100 Years Brilliant: Diamond Artwork Unveiled in Antwerp’s DIVA Diamond Museum

In May 2019, the Antwerp diamond industry celebrated the 100th anniversary of the brilliant cut, the world’s most successful diamond shape, created by Antwerp mathematician Marcel Tolkowsky. This anniversary celebration also served as the launch of a unique project called `t Steentje* (‘the Stone’). The project: to polish a single diamond as a community. The Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) and the Antwerp diamond 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. That 1.61-carat polished diamond was then integrated into an artwork unveiled today in the DIVA Diamond Museum at a reception for all 57 polishers. (Watch the video here).

In 1919, at the age of 19, Marcel Tolkowsky 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, fire and scintillation. The ‘brilliant’ cut quickly conquered the world, and even today remains the most iconic and successful diamond cut globally. The first facet of the stone was polished by guest of honor and nephew of Marcel, Sir Gabriel ‘Gabi’ Tolkowsky, who is widely considered among the greatest diamond cutters of all time. His many accomplishments include the priceless, 274-carat Centenary Diamond, cut from a 599-carat rough stone, which is still the largest D Flawless diamond in history, and the Golden Jubilee Diamond, the largest faceted diamond in the world at 546 carats, which was presented to the King of Thailand.

The second facet of the stone was polished by centenarian Constantinus ‘Stan’ Hunselmans, who shares his

year of birth with the brilliant cut. Numerous VIPs from the Antwerp political and cultural world were among the first round of polishers, as were several industry representatives such as Feriel Zerouki, Senior Vice President of International Relations and Ethical Initiatives, De Beers Group, Sergey Panchekhin, Director of Alrosa Belgium, and ambassadors to Belgium from diamond-producing countries Canada, Namibia, South Africa and Angola. Along the way, the Stone was polished by Belgian soccer players, designers, a female boxing champion, musicians and people from all walks of life. The final facet was reserved for the Mayor of Antwerp, Bart De Wever.

Ari Epstein, CEO AWDC: “We are thrilled with the result. ‘t Steentje expresses the multi-cultural and diverse makeup of the Antwerp diamond industry, and now it is integrated into this lovely artwork. The work of art is based on the head of an old-school polishing tang, symbolizing the excellent and unparalleled craftsmanship in Antwerp. I would like to thank all of our polishers for participating in this unique project.”

*In the Antwerp vernacular, `t Steentje refers to a diamond as well as the diamond industry.

Jewels Stolen from Dresden Museum Offered For Sale in Israel

Two of the pieces of jewelry stolen in a November heist at the Royal Palace in Dresden, Germany, are said to be up for sale, according to an Israeli security firm. Individuals claiming to have two sets of jewels from Dresden’s Green Vault - the Dresden White Diamond and the breast star of the Polish Order of the White Eagle - offered both items for 9 million euros (10 million dollars) in a series of emails, said Zvika Nave, chief executive of the CGI Group. The company says it has been contracted to investigate the museum’s security measures and the break- -in itself, which generated international headlines when it occurred last year. Two thieves broke into the Green Vault, which houses one of Europe’s oldest and best-preserved collections of treasures, via a barred window in the early hours of November 25 and used an axe to access display cases in the jewel room. The Dresden White Diamond and the Polish Order of the White Eagle were among over two dozen items stolen in the robbery, which lasted a matter of minutes. The burglars seem to have

Diamond Review África | February 2020 precisely targeted a glass display cabinet, containing the priceless pieces, including three sets of diamonds featuring brilliant-cut diamonds, whihh were part of an 18th-century jewelry collection. The value of the stolen goods, which some claim could run up to US$1 billion

CGI said the supposed robbers had demanded payment in Bitcoin. “All information was shared in real time with Dresden state prosecutors,” Nave said. The senders of the email said that the messages were not trackable due to various encryption techniques.

Rio Tinto Reveals One of Final Collections for Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender

Rio Tinto has unveiled the collection of diamonds on sale at what may be one of its last tenders of the world’s rarest pink and red diamonds, as the life of the Argyle mine in Western Australia is winding down. The mine produces more than 90 percent of Australia’s diamonds, and is one of the only known sources of pink diamonds in the world.

The Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender is an annual event, which is so exlusive and the diamond so rare they never reach the open market. This is the first time in the 35-year history of the Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender - the first edition of which was in 1984 - that the collection has been launched on Country, in what’s considered to be one of the most exclusive diamond sales in the world. that the collection has been launched on Country, in what’s considered to be one of the most exclusive diamond sales in the world. This year’s collection features 64 diamonds weighing in at 56.28 carats in total, including three fancy red diamonds. The most coveted of those diamonds is the Argyle “Enigma” (pictured), a 1.75-carat fancy red diamond, only one of three of its kind weighing more than 1.5 carats to be produced from the mine in 40 years.

10 Arnaud Soirat said with fewer than 150 of these extremely rare tender stones left, it was a historic moment for collectors, the company, and its employees. “Only one per cent of Argyle production is made of colored diamonds every year,” he said. “And out of this we are taking the top 50–65 colored diamonds, putting them together in the tender.” Over the past 20 years the value of Argyle pink diamonds sold at the tender have appreciated 500%, outperforming all major equity markets. Mr. Soirat said these results were a reflection of the supply of these extremely rare diamonds becoming even more scarce and more valuable. “If you want to have an idea of the price you can look at the reserves of auctions every year; the best diamonds are sold in Geneva so typically of this quality from Argyle they would attract several million dollars per carat,” he said.

While Rio Tinto does not release the prices achieved at each year’s tender is kept secret, the company said the collection in 2018 reached double-digit price growth - including the sale of the most valuable diamond in the