Royal Asscher Diamond Company

The Royal Asscher Diamond Company (Dutch: Koninklijke Asscher Diamant Maatschappij) was founded in 1854 by the Asscher family. The company is responsible for cutting some of the most famous diamonds in the world. Its headquarters still stand at its original location Tolstraat 127 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The company also has regional headquarters in New York City (Royal Asscher of America) and Tokyo (Royal Asscher of Japan).

Royal Asscher is still owned by the Asscher family, a renowned diamond dynasty with a 157-year-old legacy. The Asscher Diamond Company, made famous at the turn of the 20th century by Joseph and Abraham Asscher, became the Royal Asscher Diamond Company in 1980 when it was bestowed with the honor of a Royal Prefix from Queen Juliana of the Netherlands in recognition of the company’s stature both in the Netherlands and across the world. In 2011 Queen Beatrix perpetuated the Royal Prefix for another 25 years.

In 1854 Joseph Isaac Asscher, a known artisan in the diamond industry, established the I.J Asscher diamond company, named for his son Isaac Joseph Asscher, who followed in his father’s footsteps and entered the diamond industry. He passed down his expertise to his two sons, Joseph and Abraham, who become two of the 20th century’s most prodigious diamond experts. Under Joseph and Abraham, the company is known as the Asscher Diamond Company.

In 1902 Joseph Asscher designed the original Asscher cut. This emblematic cut was the first signature cut to be patented. The Asscher Diamond Company held its exclusive patent until the Second World War and saw strong sales internationally.

In 1903, at 997 carats (199.4 g), the Excelsior diamond was the largest diamond ever found. The gem required expert handling to be properly carved: inclusions within the rough diamond prevented it from being polished as a single stone. Abraham Asscher was charged with cleaving the Excelsior; to minimize flaws, he carved the stone into ten diamonds which were primarily sold to anonymous purchasers. Rumor and myth abound regarding the location of the diamonds.

The Excelsior diamond was the focal point of the 2003 Victoria's Secret Fantasy Bra valued that time to be around $13 million with a jeweled panty for additional amount nearing $1 million.

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