Some people say a diamond turns a real value if certified by a proper lab. Some say a proper lab is a real value in itself and as rare as a proper diamond. HRD Antwerp is just the one having over 30 years of experience in Antwerp, the world’s diamond hub, and going ever stronger as the industry is leaving behind one of the worst periods in its history. Georges Brys, HRD Antwerp’s General Manager, describes the company’s business to Rough&Polished.
What kind of services are offered by HRD Antwerp?
HRD Antwerp provides the industry with certification of diamonds and gemstones. We also issue jewellery reports. In addition we provide educational programs for professionals and diamond traders as well as commercial programs for retailers.
HRD Antwerp has an in-house research facility which specializes in identification of natural diamonds. In addition, it develops state-of-the-art equipment for measuring all aspects of the diamond. HRD Antwerp is the only company worldwide which uses the most sophisticated technology and scientific methods.
What are the standards used by you laboratories to evaluate diamonds? Are they national or international?
HRD Antwerp Diamond Lab is the largest diamond grading organisation worldwide to confirm to the standards of the International Diamond Council. This is an expert body created in 1977 by the World Federation of Diamond Bourses and the International Diamond Manufactures Association, the industry’s two leading representative bodies.
The Diamond Lab was the first diamond lab ever to receive accreditation by the International Standards Organisation (ISO), and currently operates under the demanding standards of NBN EN/ISO 17025.
What kind of certificates does HRD Antwerp issue?
HRD Antwerp issues Diamond Certificates and Jewellery Reports. The HRD Antwerp Diamond Certificate is the most comprehensive and secure diamond certificate you will find. It provides you with a detailed description of your diamond’s 4 Cs and can be ordered with laser inscription and/or Hearts & Arrows and/or sealing and/or co-branding.
The HRD Antwerp Jewellery Report provides an accurate description of the weight of the jewel and the precious metals used. The number of diamonds set in the jewel, shape, carat, colour, clarity and cut are defined. Each report bears a high quality colour photograph of the jewellery piece.
HRD Antwerp values transparency, hence in addition to working according to international standards we have also upgraded the security features in all our certificates.
The exclusive security features included in the new certificate are unique in their kind, with line structures, a watermark, an embossed logo, fluo marks and micro text. Some of these features are visible only using a loupe or when viewing the document under UV-light. Customer confidence is our first priority, hence our choice to disclose our advanced security features.
What kind of equipment does HRD Antwerp sell?
With its own in-house research facility, HRD Antwerp manufactures and sells highly specialised microscopes (D-scope), cutting machines and devices that can efficiently screen for treated and synthetic diamonds (D-screen).
The D-scope, a microscope which is an indispensable analysis tool for examining and grading diamonds, provides a perfect combination of excellent light, optics, diamond manipulation and ergonomics.
The D-screen is a compact screening device, that can quickly and reliable identify diamonds that are neither synthetic nor HPHT colour-enhanced from batches of cut colourless or nearly colourless diamonds (D to J).
Do you supply any equipment to Russian companies?
Yes, HRD Antwerp supplies equipment to companies worldwide, including Russian companies.
As is known, your company carries out fundamental and applied research for the diamond industry. Could you give some examples of both?
FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH
The activities of the research department are crucial in supporting HRD Antwerp’s main activity, i.e. the issuing of diamond certificates by Diamond Lab.
The determination of the 4 Cs requires state-of-the-art equipment and techniques which are in general not commercially available. HRD Antwerp Research defines the necessary developments to secure and enhance the 5th C (Confidence) on the diamond certificate and collaborates closely with diamond research institutes and centers, in particular with WTOCD.
The research department invests heavily in developing non-destructive methods for the identification of treated and synthetic diamonds. One out of 1000 diamonds submitted to our laboratory are proven to be treated or synthetic diamonds. These methods of identification and detection are constantly implemented and upgraded in the Diamond Lab.
Furthermore, the research department informs the diamond community on scientific and technological developments related to gem diamond and provides a Scientific Advice Service to support the diamond community.
APPLIED RESEARCH
Lumisense - Colour Grading. The commercially available systems for automated color saturation measurements rely on a method in which light is introduced in the stone and the respective attenuation of the various colors is measured.
Lumisense, the instrument developed and used by HRD Antwerp, yields much higher correlation to the human grading results in a diamond grading lab, by using a method which does not rely on attenuation. An automatic grading tool can offer improved accuracy, speed and repeatability.
Hearts&Arrows
The custom made H&A by HRD Antwerp viewer, developed for HRD Antwerp by WTOCD, solves all H&A grading problems.
The tool can be used for visualizing both hearts and arrows patterns in one setup without turning the diamond.
Furthermore, a set of guidelines for H&A was developed in close cooperation with the H&A experts of HRD Antwerp Diamond Lab.
How many affiliated labs have you established abroad and have you one in Russia? (If not, why?)
The main laboratory of HRD Antwerp is located in Antwerp. A laboratory needs a large volume of diamonds in order to expand its research methods and build up know how. Hence, for this reason, HRD Antwerp has chosen to keep its main laboratory in Antwerp.
Last month HRD Antwerp opened its first gemmological lab outside Antwerp in the Turkish jewellery and commercial centre of Istanbul. The gemmological lab in Turkey issues Jewellery Reports. HRD Antwerp will continue to examine different markets and analyse the opportunities of opening labs worldwide.
What was the turnover of HRD Antwerp in 2009 in comparison to previous years?
The effects of the financial crisis influenced every market, including the diamond market in Antwerp. However, with its scientific competence and commercial presence, the position of Antwerp as a world diamond centre has only been reinforced during the crisis. It remains the diamond trading platform of the world and these diamonds need certification. In 2008, every hour, diamonds were traded for a value of 5 million dollar and this 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
In 2009, HRD Antwerp received 15% less diamonds which is better than the evolution of the diamond industry during the crisis.
While on a visit to Nanjing, China, you said that if we would not be able to discover new mines, 40 years later, diamond reserves would run out. What will happen to the diamond market then?
With the constant development of technology, it might well be that the mines which are now “depleted” will continue to provide us with diamonds. In addition, we cannot rule out that new mines will be discovered.
The recent economic downturn has served to exasperate a rather heated debate around diamonds as a would-be exchange-traded commodity able to generate financial derivatives with some saying it is possible and some saying it is not due to certification which is complicated. Just imagine, for instance, that HRD Antwerp has enough labs across the world to certify all or most globally manufactured diamonds of at least market-important sizes, do you think your certificates could be viewed as a sort of financial instruments to be traded on the stock market?
Every diamond is unique. An international laboratory like HRD Antwerp can examine the diamond to check if it is natural, treated or synthetic and our certificate can guarantee that the diamond is in fact a product of nature but the emotional value is an added value. Hence this makes it a product that will never become a commodity.
The HRD Antwerp certificates provide confidence and are the “passports” of diamonds. We offer a Certificate Link which enables clients to check all HRD Antwerp Diamond Certificates, Diamond Identification Reports and Diamond Colour Certificates issued after January 1, 2005, 24 hours a day and seven days a week. Each document can be retrieved in English, Turkish, Mandarin, Cantonese or Arabic. (www.hrdantwerplink.com)
Do you intend to organize new auctions selling diamonds certified by HRD Antwerp?
We keep all our options open, if the opportunity arises we will decide at that moment.
What are your plans for the nearest future?
With offices in Shanghai, Hong Kong, India, the Middle East and laboratories in Antwerp and Istanbul, HRD Antwerp will continue to explore new opportunities, independently or with partners.
We will continue to invest heavily in the research of synthetic and treated diamonds in order to provide our customers with the confidence that their diamonds are natural diamonds and analysed by experts.
In addition, we will continue to provide the necessary educational support for the entire diamond industry ranging from traders to retailers and customers. HRD Antwerp has developed custom made programs for professionals and diamond traders as well as commercial programs for retailers. During these courses, we will focus on the importance of certification, diamond labs and gaining the necessary knowledge to make confident purchases.
Alex Shishlo, Editor of the Rough&Polished European Bureau in Brussels
