Blue Nile, Royal Asscher Collection Highlights Natural Diamond Beauty

New York—Blue Nile is partnering with Royal Asscher as it looks to solidify its positioning as an upscale, natural diamond retailer.

Established in 1854, Royal Asscher has worked with several of the most historically significant diamonds in history, including the Cullinan and Excelsior diamonds.

In 1902, Joseph Asscher designed the original 74-facet Asscher cut.

As part of the collaboration, Blue Nile is now Royal Asscher’s exclusive licensed retailer in North America, both online and in its showrooms.

This includes its six patented diamond cuts: the Royal Asscher Cut, Royal Asscher Oval, Royal Asscher Brilliant, Royal Asscher Cushion, Royal Asscher Pear, and Royal Asscher Emerald.

Blue Nile celebrated the new partnership Tuesday evening at ZZ’s Club in New York City’s Hudson Yards, welcoming executives, members of the Asscher family, press, and friends of the brand to see the new collection and learn more about the history of Royal Asscher.

In an interview Tuesday afternoon, Signet Jewelers’ Chief Operating and Financial Officer Joan Hilson said the partnership was around nine months in the making.

A key tenet of Signet Jewelers’ “Grow Brand Love” strategy has been to differentiate its brands, which include Zales, Kay Jewelers, and Jared, to give each its own distinct identity.

“[Royal Asscher] brings to Signet, particularly Blue Nile, an exclusive retail offering that helps us create a differentiated luxury brand position,” Hilson said.

“They have a long heritage in the diamond industry, built on a passion for diamonds.”

Royal Asscher is led by sixth-generation jewelers Lita and Mike Asscher.

“Blue Nile has a long heritage itself, built on education and trust in the market,” said Hilson, noting that it was one of the first online engagement ring sellers.

Blue Nile also will have the exclusive on the new “Curated by the Asscher Family” diamond assortment and the “Six by Royal Asscher” jewelry collection.

The curation is a selection of natural diamonds from Blue Nile that meet the Asscher family’s exacting standards and aligns with its “Cut for Beauty” philosophy that looks beyond the traditional 4Cs.

“For our family, Cut for Beauty is not a new idea; it is a philosophy that has shaped six generations of diamond innovation,” Lita said in the press release announcing the partnership.

More than a century after the introduction of the Asscher cut, “our responsibility is not simply to preserve that heritage, but to keep innovating.”

The diamond curation will provide consumers with “a mark of trust from a family with such a long legacy,” said Pam Cloud, president of Blue Nile, in the interview.

“We’re telling their story alongside ours to build more trust and more magic around natural diamonds.”

The exclusivity also gives shoppers “a reason to buy,” and choose Blue Nile over the competition.

The new collection, “Six by Royal Asscher,” is a 14-piece natural diamond jewelry collection centered around the six patented Royal Asscher diamond cuts, which “build on generations of knowledge about proportion, symmetry, light, and beauty,” Mike said in the release.

“We continue to ask the same question: not simply, ‘What is its grade?’ but ‘Is it beautiful?’”

Each of the six shapes are available in platinum settings with diamond pavé bands, while the Royal Asscher and the Royal Asscher Brilliant are also available on metal-only bands, for a total of eight ring styles.

There are also earrings, pendants, and a high-jewelry diamond tennis bracelet and necklace.

The center stones range from 1 to 5 carats, with a price range of $8,600 to $49,000.

“That’s just the beginning, so more collections to follow in the coming years,” Cloud said.

Cloud, who joined Blue Nile in August after 26 years at Tiffany & Co., has been involved in the launch of many collections, including “Tiffany T,” “Tiffany Keys,” and the annual “Blue Book” high jewelry.

“First, you have to tell the story. You have to have amazing product designs, so that when customers come in, they’re really looking for that must-have item,” she said.

“To delight customers, you need to have a campaign that tells the story in a magical way, and then that all comes together when you’re in store or you’re on your online channels.”

Employees of Blue Nile’s 23 showrooms were trained on what to expect in this new chapter for the brand.

“We’re making sure that that’s woven into everything we do. It’s about focus and it’s about being very clear as to who your brand is and what you stand for,” said Cloud.

Spreading the word about these new offerings with consumers will be the responsibility of Blue Nile’s new head of marketing, Woozae Kim.

Kim will be tasked with leading Blue Nile’s marketing strategy as well as driving growth, customer engagement, and brand relevance.

The marketing veteran has spent 30 years working with global brands and start-ups across fashion, beauty, entertainment, and technology.

The partnership will be shared across Blue Nile’s marketing channels, with a full campaign in the works, as well as on its revamped website.

“We will become storytellers in a new way for Blue Nile to tell these stories of the Asscher family, our partnership with them, and the Royal Asscher collections,” Hilson said.

The launch follows Blue Nile’s recent integration of The Clear Cut, an online-only jewelry platform that has long advocated for natural diamonds. Signet Jewelers, which owns Blue Nile, acquired The Clear Cut in May.

The Clear Cut will power Blue Nile’s concierge experience across its new website and revamped showrooms, with The Clear Cut co-founder Olivia Landau bolstering its social media presence.

At Tuesday’s event, Clear Cut representatives guided guests through the ring customization process, from design concept to finished product.

“When you take the idea of a concierge service, and a product assortment that is built in the enduring value, and love of natural diamonds, and the long history, that legacy that Royal Asscher brings, we just felt that this was the exact right time with the brand repositioning to bring Royal Asscher in as a partner, to help us elevate the brand and bring exclusivity,” Hilson said.