These days, the marquise cut is one of the more popular shapes you can get your engagement ring stone made in. With a variety of options under this to choose from, the act of selecting the exact cut for your needs can become confusing. The following considerations apply when choosing something of superior quality.
Color Counts
Just like with oval cuts, marquise cuts need to be chosen considering their color rating. The higher this is, the more the stone can visually compensate for a relatively shallow cut, which is something that would otherwise reduce brilliance to a significant extent. It is best to go with a stone of grade H or higher, or at least an I.
Length to Width Ratio
Marquise cut diamonds of different types can look stubby or thin, based on their length to width ratio. Longer stones tend to lack the same kind of shine as others, and may even have empty slots in or near the center, which are called “bow ties”. Shorter stones commonly fail to look as beautiful as you would want, which is why for a pleasing feminine shape, you should prefer something with a length to width ratio of between 1.75 and 2.25.
Depth
It is vital to pick a stone that is neither too shallow nor too deep. Too shallow, and a marquise-cut diamond would lose significant light through the bottom. Too deep, and it would end up looking smaller than its carat weight suggested. That makes it important to pick a stone with just the right amount of depth.
Symmetry
Your diamond needs to be highly symmetrical in order to be able to shine brilliantly. When you look at it from the top, you would ideally be made aware of an imaginary line running vertically, which mirrors each side in the other. Otherwise, the stone would look off-centered, especially when set in a ring or any other jewelry piece.
Protection
Just as you have with pear-shaped diamonds, marquise diamonds carry a higher vulnerability towards chipping. For this reason, it is important to be clear in your mind about the design, which the stone will be included in. V-tip prongs, for example, can be heavily useful in protecting the tip of the stone. Special care needs to be taken to ensure no space remains between claw tip and the diamond point, so that the latter does not take the brunt of the impact from any unintended bumps.