Asscher Cut Shaped Engagement Rings

When it comes to engagement rings, the Asscher cut is the new “old” kid on the block. “Old” because it was all the rage in the early 1900’s. “New” because it’s now making a come back.

Kate Hudson and Reese Witherspoon are two well-known brides who’ve discovered how special these rings are. And they made an “appearance” on the TV sit-com Sex and the City. With this kind of exposure, these rings are creating a stir and now are a bit easier to find than they used to be. The well known online company Blue Nile is one of the large providers of this diamond cut.

A little history: 

Heard of the Star of Africa, royal scepter of the British royal family? It was cut by the famous Asscher Brothers from Amsterdam. It was they, as you would easily guess from the name, that created the Asscher cut engagement ring. The year was 1902 and the ring was very popular in the 1920’s. If you frequest antique shops and yard sales you may have come across some of these.

What does this cut look like? 

Do you remember as a kid going to the fair and entering the house of mirrors? The way the asscher is cut you get a hall of mirrors effect as you look deeply into the diamond with its greater than average radiant effect.

It has similarities with the emerald cut but is rectangular in shape rather than square. A four prong setting is typically used to keep the stone from chipping and to raise it to reflect light more efficiently.

Accent stones can be used with this ring  along the sides of the diamond in the center. But that’s not absolutely essential since the ring is beautiful all to itself.

A leading provider of asscher cut engagement rings suggest a 1.00 and 1.05 range for the length to width ratio of the stone.

Is it the asscher cut engagement ring for you? 

Because of the way this ring is cut, these rings tend to be more expensive than some others. It can require a greater quality diamond to work with in order to make the deep cuts. Or the diamond may be smaller. That may not be bad if you prefer the beauty of the diamond over having a larger diamond. And you may have to make a greater effort to find this ring than with some others.

Summary: 

Make sure you are getting the real thing. This cut is patented and every genuie ring has an ID # along with the Asscher insignia. You can’t see them with your naked eye but the jeweler can show it to you under magnification.

The Asscher cut went through a redesign in 2001. This was in part to make it harder for counterfeiters to pass off their work as the real thing. The newer stones compared to the original ones have somewhat smaller corners but with a larger flat area on top of the diamond. Many more facets were included to make for a greater sparkle.