La talla brillante de Tolkowsky

The brilliant cut diamond reaches its 100 year anniversary

A hundred years have passed since the world’s most famous diamond cut was born. A cut also known as the ideal cut, round cut, brilliant cut or Tolokowsky. The latter is in honour of the engineer and lapidary Marcel Tolkowsky, who in his doctoral thesis laid the foundations of diamond cutting par excellence.

The Tolkowsky brilliant cut diamond

Tolkowsky_marcel_libro

It was in 1919 when Marcel Tolkowsky published his essay Diamond Design, where he shared the ideal proportions of diamonds. An essay resulting from the mathematical study of shapes and light in order to extract the maximum beauty of the precious stone.

The result of his study was a gem of 57 facets, composed of: the table, 32 facets between the table and the girdle, and 24 facets between the girdle and the culet.

Before its study, the vast majority of diamonds were cut under the measures of the “old mine” or “old European” cuts. A technique that changed after the study of Tolkowsky. Since the essays release the vast majority of diamonds have followed the guidelines of the lapidary study.

Even with a number of modifications over the years, this style of cut has barely changed.

To celebrate the anniversary, the Diamond Centre of Antwerp is organizing a project in which there will be 57 lapidaries who will add their knowledge to create a diamond of exception. This will be exhibited at the Diamond Museum as a tribute to the great Tolkowsky.

brilliant cut tolkowsky

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