Antwerp rocks
Can the world’s hardest stone melt even the hardest of hearts? Jon Eldridge discovers why Antwerp, the world centre of the diamond industry, is attracting a growing number of would-be bridegrooms

The most important purchase a man can buy for his partner is the engagement ring,” says Rob van Beurden, diamond broker and setter. Rob’s company, Diamond House, is based in Antwerp’s famous diamond district and is one of several diamond sellers that have teamed up with the city’s top hotels to offer romantic couples a free night’s stay when they come to purchase their diamond ring.

Although Diamond House was one of the first diamond sellers to realise the potential of the Internet, customers are unlikely to buy a precious diamond stone without actually seeing it. Van Beurden, who specialises in solitaire diamonds, offers clients the chance to choose the specific diamond and setting they would like.

Another Antwerp-based company, Diamondland, has gone one step further. This large store provides visitors with a short guide to the diamond trade from the mining of the precious stones to their polishing and cutting. Visitors can watch craftsmen at work, and customers are offered the opportunity of seeing their stones being set.

“It’s important for confidence,” says Ingrid Segers of Diamondland. “People can see what they are getting.”

Newly engaged couples that buy a ring worth more than €950 at Diamondland can enjoy a free night at either the Hilton or the Radisson in Antwerp. Segers says that the store welcomes on average ten couples each weekend and that the huge savings on diamonds in Antwerp more than compensate for travel expenses.

But caution is advised! Arrivals to the city would do well to avoid some of the shops that line the Antwerp’s high-domed Centraal Station. It is best to look out for stores that are recommended by the Antwerp Diamond Jewellery Association (www.adja.be) that guarantee that the diamonds on sale are genuine.

The quality of a gem is determined by the four Cs: cut, colour, clarity and carat. Diamonds are weighed in carats – one carat is equal to a fifth of a gram – and the larger, the clearer and the whiter the gemstone, the more valuable it is. A diamond’s certification is all important, and only three official institutes, including the Antwerp High Council, can determine its value.

Evidence of a certificate, however, is no guarantee that a diamond on sale has the value it is being given. For this reason, Van Beurden says that there is a fifth C: chemistry. “If you find that it is lacking [between you and the seller], don’t buy,” he says.

In fact, Antwerp mayor Patrick Janssens is trying to encourage more of the big-name retailers into the city. “What people buy at Tiffany’s is peace of mind. They are aware that they are overpaying,” says Van Beurden. While the city may control between 60 to 70% of the trade in diamonds, fashion in jewellery is concentrated in London, Milan and Paris. The mayor would like to see Antwerp, which already has a growing reputation for clothes fashion, develop into a retail centre for fine jewellery.

Fashions in diamonds, however, appear to be as enduring as the stones. Segers says that she can tell by the nationality of the customer what type of jewellery he or she is looking for in her store. Americans tend to opt for big stones set in yellow gold, while the Japanese prefer modern-looking jewellery using platinum. But traditional designs are the most popular for long-lasting jewellery, says Van Beurden.

The war against “conflict diamonds”

In some areas of the world diamonds have been used to finance war. To prevent these “conflict diamonds” entering the mainstream stone market, producers have set up a certification programme known as the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme. 98% of all rough diamonds are traded between countries taking part in the scheme.

The scheme was introduced following a meeting of diamond-producing countries in Kimberley, South Africa, in May 2000 and a UN resolution later that year. Countries participating in the scheme must ensure that its diamonds do not finance rebel groups seeking to overthrow a UN-recognised government. Amnesty International has called for the scheme to be monitored independently. It says that the scheme does not guarantee the removal of conflict diamonds from the market.

Stars of CCTV

His office on Vestingstraat overlooks the main trading street, Hoveniersstraat, where Antwerp’s diamond banks and bourses are situated and where it is not uncommon to see Jewish and Indian brokers scurrying between offices with their briefcases handcuffed to their hands. This district is heavily patrolled by undercover security guards and closed-circuit television cameras and is not geared towards the casual tourist in the same way as the diamond region in Amsterdam. But, says Van Beurden, “It has an atmosphere that you cannot find in Amsterdam.”

Van Beurden offers short tours of the district for small groups. The Antwerp Tourist Office also runs guided walks and caters for larger groups (www.visitantwerpen.be).

In spite of the high security, the diamond industry still runs on trust. “Jewellery stores have family names to reflect trust because the diamond world is so non-transparent,” says Van Beurden, who had to wait 13 years to become one of the 1,500 members of the International Diamond Federation. When diamonds are traded, a price and a payment date are agreed, and the deal is concluded with a handshake.

The purchaser and seller both then wish each other good luck saying the Yiddish word mazel. If someone were to renege on an agreement, he would be instantly shunned. The system has its merits. “If every industry was like the diamond industry, we’d have no need for lawyers,” jokes Van Beurden.

Diamond timeline

• 3.3 billion years ago Diamonds are formed deep in the Earth under extreme temperatures and pressure
• 3 thousand years ago First records of diamonds being valued for their ability to reflect light
• 1200s Venice emerges as a key por t for shipping jewels from the Middle East and Asia
• 1400s Antwerp takes over from Bruges as a key trading centre following the silting of the river Zwin
• 1490s Jews expelled from Iberian Peninsula and many settle in Antwerp, where they go into the diamond trade
• 1859 Discovery of a diamond on the Vaal river in South Africa
• 1888 De Beers Consolidated Mines is incorporated by Cecil Rhodes
• 1900s Congo becomes a major producer of diamonds, helping to consolidate Antwerp’s position as a centre for the diamond trade
• 1950s Siberia begins to mine its rich sources of diamonds
• 1979 Discovery of diamonds near Lake Argyle in Western Australia (now produces one third of the world’s diamonds)
• Today 100 million euros’ wor th of diamonds are traded each day in Antwerp
  

World conquerors

The Diamant Museum, situated in front of the Centraal Station, is a good place to find out how Antwerp became the world’s largest diamond trading centre. As well as containing an extensive collection of jewellery including replicas of the British crown jewels, the museum boasts an array of vintage cutting and polishing devices. The development of laser-guided tools in recent years has revolutionised their operation.

Diamond is the hardest substance on earth and can be cut only by another diamond. The “Antwerp Cut”, which is multifaceted and pointed underneath, is designed to maximise the brilliancy of the stone.

The diamond industry is extremely important to the Belgian economy, representing 7% of its exports. In recent years Dubai has emerged as a rival trading centre, and experts differ on whether Antwerp will be able to retain its No. 1 position. In spite of recent discoveries of diamonds in Canada and the growing importance of the South American market, the majority of rough diamonds are still controlled by De Beers, which operates out of London. Many believe that Antwerp’s good connections and long-standing association with the diamond trade will ensure that the city remains the centre for world trade for many years to come.