HRD Antwerp
About HRD Antwerp
Bringing the Antwerp diamond heritage to the world
In the world of fine jewellery and gemstones, the term Antwerp diamond heritage resonates with special meaning. It denotes precision, absolute integrity, experience and centuries of tradition, all of which are imperative qualities when handling the most precious of jewels: the diamond.
For more than 500 years, the city of Antwerp has stood at the very centre of the diamond business, developing a level of skill, understanding and expertise that is without equal. The first diamond bourse in Antwerp, the ‘Diamantclub van Antwerpen’, was established in 1893. Currently, there are 28 diamond bourses worldwide, 4 of which are located in Antwerp, making Belgium the only country in the world with this many bourses.
Antwerp has always played an exemplary role in trading diamonds, setting the standard for the level of skill, quality and confidence that not only people in the industry, but also customers have come to expect. As a matter of fact, most other diamond bourses have based their structure on the Antwerp bourses, meaning that most stones that arrive in Antwerp from abroad adhere to our strict standards.
Nowadays, eighty percent of all rough diamonds in the world are handled in Antwerp, while fifty percent of all cut diamonds pass through Antwerp. It is no surprise that the highest international mark of approval for polished diamonds is the ‘Cut in Antwerp’ label.
HRD Antwerp and the Antwerp World Diamond Centre
HRD Antwerp’s primary shareholder is the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC). The AWDC is a private foundation established in 1973 as the Hoge Raad voor Diamant (HRD) or Diamond High Council and represents the Belgian diamond industry.
The mission of HRD Antwerp
HRD Antwerp is dedicated to serving diamond professionals by offering products and services that benefit the diamond industry and trade.
We continuously promote the unique properties and values of a diamond as a symbol of eternal love and affection.
Through innovation, consistency and open communication we strive to generate the highest added value for our customers and to safeguard trust in the diamond world.
We are committed to performing our duties with the utmost integrity towards our customers, employees and other stakeholders around the globe.
Our baseline ‘The Blueprint for Quality’ reflects what we stand for and what sets us apart from our competitors. It expresses our confidence in the prosperity of the diamond industry.
Company structure
Over more than 30 years, HRD Antwerp has gained the diamond industry’s confidence by offering high-quality solutions, a highly reputable lab, as well as massive in-house expertise and experience.
HRD Antwerp offers a wide range of services and equipment geared for the use of diamond and jewellery professionals as well as for the diamond and jewellery buying public. These are provided by its various divisions:
- Diamond Lab is charged with confirming the authenticity of diamonds, and describing their quality characteristics. It issues one of the world’s most respected diamond certificates and is the first diamond lab in the world that is NBN EN ISO/IEC 17025-certified.
- Precious Stones Lab focuses its attention on coloured gemstones business, issuing Gemstone Reports.
- Education organises workshops on identification, analysis and quality-grading of diamonds and other gemstones, both in Antwerp and abroad.
- Graduates Club gathers alumni of the HRD Antwerp Education division and provides a forum for industry colleagues to exchange ideas and information.
- Equipment commercialises machines, instruments and tools used by both the diamond industry and jewellers.
- Research consists of a team of scientists, engineers and laboratory staff who carry out fundamental and applied research for the diamond industry, as well as provide specialised services to the sector. For more information, visit www.wtocd.be/Fundamental/fundamental_research.html
