Emotional Intelligence: Are you a diamond in the rough?

ARE YOU BEING SHOWN IN YOUR BEST LIGHT?

DIAMOND CUTTER: “Diamond, what should you become?
DIAMOND: “I should become the most beautiful.”

Is our new ebook, REdeFINE YOURSELF right for you?

THE DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH

Gabi Tolkowsky is a master at his craft, probably the best in the world. He's a diamond-cutter.

One stone he cut was originally called “The Unnamed Brown.” Diamonds straight from the mine are so non-descript you probably wouldn't know you were looking at a diamond. Then it became known as “The Ugly Duckling.” When it was presented to the King of Thailand at the celebration of his 50 years as King, it was called “The Golden Jubilee.” It is now referred to as “The Magnificent Swan.” This is because of the hand, eye and heart of Mr. Tolkowsky.

Gabi Tolkowsky lives in Antwerp, Belgium, which is not surprising since it's the diamond-cutting capitol of the world.

A young man wrote him recently about one of the diamonds he had cut, called The Centenary Diamond. The first thing Tolkowsky said was how glad he was to see someone using a pen "to put [his] thought on paper.

MY INSPIRATIONS ARE THE RESULT OF AN IMPOSED FACT

“[T]he Centenary Diamond," Tolkowsky wrote, "is shaped like a heart-shape, but it does not have a groove. The image I had in my brain was a shape which would adorn the turban of a Sultan or a Maharaja, legendary personalities of the past which only a few still exist in our times…[T]he inspirations which I get as to the designs of my various cuts are the result of an imposed fact. Every diamond, large or small is a unique individual.”

Once a diamond has been mined, cut, and mounted, it is displayed. Usually it is laid on a dark surface (black velvet is ideal) and an illuminating light is shown upon it.

Above you can see how the famous Hope Diamond is displayed. A lighter blue display background was probably chosen because of the darkness of the stone. The material it’s laid upon is called a “foil.” It is chosen to show the diamond in its best light.

Tolkowsky says, “Every diamond, large or small, is a unique individual. None is similar to another. Its shape, volume, hue, inclusion, or purity in the rough appearance have a combined effect on the mind.” He revolves the rough stone between 2 or 3 fingers and peers onto and into it, asking it the above question. “My answer should be,” he says, “the result … every rough diamond requests the same demand. My answer is the final result.”

The diamond's qualities "challenge" him, he says. The rough shape volume, color and purity of The Pink Sunrise Diamond, which he cut, demanded more than a year of cutting and polishing.

The secrets of bringing out the best in each diamond, Gabi says, “are deep inside my heart and brain, as well as behind my eyes.”

ORDER REdeFINE YOURSELF TODAY

Coaching is like being a diamond-cutter. In my new ebook, REdeFINE YOURSELF, we take the challenge of you, and add the cut and the polish, to bring out the best in you, and let you shine in the best ligh. REdeFINE YOURSELF is currently available at the low introductory price of $11.99. Order your copy today by emailing me at sdunn@susandunn.cc or click here to order and pay through PayPal.