back  | On several trips to Antwerp we have had the privilege of meeting with Gabi Tolkowsky. Gabi is arguably the most famous diamond cutter in the world, having been selected to cut some of the largest and most expensive diamonds in the world, including the Centenary Diamond, the Golden Jubilee and the Pink Sunrise.
Gabi came to see us in our hotel to talk to us candidly about his passion for diamonds.
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Gabi is an incredible person. For somebody so revered in the diamond industry he is so humble. That he would take the time to meet with us was such an honour. He is like a Grandfather and is only too happy to talk away the the morning. We listened while he gave us his outlook on life, how he enjoys sitting with his wife every morning over breakfast making small talk and planning the day, and of course he told us of his immense passion for diamonds. For Gabi diamonds are not just his career, they are his lifelong passion. His eyes sparkle and his body gets charged as he explains to us how every diamond is a living, soul with a personality. He turns to Patricia and tells her she must talk to her diamonds. He stresses to us the importance of treating diamonds with emotion, not clinically as a scientist would.
 | On a special night for a group of JGBS jewellers Gabi gave a
speech on his life and passion for diamonds. Later we all walked with Gabi and other local Diamantaires through a magical Antwerp night to a little French restaurant to share each others company and soak up the atmosphere of a town so immersed in diamond trading.
Here Gabi is holding up
scaled replicas of the Centenary and the Golden Jubilee.
The Centenary started as a 599 carat piece of rough and ended up as a
polished D/ Flawless 273 carat stone with 247 facets. This diamond is
acknowledged as the largest top colour, flawless modern cut diamond
with excellent symmetry and finish grades, certified by the GIA. It is
rumoured to have been sold in 1989 for $US100 million.
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Gabi's Great Uncle invented the "Tolkowsky Cut" in the early 1920's.
This cut is in fact the round brilliant cut used for most diamonds
today.Since 1920 millions of dollars have been spent trying to find an even
better way of cutting diamonds to improve their reflection of light and
brilliance. These efforts have failed and the Tolkowsky, or round
brilliant cut, diamond is still the most popular today.
