The Marquise Brilliant takes its name from a legend that the Sun King desired a stone to be polished into the shape of the mouth of the Marquise of Pompadour.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND CUTTING ISSUES
The Marquise Brilliant is a boatshaped modified brilliant. It is generally agreed that a length-to-width ratio between 1.75:1 and 2:1 is most pleasing. As with other fancy shapes, a certain degree of what constitutes a beautiful shape has to do with the consumer's individual taste. The ultimate shape of the finished diamond is determined by the rough and what parameters it allows. The typical Marquise Brilliant contains 56 facets.