Born into a Belgian family of Diamond cutters in 1899, Marcel Tolkowsky was surrounded by talk of the ‘perfect Diamond cut’. He studied mathematics and engineering, and in 1919 wrote a thesis on the ideal proportions for round brilliant cut Diamonds, and for the last 80 years many cutters have followed his exact set of parameters. It is becoming apparent, however, that Tolkowsky detailed a whole range of proportions, not limited to the ones depicted in his original drawing.
By altering the relationship of the crown and pavilion angles, Tolkowsky was one of the first people to realise that there is a compromise to be made between maximising the brilliance and dispersion in a Diamond.
The Tolkowsky story lives on today through Gabriel Tolkowsky, who represents the sixth generation of his family to be in the Diamond cutting business. In 1985 Gabriel invented the “flower cut” and in 1988 he was commissioned by “De Beers” to cut the 273ct Centenary Diamond, which is reported to be the largest flawless Diamond in the world. The delicate task of cutting it took Tolkowsky over three years to complete!
