By Mauricio Minotta

Edward Asscher walked away with much more than he anticipated after attending GIA’s International Gemological Symposium in 1999. As if the stimulating discussion on the industry’s latest issues during the event wasn’t enough, he returned home to Amsterdam with a major revelation for his business.

It became apparent to him while walking the event that the lanyard around his neck bearing his name tag was drawing some unexpected attention. One by one, retailers would approach him and ask if he was from the same Asscher family who created the Asscher cut.

Developed by his grandfather, the original Asscher cut had 58 facets and became popular after World War I. It had not been in style in recent years, so Asscher was taken aback by retailers’ persistent inquiries about the old style and offers to buy it during Symposium. That’s when Asscher got his new idea.

“When I got back to Amsterdam, I told my staff there was a demand for the Asscher cut in the U.S.,” he said. “But I didn’t think we should start making the original cut because there were so many copies in the world. I told them we need to improve the Asscher cut with modern technology so we could have a unique selling point.”

After more than a year of development, testing through computer simulations and securing a patent, the company launched the new Royal Asscher cut in 2001 during the Las Vegas JCK Show together with Fabrikant, the sole distributor in the U.S. The original cut was modified to a square shape with 16 additional facets for more brilliance.

It’s not the first time the company has been tied to innovation. Asscher’s grandfather, Joseph, and great uncle, Abraham, supervised the cutting of the Cullinan diamond. At 3,105 cts in the rough, it yielded several important diamonds, the first being the Cullinan I (530.20 cts).

The pear-shaped stone is the world’s largest cut diamond and is now in the head of the royal scepter in the British crown jewels. The second largest cut diamond, the Cullinan II (317.4 cts), is a cushion-shaped stone and is set in the British imperial state crown.

The Royal Asscher Company also developed the trilliant cut between World War I and World War II when it grew to a multinational level. It floundered in the wake of World War II, but Asscher’s father and uncle rebuilt the company after returning from German concentration camps before Edward Asscher and his brother, Joop, took over the reigns in 1980.

There has been a revival in demand for the new cut, Asscher said. Although he got a great new idea for his business in 1999, he says there are several other good reasons to attend Symposium, including the benefit of perspective.

“What I liked best about it is the intellectual stimulation to think about your own business. I usually find the economical and managerial topics of discussion very interesting because I think of myself as more of a businessman than a gemologist,” he said.

“When I look at the diamond market from the diamond manufacturer point of view, it’s different than from the retailer’s point of view,” he said. “I found it so stimulating to talk to our customers, colleagues and potential customers to get a better understanding of the market. It is absolutely worth it.”

So is he planning to attend GIA’s International Gemological Symposium in 2006?

“It’s already on my calendar,” he said.