Find your diamond
Find your jewelry
shape
carat
color
clarity

Asschers - does size matter?

GeorgieQ

GeorgieQ

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Nov 8, 2013
Messages
667
So I've recently really fallen very hard for asschers, but I'm wondering if asschers under 1ct are as eye catching as asschers that are over the 1ct mark (obviously bigger is better, but budget constraints mean no crazy spending spree!). I've never seen an asscher IRL (and I seriously doubt that any jewellers in my local area would have any) so the only place I've seen them is on the internet. Obviously the pics you see are enlarged for detail and because with asschers the beauty is in the detail, I'm just wondering if it's lost in a stone under 1ct? I was looking at stones in the .70ct to.80ct range (possible halo style ring) and being asschers, they face up quite small and it's really hard to get an idea of how well you'd see the details of the steps etc, in this size. So would I be wasting my money looking at an asscher in that carat range? Thanks in advance for any advice/opinions that may be forthcoming :)
 
The first thing that matters with Asschers is the cut - make sure you get an ASET image and buy a well cut one ask Gypsy for her advice she is one of the gurus of step cuts here. I think the larger the stone the more you see/can notice the type of cut that is true so to my eye the bigger they are the better - and unfortunately they do face up smaller compared to other cuts.
 
Thank you for that arkieb1 - and yes, that's exactly what I was a bit worried about, that some of the gorgeous detail might be lost in a stone that's in the range that I've been looking at. If only the darn Aussie dollar would move up a bit then I could justify a stone over the 1ct range :( hmmmm might have to keep saving for an asscher that's a bit bigger. Thanks again.
 
We don't always see a lot of nice ones in shops here, so despite our falling Aussie dollar I recommend purchasing one from the US so you can get a decent cut.

Do you like Emerald cuts as well?
 
Hi Georgie
I love asscher cuts too!
In my opinion visual size is one of the most important aspect of a diamonds cut.
In your searching take note of the dimensions. There can be huge variations between different asscher cuts of the same weight.
Personally I do find that you can see the steps well in stones of .75
 
I think size matters in step cuts. Recently I was looking at emeralds for my sister in the 1.75ct and after seeing it in person, we both decided that it was too small for us to appreciate the steps :o. Granted we are in our 40's and getting blind so..... :lol: Thinking that emeralds in 3-4ct range is the sweet spot :o :lol:
 
My eyes need the asscher to be in the 6 mm range at a minimum to be able to enjoy the steps.
 
I agree. I have a setting that needed a 1 ct asscher, and I fortunately found a beautiful one. But at 5.5mm, it takes magnification to really appreciate the step pattern. The setting is a halo, so it does look beautiful, but I would not recommend step cuts under a carat for a ring. They face up small due to depth. I do recommend halos for ones like mine because they act as a frame for the stone and I think enhances the appearance and size.

_24158.jpg

_24159.jpg

_24160.jpg
 
Diamondbug|1415982993|3783483 said:
I think size matters in step cuts. Recently I was looking at emeralds for my sister in the 1.75ct and after seeing it in person, we both decided that it was too small for us to appreciate the steps :o. Granted we are in our 40's and getting blind so..... :lol: Thinking that emeralds in 3-4ct range is the sweet spot :o :lol:
Click to expand...

Ummm, right there with you (but a little older)!!! I would love to have at least a 2.5 ct EC!
 
Thanks everyone for your honest opinions.
arkieb1 - thanks for the advice, and yes I'd definitely be buying a stone from the US, it feels like we're along way behind here in Aus when it comes to things like service and quality compared to the US. As for the EC....they just don't grab me like the asschers do, there's something about that asscher cut that I can't get enough of!
Rockdiamond - thanks for the adivce and yes I had noticed that there is a really big difference in dimensions in asschers, even stones of the same carat weight. I'm starting to realise that to find a great asscher will take a lot of careful research. Thanks again.
Diamondbug and diamonseeker - yep I'm in my early 40's and the eyes aren't what they used to be! diamondseeker your ring is beautiful :love: and thank you for the perspective shot and your advice.
Chrono - thanks for that, that's exactly the info I was after really.
Thanks again everyone. The consensus, it would seem, is that bigger is better with asschers and really I should be looking at dimensions over 5.5mm - let the searching and saving begin and lets pray that the Aussie dollar starts rising again! :)
 
It is always worth it to me to wait and save for what I really want! So I think you are making a good decision! Come back when you are ready to look!
 
All fancies must be evaluated based on spread (dimensions) not carat weight for the reasons you have already observed.

My thoughts on asschers as an asscher owner myself.

1. Asschers are not as hard as some other shapes to find. Why? There is a decent selection of them out there and some our vendors (GOG) are excellent at sourcing great asschers.
2. That said, they are tricky little buggers still.
3. Yes, size matters with asschers. My own is 5.8x5.9 and I'm of the opinion that is the bare minimum to appreciate the steps.
4. Make 100% that the person who will be wearing it LOVES and ADORES asschers. They face up small for their carat weight, the steps draw your eye IN and that makes them seem even smaller and they are the dickens to keep clean. So you have to love them to be happy with them.
 
Thanks for the advice Gypsy. I've just spent the last few hours on the internet reading everything I can about asschers. Trust me to fall in love with a cut that's fairly unforgiving in pretty much every area! So no shortcuts (ie, cut, clarity, colour) with an asscher. I would be the one who would be wearing the asscher (my husband doesn't know about this just yet, he'll find out all in good time ;) ) so I'm pretty sure about my decision. I found an article that said ideally you want a table of between 61-69%, a depth of between 61-67% and a girdle of very thin to slighly thick. Lots of the asschers I've looked at have a girdle that's thick to very thick, I don't really understand how the girdle thickness effects the diamond, any insight/education would be very welcome :)
 
Throw out the numbers. They don't mean anything. As for girdle thickness just avoid very thick (affects spread as it will hold weight in the girdle) and very thin (safety risk) and try to stick with fairly even girdles. fluctuations are okay so medium-thick is fine. But if you see one that says thin-thick, you will want to ask the gemologist why there is such fluctations.

There is a lot of bad information about asschers out there.

What you need to learn to understand is how an ASET works. What a good ASET looks like in an asscher. What a P3 angle issue is (very common) and what a good asscher looks like and what a bad one looks like in terms of faceting and performance.

Do searches on here for my posts on asschers, Karl's posts and Storm Rider ( strmrdr )
Some links to get you started. But you should do searches on here to see what you can mine, there are OODLES of threads on the topic.
https://www.pricescope.com/journal/performance-and-p3-facets-discussion-about-step-cut-diamonds
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/asscher-questions.30535/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/asscher-questions.30535/[/URL]
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/asscher-engagement-ring-size-setting-help.193619/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/asscher-engagement-ring-size-setting-help.193619/[/URL]
http://www.winkjones.com/index.php?page=education-performance

Ignoring the HUGE size and budget this is pretty much an "ideal" generic asscher. The ASET is amazing and the faceting is freaking awesome. http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/10397/
This one is also FANTASTIC: http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/11460/
And here is a dog. I don't care what that aset looks like, the stone's faceting is WOOF WOOF bad: http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/12228/
This one one has a p3 performance issue: http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/11227/
Dud: http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/12617/
Also dud: http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/12261/
This one is a dud and a dog: http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/12238/
And this one is interesting: http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/12043/ I'd need to see a video.
This is an Octavia Asscher and so it has ideal light performance: http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/11178/


GOG is going to be the best vendor if you want full service, for an asscher. That's why I posted some of their stones for you, so you can get used to the photo format, and to reading their ASETs.


If you had the budget, that 8k G VVS 1.25 stone is worth snapping up greedily. And so, always are the Octavias.
 
Throw out the numbers. They don't mean anything. As for girdle thickness just avoid very thick (affects spread as it will hold weight in the girdle) and very thin (safety risk) and try to stick with fairly even girdles. fluctuations are okay so medium-thick is fine. But if you see one that says thin-thick, you will want to ask the gemologist why there is such fluctations.

There is a lot of bad information about asschers out there.

What you need to learn to understand is how an ASET works. What a good ASET looks like in an asscher. What a P3 angle issue is (very common) and what a good asscher looks like and what a bad one looks like in terms of faceting and performance.

Do searches on here for my posts on asschers, Karl's posts and Storm Rider ( strmrdr )
Some links to get you started. But you should do searches on here to see what you can mine, there are OODLES of threads on the topic.
https://www.pricescope.com/journal/performance-and-p3-facets-discussion-about-step-cut-diamonds
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/asscher-questions.30535/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/asscher-questions.30535/[/URL]
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/asscher-engagement-ring-size-setting-help.193619/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/asscher-engagement-ring-size-setting-help.193619/[/URL]
http://www.winkjones.com/index.php?page=education-performance

Ignoring the HUGE size and budget this is pretty much an "ideal" generic asscher. The ASET is amazing and the faceting is freaking awesome. http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/10397/
This one is also FANTASTIC: http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/11460/
And here is a dog. I don't care what that aset looks like, the stone's faceting is WOOF WOOF bad: http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/12228/
This one one has a p3 performance issue: http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/11227/
Dud: http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/12617/
Also dud: http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/12261/
This one is a dud and a dog: http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/12238/
And this one is interesting: http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/12043/ I'd need to see a video.
This is an Octavia Asscher and so it has ideal light performance: http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/11178/


GOG is going to be the best vendor if you want full service, for an asscher. That's why I posted some of their stones for you, so you can get used to the photo format, and to reading their ASETs.


If you had the budget, that 8k G VVS 1.25 stone is worth snapping up greedily. And so, always are the Octavias.
 
Gypsy thanks so much for your time and for the reading material. I had seen the ocatvias and they are stunning and by the looks of it, foolproof - which is a very attractive thing for someone who would be buying sight unseen.
I'm going to get busy saving (I have to factor in the usd to aud conversion :(( ) and then hopefully in a few months I'll have a budget healthy enough to buy something decent.
Thanks Gypsy, you're an amazing assest to this site! :appl:
 
Goodluck with your saving, please come back here when you are ready to purchase and everyone will suggest stones for you. 90% of the Asschers I've seen here in Australia are very ordinary ie well below what you will get from GOG or something recommended by Gypsy from somewhere like James Allen. Hopefully our dollar will go up a bit next year. :wavey:
 
I have a 5.5mm Asscher. in the last 6 months my eyesight has deteriorated :-( and i can just see the steps...So, i would like to have a larger one if i can manage it, and it is not because of diamond shrinkage syndrome (DSS) damn eyesight in me 40's!!!.... :Up_to_something: :Up_to_something:
Yes, if you can get bigger dimensions, get it..
here is a pic of my asscher with my carre eternity for reference.

_24197.jpg
 
Hi from the West Coast!
 
Thanks arkieb1 - I'll definitely come back here when I've saved my pennies, how amazing is Gypsy! Gosh I wouldn't even consider buying anything without running it past her first. You know I'm beginning to think that even with our dodgy dollar you still get a better deal for your money buying from the US, even factoring in conversion rates and tax! The Americans just know how to offer quality product and service. If you don't mind me asking, do you use an Aussie jeweller to make your jewellery or do you use a US vendor?

gregchang35 - I love your set! That asscher is gorgeous! Did you buy here or the US (if you don't mind me asking?) As for the eyesight thing - this is the excuse I'm going to feed my hubby as to why I need to go as close to 6mm for my asscher - my failing eyesight! We'll see how that one goes.... :naughty: and hi from the East Coast!
 
I buy most of my settings and items from the US as it is much cheaper, higher quality overall at better prices than here...... I have a few things made by Victor Canera, who is lovely and have bought pieces and had work done by Grace - Jewels by Grace, Erica - Love Affair Diamonds, GOG, Brian Gavin, Singlestone, and Whiteflash and a couple of others I am probably forgetting or not listing as they may not have been what I call good experiences as well....

If I need something minor done here I take it to Rivers Jewellers at Strathpine, if it is something more major I take it to the head bench guy at Steven Dibb jewellers at Cleveland NOT the one at Holland Park. There is also a guy called Warren in the city at a place called Ringleaders that does nice award winning work as well.
 
Hi there,

I got my asscher from Joey at Diamond Specialist, in Sydney. She has been good and i have to rely on her eyes. However, they do not provide the optical images that i think you need with an Asscher. If i am being honest with myself and after reading more posts on here, my asscher has p3 issues, and is a little deeper than what i would have liked. But, i am overall happy with it that i wouldnt change this asscher for another 5.5mm, but UPGRADE to a min of 6mm so that i can see the damn windmills that i so love.....

If i had my time again, i would get my asscher from USA with the help of Gypsy or go to GOG, who have been really good at sourcing some great asschers as DS and many others have mentioned above.
 
I have been helping a colleague who is planning to propose to her girlfriend soon to source a suitable diamond and ring in the US, after he showed me the horror of what he could find within his budget in the UK (0.5ct MRB, I, PI clarity, in simple platinum 4-prong setting). :shock:

It turns out his g/f likes an asscher cut diamond set simply in a bezel setting, and this cut and setting are not that popular/common in UK.

So off I went to look at the likes of GOG and James Allen, and found a few around 0.7ct, E to G/H, VVS to VS stones that are within his budget, after adding the ring setting, shipping and estimated import charges.

On JA, after selecting a stone and setting (simple bezel in platinum), the site shows the same ring setting with different sizes of asscher cut diamonds, presumably pics of rings they had made previously, and two of the rings on show have the same stone size as the one he has selected, which enables him to see it for size before he buys. Brilliant!

Being in the UK, I am all for importing from abroad due to high prices of jewellery in this country, and have not bought anything of value locally since I discovered the joy of shopping via the internet over 15 years ago.

DK :))
 
To most women yes, but only if IT performs.. :wink2:
 
arkieb1 - wow! You might have to beome my international jewellery advice go to person here in Aus - you've clearly have a lot of experience with purchasing jewellery o/s.

gregchang - that's exactly what I'm going to do when I've finished researching/learning and am ready to purchase - coming straight back here for help!

DK - I've only had one experience buying from the US, I bought a five stone from WF and it was a fantastic buying experience I have to say. Thanks also for the info on JA, I might have a bit more of a look around their website!

Dancing Fire - I think you're succinct statement says it all! :lol:
 
I was looking at that.. but there seems to be that black / leakage??? area in the main pavillion (p2) region and the p3 regions of the windmills. it occurs in the photos as well as the ASET and DIAMxray. I am comparing this to the Octavia and learning lots about optical imaging.

Or have i got it wrong, and that would be a nice contrast to a bright stone?
 
I know this is the diamond forum, but since you're in Australia, have you considered Doug Menadue in Sydney? He mostly does colored gemstones but sometimes he cuts diamonds (mostly FCDs). He does custom cutting, too. I don't know how much of a difference it makes, but he prices his work in AUD. ;)

Also, his cutting is superb and I really, really, like his Egyptian and classic Asschers.

http://www.bespoke-gems.com/SacredGeometrics_Gemstones_Designs_Squares.php
 
Thanks for that link m-2-b. I'm not quite ready to buy just yet but it is really valuable to see what a good asscher looks like.

mochiko42 - thank you for that link to Doug Menadue's website, I've just had a quick look at it looks great! Thank you :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
GET 3 FREE HCA RESULTS JOIN THE FORUM. ASK FOR HELP
Jewelry Blog
PriceScope-Concierge-Ad
Find prime cuts.
Top