The Royal Asscher Diamond Company’s president, Edward Asscher, has retired on his 50th anniversary with the company. “You have to able to let things go in life,” he said. “There comes a time when you should no longer stand in the way of continuity. The next generation has to determine the further course on their own.” Edward Asscher said he is delighted that his daughter, Lita Asscher and son, Mike Asscher, will be taking over the company as co-presidents. Lita (42) is responsible for America, while Mike (39) will take care of business in Asia and Europe. Lita is the first woman ever to lead the diamond house.
It all started in 1854, when Isaac Joseph Asscher left his job as a shoemaker and established the I.J. Asscher firm in Amsterdam. Edward Asscher, representing the fifth generation, joined the family business in 1970, apprenticing with his father and uncle, before stepping up as president in 1980. He worked alongside his brother Joop, who passed away in 2006, for 36 years. Upon taking the company’s helm, Edward Asscher expanded Royal Asscher’s reach in the international market, creating a presence and developing strategic partnerships across the globe. With his children, the family’s sixth generation, Royal Asscher began to focus on the manufacturing of fancy cut diamonds, investing in innovative technology, which led to the patenting of four proprietary diamond cuts based on much adored and popular existing shapes. The Royal Asscher Cut has achieved world renown.
Edward will begin a two-year term as president of the World Diamond Council in June, which represents the diamond industry within the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme. He previously served as president of the WDC from 2014 to 2016. He has been a passionate campaigner for an ethical and responsible diamond industry that respects human and environmental rights, and he has held board positions across numerous charities and industry bodies. occupied positions throughout the diamond industry, serving as president of the International Diamond Manufacturers Association, president of the International Diamond Council, and past president of the Liberal Party in Amsterdam. He served as a senator for the Liberal Party in the Dutch parliament from 2007 to 2011. In 1999, he received a knighthood for his social and ethical work and was consequently named an officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau.
“Our industry has had its challenges in many aspects, but ethical standards, transparency, innovation, and professionalism have become the norm and will keep the industry as beautiful as the product itself,” he said. “I now leave, with full confidence that the future of Royal Asscher is in the able hands of the next generation!”
