Nine marquise-cut engagement rings, from $480 to $786. All solid gold, all coloured stones: padparadscha sapphire, zultanite, blue topaz, peach morganite, colour-change sapphire, mint tourmaline, smoky grey, ice blue opal and lilac chalcedony.
This is the most specific collection on the site — one cut, one purpose, nine stones you will not find in a conventional engagement range. It exists for people who want a proposal ring that is unmistakably not a round solitaire. Related: all engagement rings, gemstone rings, birthstone jewelry, wedding bands and wedding and engagement jewelry.
Why the marquise cut
The marquise is a pointed oval — elongated, with a point at each end. It has three properties that make it particularly effective as an engagement stone.
It looks larger than its carat weight. A marquise spreads its material across the surface of the finger rather than down into depth, so it covers more area per carat than a round stone. Two stones of identical weight, one round and one marquise, will not look the same size — the marquise reads noticeably larger.
It lengthens the finger. Set lengthwise along the finger, the elongated shape extends the visual line of the hand. This is the main reason people who have tried both often prefer it.
It is uncommon. Round and oval dominate engagement rings. A marquise is immediately identifiable as a deliberate choice rather than a default.
The one thing to know about marquise stones
The points are the vulnerable part. A marquise has two of them, and a point is the thinnest, most exposed part of any stone — where chips start.
This makes the setting more consequential here than in a round or cushion cut. Look for settings that protect the tips: a V-prong that cups each point in metal, or a bezel that wraps the stone entirely. A plain prong sitting beside an exposed point offers considerably less protection.
It also affects daily wear. A marquise sits with its points running along the finger, which means they project toward the knuckle and the base of the finger and can catch on fabric. This is manageable but worth knowing, particularly if the ring will be worn permanently.
The stones, and how they behave
These are not conventional engagement stones, and they differ significantly in durability. This matters because an engagement ring is intended to be worn every day for decades.
Padparadscha and colour-change sapphire. The most practical stones here by a wide margin. Sapphire is the hardest coloured stone in this catalogue, second only to diamond, and handles daily wear on a working hand without complaint. Padparadscha is a pinkish-orange variety; colour-change sapphires shift tone between daylight and artificial light. If you want a coloured engagement stone worn permanently, these are the answer.
Blue topaz and mint tourmaline. Moderately hard. Fine on a ring that comes off for gardening, cleaning and manual work; less suited to one that never does.
Zultanite. A colour-shifting stone that moves between green, champagne and pink depending on light source. Distinctive and moderately durable.
Peach morganite. Softer than sapphire, and worth treating as an occasional-removal ring. Its appeal is a warm pink that nothing else here matches.
Lilac chalcedony and smoky grey. Softer stones with unusual muted colours. Beautiful, and better protected in a bezel.
Ice blue opal. The softest and most porous stone in this collection. Opal absorbs oils and can craze if it dries out. It is a striking engagement stone and it requires genuine care — not a stone-and-forget choice.
Choosing between them honestly
The trade-off is straightforward and worth stating: the more unusual the colour, generally the softer the stone. Sapphire gives you durability; opal, morganite and chalcedony give you colours sapphire cannot.
The way to resolve it is to think about the hand rather than the stone. Someone who works with their hands, cooks constantly, gardens or has small children will chip a soft stone within a few years. Someone whose ring comes off for those things will not.
If the softer stone is the one you want, a bezel setting and a habit of removing the ring for manual work makes it entirely viable. See lab-grown gemstones.
Matching a wedding band
This needs thinking about at the point of buying the engagement ring, not later.
A marquise stone is pointed, and a straight wedding band placed against it leaves a gap that the point projects over. That gap is not just cosmetic — the two rings rock against each other and wear at the contact point over years.
The band that solves it is a V-shaped or chevron band, shaped to follow the point of the stone. A simple curve will not do it, because a curve follows a round outline rather than a pointed one. This is a real constraint on your later choice, and it is worth knowing before you commit. See wedding bands and solid gold wedding rings.
Sizing
Rings run US 4 to 8.5 including half sizes on most designs, fixed at production because everything is made to order.
For a proposal ring bought as a surprise, the reliable method is to borrow a ring they already wear on the same finger of the same hand and measure its internal diameter. A ring from a different finger is not a substitute — fingers differ by a full size or more across one hand.
If measuring directly, measure the base of the finger and over the knuckle and take the larger, at the end of the day when fingers are largest. See the size guide and how to measure your ring size.
Metal, care and ordering
All solid gold — 14k at 58.3% purity, with the entry tier hallmarked 9K in the UK and Europe and 10K in the US. Repolishable and repairable for decades, which is the point for a ring worn permanently. See why 14K solid gold.
Never use an ultrasonic cleaner on opal, morganite, chalcedony or tourmaline — the vibration damages porous and softer stones. A soft cloth and warm water is the safe approach. Have the point prongs checked every few years specifically, since those take the most stress. Keep gold away from chlorine. See the care guide.
Production is 4–6 business days before dispatch. US orders ship from Connecticut with duties included; UK, EU, Canada and Australia orders from London. 365-day warranty. See shipping and returns.
Orientation, and how a marquise sits
A detail worth knowing because it changes the ring considerably and is not obvious from a photograph.
A marquise is almost always set lengthwise along the finger, points running toward the knuckle and the hand. This is what produces the lengthening effect, and it is the reason the cut suits shorter fingers particularly well.
Set across the finger — east-west — the same stone reads entirely differently: wider, more contemporary, and it shortens rather than lengthens the visual line. It is a less common choice and a more distinctive one.
The practical difference is in wear. Lengthwise, the points project toward the knuckle and catch less. Across the finger, the points project sideways toward the neighbouring fingers, where they press when the hand closes. Lengthwise is the more comfortable orientation for a ring worn permanently.
Colour under different light
Coloured stones behave in ways photographs cannot show, and several of these are chosen specifically for that behaviour.
Colour-change sapphire and zultanite shift visibly between daylight and artificial light — zultanite moving between green, champagne and pink. This is the whole appeal of those stones, and it means the ring looks like a different piece across a day.
Padparadscha holds its pinkish-orange consistently and is the most distinctive constant colour here.
Opal plays colour across its surface as it moves, which is an effect no other stone here produces.
A general rule that applies across all of them: the smaller the stone, the lighter its tone should be to remain readable. A dark stone in a small setting reads as a dark dot rather than as a colour. Given that marquise stones are elongated rather than deep, they carry lighter tones particularly well. See gemstone rings for the wider coloured stone range.
Proposing with an unconventional stone
Worth thinking about honestly, because this collection is deliberately outside the conventional engagement range.
The argument for is straightforward: a coloured marquise is unmistakably a considered choice, it does not look like every other engagement ring, and it costs less per carat than a diamond of equivalent size.
The thing to be sure of is that the recipient wants that. Some people have a clear picture of what an engagement ring is, and it is a round or oval diamond solitaire. Others would find a conventional ring disappointingly predictable. This is the one aspect of the decision that cannot be reasoned about from the product page — it depends entirely on the person.
If you are uncertain, a diamond engagement ring is the safer choice, or a promise ring as a placeholder while you choose together. Nothing here is personalised, so any of these can be returned under standard terms if the answer turns out to be no.
Frequently asked questions
Why choose a marquise cut?
It looks larger than a round stone of the same carat weight, because it spreads material across the surface rather than into depth, and it lengthens the visual line of the finger.
What is the price range?
$480 to $786, all solid gold with coloured centre stones.
Do marquise stones chip?
The points are the vulnerable part, and there are two of them. Look for a V-prong setting that cups each point in metal, or a bezel that wraps the stone entirely.
Which stone here is most practical for daily wear?
Padparadscha or colour-change sapphire. Sapphire is the hardest coloured stone in this catalogue, second only to diamond, and handles a working hand without complaint.
Which stone needs the most care?
Ice blue opal — the softest and most porous here. It absorbs oils and can craze if it dries out. Morganite and chalcedony are next, and all benefit from a bezel setting.
Can I put a straight wedding band next to a marquise ring?
Not without a gap. The point projects over a straight band, and the two rings will rock and wear against each other. A V-shaped or chevron band shaped to follow the point is what fits.
Can I clean these in an ultrasonic cleaner?
Not opal, morganite, chalcedony or tourmaline. The vibration damages porous and softer stones. A soft cloth and warm water is the safe approach for all of them.
How do I find their ring size for a surprise?
Borrow a ring they wear on the same finger of the same hand and measure its internal diameter. A ring from a different finger will be a different size, often by a full size or more.
Why do unusual colours tend to be softer stones?
The colours sapphire and diamond do not offer come from minerals with different structures, and those tend to be less hard. It is a genuine trade-off between colour range and durability.
Are these stones lab-grown?
Several are. A lab-grown sapphire is chemically and structurally a sapphire — the same mineral formed under controlled conditions, not a simulant — and it costs substantially less.