You will feel enamored by the Asscher Cut’s clean, elegant look. The long, rectangular facets allow for a lot of light to enter the diamond and to give off large flashes. Most people go with an Asscher Cut diamond for its vintage appeal. This style of diamond was most popular during the Art Deco era of the 1920s. Follow our guide and reach out to our experts for specific questions.
What is the Asscher Cut Diamond?
An Asscher Cut diamond is an octagonal diamond with a square shape and layered facets. The Asscher Cut features a deep pavilion and high crown—offering brilliance and its signature appeal. There are two types of Asscher Cuts. There’s the standard Asscher Cut and there’s the Royal Asscher Cut. Both were created by the Royal Asscher company.
Unique Features: Asscher Cut Diamonds
Asscher diamonds usually have 58 facets, the same as a round brilliant. The arrangement of these facets however gives its uniquely vintage appearance, and a “hall of mirrors” look.
The shape is the other defining characteristic of Asscher diamonds. The shape is equal in length and width, as a square would, yet with angled corners that give it an octagon shape. The result is something in between that of a round cut and a perfect square like a Princess Cut.
Below you can check out the size differences of an Asscher Cut between the different carat weights.
History: Asscher Cut Diamond
After being produced in 1902 by the Asscher Brothers of Holland, the Asscher shape regained popularity in 2002 after its one-hundredth anniversary and a small change to the cut technique.
The original Asscher cut design has 58 facets and was never patented. It is this design – the square emerald cut – that is referred to universally as the “Asscher Cut.”
Diamonds such as Asschers and Emeralds are among the oldest of diamond cuts. Compared to brilliant cuts (like the Princess and round brilliant), Asscher Cuts came about earlier, due to reduced precision required in the cutting process.
Asscher Cut Diamonds – Color
When it comes to Color, you need to be a slightly more careful with an Asscher or Emerald Cut than you would with a Round Brilliant or even a Princess Cut. Round Brilliants and Princess Cuts are brilliant cuts, therefore they both do quite well at masking the color of the diamond’s rough material.
Asscher Cuts and Emerald Cuts, on the other hand, have no brilliance. They are cut for their clarity and lustre – so nothing is hidden. Because of this, we recommend when buying an Emerald or Asscher cut that you buy a minimum of an H Color.
A G or higher color will definitely provide you with some incremental whiteness, but the visual difference is so slight that it might not be worth the added premium.
It is important to remember, however, that if you are buying an Emerald or Asscher cut for an Asscher Cut Engagement Ring or an Emerald Cut Engagement Ring, then you need to make sure the color of your center diamond matches the color of the side stones.
I Color with an Asscher or Emerald Cut Diamond will give you the best value. Going higher in diamond color will give you an incremental benefit. We don’t recommend J color with Asscher or Emerald Cuts because they retain color slightly more than Round Brilliants and Princess Cuts.
Asscher Cut Diamonds – Clarity
It is specifically regarding Clarity that Emerald and Asscher cuts are most distinguished from the other Diamond Shapes. The other shapes, known as a category as “Brilliant” cuts, all chop up the incoming and outgoing light in endless ways due to the unique faceting of each shape.
This effect provides the sparkle and fire we all know and love about diamonds. But aside from it providing great visual fireworks, it’s also a very effective way to hide impurities inside of a diamond.
Emerald and Asscher Cuts, on the other hand, are step cuts. They provide no fire or sparkle. Their beauty lies in showing off the simple beauty of a clean and sharp gemstone.
VS2 Clarity Inclusions
VS2 clarity inclusions which would almost never be seen in a round diamond can easily be seen floating inside of an Emerald or Asscher Cut.
Once in a while, you can find an SI1 graded Emerald or Asscher cut that is still clean to the naked eye, if the inclusion is contained completely on the side underneath the step facets.
The table of an Emerald cut or Asscher cut is like a big clear unobstructed window into the center of the stone. Almost any inclusions there will be clearly visible. If you’re looking for an SI1 or SI2 Asscher or Emerald Cut, then you must verify that the inclusion is not in the center of the stone.
Stick to VS2 clarity for the best value. SI2 and SI1 clarity grades are generally not recommended with Step Cuts such as Asscher Cuts and Emerald Cuts. Step cuts aren’t cut for their brilliance, so there’s no break up of light to hide inclusions.
Asscher Cut Diamonds – Cut Quality
| Excellent | Very Good | Good | Fair | Poor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Table % | Under 69 | 70-72 | 73-74 | 75-79 | >79 |
| Depth % | 61-67 | 59-60.9 or 67.1-70 | 57-58.9 or 70.1-74 | 54-56.9 or 74.1-79 | <54 or >79 |
| Girdle | Very Thin – Slightly Thick | Very Thin – Thick | Very Thin – Very Thick | Extra Thin – Extra Thick | |
| Cutlet | None | Very Small | Small | Medium | >Medium |
| Length/Width Ratio | 1.00-1.05 | 1.06-1.08 | >1.08 |
The Lower the Total Depth, the Better
Look for a Total Depth between 60% and 68%. Generally lower is better. With the brilliant cuts, the depth is much more important because it has a crucial impact on how well the light is refracted inside the diamond.
Since Emerald & Asscher Cut Diamonds are step cuts, they don’t have this issue. Since you don’t need any built-up depth to maintain brilliance, you should go as low as possible in terms of depth.
Remember – a more shallow diamond means a diamond that will look larger. For Table Percentage, we recommend staying under 68%.
Would you like help finding the right emerald cut diamond? Contact us and let us know what your budget is and we’ll send you some personalized recommendations.
