Marquise Diamond Engagement Rings - Intrigue in a Diamond

Marquise Cut Diamond Engagement Rings - A Modern Vintage

Marquise cut diamonds are quite possibly the least understood diamond shape in the world today, and rightfully so. Between their unusual, elongated shape and the relatively few diamond settings that can accommodate them, marquise shaped diamonds can be confusing to buyers and sellers alike. The fact is that marquise cut diamond engagement rings have lost a great deal of market share in the 1990s, and its downward trajectory in popularity has continued into the 21st century. For the most part, modern marquise cut engagement ring settings are limited to the basic, mainstream solitaire and halo designs, usually with a certain presence of side stone diamonds. Finding unique marquise engagement rings, such as those readily available with round brilliant and princess cut diamonds, is a relatively rare occurrence. And if this is not surprising enough, many engagement ring stores do not even carry diamond settings that can accommodate a marquise shaped diamond. How is it possible that the once renowned and highly demanded marquise cut diamond lost so much traction? Are marquise shaped diamond engagement rings at risk of going extinct? Have marquise cut diamonds become outdated and obsolete?

The Technological Advances that Put a Strain on the Marquise Shaped Diamond

When marquise shaped diamonds were created in France, in the 1700s, the process of cutting diamonds as well as producing engagement rings and jewelry in general, was almost exclusively manual. As such, the extravagant nature of this unique, elliptical diamond appealed to the masses. In the mid-1900s, numerous technological advances gave rise to the hardware that produced diamond settings with substantially less manual input. During this time marquise cut diamonds flourished in popularity as solitaire, halo, split shank and side stone designs could easily be produced to accommodate a marquise cut center stone. However, in the latter half of the 20th century, at the onset of CAD casting technology, the production of diamond engagement ring settings started gravitating away from manual processes and eventually became almost exclusively automated. The automation in the production of engagement ring settings led to a substantially higher level of complexity and sophistication in diamond engagement ring designs, and the previously sought after marquise cut side stone engagement rings were no longer satisfying the elusive aesthetic demands of the modern era. Simply stated, many of the modern engagement rings with unique curves, modern crossbands, contemporary split shanks and bypass designs stopped accommodating the marquise shaped diamond, and the availability of marquise cut engagement rings began to drop.

The Modern Marquise Cut Diamond Engagement Rings of the 21st Century

One of the most accurate ways to describe present-day marquise cut diamond engagement rings is by looking at mainstream diamond settings. As side stone diamond engagement rings flourished in popularity, a few of the basic diamond settings have incorporated the marquise diamond. Among those is the traditional side stone halo. In this case, the marquise cut center diamond is wrapped by 18 round cut diamonds, thereby creating the marquise shaped halo. An additional 18 round brilliant side stone diamonds line each side of the shank to accentuate the halo. Although this side stone halo diamond setting is unquestionably a mainstream design, the marquise shaped diamond does offer a unique and fashionable perspective. In many ways, marquise cut diamonds are the design of a given diamond engagement ring. Another way to look at this equation is to accept the notion that marquise shaped diamond is so unique, in and of itself, that adding additional extravagant features to the diamond setting carries the risk of clashing with the marquise cut center diamond. But does this automatically mean that elegant and fashionable marquise cut diamond engagement rings do not exist? The good news is that there are plenty of extraordinary engagement rings with marquise shaped diamonds to go around.

Vintage Marquise Cut Diamonds in Fashionable Engagement Ring Settings

Given the unique and extravagant shape of the marquise shaped diamond, one of the biggest realizations of modern marquise cut engagement rings is that stylish settings can be achieved by a stronger embellishment of the center stone. And what better way is there to adorn a marquise cut center diamond than with the use of round cut side stone diamonds, and lots of them? The only concept more extravagant than marquise cut halo engagement rings is marquise shaped halo engagement rings with side stones. The diamond engagement ring shown above demonstrates just what 34 round cut side stone diamonds can do. When you compare the three rows of side stones in this design to the single row of side stones in the previous diamond setting, it is easy to see how much more the higher quantity of side stones brings out the marquise cut center diamond. Can you think of a different way to increase the number of side stones in a marquise shaped halo engagement ring?

The Split Shank Marquise Cut Halo Diamond Setting - Raising the Bar in Extravagance

With the popularity of split shank engagement rings at a consistent high, why not incorporate the split shank design element into a marquise shaped halo engagement ring? And so this v-shaped split shank diamond engagement ring was born, featuring a stunning marquise shaped halo in a prong setting. With a 17-diamond halo and 48 round cut side stones, the spotlight is on the marquise shaped center diamond. Given the elegance and brilliance of split shank side stone engagement rings in general, the marquise shaped diamond adds a relentless luxury and intensity to this design.

Marquise Shaped Diamonds Will Not Rank First, But They Will Always Impress

Without a doubt, marquise cut diamonds do not exhibit the universal nature of its round and princess cut rivals. For that matter, marquise shaped diamonds will not even match the semi-universal character of cushion, emerald and oval cut diamonds. However, by their mere presence, marquise cut diamonds demonstrate a luxurious character in engagement rings that is far more difficult to achieve with alternative diamond shapes. For this and other reasons, while we do not anticipate marquise shaped diamonds to rank first in popularity in the foreseeable future, their influence on the fashion statement that modern engagement rings are expected to make is undisputed. And as a result, marquise cut diamond engagement rings will always hold a special place in the context of the modern engagement proposal.