The marquise market has been quiet for two decades and has woken up. As elongated shapes have come back into fashion, demand for marquises has climbed, and wholesale pricing has moved with it. If you last bought marquises in 2022, the numbers on a 6x12 stone today will look different. This is what has changed, what drives the cost, and which ratios hold their value best when you resell.
What moved the price
Two factors. First, demand: marquise engagement rings have appeared steadily in celebrity and editorial styling since 2023, which pulled retail customers into a shape they previously ignored. Second, yield: marquises waste more rough than ovals, because the long pointed ends trim away material. As demand rose, factories cut more marquises, and the per-stone cost settled at a premium over oval of similar face-up size.
Price by size, 2024 versus 2026
| Dimensions (mm) | Ratio | 2024 band (USD) | 2026 band (USD) | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4x8 | 2.00:1 | $14 - $22 | $16 - $26 | up |
| 5x10 | 2.00:1 | $28 - $44 | $32 - $52 | up |
| 6x12 | 2.00:1 | $52 - $80 | $60 - $95 | up |
| 7x14 | 2.00:1 | $95 - $150 | $110 - $175 | up |
| 8x16 | 2.00:1 | $150 - $230 | $180 - $280 | up |
The increases are in the 10 to 15 percent range across sizes, not the 30 to 40 percent spikes seen on ovals. Marquises remain a smaller, more specialty line, which keeps pricing stable.
Which ratio holds its price
Not all marquise ratios are equal on the resale floor. The classic 1.80:1 to 2.00:1 marquise moves steadily and reorders predictably. The extreme 2.10:1 slung marquise commands a higher retail price per carat but turns slowly, because only a small share of customers want the dramatic look. The sub-1.80:1 "fat marquise" is the weakest seller; customers who want that silhouette usually end up buying an oval instead. Stock the classic ratio, treat the extreme as made-to-order.
Bow-tie grading tiers
Bow-tie severity is now priced. We sort marquises into three tiers before they enter stock, and the tiers carry different price bands.
- Tier A, faint bow-tie: a soft gray band visible only at arm's length. Carries full price.
- Tier B, moderate bow-tie: visible in diffuse light. Priced 10 to 15 percent below Tier A, with disclosure.
- Tier C, strong bow-tie: a dark band across the center. Not sold as VVS1 solitaire stock; it goes to jewelry manufacturing where a halo hides it.
When you buy, ask which tier you are getting. A $55 marquise that turns out to be Tier C is not a bargain; it is a stone you will discount at retail.
Buying ahead of the trend
If marquise demand keeps growing, the 6x12 and 7x14 sizes will tighten first. These are the engagement-ring sizes, and they are the ones factories allocate. Order them in the quarter before engagement season (by September) rather than in December, when the cutting bench is full. Smaller sizes like 4x8 are used in bracelets and right-hand rings and do not see the same seasonal squeeze.
How to price a marquise at retail
Because marquise customers do not comparison-shop against ovals, the retail multiple can sit slightly higher than on a round of the same wholesale cost. A 6x12 marquise at $60 to $95 wholesale retails well at three to four times cost, where an 8x10 oval at a similar wholesale price retails closer to three times. The margin comes from the shape's specificity, not from the stone itself. Do not push the multiple beyond four, though; marquise customers still have a price ceiling, and a five-times stone sits in the case unsold.
Finger and hand considerations
The marquise elongates the hand dramatically, which is the selling point and the caveat. Customers with very long fingers or very large knuckles sometimes find the 2.00:1 ratio overwhelming, and the 1.80:1 ratio reads better on them. Customers with slender fingers and short hands are the ideal marquise buyer; the stone lengthens the hand exactly as they want. When a customer is on the fence, show them both ratios on the same hand and let the visual decide. The marquise is one of the few cuts where a two-minute try-on converts a sale that a description never would.
Keep both ratios on a display card in the case, rather than only in the tray. Customers browse cards more readily than loose stones, and the ratio difference is visible the moment they hold the card. The display card also protects the stones from being handled and dropped, which is a real risk on pointed shapes.
Refresh the card photography each season, because the elongated-shape look evolves and the card that worked a year ago may read dated by the next engagement cycle.
A current card sells the shape; an old one does not.
Current marquise stock by tier is in the loose stone catalog under Marquise Cut.