The History of Asscher Cut Engagement Rings
Asscher cut engagement rings were developed by Joseph Asscher in Holland in 1902. His was the original Asscher cut and he patented his design of a 58 facet cut diamond. The Asscher diamond company held the exclusive patent until the Second World War when the company was almost completely destroyed by the Nazis. Given the fact the Asscher family were Jewish as were most of their craftsmen, the majority ended up in concentration camps where most perished. It was during the Second World War that the patent expired and with nobody around to renew it, diamond craftsman around the world began to copy Joseph Asscher’s original design.
Abraham Asscher, Joseph’s father was a master craftsman and is famous for cutting the Excelsior diamond. This stone was found in 1903 and was an amazing 997 carats. But it was not perfect and the inherent flaws meant that it had to be reduced to ten quality diamonds, the whereabouts of which are the subject of myths and rumors.
Joseph worked on the Crown Jewels in London after being invited there by Kind Edward V11 to discuss cleaving the Cullinan diamond found in 1907. The Cullinan diamonds are an integral part of the Crown Jewels and a testament to the Asscher family’s knowledge and expertise in the diamond field.
With such a prestigious and tragic background, the company who produced original Asscher Cut engagement rings is now known as the Royal Asscher Diamond Company. Joseph’s descendants have worked on his original design. Using their superb craftsmanship, family knowledge and with the help of computers, they have strengthened and improved the original design. The new cut is now patented the Royal Asscher cut which has 74 facets. Nearly 100 years after the original Asscher cut was patented, the new one is now fiercely protected. All authentic Asscher cut diamonds are laser inscribed with the company logo and identified by means of an identification number. These fabulous pieces make truly amazing diamond engagement rings.
The cut has a distinctive shape. It is similar to the Emerald Cut and in fact is sometimes called the Square emerald. It actually resembles an octagon as the corners of the square setting have been deeply trimmed. The cut incorporates a hall of mirrors effect by using a series of parallel step cuts. This causes the diamond to truly sparkle. With the addition of 16 facets to the original 1900’s design, modern Asscher cut diamond engagement rings really have the sparkle factor.
Because more of the stone is actually seen with this type of cut, you need to choose a diamond that has clarity and color. Flaws and inclusions should be minimized as they will be seen on this style of cut. If you really want a large diamond in your engagement ring, you may want to consider a different cut. Although Asscher cut engagement rings are truly spectacular, because it can emphasize faults in a diamond a very large stone could work out to be extremely expensive.