The Asscher family recently recorded another amongst its various momentous feat, that of being honoured with the ‘Royal’ title by Her Majesty the Queen of The Netherlands, in Amsterdam. The title was first granted in 1980 and is now extended another 25 years in acknowledgement of the Asscher's leadership across the diamond industry.

Edward Asscher, president of Royal Asscher, said, “It is an honor for the Asscher family to have the privilege to be the only Royal diamond company in the world. Royal Asscher has become synonymous with special occasions from engagement to red carpets: With royal visitors stepping through our doors at our headquarters, notably Japan’s Emperor Hirohito, Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard of The Netherlands and with our contemporary jewelry being popular with Sophia Vergara, Megan Fox and Kate Bosworth.”

The company will celebrate this achievement with a launch of a special edition Stars of Africa ring encrusted with orange diamonds on April 30, 2011, on the former Queen’s birthday. Orange is the national color of the Netherlands and offers a tribute to the Royal House of Oranje -Nassau.

The “Royal’ title was bestowed at a ceremony at Royal Asscher's headquarters in Amsterdam by the city's deputy mayor, Lodewijk Asscher, also a first cousin to this iconic family. The Asschers described it as a ‘diligent process; that began with the mayor, and ultimately conferred by her Majesty the Queen.

Since its beginnings in 1854, when Joseph Isaac Asscher established the I.J Asscher diamond company, named for his son Isaac Joseph Asscher, the Asscher legacy evokes historic moments in the diamond industry, some being: the cleaving of the Excelsior diamond to a 997 carat diamond being the largest find at that time, cutting the Cullinan diamond – at 3,106 carats a legendary find, into three parts, and cleaving them, being granted ‘Royal’ title in 1980, introduction of the Royal Asscher Cut, Stars of Africa collection.