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Gabriel S. Tolkowsky (15 September 1939 – 28 May 2023) was a Belgian-Israeli diamond cutter, best known for cutting the Centenary Diamond. He was the great nephew of Marcel Tolkowsky, father of the modern round brilliant diamond cut. He is the sixth generation in his family to become well-known in the diamond cutting trade.

Family history

Gabriel's great-grandfather, Abraham Tolkowsky, was born on June 5, 1838 in Russia. In the 1880s, he moved from Bialystok in Poland, to Antwerp, Belgium and started a successful career as a diamond merchant. He married Lifsche Moed, and inspired a number of their nine children to pursue careers in the diamond trade. Their son Moise or Maurice developed various methods for cutting round diamonds, and Samuel or Sam was appointed as the inaugural chairman of the Antwerp Diamond Exchange.

Following the First World War, the family sought refuge in England and the Far East. Marcel Tolkowsky, the grandson of Israel (Isidore), introduced the Ideal Cut diamond, a benchmark that remains prominent in the industry today.

Career

Gabriel Tolkowsky began training with his father Jean in 1956. He acted as the Managing Director and Chairman of Diatrada, N.V., a division of De Beers for over 20 years and continued as their Worldwide Consultant beginning in 1995.

Centenary Diamond

In 1988, Tolkowsky was commissioned to act as master cutter for the 273.85 carats (54.770 g) Centenary Diamond. This diamond remained untouched for over a year while the correct tools and technical conditions were created by Gabi and his team. The gem was kerfed (hand cleaved) in order to avoid heat or vibration-related damage from using saws or lasers. In 1991, after working on the project for three years, Tolkowsky's Centenary Diamond was officially completed, weighing 273.85 carats (54.770 g). It presented 247 facets and has been acknowledged as the largest, most color-perfect and flawless modern diamond cut in the world.

Golden Jubilee Diamond

During this time, Gabi Tolkowsky was again selected by the De Beers group in order to design and cut the Golden Jubilee Diamond. The Golden Jubilee is the largest faceted diamond in the world, weighing 545.67 carats (109.134 g), more than the Cullinan Diamond. The diamond was a 755.50-carat (151.100 g) rough stone. It presents 148 facets, has a yellow-brown color intensified by the brilliant cushion cut. The Golden Jubilee was chosen as a gift to the King of Thailand to celebrate his fifty years on the throne.

Gabrielle Diamonds

Drawing from techniques learned during the polishing of the Centenary and the Golden Jubilee diamonds, and from his experience with the "Flower Cuts", Gabi created the Gabrielle Diamond, the world's first triple brilliant cut diamond.

The Gabrielle Diamond in the Round shape consists of 105 facets, 48 facets more than the Classic Round Brilliant cut (with additional eight crown facets and forty pavilion facets). The Gabrielle Diamond was shown by a Light Study to exhibit 200% more scintillation than an excellent-cut classic brilliant diamond, and at the same time exhibited significantly greater brilliance and fire. This was achieved by increasing the path of light through the diamond, so that the diamond appears to sparkle from all angles.

Recognition

Tolkowsky was interviewed in The Play of Light, a 2000 documentary film about the creation of a diamond from a rough stone, and in 2003 he was knighted by the Belgian government with the title of Chevalier de L'Ordre du Roi Leopold II, for his services to the diamond industry.

Death

Tolkowsky died on 28 May 2023, at the age of 83.

References

1. "Most Famous Diamond Cutters". Petra Gems. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
2. "Romancing the stone", Clara Chow, Urban, The Straits Times, 31 October 2008
3. ^ "Tolkowsky.com, official site".
4. "Exelco Group becomes DTC sightholder". Jewelry News Asia. 18 July 2005. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007.
5. ^ "EHRI - Tolkowsky family. Collection". portal.ehri-project.eu. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
6. Gabrielle Diamonds Archived 8 July 2007 at the Wayback Machine
7. "Legendary Master Diamond Cutter Gabi Tolkowsky Addresses GIA Students". Gemological Institute of America (GIA) Newsroom. 18 June 2003. Archived from the original on 4 September 2006.
8. "A Letter from Gabi Tolkowsky, Master Diamond Cutter". Famous, Historic and Notable Diamonds, Tripod.com.
9. "The Centenary", adiamondisforever.com
10. "The Centenary Diamond". famousdiamonds.tripod.com. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
11. "The World Bids Farewell to Sir Gabi Tolkowsky - A Legend and Gentle Giant". The Diamond Loupe. 31 May 2023. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
12. Light Study done in the US
13. "The Play of Light" Archived 6 May 2007 at the Wayback Machine, documentary film about the process of producing a diamond, including contributions by Tolkowsky
14. Bates, Rob (February 2003). "Gabi Tolkowsky knighted". Jewelers Circular Keystone.
15. "Beroemd diamantslijper Gabi Tolkowsky (84) overleden: "Hij begreep als geen ander de magie van diamanten"". HLN. 31 May 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.

External links

• Tolkowsky.com

• 1939 births
• 2023 deaths
• 20th-century Belgian engineers
• Belgian Jews
• Diamond cutting