The Royal Asscher cut — also marketed as the Asscher Royale — is a proprietary diamond cut introduced in 2001 by the Royal Asscher Diamond Company of Amsterdam, representing a deliberate modernisation of the original Asscher cut that the same firm had patented in 1902. Where the classic Asscher cut employs 58 facets arranged in the step-cut tradition, the Royal Asscher cut increases that count to 74, redistributing and adding facets across both the crown and pavilion to improve light return and brilliance whilst preserving the square outline, deeply cropped corners, and high crown that define the Asscher aesthetic. Each Royal Asscher diamond is laser-inscribed with a unique serial number and the company's logo, and the cut is available exclusively through authorised dealers worldwide.

Historical Context

The Asscher Diamond Company was founded in Amsterdam in 1854 by Joseph Isaac Asscher, and the firm rose to international prominence in the early twentieth century — most famously for cleaving the 3,106-carat Cullinan diamond in 1908. The original Asscher cut, patented in 1902, is a square step cut distinguished by its high crown, small table, deeply cropped corners, and a characteristic optical effect sometimes described as a "hall of mirrors" or concentric square pattern visible through the table. The patent lapsed after World War II, allowing the cut to enter the public domain and be reproduced freely by cutters worldwide.

By the late twentieth century, the Royal Asscher Diamond Company — which had been granted the "Royal" designation by Queen Juliana of the Netherlands in 1980 — recognised that the original cut's optical performance fell short of expectations set by modern brilliant-cut diamonds, particularly under the mixed lighting conditions common in contemporary retail environments. The original step-cut geometry, with its broad, flat facets, can appear relatively dark or lifeless in diffuse lighting. The 2001 redesign was intended to address this limitation without abandoning the essential character of the cut.

Facet Architecture and Optical Performance

The transition from 58 to 74 facets is achieved through the addition of extra facet rows on both the crown and the pavilion. On the crown, additional step rows break up the broad flat planes that characterise conventional step cuts, creating more facet junctions and thus more opportunities for light to be reflected and refracted toward the viewer. On the pavilion, the additional facets serve a similar function, reducing the proportion of light that escapes through the base of the stone.

The result is a cut that occupies a middle ground between the pure step-cut tradition and the brilliant-cut family. It retains the geometric, architectural quality of the Asscher — the windmill or cross pattern visible through the table, the squared octagonal outline — but exhibits noticeably greater scintillation and brightness than a standard 58-facet Asscher cut of comparable proportions. Critics of the modification occasionally argue that the additional facets dilute the meditative, mirror-like quality that makes the original Asscher cut distinctive; proponents counter that the improved light performance makes the cut commercially viable for a wider range of diamond qualities and lighting environments.

The cropped corners, a defining feature of both the original and Royal versions, serve a practical as well as aesthetic purpose: they reduce the vulnerability of the stone's corners to chipping, a concern with square and rectangular cuts that terminate in sharp points.

Provenance, Inscription, and Authentication

Because the Royal Asscher cut is a registered trademark, authentication is built into the product. Every Royal Asscher diamond is laser-inscribed on the girdle with a unique serial number and the Royal Asscher logo — a small crown above the letters "RA" — allowing the stone to be traced through the company's registry. This system of individual identification was relatively novel at the time of the cut's introduction and has since become more common across the industry as a means of combating misrepresentation and supporting provenance claims.

Diamonds cut in the Royal Asscher style by cutters outside the authorised network cannot legitimately bear the Royal Asscher name or inscription, though the broader category of "modified Asscher" or "high-facet Asscher" cuts produced by other manufacturers may share similar proportional characteristics. Buyers seeking a genuine Royal Asscher cut should verify the girdle inscription and, where appropriate, request documentation from an authorised dealer.

Proportions and Grading Considerations

The Royal Asscher cut is typically graded by major independent laboratories including the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC). On a GIA grading report, a Royal Asscher cut diamond will appear under the shape and cutting style description as a "square emerald cut" or "modified square emerald cut," since GIA does not use proprietary trade names in its shape descriptions. The Royal Asscher Diamond Company issues its own supplementary documentation confirming the proprietary cut designation.

Ideal proportions for the Royal Asscher cut, as specified by the company, emphasise a length-to-width ratio close to 1:1 (typically 1.00 to 1.05), a table percentage in the range of approximately 60–68 per cent, and a total depth percentage that supports the high crown characteristic of the Asscher family. The deeply cropped corners produce an octagonal outline in which the corner facets are substantial enough to be clearly visible, distinguishing the cut from a standard square emerald cut with only minimally clipped corners.

Market Position and Availability

The Royal Asscher cut occupies a premium position within the Asscher category, commanding a price differential over non-proprietary Asscher cuts of comparable carat weight, colour, and clarity. This premium reflects both the additional labour involved in cutting 74 facets to the company's specifications and the brand equity associated with the Royal Asscher name and its historical associations.

The cut is particularly associated with vintage and Art Deco revival aesthetics in fine jewellery, a market segment that experienced sustained growth from the early 2000s onward. Its square geometry and step-cut lineage make it a natural choice for solitaire engagement rings, three-stone settings, and architectural jewellery designs that favour clean lines over the organic curves of oval or pear-shaped cuts. The Royal Asscher Diamond Company distributes through a network of authorised retailers across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, with the Amsterdam atelier remaining the centre of production.

Further Reading

• GIA — Asscher Cut Diamond
• Gems & Gemology — The Asscher Cut Diamond (Spring 2004)