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Selecting the right engagement ring these days can be a really tough job. This is true even if you already know that you want to buy a solitaire diamond ring, because there are other questions which need to be answered. For example, which metal should be used for the band itself? What diamond cut would look best? As usual, though, the television and celebrities will come to our rescue. Celebs such as Mariah Carey and Jessica Alba have been spotted with their asscher cut engagement rings, so these must be the height of fashion. The asscher cut engagement ring has also found wide and increasing popularity as this was the type of ring given to Charlotte in the TV series “Sex and the City”.

At first glance, asscher cut diamonds look quite similar to an emerald cut. However, the asscher cut is actually square whereas emerald cut stones are rectangular. The confusion is not helped by the fact that “square emerald cut” is sometimes used to refer to asscher cut gems. Despite the recent popularity, it is not a new way to prepare diamonds for jewelry. This particular cut was introduced by the Dutch Asscher brothers in the early 20th century and has been used for over a hundred years.

The same family still controls the Asscher Diamond Company in Holland today, and since 1980 has been called the Royal Asscher Diamond Company, after having the honor bestowed on them by Queen Juliana. In celebration of their royal seal of approval, the company developed a new cut which they called the Royal Asscher cut, which has similarities to the more traditional one, but has a higher degree of symmetry and precision.

Despite the “square” shape of an asscher cut diamond, a closer look will show you that the corners of the square have actually been snipped off, so in reality, the stone is an irregular octagon. It is cut like this to draw your eye deep into the stone. It is the perfect cut for solitaire diamond engagement rings, or even for trilogy rings set with a central diamond nestled between two round cut stones.

Many people today are looking for engagement rings with some age in them, either real antique rings or ones which could be considered as vintage. Unfortunately you will have a very difficult job on your hands if you set your heart on a genuine antique asscher cut diamond engagement ring. This is because, although many were made, especially in the Art Deco period in the 1920s, their popularity today means they will almost all have been bought by collectors, so they are a true rarity now. Luckily you can still happily buy antique-style rings with glittering asscher cut diamonds.