What Is a Dutch Marquise Diamond? The Definitive Guide

Start with the outline, because that is what defines the cut. A Dutch Marquise reads as a long, slim hexagon. It tapers to a single point at each end, exactly like a marquise. The defining detail is in the two long sides: they are straight and angular, meeting at a vertex at the widest point of the stone, rather than sweeping as one continuous curve. That gives the silhouette a clean, geometric line down its length.

Three things are true of every correctly cut Dutch Marquise, and worth stating plainly because the term gets described loosely elsewhere:

If a stone described as a Dutch Marquise has smoothly curved sides, it is a marquise. If its points are softened into a rounded oval, it is not a Dutch Marquise either. The shape lives in those straight angled sides meeting pointed ends.

"Dutch Marquise" is a trade name, not an officially recognized gemological shape. No grading laboratory defines it, and there is no single agreed-upon definition published by GIA, IGI, or any standards body. That is true of most specialty cut names on the market. The name lives in the marketing; the geometry lives on the report.

The practical consequence is simple: a grading report describes the measurable geometry of the stone, not the trade name attached to it. So when you buy a Dutch Marquise, you confirm what it is by reading the shape description and the measurements, not by looking for the words "Dutch Marquise" on the certificate. For the full walkthrough, see our guide to how to read a diamond grading report.

Because the labs certify geometry rather than marketing names, you will not see "Dutch Marquise" on a GIA, IGI, or GCAL report. They describe the shape and cutting style instead. On one real IGI report for a Dutch Marquise we sell, the shape line read "Hexagonal Modified Brilliant" (IGI report, 2026). A different lab, or a differently faceted stone, may phrase it differently, which is exactly why the report matters.

So the instruction is straightforward: read the report. Confirm the report number on the issuing lab's own website, then read the shape description and measurements to see what the stone actually is. A trade name tells you what a seller calls the cut. The report tells you what you are buying.

These two cuts are close cousins, and the confusion is understandable. The simplest way to keep them straight is to remember what they share and the one place they differ. Both are elongated and both come to a point at each end. The single difference is the long sides: a true marquise has smooth, continuous curved sides (a navette, or boat shape), while a Dutch Marquise has straight, angled sides that meet at a vertex, giving it a hexagonal outline.

If you want the wider context on how cut names relate to actual shapes, our guide to diamond cut vs diamond shape covers why the two terms get mixed up, and the full diamond shapes guide sets every common outline side by side.

The outline of a Dutch Marquise is one thing, and the faceting inside that outline is another. The hexagonal silhouette with pointed ends is what makes it a Dutch Marquise. The faceting is what decides how it handles light, and ours is cut for brilliance: symmetrical facets arranged to maximize sparkle and fire, which is what produces the chunky flash of light the shape is known for, and what makes it especially flattering in low light.

It is not a step cut. If you want a six-sided stone with parallel step facets and a glassy, hall-of-mirrors flash, that is an Elongated Hexagon, which shares the same outline and is faceted the other way. The two are easy to confuse and read very differently on the hand, so it is worth knowing which one you are looking at before you choose a stone. For what each faceting family actually does to sparkle, clarity, and color, see step cut versus brilliant cut in a hexagon diamond.

The proportion that controls how a Dutch Marquise looks is its length-to-width ratio. Take the length and width in millimeters from the report and divide the first by the second. Elongated shapes commonly land somewhere around 1.5 to 2.0. A higher ratio reads longer and more dramatic; a lower one reads broader and fuller. The IGI report mentioned above measured 9.49 by 5.15 mm, a ratio of about 1.84.

Like every elongated cut, a Dutch Marquise spreads its weight across a longer face-up area, so it tends to look larger on the finger than a round of the same carat weight, and it lengthens the line of the hand. That is a property of the geometry, not a discount: you are getting visual length from the shape itself. Which ratio you prefer is taste, not a grade, so look at the actual outline rather than chasing a number.

Because "Dutch Marquise" is a trade name, the reliable way to know what you are buying is to read the report rather than trust the label. Here is what to check, on ours or anyone's.

Confirm the report itself

Read the geometry off the measurements

The whole rule in one line: a name is marketing, the report is fact.

A Dutch Marquise tends to suit someone who wants the length and drama of a marquise but prefers a sharper, more modern, geometric line. It reads as architectural rather than soft, and it lengthens the hand the way every elongated shape does. Because it faces up long for its weight, it appeals to a buyer who wants presence on the finger. And because it is uncommon, it suits someone who would rather not wear the same shape as everyone else. If a classic round or oval feels expected, this is a considered, distinctive alternative.

"Dutch Marquise" has floated as a loose label for a while, with no single agreed definition anywhere. We publish a clear, citable definition of the shape, and we set these in NYC. To be exact about provenance: we did not invent, name, standardize, or popularize the cut. Other makers use the term, and they are welcome to. What we do is define it plainly and stand behind every stone we sell.

Stienhardt is a New York City jeweler that sources Lab Grown Diamonds and hand-sets and finishes them in NYC, selling direct, so we own and inspect every stone we sell and hand you its independent report rather than just drop-ship it. That is also why we keep repeating the same advice, even about our own work: confirm the actual shape and read the graded report behind any stone sold under a cut name, ours included. A name is marketing. The report is fact.

If you would rather judge a stone in person, we show by appointment in New York. Book a viewing.