3.02ct Asscher Cut and 18ct Rose Gold Gypsy-Set Ring

Director’s Notes

The Asscher cut diamond was designed by and named after Joseph Asscher, co-founder of the Asscher Diamond Company in Amsterdam whose family had been dealing in diamonds since the mid 19th Century. The cut was created in 1902, in an attempt to best utilise the natural shape of rough octahedral diamond crystals. The cut is often square in shape with deeply truncated corners creating an almost octagonal outline to the stone. The facets are carefully arranged in three rows of straight, step-like faces to the top and bottom of the stone which has a wonderfully elegant and clean appearance with a more subtle sparkle than brilliant style cuts. A characteristic high crown and deep pavilion are further hallmarks of this cut and these help to create a wonderful brilliance in the stone. This was the first diamond cut to ever be officially patented and it became increasingly popular during the early 20th century. In particular, the straight lines and geometric form of the cut lent itself beautifully to the aesthetic of the Art Deco period. Just a few years after creating his eponymous diamond cut, Jospeh Asscher would become internationally famous as the man who cut the Cullinan diamond, at that time, the largest diamond in the world. Popular rumour has it that after the first attempt to cleave the diamond in half, Asscher fainted but in fact his family state he simply collapsed with the effort it took to strike a blow hard enough to cleave a diamond that size. Antique asschers particularly stand out from their modern counterparts with much bigger cut corners that enhance the play of light within the steeper facet pattern. The diamond in this ring is a particularly rare and unusual octagonal asscher cut, the added symmetry creating the perfect lines for this geometric gypsy set style setting.