Fascinated by the diamond cutting process, Marcel Tolkowsky lived to be 92 years old, leaving behind a remarkable legacy in the diamond industry. A renowned mathematician and gemologist has scientifically proven the best formula for cutting and polishing a round brilliant. Learn the fascinating story of the roundest diamond with the man who changed the diamond cutting industry forever.
Diamond cutting has been part of the Marseille family for generations. Two of his Belgian family members went on to become world-famous diamond cutters. Marcel’s younger nephew, Gaby Tolkowsky, is known for inventing the flower cut and being a consultant to De Beers, while his cousin, Lazar Kaplan, currently works in the diamond industry in New York.
Of all the members of the family, Marcel is the one who came up with the most brilliant and coveted diamond cut. Until today, the round brilliant cut is considered to be the most ideal diamond cut in the world. Marcel’s unique upbringing and education led him to create the perfect diamond cutting formula. In 1919, Marcel began to investigate the ideal cut in his doctoral dissertation. In fact, Marcel came to the conclusion that in order to achieve the maximum brilliance of a diamond, a rough stone must be cut into 58 perfectly proportioned facets. Marcel’s findings have been dubbed the “American Perfect Cut” or “TOLKOWSKY DIAMOND” by the gemological industry.
THE PERFECT CUT FORMULATED BY MARSELLE
As soon as light hits the facets of a round diamond, the extraordinary cut, mathematically formulated by Marcel, comes to life. The light, combined with the cut, maximizes the fire, brilliance, and brilliance of the diamond in a unique way. With the help of Marseille’s formula, cutters were able to achieve the desired cut of a diamond.
The ideal cut consists of 58 perfectly proportioned facets of a diamond, 33 facets are on the crown or above the diamond’s girdle, and the remaining 25 facets are located on a pavilion known as the diamond’s conical base. Marseille’s formula has been used as a diamond cutting guide for many years, with several different interpretations of the ideal cut.
BRILLIANT CUT 10
Using mathematical measurements formulated by Marcel, a renowned South African jeweler, Shimansky created the beautiful Eight Hearts (Hearts and Arrows) diamond.
However, the CEO and founder of the company, Yair Shimansky, went even further and created the Diamond 10 diamond, an unusual cut that perfectly balances the fire, brilliance and sparkle of a diamond. The extraordinary brilliant cut has 71 facets precisely aligned for the most breathtaking display of brilliance. The most brilliant cut reveals a pattern of 10 hearts at the bottom and 10 arrows at the top. Like a perfect cut diamond, the Shimansky Brilliant 10 exclusive diamond is a cut that surpasses all others.
In 1940 Marcel moved to the US where he worked in the diamond industry until 1975 when he decided to retire. Before retiring, Marcel was active in the diamond industry, demonstrating his passion and ideas for one of nature’s most precious gifts. Marcel passed away in 1991 due to heart failure. To this day, diamond cutters around the world use Marseille’s mathematical formula as a guide or reference when cutting diamonds.