Especially when he talks about his diamonds

E W all live in a yellow submarine. "In writing, this is nearly forty-three years, what would become one of the most famous songs of the Beatles, Paul McCartney was a childish air. "A small very simple melody, décryptera later." The story of an old sailor. "Or that of an old Diamond-cutter, including this piece rythmerait over the years the work. Gabi Tolkowsky is one of the legends of the profession. Its living memory. But also an absolute fan of the famous "yellow submarine". "With its regular rhythm, its refrain is ideal to accompany the work of tailoring", explains the expert. Three years, it is listening to the Beatles that Gabi including gave birth to the "Centennial". 599 Carat stone assured, in May 1991, more than 100 million dollars, the Antwerp master will have himself drawn, "débrutée" (operation to give the diamond a rounded), sawn and cleaved in the greatest secrecy. Discovered in July 1986 by De Beers, the world leader in the diamond, the existence of this mythical stone was known, for five years, by a very small circle of insiders. Once out of the hands of Gabi Tolkowsky, she weighed "more than" 273,85 carats. Enough to become the fourth largest stone carved history, behind the "Golden Jubilee" a beautiful diamond of 545,65 carats, the colours yellow and Brown, also directed by Tolkowsky and the two Cullinam, better known as the "star of Africa". Centennial episode goes back to more than fifteen years, but summarizes to him only the weight and size of the character: surrounded by a handful of men of trust and close family, in a discreet place of South Africa, the old Diamond-cutter has managed to produce a gem of exceptional purity, using traditional methods of size. Without it, the celebrations of 100 years of the De Beers company, for which he worked, would not have had the same pomp.

Hunt the black ideas

It was another time. Because the time is really the feast in the diamond... As a result of the economic and financial crisis, demand collapsed, especially in the United States, Europe and the Japan. Together, these three parts of the world represent approximately 70 of the sales of jewellery adorned with these precious stones. "The discount is greater than ever," said Gabi Tolkowsky. In fact, polished diamond price index plunged more than 15 since September, despite the traditionally favourable season re-entry of the holiday of the year. According the price index Idex, the land won by diamond cut between January and September 2008 has since been completely lost. This brutal brake suddenly, the entire diamond industry suffers the effects. Starting with the historic square of Antwerp, very affected. On the months of January and February, exports of rough diamonds is dropped and 65.6 in volume over last year. But places of Ramat Gan, Israel, or Bombay also suffer. In this bleak context, stabilization of the course seems to be launched since the beginning of February, around levels close to those of two years. "New York diamond trade continues to improve," said Idex. The stones between 1 and 2 Carat, as well as those that are coloured, see progress including their request, as confirmed by Kareen Russowsky, a former De Beers, whose company Thal & Rose markets in France carved by Gabi Tolkowsky diamonds: "the market of large diamonds of better size resists well", observes.

Despite these encouraging signs, the more reduced the Antwerp Diamond Community has the blues. Gabi Tolkowsky, he tries to hunt the black ideas. When he wanders in Meir Straat, the main street of the diamond district, passers-by greet the with reverence. The Cyrano to Tatar moustache has a comforting Word for each: "Rolls up your sleeves." Fits into your workshop and seeks new ideas, solutions. "It has been worse", repeats with its meetings. Yet behind this facade optimism, Tolkowsky lives the current crisis as a profound injustice. The profession is indeed sanctioned, while, for once, she was not "speculated with the bubble", rebelled there. Today, markets slacken, and the fear of many, in Antwerp, is that many diamantaires remain on the tile.

Enthusiasm of young man

Some would decline the arm. Not Gabi Tolkowsky. A soon seventy spring, the artist retained an enthusiasm of young man, the passion of the diamond fitted to the body... A passion that is not yesterday. As far as he can remember, the jeweler has lived surrounded by precious stones. Born in Tel-Aviv in 1939, just two weeks after the beginning of the second world war, Gabi remembers "long meetings of family, around the table of the apartment, where it spoke of diamonds". Because, in the Tolkowsky is size stones from father to son the family has six generations of cutters to date. The great-uncle, Marcel Tolkowsky, was a gem expert recognized, doubled of a distinguished mathematician. In 1919, it was he who wrote "The Design of the diamond", considered today even as the Breviary of the diamond dealer. He also invented the so-called form of brilliant and its specific ratings. As that renders the best in the réfractant, the light that pierces the chipped stone.

Gabi Tolkowsky road was thus mapped out. In 1956, his family left Palestine and raises his suitcases in Antwerp. Young Tolkowsky was then seventeen years old, and made its first weapon in the diamond. It is naturally her father who introduced him to the size. Without concession. "The first time, I sat across from him, apprentice in companions." He gave me the type of stone the more difficult to cut; "a piece composed of several welded elements, with a rugged surface", recalls. The challenge is raised, but training has just begun. The second stage will be painful: it brings Tolkowsky to leave his family framework, to hire a friend of his father. There, the future Diamond-cutter exercises its expertise and demonstrated, already, a sacred character. In 1958, sure of his talent, he does not hesitate to get in strike alone, to demand better pay. Struck by the determination of the young man, his employer access to its application. "I was a Socialist, said the master tailor, I wanted to defend my rights."

This strength of character, Gabi Tolkowsky will do the evidence throughout his career. And will require it each of its collaborators. When he was working in Tanzania, the head of a 400 tailors factory, the Diamond-cutter like to tell that it recruited its workers asking three questions, all simple: "How to measure a right angle" Add 7.5 times 3 And what is the capital of Tanzania ""That which is is proven, then be my best tailor has supported me passionate that right was 190 degrees, smiles." I hired him without hesitation to its force of persuasion, the passion that he was defending his belief.

The "voice" of the jewels

Strange character, as this Gabi. Artist born, business leader he led a few years Diatrada NV, a major subsidiary of De Beers , poet, hours... Especially when he talks about his diamonds... Need to hear him talk about the "song" of well cut stone, the "voice" of the jewels he manipulates, to measure the intensity of his passion. It believe, Gabi Tolkowsky would do, in the secret of his workshop, what gems are asking. "When I approach with one stone, I have no ideas or predesigned projects." I expect to hear his voice, he says. I expect it book his secret which, alone, will inspire my size. "The formula is effective. With it, the Antwerp jeweler has invented more than 70 new forms of diamond. Some of them have become classics, such as those of the flowers (dahlias, Fire-Roses, Marigold, sunflower and Zinnia) or the famous Gabrielle, with 105 facets (47 more than the traditional form). His work of the time A beautiful black diamond, extremely difficult to treat small stones agglomerate. A return to the check box start somehow, which reminds the first sizes that he told his father. "Need me another three years to complete it, believe." What will be the final eight years of work. "Always with"Yellow Submarine"in the musical background...