Differences You Need To Know Between A Princess Cut And An Asscher Cut Diamond
When choosing diamonds everything comes down to the 4Cs. It is a diamond’s cut, clarity, color, and carat weight that decides its price.
However, everything is not about technicalities with diamonds. Your preference and want for a specific shape of a diamond might dictate your choice. In such a situation it is a person’s aesthetic choice that takes precedence.
Apart from their quadrilateral shapes, there is little similarity between Princess Cuts and Asscher Cuts.
Although the Princess cut is more popular, the Asscher Cut is a collector’s piece, and in certain ways equally valuable if not more than a Princess Cut.
Let’s find out how
Basic Differences Between Princess Diamonds and Asscher Diamonds
Before we get technical details, it is always better to start with the basics.
What is a Princess Cut?
This cut is the second most popular cut of diamonds in the world and accounts for more than 30% of all engagement rings.
Princess cuts have a massive yield from the diamond rough. To give you an example, A Round brilliant’s yield will be around 40%, whereas a Princess cut’s yield is between 80-90% from a diamond rough.
This cut was made by Arpad Nagy in 1961. But the princess cut only experienced fame in the 1980s when Betazel Ambar and Israel Itzkowitz popularized this particular cut.
The term, ‘princess cut’ was given to a particular cut by Arpad Nagy called the profile cut. Owing to this, more square cuts were given this name like the quadrillion cut and the barion cut.
The evolution of the square-cut diamond into the square modified-brilliant cut in the 1960s was on account of advancements in the field of diamond cutting and also increased knowledge of light performance in diamonds.
What is an Asscher Cut?
An Asscher cut diamond is a square-shaped diamond, with layered facets and flattened edges.
A clear view of the facets right to the center of the stone is achieved due to the flat table. This alignment of the facets renders a beautiful ‘hall of mirrors’ illusion to the eye.
Produced by the Asscher family of Holland in 1902, the Asscher cut did not gain popularity till the 1920s making it a hallmark piece of the Art Deco era.
But, the popularity of this cut was short-lived and the abode of this particular cut became limited to vintage jewelry stores. It is only in 2002, that the Asscher diamond made a comeback. It is not one of the popular cuts of the 21st Century and is highly underrated.
Princess Cut vs Asscher Cut
Shape and Symmetry
A Princess Cut Diamond is a square-shaped diamond with sharp corners having 56-58 facets.
It is also referred to as a ‘square modified brilliant cut’.
The division of facets is generally, 21 on the crown, 4 on the girdle, and 33 on the pavilion. 25 facets is also a common occurrence in a princess cut diamond.
Princess cuts either have French or Bezel corners and have diamond-shaped facets extending from the table corners to the stone corners.
An Asscher Cut Diamond has 58 facets.
However, modern renditions, like the Royal Asscher cut have 78 facets resembling the original design.
Owing to the cut, the weight of the diamond is concentrated towards the center, rather than the edges.
Cut
The GIA does not grade the cut quality of fancy-shaped diamonds, making it difficult to accurately judge the cut quality of a princess cut or an Asscher Cut. The depth, table, and symmetry are very good indicators of the diamond’s cut quality.
| Princess Diamond | Asscher Diamond |
| It is best to pick a Princess with a depth between 65%-75%
A table percentage between 65%-78% will ensure the best princess for you It is best to stick to a ratio between 1-1.05 The Polish and Symmetry ratings should be ‘Good’ or ‘Excellent’ Your princess girdle must be thick enough to support the prongs. |
It is best to pick an Asscher with a depth between 60%-65%
A table percentage between 65%-67% will ensure the best Asscher for you. It is best to stick to a ratio between 1 – 1.04. The Polish and Symmetry ratings should Good or Excellent to ensure a clear view of the concentric square patterns. |
Clarity
| Princess Diamond | Asscher Diamond |
| Best to pick out eye-clean diamonds.
A GIA or AGS graded VS2 or higher looks the same to a viewer without magnification. Important to avoid dark inclusions near the center of the stone and inclusions near the edges that might hinder the durability of the stone. |
Best to pick eye-clean diamonds.
Anything above VS1 is good for you. The open central design of this particular cut makes it bad at hiding imperfections. |
Color
| Princess Diamond | Asscher Diamond |
| The color of this diamond is noticeable only when it is looked at from side to side.
It is essential to pick the color of your princess based on its setting. In the case of a platinum or solitaire setting, you can choose a diamond that is G, H, or I color grade. Whereas one might go for a stone that is even J on the color grade considering a rose gold setting. |
The step facets allow you to see color clearly especially if the stone is above 2 carats.
You can casually keep the color grading to an I without much hassle. . |
Carat Weight
| Princess Diamond | Asscher Diamond |
| The biggest selling point for princess diamonds is that they appear bigger than other diamonds of the same carat weight.
This is due to the high yield from the diamond rough. A 1 carat Princess Cut would be about 5.5mm but appear bigger than an Asscher Cut |
This cut is smaller in size than other diamonds of the same carat weight. For example, a 1-carat Round cut diamond might be 6.4-6.6mm, whereas an Asscher cut diamond of the same carat weight might be 5.5-5.7mm. |
Fire and Brilliance
| Princess Diamond | Asscher Diamond |
| Provides a high level of brilliance and fire.
Owing to the way they are cut from the diamond rough, Princess cuts offer more brilliance than most other diamonds. |
Does not have the brilliance of a Princess cut.
The facets inside this cut are arranged parallelly to each other which does induce bright and colorful patches of light but don’t sparkle that much. |
Best Setting
| Princess Diamond | Asscher Diamond |
| A classic prong setting works best for this cut. It also protects the sharp edges of this diamond.
A Channel Setting offers more protection to the edges while giving your ring a contemporary look. A Three Stone setting also works wonders with this cut. Both as the centerpiece or as flank stones, the Princess cut suits all three-stone setting combinations |
A Solitaire Setting showcases the unique step-cut design of this diamond.
Vintage Art Deco settings like the Halo or a Pave works best with this cut. This cut is widely used in eternity wedding bands and stud earrings. |
Price Difference
The price of any diamond depends on several factors like cut, clarity, color, and carat weight. The comparison below is only concerning 1-carat diamonds.
| Princess Diamond | Asscher Diamond |
| Princess cuts are cheaper than Round cut diamonds, For instance, a 1 carat I color VS1 clarity diamond will roughly cost $4,000 as compared to a round brilliant, which would cost around $5000. | Asscher cuts have a relatively low price per carat.
A 1 carat, G-H color, and VS2 clarity will roughly cost $3600. |
Princess-Cut or Asscher Cut: Which One Is the Better Choice?
This question is very difficult to answer. Diamonds are luxury and personal items. One can view them from the perspective of a good investment.
However, in certain situations, the aesthetics of a particular shape is preferred over the 4Cs. For instance, heart-shaped diamonds lack the brilliance of a round brilliant cut but have a more pronounced sentimental value associated with them. Heart-shaped diamonds are considered the most romantic of all diamonds.
In the case of Asscher cuts, they have a vintage look associated with them, which would be preferred by those looking for a subtle diamond. In such situations, the lack of fire and brilliance might just make the cut.
The most unique aspect about Asscher cut diamonds is that they are very rare. Princess cut diamonds account for almost 30% of all engagement rings. This makes them very common. Couples today are always looking for unique experiences and having a rare cut might be considered more memorable than a popular cut.
The same is true for Grey Diamonds, their rarity account for their popularity. Asscher Cuts are relatively cheaper than Princess Cuts and a good choice for an engagement ring.
Princess cuts on the other hand are the second most popular diamonds with amazing brilliance. There are no prizes for guessing why you would want to choose a Princess.
It is always better to consult an expert on the matter. Both the cuts are worth buying. Although Princess cuts are a popular choice, stumbling upon an excellently cut Asscher Diamond might just change your mind.
Buying your Diamond
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