The Marquise shape of diamond earned its name from a story in history. The legend holds that Louis the XIV, the Sun King, wanted a diamond that would be as brilliant and the shape that could match the smile of the Marquise of Pompadour. It was out of this desire that the king's diamond cutters crafted the Marquise diamond shape.

This diamond has a length to width ratio of 1.75-2.25 to 1, with the ideal being 2 to 1. Due to its elongated, oval shape it is prone to the "bowtie" effect, in which a bowtie-like absence of light reflection can be seen in the table. However, this is a problem that can be solved with the adding of more facets to the crown.

The Marquise shape requires that it not be too long or too wide. Should the shape be too long the light reflection will be notably diminished. The culet should be elongated in direct relation to the length of the entire diamond, so as to insure the proper pavilion angle proportions for maximum light display. A six-prong mounting will give the security required for the Marquise shape, with four prongs holding the body of the diamond as two V-shaped prongs secure and protect the pointed ends.

The Marquise's elongated shape, which includes "wings" tapering off on each end, provides the appearance of a diamond of greater weight and size than it actually is. This effect makes it the perfect diamond for those who want their diamond to look as arrestingly large as possible. This is also of the "brilliant" type of diamonds and is associated with the personality traits of the extroverted, innovative, and ambitious and those who are passionate at confronting the challenges of life.