When you are shopping for diamonds, you will probably encounter various different shapes in addition to the standard “round brilliant” shape.

Asscher cut diamonds are one of these, and as with any diamond shape, there are certain things you will want to look for in an Asscher cut diamond in order to ensure that you’re getting the ideal possible value.

What are Asscher cut diamonds?

The name of the cut diamond refers to the jewellers who originally created it: the Asscher Brothers of Holland, who first unveiled this particular cut in 1902. The cut is part of the “step cut” family of diamond shapes.

These are diamonds that are either square or rectangular in shape, with square or rectangular facets that sit parallel to the girdle, or the widest part of the diamond. Step cuts are sometimes known as “trap cuts.”

The Asscher cut is essentially a modified version of the emerald cut, which itself is one of the oldest and most common types of step cuts and resembles the traditional rectangular shape of a cut emerald. The main thing that differentiates this diamond from emerald cuts are the cut’s truncated corners. This helps to make the cut less susceptible to damage near the corners, although the truncation makes it possible that the diamond’s natural coloration is more easily visible around the corners. Also, Asscher cuts, unlike emerald cuts, are always square or nearly square, with a maximum length to width ratio of around 1.05.

Note that the “cut” does not have any direct connection to the cut grade that appears on a diamond certificate. The Asscher cut is only a specific diamond shape, and can still have a range of cut grades, which in turn affect the overall quality and appearance of the diamond.

What makes it special?

It has a unique appearance thanks to its combination of square shape, rectangular facets, and cropped corners. The rectangular facets help to highlight the diamond’s natural clarity, while the overall square shape, as with the radiant cut, can look particularly good in the right type of setting.

Until fairly recently, this cut was one of the rarest diamond shapes and was carried by very few vendors. Its rarity led to a certain prestige, and the Asscher cut became very popular among diamond enthusiasts. Several years ago, the Asscher cut was mentioned on the popular TV show Sex and the City and since that time it has undergone a major upswing in popularity among the general public. The Asscher is now considered one of the most fashionable diamond shapes, even though it still is not as common as the round brilliant, and there are still some diamond vendors that do not carry it.

What should I look for?

The unique features of it mean that there are particular things to be aware of when shopping for one. The clarity grade of the diamond is especially important, because this shape accentuates the natural clarity of the diamond, for better or worse. Asscher cut diamonds with a high clarity grade will appear even clearer than other diamond shapes with the same clarity rating, while Asscher cuts with poorer clarity grades will suffer in appearance more than other shapes. For this reason, diamonds with clarity rated VS2 and above are recommended.

With respect to color grades, Asscher cuts with color grades of J and below will often have visible coloration in the corners, so in most cases, it’s a good idea to stick with diamonds with a color grade of I or better.