Buying Guide
The asscher is the most deliberate-looking shape we cut. Its concentric step facets pull the eye down through the table rather than bouncing light back off it, which produces long architectural flashes instead of continuous sparkle. Cropped corners give it a softer footprint than a princess while keeping the square outline, and they remove the corner-protection question that a princess raises.
Open step facets leave an asscher more exposed on clarity than any brilliant cut, which makes this the one shape where we would hold the grade and give up carat weight rather than the other way round. It also carries more of its weight in depth than an elongated shape, so it reads smallest per carat in the range. Polish quality matters here too, because a poor polish kills the concentric flashes faster than a clarity grade does. Made to order with 65-day returns.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an asscher cut?
A square step cut with cropped corners and concentric facets that draw the eye into the centre of the stone. It is the square counterpart to the emerald cut and shares its light behaviour: broad flashes rather than continuous sparkle, and full visibility into the stone. We carry 95 asscher pieces across the range pieces.
Does an asscher cut show inclusions?
Yes, more than any brilliant cut. Step facets are open windows, so anything inside the stone stays visible instead of being scattered away by the faceting. We would not trade clarity for carat weight on an asscher the way you reasonably can on a round — the grade is doing visible work here, and ours never drops below VS.
Which shapes hide inclusions best?
Brilliant cuts hide them best. Round, oval, pear, cushion and radiant scatter light across dozens of facets, which masks small inclusions. Step cuts — emerald and asscher — have long open facets that act like windows into the stone. That is exactly why our VVS–VS clarity floor matters most on step cuts, where there is nowhere for an inclusion to hide.
Is an emerald cut the same as a lab grown emerald?
No, and it is the most common confusion in this category. An emerald cut is a rectangular step cut applied to a diamond — the shape of the facets, not the material. A lab grown emerald is a green beryl gemstone. Every piece Beyond Carat makes is set with a lab-grown diamond, IGI-certified in D–F colour.
Is a larger stone at lower quality better value than a smaller one at higher quality?
It depends on the shape. In step cuts such as emerald and asscher, clarity is visible through the open facets and is worth protecting. In brilliant cuts, carat usually shows more than a clarity grade does. Because we hold a D–F color, VVS–VS clarity floor across everything, the question here is about size rather than compromise.
- IGI certification Every Beyond Carat diamond is graded by IGI, and the report ships in the box.
- Flexible payments Affirm monthly payments and Shop Pay Installments at checkout.
- Returns 65-day returns, measured from the date your order ships. Free prepaid, insured UPS return label on U.S. orders. Free ring resizing for a full year.
- Warranty Lifetime manufacturing warranty covering defects in materials and workmanship.
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