In Memoriam – Gabriel “Gabi” Tolkowsky
The name Tolkowsky has been etched into the minds of anyone who has ever studied diamonds.
as seen in Antwerpen News
https://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20230530_97341154
It is the family name of generations of diamantaires; diamond cutters, and diamond merchants, where two very special members of the family, Marcel, and Gabriel, have become diamond industry icons, who were able to cut diamonds in a way few others could, releasing the diamond’s maximum inner beauty, and creating the most beautiful finished diamonds the world has ever seen.
Marcel, son of Abraham, who in 1919 developed the math that today encompasses what we now describe as the “ideal” cut, or in grading terminology, Triple Excellent, for the modern day round brilliant.
And Gabriel, “Gabi,” who took what grand uncle Marcel, and father Jean offered, and designed his own patterns which appear to have exceeded all expectations.
Creator of the
The Centenary Diamond: one of the largest D color, Internally Flawless diamonds in the world, weighing 273.85 carats.
The Golden Jubilee Diamond: a remarkable brown “golden-yellow” diamond, a Fire-Rose cushion, weighing 545.67 carats.
The Gabrielle Cut: a patented diamond cutting design named after his daughter, Gabrielle. This cut features a flower-like pattern with numerous facets radiating from the center. (image: Ph. Hahn Sohne KG )
The Flower Cuts: the Dahlia, Fire Rose, Marigold, Sunflower and Zinnia. The Dahlia is a 12 sided oval shape with 63 facets. The Fire Rose (61 facets – 19 facets on the crown, 36 facets on the pavilion) is a hexagonal shape designed to produce higher yields. The bottom culet of the Fire Rose faces up through the table; so that when looking through a loupe, it looks like the petals of a flower. The Marigold is an octagon shape with 73 facets, that is suited to relatively flat rough. The Sunflower has 43 facets in unusual, angular shapes. The Zinnia is a round fancy shape with 73 facets, 48 of which are clustered around the culet to increase fire.
The industry mourns the loss of Gabi Tolkowsky.
An excellent film capturing Gabi Tolkowsky.
EMS Films.
Tap here for memoriam’s by:
Ya’akov Almor (IDMA)
and Joshua Freedman (Rapaport).
Special thanks to Judy Colbert, GIA GG, Manager, Visual Resources, Richard T. Liddicoat Gemological Library & Information Center for Tolkowsky genealogy.
