The cut of the Golden Jubilee
The ‘Unnamed Brown’, as the Golden Jubilee was first named, was considered something of an ugly duckling by most at first. Then De Beers gave it to Gabriel Tsiolkovsky. For the purpose of testing special tools and cutting methods that they developed for the intent to use on the flawless D-color Centenary. Gabriel Tolkovsky is a six-generation diamond cutter and the great-nephew of Marcel Tolkovsky who is the father of the modern round brilliant cut. Gabriel had already received a commission from De Beers to work on the 273.85 carats, Centenary Diamond. His techniques were in the avant-garde of the diamond cutting technology, and the Polish cutter would further polish them by devising experimental and ingenious tools.Gabriel Tolkkovsky
The cutter was nothing short of daring. Because the yellow/brown diamond presented deep scars, cracks, and inclusions. Gabriel Tolkovsky tried to avoid fracturing the stone so as to not render it useless. To that purpose, he designed an underground room soundproof from the tiniest vibrations. For two years he toiled on the gem-quality stone. It wouldn’t be an overstatement to say the Golden Jubilee was born again in his hands. In 1988, the diamond had its first appearance in the world scene when De Beers company took it on tour as the champion stone to lead their centennial celebrations. After all, the Unnamed Brown wasn’t the ugly duckling anymore. It had matured into a 545.65-carat beauty, shining through a brilliant cushion cut and 148 facets. The color is now graded as ‘fancy yellow/brown'. When interrogated about it, Gabriel Tolkovsky called its technique ‘the fire rose cushion cut’. These tools and methods had never been tested before. The "Unnamed Brown" seemed the perfect guinea pig; it would be of no great loss should something go amiss. We can only assume the cutter knew how to tempt the diamond into revealing its many faces. Usually, a rose cut releases only up to 24 facets. With the stone’s shape resembling a rosebud with a flat bottom and a crown in the shape of a dome. However, the Golden Jubilee rose above anyone’s expectations.
The golden jubilee diamond and its beautiful brown color source picture: Gem Select
