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New here! I really need help with my Gran's 3ct Marquise.

foxfire

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Hi everyone, I'm Jo. I'm new and hoping for some advice from those more 'in the know' than myself. I'm recently engaged. My fiancé wanted to take me engagement ring shopping to make sure I got something I loved, but I already have a stone, so I just need to find the right setting. The stone is an antique-y three carat marquise my Gran left me in her will. It's lovely, D color, VVS1, nearly IF. There's a little chip on one end where it wasn't properly protected, but it's otherwise in wonderful condition. I'm really honored to have it.

But. If I'm being honest, it's not something I would have picked for myself. The marquise feels a little dated to me, maybe? I've heard so many half-jokes about the 'football shape' was a big thing in the 80s, but is no longer in style. On top of that, I think it might be a little outside of my comfort zone. I have size 4.75 fingers, but 5.25 knuckles (yay!) and I'm a little nervous about how much real estate a stone this size will require.

Thanks so much for tolerating what I'm sure sounds a little whiney when I've been given something so precious, but does anyone have any advice about how best to 'modernize' a marquise? Or does anyone have a marquise, love it, and have some advice on how to most comfortably wear a biggish stone? I really want to use it, I feel like it'd be horribly rude to her if I didn't, but none of the traditional marquise settings I've seen so far have sang to me.

Please help! Thanks in advance.
 

MissGotRocks

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Re: New here! I really need help with my Gran's 3ct Marquise

Welcome! Your ring sounds like it is beautiful - do you have any pictures of it so that we can gauge the size of the stone? Just trying to figure out how large it looks on your finger as you mention it might not be practical for everyday wear.
 

foxinsox

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Re: New here! I really need help with my Gran's 3ct Marquise

I understand that you want to honour your grandmother but if you don't love the shape, do you really want to use the stone?
You could make a spectacular pendant out of that marquise and keep her close to your heart and then for your engagement ring, get what you actually want?
 

Niel

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Re: New here! I really need help with my Gran's 3ct Marquise

Marquise shapes are not out of date. They can be beautiful in antique deco style shapes or ultra modern settings. Classic three stones with pear sides.....done will no one calls it 80s or a "football".

I know it's not your favorite shape. I hear you. If you do your due diligence and still don't like it, you don't like it. But honestly, that's an amazing family heirloom and I would be so sad to see you sell it.
 

Niel

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Re: New here! I really need help with my Gran's 3ct Marquise

First; classic and timeless. The three stone.

dsc_7017_800x800.jpg

dsc_7055_800x800.jpg
 

lambskin

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Re: New here! I really need help with my Gran's 3ct Marquise

Niel|1465774791|4043384 said:
First; classic and timeless. The three stone.
:love: :love: :appl: Exactly what I would do.
 

marcy

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Re: New here! I really need help with my Gran's 3ct Marquise

Hi Jo. Welcome to Pricescope. What a wonderful gift from your grandmother. I think marquis are beautiful stones and can look quite elegant and classy. Have you tried on some settings with a marquis in them? I generally find you have to have rings on your finger to see what you really like. If you find you don't like any rings or that size of diamond I think it would make a beautiful pendant.
 

marcy

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Re: New here! I really need help with my Gran's 3ct Marquise

Niel|1465774791|4043384 said:
First; classic and timeless. The three stone.

Beautiful ring Niel.
 

diamondseeker2006

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Re: New here! I really need help with my Gran's 3ct Marquise

There are marquise settings that are out of style for sure, but there are antique and classic style (like the one Niel posted) that are timeless. That said, some of us would not have the room for a 3 ct marquise on our finger below the knuckle. Do you have really long fingers? Do you know the length of the stone in mm?

This is another setting I love (with side shields):

_37554.jpg
 

diamondseeker2006

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ihy138

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Re: New here! I really need help with my Gran's 3ct Marquise

Welcome to PS! Your Gran's diamond sounds like a beauty. Would also love to see photos. Like you, I felt marquise diamonds were dated until I came here. There are SO MANY gorgeous ways to set marquise, now they are my second favorite antique cut! A good way to modernize might be to set it east-west, possibly in a halo. It might make it more comfortable as well so it's not taking up so much space length wise. I attached a photo I found on Pinterest of an E-W marquise in a halo setting.

b4085af6af604c761aac247ca000d461.jpg
 

Gypsy

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Re: New here! I really need help with my Gran's 3ct Marquise

In terms of practicality and design, I would go for a split shank, no halo.

Like this only with a marquise. This one is by Maytal Hannah.

maytal%20oval%201.jpg


[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/maytal-hannah-reset-my-oval.94767/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/maytal-hannah-reset-my-oval.94767/[/URL]
 

caf

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foxfire

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Re: New here! I really need help with my Gran's 3ct Marquise

MissGotRocks|1465773759|4043374 said:
Welcome! Your ring sounds like it is beautiful - do you have any pictures of it so that we can gauge the size of the stone? Just trying to figure out how large it looks on your finger as you mention it might not be practical for everyday wear.

MissGotRocks, Thanks for the response! Please excuse the grainy iPhone shots and the bad bathroom lighting. The stone actually has really beautiful fire! The cut is a little asymmetrical in places but I think it that gives it character, despite the bit of 'bowtie.'

It measures 14.1 x 6.95mm, so it's not as big as some of the crazy huge, drop dead gorgeous sparklers I've seen some of you rocking on this forum. This will be my first e-ring though, so it feels like a lot!

unnamed3.jpg

unnamed2_0.jpg

unnamed_64.jpg
 

Gypsy

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Re: New here! I really need help with my Gran's 3ct Marquise

That's a big rock. I was actually trying on marquise that size yesterday.

I would make sure the stone is prong set, not bezel set. It has a bowtie, and possibly an open culet.
 

foxfire

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Re: New here! I really need help with my Gran's 3ct Marquise

foxinsox|1465774082|4043378 said:
I understand that you want to honour your grandmother but if you don't love the shape, do you really want to use the stone?
You could make a spectacular pendant out of that marquise and keep her close to your heart and then for your engagement ring, get what you actually want?

Thanks, a pendant is a really beautiful idea I hadn't thought of. I'm not sure it's something I'd be able to wear too frequently in my line of work, but it'd be great to have on special occasions.
 

foxfire

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Re: New here! I really need help with my Gran's 3ct Marquise

Niel|1465774460|4043381 said:
Marquise shapes are not out of date. They can be beautiful in antique deco style shapes or ultra modern settings. Classic three stones with pear sides.....done will no one calls it 80s or a "football".

I know it's not your favorite shape. I hear you. If you do your due diligence and still don't like it, you don't like it. But honestly, that's an amazing family heirloom and I would be so sad to see you sell it.

Oh I definitely can't sell it! My Mom would have my head for that.
 

foxfire

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foxfire

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Messages
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Re: New here! I really need help with my Gran's 3ct Marquise

marcy|1465780870|4043421 said:
Hi Jo. Welcome to Pricescope. What a wonderful gift from your grandmother. I think marquis are beautiful stones and can look quite elegant and classy. Have you tried on some settings with a marquis in them? I generally find you have to have rings on your finger to see what you really like. If you find you don't like any rings or that size of diamond I think it would make a beautiful pendant.


Thanks for the welcome. :) I'm living in the EU for the year for my husband's work and interestingly, European women really don't do sizable engagement rings. Going into a jeweler's, the largest rings you see are generally 1ct rounds, and those are typically on the larger end. The trend is super tiny, with next to no fancy cuts available. So I've been almost entirely restricted to internet searching. I do like the pendant idea.
 

foxfire

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jun 12, 2016
Messages
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Re: New here! I really need help with my Gran's 3ct Marquise

ihy138|1465789181|4043459 said:
Welcome to PS! Your Gran's diamond sounds like a beauty. Would also love to see photos. Like you, I felt marquise diamonds were dated until I came here. There are SO MANY gorgeous ways to set marquise, now they are my second favorite antique cut! A good way to modernize might be to set it east-west, possibly in a halo. It might make it more comfortable as well so it's not taking up so much space length wise. I attached a photo I found on Pinterest of an E-W marquise in a halo setting.


Thank you, and oh my goodness that is gorgeous!! I guess I need to do more research, I hadn't seen that style setting yet. I think that might just work. Cannot thank you enough!

unnamed3.jpg

unnamed2_0.jpg

unnamed_64.jpg
 

MissGotRocks

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Re: New here! I really need help with my Gran's 3ct Marquise

Thanks for the pictures! You do have long, lovely fingers so you can rock this stone with no worries!

I do like some of the setting suggestions already given and the E/W orientation always adds something special to marquise stones IMO.
 

Niel

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Re: New here! I really need help with my Gran's 3ct Marquise

I love an e/w design but I was holding off posting one until I knew the dimensions of the stone. You have very small hands and it could be too long to set that way. Based on your l*w it could work,yoid have to go go a jeweler and see though
 

Niel

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Re: New here! I really need help with my Gran's 3ct Marquise

This is super simple in that it would make a 3ct stone wearable . Get a few stacking engagement rings to mix in and it would be to die for, however, we need to see if it is too big for your fingers

tumblr_nedcjlplqf1qzi2nqo1_0.jpg
 

Niel

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Re: New here! I really need help with my Gran's 3ct Marquise

Your right stone is beautiful by the way! I do think you have lovely slender hands that are long enough to wear it the normal orientation if they are too think for the e/w orientation
 

Niel

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Re: New here! I really need help with my Gran's 3ct Marquise

With my not so scientific method here seems like you could do it, but just. You'd need someone to do very delicate not bulky prongs at the end.

photogrid_1465817272145.jpg
 
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