Melbourne client care · Made in Surat
The Asscher cut and the square emerald cut are both square step-cut diamonds — but they are different. The Asscher has specific proportions and an octagonal outline from its deeply cropped corners. The square emerald has less cropped corners and a different facet count. This guide explains every difference.
Both the Asscher cut and the square emerald cut are square diamonds with step-cut faceting — parallel rectangular facets arranged in steps from the girdle to the table. Both have cropped corners (unlike the sharp corners of a princess cut). Both produce the sophisticated mirror-like depth of step-cut faceting rather than the brilliant sparkle of round or oval.
The Asscher cut was developed in 1902 by the Asscher Diamond Company in Amsterdam. It was the fashionable shape of the Art Deco period and remains strongly associated with that design vocabulary. The square emerald cut is the modern adaptation — similar concept, slightly different proportions and corner cropping.
| Feature | Asscher Cut | Square Emerald Cut |
|---|---|---|
| Corner cropping | Deeply cropped — creates a clearly octagonal outline | Less deeply cropped — more rectangular at the corners |
| Outline | Octagonal — the eight-sided outline is immediately recognisable | More clearly square with softer corners |
| Facet pattern | Specific "windmill" or "maze" pattern visible through the table | Similar step facet pattern, slightly different arrangement |
| Period association | Strongly Art Deco — 1902–1940 | More contemporary — less specifically period |
| Ideal L:W ratio | 1.00–1.05 (nearly square) | 1.00–1.10 (square to slightly elongated) |
| Visibility of inclusions | High — step cuts show inclusions clearly | High — same as Asscher |
| Colour visibility | High — choose G or better in white metal | High — same as Asscher |
| Setting | 4-corner prong or bezel — prongs at the octagonal corners | 4-corner prong or bezel |
Book a free online consultation. Yash Chandpara shows Asscher and square emerald cut side by side on screen — the difference is immediately clear.
