Marquise Cut Sapphire: more sparkle than a round, along a long, pointed outline

Brilliance 55 · Fire 54 · Scintillation 86 · in our census, where the T73 scores 94 · 37 · 80 in sapphire

A long, pointed outline that sparkles more than the round in sapphire, while nearly two-fifths of its light leaves through the back.

See it in the simulatorGet the files
The Marquise Cut in sapphire, rendered at an angle in our 3D Gemstone Simulator under studio light
Rendered in our 3D Gemstone Simulator from the Marquise Cut model, 1.00 ct, studio light.

Marquise Cut Sapphire

Pointed at both ends, the marquise stretches the brilliant plan into a long navette. Our model is 2.059 to 1, with 87 facets and a 31.41° pavilion figure; a marquise 6.5 mm wide weighs 2.38 ct, because it is about twice as long as it is wide.

In sapphire its long facets give it more sparkle than the T73. Everything about light goes the other way: its pavilion figure sits below sapphire's critical angle of 34.6°, and the census finds it leaks nearly eight times as much as the T73.

Is a marquise a good cut for sapphire? Pros and cons

Pros

Cons

Compared with the T73 Round Brilliant in sapphire and with the Marquise Cut in diamond. A difference counts from 3 points (Brilliance, Fire, Tilt, Leakage), 5 (Scintillation, Symmetry), 2 (Spread) or 5% (weight); Tilt counts as a pro only for a stone within 5 points of the brilliance it is compared with. How we measure.

All eight scores against the T73

At a glance: the Marquise Cut in sapphire (white) against the T73 Round Brilliant in sapphire (dashed): solid white where it reaches further, hatched where it falls short. Each pro and con is explained, with pictures, below.

Performance wheel: Marquise Cut in sapphire, against the T73 Round Brilliant in sapphire as an outline. Solid white marks where it reaches further, hatching where it falls short. The scores are listed below.50100Global−16Brilliance−39Fire+17Scintillation+6Spread0Symmetry−6Shape-norm−38Tilt−19

Against the T73 Round Brilliant in sapphire: ahead on 2, level on 1, behind on 5.

  • Global63, the comparison 79, difference −16
  • Brilliance55, the comparison 94, difference −39
  • Fire54, the comparison 37, difference +17
  • Scintillation86, the comparison 80, difference +6
  • Spread100, the comparison 100, difference 0
  • Symmetry94, the comparison 100, difference −6
  • Shape-norm64, the comparison 102, difference −38
  • Tilt56, the comparison 75, difference −19
Face-up light census, a different measure from the Cut Grading Tool; Spread and Shape-norm above 100 sit on the ring.
Open it in the Cut Performance Wheel

What a sapphire gains as a marquise

More sparkle than the T73

Scintillation 86 against 80 for the T73 Round Brilliant in sapphire: 6 points higher

Scintillation 86 against 80: 87 facets drawn out along the length.

Marquise Cut · 87 facets · Scintillation 86

T73 Round Brilliant · 73 facets · Scintillation 80

Scintillation follows the number of facets: more facets, more and smaller flashes as the stone moves. Count the facets in each crown. Drawn from each cut's own model.

Try it yourself: Compare the Scintillation spoke in the Cut Performance Wheel

The catch with a marquise sapphire

Little more than half the T73's light

Brilliance 55 against 94 for the T73 Round Brilliant in sapphire: 39 points lower

Brilliance 55 against 94. In diamond the marquise returns 64, so here sapphire takes a further toll.

Marquise cut in sapphire face-up Light Return map: red, green and blue show where the light returns from, grey shows where it leaks (Brilliance 55)

Marquise Cut in sapphire · Brilliance 55

T73 round brilliant in sapphire face-up Light Return map: red, green and blue show where the light returns from, grey shows where it leaks (Brilliance 94)

T73 Round Brilliant in sapphire · Brilliance 94

Red, green and blue = light returning to the eye; grey = light leaving through the pavilion. This is the head-on view; the Brilliance score averages a wider cone of light, so the score can differ from what one picture shows.

What helps: Among elongated cuts in sapphire, the Oval Cut Sapphire returns 66, with more fire too.

Try it yourself: Open this Light Return map in the simulator

Much less fire than the diamond marquise

Fire 54 against 89 for the Marquise Cut in diamond: 35 points lower

54 in sapphire, 89 in diamond. It still beats the T73 in sapphire (37), but the larger gap is the one to diamond.

Marquise cut in sapphire face-up under a single bright light: a render from our simulator, its coloured flashes are the fire (score 54)

Marquise Cut in sapphire · Fire 54

Marquise cut in diamond face-up under a single bright light: a render from our simulator, its coloured flashes are the fire (score 89)

Marquise Cut in diamond · Fire 89

Look at the coloured flashes: those are fire. Same light, same size, same face-up angle; rendered by our 3D Gemstone Simulator from each cut's own model.

What helps: Fire is the oval's strength in sapphire: the Oval Cut Sapphire scores 74, our highest.

Try it yourself: See the fire in the 3D Gemstone Simulator

Nearly two-fifths of the light leaks

Leakage 39 against 5 for the T73 Round Brilliant in sapphire: 34 points higher

39% in our census, against 5% for the T73 and 17% for the diamond marquise. The pavilion figure, 31.41°, is under sapphire's 36.4° guide minimum.

Marquise Cut in sapphire · Leakage 39

Marquise cut in sapphire tilted 0 degrees: Light Return map, 39% of the face leaking0° · 39% leak
Marquise cut in sapphire tilted 10 degrees: Light Return map, 39% of the face leaking10° · 39% leak
Marquise cut in sapphire tilted 20 degrees: Light Return map, 53% of the face leaking20° · 53% leak
Marquise cut in sapphire tilted 30 degrees: Light Return map, 58% of the face leaking30° · 58% leak

T73 Round Brilliant in sapphire · Leakage 5

T73 round brilliant in sapphire tilted 0 degrees: Light Return map, 1% of the face leaking0° · 1% leak
T73 round brilliant in sapphire tilted 10 degrees: Light Return map, 10% of the face leaking10° · 10% leak
T73 round brilliant in sapphire tilted 20 degrees: Light Return map, 29% of the face leaking20° · 29% leak
T73 round brilliant in sapphire tilted 30 degrees: Light Return map, 30% of the face leaking30° · 30% leak
Each frame is the Light Return map with the stone tilted away from you by the angle shown; grey is light leaving through the pavilion. The share under each frame is that picture's own.

What helps: We have not measured a marquise with a steeper pavilion, so we cannot say what one would recover. The Oval Cut Sapphire, whose pavilion sits above the guide minimum, leaks 26%.

Try it yourself: Tilt it yourself in the simulator's light map

Darkens quickly at an angle

Tilt 56 against 87 for the Marquise Cut in diamond: 31 points lower

Tipped 20°, it keeps 56 of its face-up light against 87 in diamond.

Marquise Cut in sapphire · Tilt 56

Marquise cut in sapphire tilted 0 degrees: Light Return map, 39% of the face leaking0° · 39% leak
Marquise cut in sapphire tilted 10 degrees: Light Return map, 39% of the face leaking10° · 39% leak
Marquise cut in sapphire tilted 20 degrees: Light Return map, 53% of the face leaking20° · 53% leak
Marquise cut in sapphire tilted 30 degrees: Light Return map, 58% of the face leaking30° · 58% leak

Marquise Cut in diamond · Tilt 87

Marquise cut in diamond tilted 0 degrees: Light Return map, 17% of the face leaking0° · 17% leak
Marquise cut in diamond tilted 10 degrees: Light Return map, 23% of the face leaking10° · 23% leak
Marquise cut in diamond tilted 20 degrees: Light Return map, 26% of the face leaking20° · 26% leak
Marquise cut in diamond tilted 30 degrees: Light Return map, 29% of the face leaking30° · 29% leak
Tilt is how much of its own face-up light a stone keeps when tilted. Each frame is the Light Return map with the stone tilted away from you by the angle shown; grey is light leaving through the pavilion. The share under each frame is that picture's own.

What helps: Elongated shapes hold poorly in sapphire; the Oval Cut Sapphire keeps 58.

Try it yourself: Compare the Tilt spoke in the Cut Performance Wheel

Who a marquise sapphire suits

The marquise suits a sapphire chosen for its long outline, in a design that shows it face-up and protects both points. Sapphire's hardness of 9 resists scratching; the points are still the parts most likely to chip.

For a long shape with more light and fire, the Oval Cut Sapphire. For a single point, the Pear Cut Sapphire.

Marquise sapphires can also show a darker bow-tie across the middle, which we do not measure.

Marquise Cut Sapphire: questions

Is a marquise cut good for sapphire?

For sparkle, yes (86); for light, no: Brilliance 55 against 94, with 39% leakage.

Marquise or oval for a sapphire?

In sapphire the oval wins on all three: light 66 to 55, fire 74 to 54, leakage 26% to 39%.

What does a 6.5 mm wide marquise sapphire weigh?

About 2.38 ct; the same marquise in diamond is 2.09 ct.

Do marquise sapphires chip?

Its two points are the weak spots in any stone. Sapphire, at 9 on the Mohs scale, resists scratching well, but V-prongs or a bezel at each tip are the usual protection.

Get the Marquise Cut files

6 formatsMillimetresWatertight

Marquise Cut 3D files

The Marquise Cut as exact geometry: 87 planar facets, real-world scale, ready for CAD, rendering, printing and casting.

  • STEPExact faceted solid for CAD
  • 3DMRhino, closed mesh on its own layer
  • STLWatertight mesh for printing and casting
  • OBJMesh for modelling and rendering
  • FBXBlender, 3ds Max, Maya, Cinema 4D, Unity, Unreal
  • GLBWeb, AR and quick previews
€9.99 · Personal useBuy the 3D files
GemCad64 index

Marquise Cut cutting files

The Marquise Cut as a faceting design: 67 + 20 girdles = 87 facets, 64 index, 2-fold mirror-image symmetry, ready for the machine.

  • .ascGemCad design file, 64 index gear
  • .csvTier table: angles, indices and cutting order
  • DiagramPrintable faceting diagram
€9.99 · Personal useBuy the cutting files

Questions before you buy? Email us.

More gemstones and cuts

Sapphire: optical properties and the top ten cuts · The Marquise Cut: specifications, model and files

Other cuts in sapphire

The Marquise Cut in other gemstones