The Centenary Diamond

  The Centenary Diamond was discovered by an electric X-ray recovery system on July 17, 1986 at the Premier Mine; those who knew about it were sworn to secrecy. It was irregularly shaped and appeared as though it could not be cut. Gabi Tolkowsky, a famous diamond cutter, was chosen to inspect the Centenary. His great-uncle was Marcel Tolkowsky who published Diamond Design in 1919; the book was the first to explain how to give diamonds the modern round cut. In 1988 Gabi Tolkowsky revealed five innovative diamond cuts he created. The beauty of the Centenary amazed Tolkowsky; he came to a conclusion to keep it together as one large diamond and use a modern cut. Information about the Centenary was leaked on March 11, 1988 at the centenary celebrations of De Beers. Before a huge audience Julian Oglivie Thompson, the chairman, was not ready for his speech and announced, “We have recovered at the Premier Mine a diamond of 599 carats which is perfect in color…Naturally it will be called the Centenary Diamond.” Tolkowsky, along with a group of people, began preparing machinery and studying the diamond to set up for the cut in late 1988. The diamond was cut in Johannesburg, South Africa at the De Beers Diamond Research Laboratory. After the Centenary was completed, it weighed 273.85 carats and contained 247 facets. The diamond was presented to the world in May of 1991. It is unknown whether or not the Centenary Diamond has been sold.