Historic Diamonds / Famous Diamonds
How the Asscher Family’s Pursuit of the Perfect Diamond Changed Jewelry Forever
By Jill Newman, Updated: September 22, 2025
The story of six generations of pioneering diamantaires.
A Royal Asscher Cut diamond, featuring 74 precisely arranged facets that maximize brilliance.
For more than 170 years, the Asscher family has been at the heart of diamond history, shaping some of the world’s most legendary stones. From Joseph Asscher’s daring cut of the Cullinan diamond to the creation of the iconic Asscher Cut, their name has become synonymous with brilliance and innovation.
Meet the Expert
- Jill Newman is a jewelry authority, editor, and storyteller with over 25 years of experience, having reported from diamond mines in Africa, cutting workshops in India and Belgium, and ateliers around the world.
- She serves as Editor-at-Large for the Natural Diamond Council, with additional bylines in The New York Times, Town & Country, Elle Décor, and Robb Report.
Ahead, discover how six generations of diamantaires have pursued perfection, one facet at a time.
Cutting the Cullinan Diamond
It was the most important day of Joseph Asscher’s career. King Edward VII selected him to cut the Cullinan diamond, which, at 3,106 carats, was the world’s largest gem-quality rough diamond ever found, one destined to become part of the British crown jewels. If anything went wrong, he risked damaging or ruining the stone—and his reputation.
On February 10, 1908, the press and spectators crowded into his Amsterdam workshop to witness him cleave the historic stone. However, things didn’t go as planned. Despite months of preparation, when he attempted to cut the diamond in two, his knife broke. Luckily, the stone remained unscathed.
The incident didn’t deter the diamond cutter: four days later, he made a second attempt, this time with a larger blade. It worked. He successfully cut the Cullinan diamond into nine D flawless, Type IIa diamonds—the most exceptional quality of stones—and 96 smaller gems. The largest stone among them, the 530 carat Cullinan I, is set in the British Sovereign’s royal scepter, which is on display at the Tower of London. Alongside the Hope Diamond and the Dresden Green Diamond, it is one of the world’s most famous and visited stones.
The Craftsmanship Behind the Asscher Family Legacy
Joseph Asscher understood the importance of a diamond’s cut to unleash the stone’s inherent beauty and brilliance. At a time when diamond cutters relied solely on their intuition and experience to precisely cut the hardest substance known to man, Joseph showed tremendous patience and fortitude. After all, it was in his blood: Joseph had learned the trade from his father, who learned it from his father Isaac Joseph Asscher, who started the family business in 1854.
Joseph Asscher’s first lucky break came in 1903 when he was asked to cut the Excelsior diamond, a 997 carat stone, which, at the time, was the world’s largest diamond. From that mammoth stone, he created 11 exceptional diamonds, plus widespread recognition in Amsterdam’s burgeoning diamond cutting trade.
During this period, Amsterdam rose to become the center of the world’s diamond industry and began to receive from Brazil an increasing number of newly mined diamonds to be cut by the city’s ever-growing skilled workforce. Joseph Asscher and his brothers built a large workshop in the city’s diamond district, which, at its peak, employed more than 500 diamond polishers. While the Royal Asscher‘s company headquarters remain in the main tower of the original building at 127 Tolstraat, the old factory has since been converted to luxury apartments.
The First Patented Diamond Cut
In 1902, Joseph Asscher created the world’s first patented diamond cut, aptly called the Asscher Cut. Distinguished by its square shape, deeply trimmed corners, and step-cut design with 58 facets that create a striking hall-of-mirrors effect, the cut quickly became a favorite among collectors and connoisseurs.
Nearly a century after their great-grand uncle conceived the first patented cut, Edward and Joop Asscher improved upon the original design by adding 16 additional facets to his formula, thus creating a 74 facet steep-cut square diamond, which further enhanced the diamond’s refractory qualities. They patented the new style as the Royal Asscher Cut.
While the original 58-facet original cut remains a beloved choice—especially popular during the Art Deco era and still sought after by vintage jewelry collectors today—the Royal version is favored in contemporary high jewelry and engagement rings for its heightened sparkle and precision. Together, both styles embody the family’s enduring influence: one represents a century-old design classic, and the other showcases modern innovation carried forward by the brand.
The Asscher Family Today
We are still excited about the magic of diamonds.
After heading the family business for more than 50 years, Edward Asscher retired in 2020 and his children, Lita and Mike Asscher, became co-presidents. They have continued to build on the family legacy by adding a number of patented diamond cuts, including the Royal Asscher Oval Cut, Royal Asscher Cushion Cut and Royal Asscher Brilliant cut.
With each generation, the business has evolved but always with the same mission: to cut the world’s most exceptional diamonds. Today, the company also produces a collection of engagement and wedding rings and it continues to train new generations of diamond cutters.
“We are still excited about the magic of diamonds,” says Lita Asscher. “If we lose that, we will have to close our doors.”
