Dutch Marquise
A Dutch Marquise is a rose-cut diamond — flat-based, faceted only on the crown, with no pavilion — shaped into a marquise (elongated, pointed-oval) outline rather than the round outline of a standard rose cut.
Also known as: Rupee Cut
| Culet | None (flat base, not a pointed pavilion) |
|---|---|
| Outline | Marquise — elongated, pointed at both ends |
| Faceting | Rose-cut style: flat base, faceted crown only, no pavilion |
| Facet count | Typically around 24 |
| Typical use | Antique and period jewellery |
| Availability | Extremely rare — largely historic stock, very few genuine examples survive |
What defines the cut
A Dutch Marquise is a variation of the rose cut — the same flat-based, crown-only faceting used on a standard round rose cut — reshaped into a marquise outline instead of a circle. It predates mechanised diamond cutting: every genuine Dutch Marquise was cut entirely by hand, aiming to keep as much of the original rough diamond's weight as possible rather than to optimise light return the way a modern brilliant does.
Visual characteristics
Because the faceting was designed to perform in candlelight rather than under modern lighting, a Dutch Marquise shows larger, fewer facets than a modern cut and a correspondingly different kind of sparkle — a "hall of mirrors" effect of broad, slow-moving flashes and depth rather than the fast, scattered scintillation of a modern brilliant.
History
The Dutch Marquise dates to the 17th and 18th centuries, before the invention of precision cutting equipment. Because each stone was cut individually by hand and the style never became a standardised commercial product, only a small number of genuine antique examples are known to survive today — most Dutch Marquise stones seen now are modern reproductions cut in the historic style.
Buying considerations
- A genuine antique Dutch Marquise and a modern reproduction cut in the same style are very different in rarity and price — always confirm which one you are looking at.
- Don't judge it against modern cut-grade standards: the flat base, larger facets and lack of a pavilion are period-correct, not defects.
- Because true antique examples are so scarce, most Dutch Marquise stones on the market today are deliberately made reproductions for period-style jewellery.
Jewellery suitability
Suits antique and period-style jewellery restoration and vintage-inspired designs, in the same spirit as other rose-cut and antique brilliant styles — its character comes from candlelit-era faceting, not modern light performance.
Terminology
Also known as the "Rupee cut". The name "Dutch Marquise" describes the outline (marquise) combined with the faceting tradition (rose cut); it is not related to a Dutch geographic origin in the way the name might suggest.
Related cuts
Closely related to the standard round rose cut (same faceting method, different outline) and to the modern brilliant-faceted marquise (same outline, entirely different faceting method) — see the comparison page for exactly how the two marquise-outline cuts differ.
Frequently asked questions
- Is a Dutch Marquise the same as a modern marquise cut?
- No — they share only the marquise outline. A modern marquise is brilliant-faceted with a full pavilion, cut for maximum light return. A Dutch Marquise is rose-cut: a flat base, faceted crown only, no pavilion at all, designed to look good in candlelight rather than under modern lighting.
- Are Dutch Marquise diamonds always genuinely antique?
- No — because so few original 17th-18th century examples survive, most Dutch Marquise stones available today are modern reproductions deliberately cut in the historic style, not period antiques.
Compared with
Related cuts
A rose cut is a flat-bottomed diamond with a domed, faceted crown and no pavilion at all — one of the oldest diamond cutting styles still in use.
A marquise is a long, narrow, brilliant-faceted shape with two symmetrical points, resembling a boat hull or an eye shape.
An Old Mine Cut is an antique brilliant style with a squarish-to-rounded cushion outline, a high crown, small table, and usually a visible culet, cut by hand before mechanised, symmetry-optimised faceting existed.
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