"Dutch Marquise" does not appear in any formal gemological standard. You will not find it defined in GIA or IGI grading literature. Ask ten gemologists what a Dutch Marquise is and you will receive a range of answers — consistent in spirit, different in specifics.
This is worth being honest about, because the term is increasingly used in jewellery marketing and deserves clarity.
What is consistently meant by "Dutch Marquise" is a marquise silhouette with a different proportion philosophy than the modern marquise. Where the modern marquise was refined for maximum visual elongation — long, narrow, with a pointed oval that draws the eye along its length — the Dutch Marquise takes a broader, more settled approach. The length-to-width ratio is shorter (typically 1.6 to 1.7, compared to 1.75 to 2.25 for a modern marquise). The center is wider. The taper to the pointed ends is gentler. The overall impression is of a shape that has been allowed to breathe rather than stretched.
The "Dutch" attribution refers to cutting traditions from the Netherlands, which historically favored proportions that preserved more rough weight and produced broader, lower-profile stones than the French and English traditions that followed. Whether every stone marketed as a Dutch Marquise adheres to this history precisely is variable. The name has become partly shorthand for "antique-style marquise" regardless of specific provenance.
What is not variable is the visual effect. A well-cut Dutch Marquise looks different from a well-cut modern marquise in a way that is immediately apparent side by side. It is quieter, more geometric, less emphatic. Where the modern marquise performs for the room, the Dutch Marquise simply presents. Both belong to the same family. The distinction is a proportion philosophy, not a gemological category — and knowing that makes it easier to buy the right one.