In 1985, a giant lump of rough diamond was found in South Africa. It was a stunning 755.5 carats. Nobody knew what to do with this colossal thing.
Enter a famous diamond cutter named Gabriel Tolkowsky. He studied the huge, misshapen rock for six months. He was terrified.
One wrong move, and the $12 million stone would shatter into dust. He even took a two-year break to build a special underground room. That’s pressure.
The Most Terrifying Part
Imagine having the first cut. The “cleaving” moment. Tolkowsky did it with a single, super-sharp blade.
The tension was so thick, you could cut it with a diamond. He hit the stone, and the room went silent. It split perfectly.
After two years of cutting and polishing, the rough rock was gone. In its place? A giant, flawless fireball.
