Exactly one hundred years ago, Marcel Tolkowsky, a member of a famous family of Jewish diamond polishers, was the first to scientifically determine the perfect way to cut a diamond: 57 facets precisely positioned in such a way as to achieve the maximum brilliance. The \u2018brilliant\u2019 cut quickly conquered the world, and even today remains the most iconic and successful diamond cut globally. The brilliant may rightfully be considered as the most successful invention Belgium has ever produced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) held a street festival to mark the anniversary and pay tribute to the most iconic and successful diamond cut in history: the brilliant. Antwerp is home to the largest, oldest and most transparent diamond trade centre in the world. Since 1447, the date of the first documented reference to the diamond trade in Antwerp, the city has laid claim to the title of the world\u2019s diamond capital. It therefore comes as no surprise that the most successful diamond cut of all time was created in this city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During this celebration, the AWDC also launched a unique project: \u201c100 Years Brilliant\u201d. \u201cThe industry arranged to have 57 well-known (and not-so-well-known) residents of Antwerp polish a single diamond: one person for each facet of a brilliant,\u201d explains Ari Epstein, CEO AWDC. \u201cIn this way, \u2018t Steentje \u2013 which is how the diamond industry is referred to in the local vernacular \u2013 will represent the multicultural character and diversity of the Antwerp diamond industry. Once the stone is finished, it will be exhibited in the DIVA diamond museum.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The first facet of the stone was polished by Constantinus \u2018Stan\u2019 Hunselmans, who shares his year of birth with the brilliant. \u201cI celebrated my 100th birthday on January 14th, and it is an honour that I was chosen to polish the first facet. It went really well. If I were a little bit younger, I might have considered a career switch,\u201d he said, laughing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Minister Philippe De Backer was invited to polish a facet, as were Erik Michiels and Jo De Backer, the respective CEOs of Bentley Antwerp and NIKO \u2013 two companies that are also celebrating their 100th anniversary, and therefore originated in the same year as the brilliant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Suske & Wiske also took a turn polishing \u2018t Steentje: \u201cAs Antwerp comic-book heroes, we were very pleased to receive this invitation. It was a unique experience to polish a facet of this dazzling diamond, guided by master polisher Gabriel Tolkowsky,\u201d the comic-book characters said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jean-Marie Pfaff, Antwerp\u2019s Alderman for the Diamond Trade, Ludo Van Campenhout, and \u2018professional Antwerpian\u2019 Tanguy Ottomer were among the many guests invited to polish a piece of history. The diamond will continue being polished in the coming weeks, and all the residents of Antwerp will also have the opportunity to experience what it feels like to polish a diamond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caption: Gabi Tolkowsy (left) with Ari Epstein. Photo credit: \u00a9 Senne Van Der Ven \/ AWDC<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Exactly one hundred years ago, Marcel Tolkowsky, a member of a famous family of Jewish diamond polishers, was the first to scientifically determine the perfect way to cut a diamond: 57 facets precisely positioned in such a way as to achieve the maximum brilliance. The \u2018brilliant\u2019 cut quickly conquered the world, and even today remains…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7307,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[91,112],"tags":[],"thb-sponsors":[],"class_list":["post-7306","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-events","category-international"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n