Marcel Tolkowsky

Marcel Tolkowsky (1899–1991) was a member of a Belgian family of diamond cutters and an engineer by education. He is generally acknowledged as the father of the modern round brilliant diamond cut. Many of his family have gone on to become noted diamond cutters, including his cousin Lazare Kaplan and his great nephew Gabi Tolkowsky.

In 1919, he developed the American Standard (also known as the American Ideal Cut, Tolkowsky cut, and Tolkowsky Brilliant), which is the diamond-cutting benchmark in North America. It was derived from mathematical calculations that considered both brilliance and fire of the stone. Later modifications of round brilliants differ in minor ways. The design was published in 1919 by Tolkowsky in his book Diamond Design.) It has been indicated that Tolkowsky's "ideal" model has been overused contemporarily. The original model was intended to be a set of general guidelines; several aspects of a diamond's cut had not been accounted for or explored.

Marcel Tolkowsky (born December 25, 1898) wanted to determine the precise proportions of a diamond's cut in order to maximize its brilliance and dispersion of light. He found that if a diamond was cut too deep or shallow then light would escape out the sides or bottom of the diamond resulting in a loss of brilliance (white light reflected up through the top of a diamond), fire (colored light reflected from within a diamond.), and sparkle (combination of fire and brilliance). From academic study and determination Tolkowsky created the Ideal Cut diamond in 1919 which is prized for its ability to bring forth fire and brilliance. Proof of perfection can be seen in the Ideal Cut round diamond with their "Hearts" or "Arrows" pattern deep in the heart of the diamond. He changed the idea behind diamonds forever and set the bar high concerning quality.

External links

• Tolkowsky Diamonds, official site
• Diamond Design by Marcel Tolkowsky, an online text