is an important factor in choosing the marquise. Only an expert cutter will be able to assess the inclusions and other flaws, and then decide on a size and shape that will give the best brilliance to the stone . The cutter will have to take considerable care when working the edges, so that the fragile, sharp tips are not damaged in the process . For those who are looking for something classy yet different, a well proportioned and precisely cut marquise is an ideal choice .

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