THE HISTORY OF MARCEL TOLKOWSKY, THE CREATOR BEHIND THE IDEAL CUT
Diamond cutting has been a part of Marcel’s family for many generations.
Passionate about the diamond cutting process, Marcel Tolkowsky lived to the age of 92 leaving behind a remarkable legacy in the diamond industry. The well-known mathematician and gemologist scientifically established the best formula to cut and polish a round brilliant diamond. Find out the fascinating history of the most brilliant cut diamond along with the man who has changed the diamond cutting industry forever.
Diamond cutting has been a part of Marcel’s family for many generations. Two of his Belgian family members have become world-renowned diamond cutters. Marcel’s younger nephew, Gabi Tolkowsky is famous for inventing the ‘flower cut’ and has been a consultant for De Beers while his cousin, Lazare Kaplan is currently working in the diamond industry in New York.
Marcel is a mathematician, who changed the diamond industry forever.
Out of all the family members, Marcel is the one who came up with the most brilliant and desirable diamond cut. Up until today, the round brilliant cut has widely been considered as the most ideal cut in the world of diamond cutting. Marcel’s unique upbringing and educational background led him to create the perfect formula for a diamond cut. In 1919 Marcel started exploring the ideal cut his Ph.D. thesis. In essence, Marcel concluded that in order to maximise a diamond’s brilliance, the rough stone needs to be cut into 58 perfectly proportioned facets. Marcel’s findings have been called the “American Ideal Cut” or “the Tolkowsky Brilliant” in the gemology industry.
THE IDEAL CUT FORMULATED BY MARCEL
The Ideal Cut consists of 58 perfectly proportioned diamond facets.
Once light enters the facets of the round brilliant diamond the extraordinary cut, mathematically formulated by Marcel, comes to life. The light combined with the cut has a unique way of maximising the fire, brilliance and scintillation of the diamond. With Marcel’s formula, diamond cutters were able to achieve the desired diamond cut.
The Ideal Cut consists of 58 perfectly proportioned diamond facets; 33 facets are on the crown or above the diamond’s girdle and the other 25 facets are located on the pavilion, known as the conical base of the diamond. Marcel’s formula has been used as a diamond cutting guideline for many years with a few different interpretations of the Ideal Cut.
THE BRILLIANT 10 DIAMOND CUT
The extraordinary Shimansky diamond cut has 71 facets.
Using the mathematical measurement formulated by Marcel, a well-known South African jeweller, Shimansky created the beautiful Eight Hearts (Hearts and Arrows) Diamond. CEO and founder, Yair Shimansky, however, took the round brilliant cut diamond or Ideal Cut a step further and designed the Brilliant 10 diamond – an extraordinary diamond cut that perfectly balanced the fire, brilliance and scintillation of the diamond. The extraordinary diamond cut has 71 facets precisely aligned with the most captivating display of brilliance. The most brilliant cut reveals a 10 hearts pattern from below and a 10 arrows pattern from the top. Like the Ideal Cut or round brilliant cut diamond, the exclusive Shimansky Brilliant 10 is a cut above the rest.
In 1940, Marcel migrated to the United States where he worked in the diamond industry up until 1975 when he decided to retire. Before his retirement, Marcel worked actively in the diamond industry showing his passion and ideas for one of nature’s most precious gifts. In 1991, Marcel passed away due to a heart failure. Up until today, diamond cutters around the world use Marcel’s mathematical formula as guideline or reference when cutting a diamond.
