Belgium’s Interior Minister, Annelies Verlinden, has expressed strong support for Antwerp’s diamond industry, calling for robust government measures to sustain its position as a global trade hub. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Verlinden emphasized the need for certainty and stability in policymaking, both domestically and across the European Union. “The government […]

The post Interior Minister Backs Antwerp’s Diamond Sector Amid Challenges appeared first on The Jewelry Magazine.

The Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) will host a webinar this Thursday (21 March) to explain in detail how the new EU sanctions on Russia affect diamond imports, and how traders can avoid delays in goods being released. It follows a strongly-worded letter from almost 150 traders in Antwerp last week who described new procedures […]

The post AWDC Webinar on Easing Sanction Delays appeared first on The Jewelry Magazine.

Nobody is to be charged over newspaper allegations that HRD Antwerp routinely bumped up diamond gradings. The public prosecutor’s office in Belgium has concluded its investigation after claims by De Tijd in March that the lab upgraded GIA-certified diamonds by up to two color grades and one clarity grade. HRD Antwerp, founded in 1973 and […]

The post No Prosecutions over HRD Antwerp Upgrade Claims appeared first on The Jewelry Magazine.

Eira Thomas, chief executive of Canada-based Lucara Diamonds, says Russian diamonds “should be sanctioned”. She told the Financial Times (FT) that, in her personal view, the EU should outlaw its gems when its 27 member countries adopts a new package of sanctions early next month. Belgian imports of Russian diamonds fell to $167m in the […]

The post Lucara Boss Urges EU to Sanction Russian Diamonds appeared first on The Jewelry Magazine.

David Gotlib is to replace Chaim Pluczenik as president of the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC), representing the interests of its 1,600 members. He will be assisted by Sahag Arslanian and Amish Jain, who were appointed as vice presidents. Mr Gotlib, of the IDRP Group, a third-generation diamantaire, said after his appointment: “Antwerp has again […]

The post Gotlib Appointed New President of AWDC appeared first on The Jewelry Magazine.

Diamond dealers in Antwerp are suing their banks for blocking their US dollar accounts when they implemented AML (anti-money laundering) legislation. They’re set to take a group action, claiming they have suffered disproportionately from the implementation of EU rules. Robin van Beurden, an Antwerp diamond broker, told the German broadcaster Deutsche Welle he’d already won […]

The post Antwerp Diamond Dealers Sue Banks for Blocking Dollar Accounts appeared first on The Jewelry Magazine.

Antwerp, February 8, 2022 – The Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC), the official representative of the Antwerp diamond industry, can close 2021 as the year of the comeback. With $37.23 billion in imports and exports of traded diamonds, the Belgian diamond sector is doing slightly better than in 2019, the year before the pandemic. But […]

The post Antwerp diamonds shine again thanks to US Jewelry sales appeared first on The Jewelry Magazine.

Antwerp, December 6, 2021 – The Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC), the official representative of the Antwerp diamond industry, and ALROSA, world’s largest diamond mining company by volume, renewed their cooperation agreement today. The renewed cooperation agreement will further expand and strengthen the close relationship between and leadership roles of the two organizations over the […]

The post AWDC and ALROSA Renew Cooperation Agreement appeared first on The Jewelry Magazine.

Antwerp’s first-quarter exports of rough were up by almost 40 per cent by value as markets continued their recovery from the depths of the Covid pandemic. Total sales were almost $2.6bn – up just over 14 per cent by weight to 25.8m carats – according to new figures from the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC). […]

The post Antwerp’s Q1 Rough Exports up 40 per cent appeared first on The Jewelry Magazine.

Online trading will help the diamond industry ride the Covid-19 storm, the president of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses said today. “We are fortunate that both eCommerce and digital platforms have developed to quite an extent; they can be the vehicles for business in these times of social distancing,” said Ernie Blom, president of […]

The post Digital Diamond Trading Will Ease Challenge of Social Distancing appeared first on The Jewelry Magazine.