For over 170 years, the Asscher family has followed one rule: every diamond must be Cut for Beauty. More than a motto, this is our legacy. We never cut for carat weight or convenience. Every detail, from angle to polish, is designed to enhance brilliance, fire, and clarity. We cut for beauty.
Royal Asscher's patented diamonds are so perfectly cut to the exact parameters of the patent that each diamond has much greater brilliance and beauty than traditional cut diamonds. With strategically placed additional facets in the diamond that create an unmatched vibrant and unique light return.
“When I look into it, the deep Asscher cuts which are so complete and ravishing- are like steps that lead into eternity and beyond. ”
- Liz Taylor, 1968
Every Royal Asscher diamond, in each shape category is cut consistently to specific geometrical parameters to ensure the diamond is beautiful and blazing with light and sparkle. The most perfect expression of shape.
In our 170 year existence, technology in diamonds has advanced so much, but it's the eyes and instincts of the Asscher family which has ultimately decided that these are the most inspired shapes to bring to market. Cutting to the patent guarantees each diamond is cut for beauty not yield and is exclusive.
Royal Asscher defines true luxury and rarity in diamonds, our diamonds are internationally patent-protected and all six can only be cut by us. Our current signature cuts are only available from us (b2b) and to consumers through our approved retailers.
What makes a Royal Asscher diamond truly unique?
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Buying a Royal Asscher diamond means buying a diamond from the widely acknowledged expert Asscher family of diamond designers whereas their original
patented Asscher cut can now be created by any cutter - to various inconsistent standards -
Each diamond is (hand) crafted for its sheer beauty (not yield) – Royal Asscher know through experience and instinct that cutting a diamond in a certain way will make it the most stunning expression of itself
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Each diamond is cut with 6th generation diamond cutters’ expertise who have the technical ability to see way beyond the standard 4C's by eye and by heart, resulting in diamonds that are far more beautiful and contain far more brilliance than its standard equivalent. It has the ability to radiate light in a unique way.
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As a family business, Royal Asscher are Royal Warrant Holders. They cut the famous Cullinan diamond featured in The Crown Jewels.
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Each diamond returns a very high percentage of light (98%) therefore its beauty and sparkle can be seen from across the room.
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Each diamond features a unique serial number which is laser inscribed and registered with the company in Amsterdam. This feature can go as far as personalization on each individual diamond too if required.
While most diamond education today focuses on the invention of the round brilliant cut diamond by Marcel Tolkowsky in 1919, our family’s labor of love — the cutting of diamonds — began even earlier, in 1902, when Joseph Asscher perfected the geometrical lines and faceting pattern of a steep, square-cut diamond. This was the original Asscher cut diamond, which featured 58 step-cut facets, a small table, high crown, and steep pavilion with cut corners.
The world’s first ever patented diamond cut, the original Asscher became wildly popular during the 1920s and 1930s. It was an ideal representation of the Art Deco aesthetic, with its sharp angles and hall-of-mirrors appeal. Unfortunately, the patent expired during the height of World War II, making it impossible for the family to renew it.
When the original Asscher cut diamond patent expired, it meant that any diamond cutter could now create and sell this particular cut, and call it an Asscher, without any sort of market regulation or expected light performance for the shape. This is why what you will find sold as Asschers on the market are simply “square emerald cut” diamonds, and they will be listed as such on their Diamond Grading Reports and Certificates. This shape is not held to any standards, may have any number of facets, and unregulated proportions. The result is that you never really know what you will get when it comes to light performance, brilliance, and sparkle.
On the other hand, by insisting on a patented Royal Asscher Cut Diamond, you receive a diamond created to such exacting specifications that there are fewer than 75 people in the world capable of polishing these exceptional stones to perfection.
Many years and three generations after the original Asscher cut, the Royal Asscher Cut Diamond was born. After intense research and innovation, the Royal Asscher Cut diamond was patented in 2001. Taking inspiration from the family’s historic cutting of the Cullinan II of the British Crown Jewels into gems which bear 74 facets (rather than the square emerald cut standard of 58), the Royal Asscher Cut is inimitable in more ways than one.
Cut from only the top 5% of rough diamonds in the world, the Royal Asscher Cut Diamond begins with a raw, octahedral crystal sawn above the middle part of the diamond. This crucial action sacrifices 15% more of the rough diamond to achieve the Royal Asscher Cut’s notably high crown. Master craftspeople then set to work exposing the unique beauty and perfect symmetry of this collection of diamonds. Each Royal Asscher Cut’s proportions must fall within strict parameters so that every facet is absolutely accurate. It is this symmetry, the diamond’s high crown, and its extra 16 pavilion facets that give the Royal Asscher Cut its unprecedented dispersion of color and light, setting it apart from the square emerald cuts flooding the market.
Today, the Royal Asscher Cut diamond is the foundation of a suite of signature, patented diamond cuts including the Royal Asscher® Cut, the Royal Asscher® Oval Cut, the Royal Asscher® Brilliant Cut, the Royal Asscher® Cushion Cut, the Royal Asscher® Emerald Cut and the Royal Asscher® Pear Cut. The Royal Asscher trademark is a registered trademark, and our diamond cuts are protected by patent and design registrations.