Origin of name
The name "Graff Asscher-Cut" is a combination of the name
of the diamond's owner, Graff, and the cut of the diamond, asscher-cut.
Characteristics of the
stone
The Graff asscher-cut diamond is a 21.46-carat, D-color,
internally flawless (IF), asscher-cut stone. The diamond has been set in a
ring by expert craftsmen, probably in the Graff's large in-house workshop
for handmade fine Jewelry, situated in London.
Being a D-color diamond, the Graff Asscher-cut is most
probably a Type IIa diamond, free of nitrogen impurities and having
perfectly formed crystals. They are absolutely colorless and are said to be
the "purest of the pure" of all diamonds.
History
Nothing much is known about the stone except for the
characteristics given above. The ring had appeared in a series of ads in the
New York Times newspaper, along with other diamond-set rings from Graff. It
is not known whether the ring set with this unique diamond has already been
disposed of by Graff diamonds, but in all probability it has, as the diamond
is not listed among the 36 Graff diamonds given in the Graff website.
The Asscher-cut is a diamond cut developed in 1902, by I.
J. Asscher & Co. of Holland, renowned diamond cutters of Amsterdam, who had
earned the rare distinction of cutting the world's first and second largest
rough diamonds, the Cullinan and the Excelsior, that weighed 3,106 carats
and 995 carats respectively. The Asscher-cut is a stepped square cut, also
known as the square-emerald cut, and like an emerald-cut the Asscher has
cropped corners. The pavilion facets are rectangular in the same way as the
emerald-cut, and this creates the unique optical appearance of the
stone. The classical emerald-cut shape has a length-to-width ratio of
between 1.30 and 1.40, but the Asscher-cut being square, should ideally have
a length-to-width ratio of 1.00, but a slightly higher ratio from 1.01 to
1.05 can still be considered as Asscher.
Graff is an international business empire, founded by
Laurence Graff, dealing with all aspects of the diamond industry, which
includes the following :-
1. - Mining and prospecting for diamonds, mainly in
Africa.
2. - Sourcing and purchasing of diamonds from mines
around the world.
3. - Processing of diamonds of all sizes, that involves
both cutting and polishing.
4. - Introducing state-of-the-art technology for the
processing of diamonds and other precious stones.
5. - Maintaining the world's largest in-house workshop
for hand made fine jewelry.
6. - Marketing of exquisitely created, items of fine
jewelry around the world.
7. - Training of a team of highly skilled personnel who
could confidently undertake delicate operations involving the cutting and
polishing of diamonds and subsequent setting onto fine jewelry.
Graff has a chain of workshops around the
world, situated at important diamond trading centers, such as Antwerp,
Johannesburg, London. and New York. It has a state-of-the-art workshop, in
the Indian ocean island of Mauritius, processing rough diamonds and turning
out magnificent jewelry. Graff also has sales outlets in cities like Monte
Carlo, Geneva, Moscow and Dubai.
Laurence Graff, the founder of Graff Diamonds, is also
known as the "King of Diamonds" and is said to have had a passion for
diamonds from an early age. He has set an unsurpassed standard of excellence
and innovation in the industry, and it is said that more important
gem-quality diamonds have passed through his hands, than any other living
dealer. Some of the stones are centuries old and steeped in myth and
history, while others have just been discovered and brought to life in
Graff's own workshops. The Graff Asscher-cut diamond is an example of such a
stone, brought to life recently in the Graff Workshops.
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