The shape of a marquise diamond can be positively deceiving as the shape makes the diamond appear much bigger than it actually is.

The elongated shape of a marquise brilliant diamond with its pointed ends legend has us believe was inspired by the smile of the Marquise de Pompadour. It was commissioned by France's Louis XIV more commonly referred to as the Sun King who wanted a diamond polished into the shape of the mouth of the Marquise. A typical marquise contains 56 facets.

For the most traditional marquise cut diamonds, look for length-to-width ratios between 1.75 and 2.25.