SBD member in the spotlight: Joffrey Suchowolski is building a global reference in baguette and tapered diamonds

At just 27 years old, Joffrey Suchowolski represents the younger generation of Antwerp's diamond industry, yet his career already reflects a remarkable combination of technical craftsmanship and entrepreneurial vision. Together with Arnaud Tolkowsky, he now leads Mac Cutting Works, a specialised cutting workshop focused on producing highly calibrated baguette and tapered diamonds for the international high jewellery and watchmaking sectors. Their ambition is clear: to become the global benchmark for luxury brands seeking exceptional precision, traceability and bespoke craftsmanship.

For Suchowolski, however, that journey did not begin in a boardroom, but at the polishing wheel. At the age of eighteen, he deliberately chose to learn the trade from the ground up. "If you ever want to take over a diamond company and earn the respect of diamond polishers, you need to understand the craft inside out," he explains. He therefore first completed the basic diamond manufacturing course at the Diamond High Council (HRD), followed by three and a half years of hands-on experience at the polishing wheel. "For me, that was the ideal way to truly understand the profession and build a solid technical foundation."

That technical expertise remains at the heart of the philosophy behind Mac Cutting Works. "We want to go far beyond simply polishing diamonds," says Suchowolski. "We combine our expertise in diamond manufacturing with traceability and logistical monitoring through Diarough. This enables us to manage the entire journey, from rough to polished."

According to Suchowolski, this integrated approach is a key competitive advantage for international luxury brands. "The rough diamond is sourced, processed and monitored within a single chain. That continuity ensures an exceptional level of control and transparency. We are able to trace every stage of a diamond's journey, from its origin through to the finished product."

Mac Cutting Works specialises in a niche where precision is everything: the calibration of baguette and tapered diamonds for high jewellery and fine watchmaking. "It is a very exclusive niche because there is no mass production," Suchowolski explains. "Every stone is custom-made. We receive the design of a piece of jewellery and then manufacture each diamond exactly according to that blueprint."

This bespoke approach demands an exceptional level of craftsmanship. "With round diamonds, you can usually find suitable stones on the market, but diamonds with such specific parameters simply do not exist as standard. Sometimes we work with stones weighing as little as 0.005 carats, with tolerances of just 0.02 millimetres." In many cases, the pieces are entirely unique. "For a piece of jewellery, it is often a single creation. For a watch, it may involve fifty identical pieces, but even then absolute uniformity is essential."

Although part of the preparatory work is carried out in India, Antwerp remains the centre for the final finishing process. "The pre-shaping is often done in India, up to around seventy percent, to build up a base stock. The final calibration is then carried out entirely in-house in Antwerp."

The partnership with Arnaud Tolkowsky also plays a key role in the company's positioning. Both partners represent family legacies that are deeply rooted in the diamond industry. "We are both selling a piece of generational heritage," says Suchowolski. "Arnaud belongs to the eighth generation of the Tolkowsky family, while I represent the third generation of my own family's diamond business."

Their shared journey began nine years ago. "We completed the basic diamond-cutting course together before each pursuing our own path." Their collaboration took shape again when Suchowolski was asked to travel to Thailand to train a team, on Arnaud's behalf, in the production of baguette and tapered diamonds. "That experience brought us closer together and ultimately led to the partnership we have today."

Suchowolski's vision extends well beyond the present. Despite his young age, he is already looking towards the future of the international luxury market. "Our goal is to become a trusted partner for leading jewellery houses and watch brands," he concludes. "Step by step, by consistently delivering quality and earning our clients' trust. That is the direction in which we want Mac Cutting Works to grow."