introduction - content.hrdantwerp.com · 7 40 years of experience hrd antwerp was founded in 1973...
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Intr
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Introduction
Forged deep below the earth’s surface many millions of years ago, diamonds have long held the fascination of every man and woman.
As the diamond capital of the world since 1447, Antwerp has always been the reference for quality diamonds, superior craftsmanship and integrity.
HRD Antwerp is part of Antwerp’s diamond DNA since 1976, when our diamond lab was founded.
Since then, our first priority has always been to enhance the confidence of diamond traders and consumers, by offering highly reputable grading reports, tailor made qualitative solutions and massive in-house expertise and experience.
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The Antwerp Diamond Heritage
In 1447, Antwerp established itself as the worldwide capital of diamonds.
The city had rapidly secured a well regulated market even back then, Antwerp had already secured a well regulated market which won the absolute confidence of diamond traders and consumers.
It is also during the 15th century that Lodewijck van Bercken, a diamond polisher from Antwerp, discovered the process of polishing a diamond. The history of the city as the world’s leading centre in diamond craftsmanship had begun.
This year, Antwerp celebrates its 570 year bond with the diamond industry. The city remains more than ever the leading trade centre for the global diamond industry, with almost 80% of all rough stones passing through the city, and almost 50 % of the cut diamonds returning to Antwerp for further distribution. The world’s most highly skilled and respected diamond polishers can still be found here, perpetuating the heritage of Belgium Master Diamond Cutters.
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40 Years of experience
HRD Antwerp was founded in 1973 as the “Hoge Raad voor Diamant”, or Diamond High Council, in the heart of Antwerp, the world’s oldest diamond capital.
Our diamond lab was founded in 1976, and has since gained the diamond industry’s confidence by offering highly reputable grading reports, tailor made qualitative solutions and massive in-house expertise and experience.
Today we are Europe’s leading authority in diamond certification, offering a wide range of services to the industry, grouped into 3 main activities: diamond grading & research, education and equipment.
We have fully fledged diamond labs in Antwerp, Mumbai and Istanbul, and representative offices in Belgium, Turkey, Israel, Hong Kong and Mainland China.
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Diamond grading
Every day, we are dedicated to delivering our customers the perfect diamond grading report in the easiest possible way. We expedite the grading reports through our partners straight to consumers, offering them the highest level of security and accuracy.
When purchasing an HRD Antwerp graded diamond you can rest assured the characteristics described in its accompanying grading report have been thoroughly checked by our expert gemologists.
Our grading reports incorporate exclusive security features, visible only by loupe and UV light. Microtext, fluo marks, line structure, a hologram and unique structured paper make an HRD Antwerp grading report tamper-proof.
We issue grading reports for natural diamonds, fancy colored natural diamonds, disclosed laboratory grown diamonds, disclosed treated diamonds and diamond jewellery.
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.05 .10. 15 .20. 25 .50. 75 1.00 1.25 1.50 57.1 00.2 05.2 00.3 00.4 00.5
CARAT
COLOURFD E G H I J K L M N-O P-R
EXC.WHITE
EXC.WHITE +
RAREWHITE +
RAREWHITE
WHITE SLIGHTLY TINTEDWHITE+
SLIGHTLY TINTEDWHITE
TINTEDCOLOUR
TINTEDCOLOUR
TINTEDCOLOUR
TINTEDCOLOUR
TINTEDWHITE+
TINTEDWHITE
S-ZM
CLARITY
LOUPE CLEAN
LC
PIQUƒ
P1 P2 P3
VERY SMALL INCLUSIONS
VS1 VS2
SMALL INCLUSIONS
SI1 SI2
VERY VERY SMALL INCLUSIONS
VVS1 VVS2
BRILLIANT PRINCESS MARQUISE OVAL
HEART PEAR EMERALD CUSHION
CUT SHAPEPROPORTIONS
Excellent | Very Good | Good | Fair
% Total Depth
% Pavilion Depth
% Crown Height
% Table WidthAv. Diameter = 100 %
% Girdle
Crown Angle
Pavilion Angle
Sum &
% Length Halves Pavilion
% Length Halves Crown% Culet
Excellent | Very Good | Good | Fair
SYMMETRY
WELL CUT
TOO SHALLOWTOO DEEP
Excellent | Very Good | Good | Fair
POLISH
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The 4Cs
No two diamonds are exactly alike. Each one is unique. This is why over the years a universal standard for identifying diamonds has been set. The quality and value of a diamond is defined according to the 4Cs: carat, colour, clarity and cut.
The weight of a diamond is expressed in carats. One carat equals 0.2 grams or 100 points, which indicates the size. HRD Antwerp has extremely accurate scales that measure up to 5 figures after the decimal point
Most diamonds range in colour from colourless (‘D’) to tinted colour (‘Z’). The colour grade is determined by comparison with a series of master stones, the best grade being D. A perfect diamond has no colour at all.
All natural diamonds have traces of their growth history, which determine the diamond’s purity. In most gem-quality diamonds, these are minor internal characteristics or inclusions. The very best and rarest stones are rated ‘loupe clean’.
Carat Colour Clarity Cut
A diamond’s cut is essential to its beauty and is a combination of craftsmanship and scientific knowledge. The right proportions and finish create internal reflections that maximize a stone’s sparkle, brilliance, and fire.
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Additional services
My HRD Antwerp
My HRD Antwerp is a secure 24/7 online service that allows you to manage the certification process of submitted diamonds and jewellery. You can also find and download a digital duplicate of any valid HRD Antwerp Diamond Grading Report or Jewellery Report.
Sealing
Sealing guarantees that a given grading report and the corresponding diamond belong together, and it keeps the diamond safe from oil and dirt.
Laser Inscription
To laser inscribe diamonds, HRD Antwerp uses high-quality excimer short-wave technology. Your laser inscription cannot be seen with the naked eye, and consequently does not affect the diamond’s physical appearance or value.
Fast & Super Fast Service (Mumbai & Antwerp Diamond Lab Only)
Fast service: Diamonds delivered to the Diamond Lab before 12 AM will be returned fully graded after 4 PM the next day.
Superfast service: Diamonds delivered to the Diamond Lab before 10 AM will be returned to you after 4 PM the same day fully graded.
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Hearts & Arrows diamonds are precisely cut round brilliants that, when examined using a special viewer, display eight hearts through the pavilion from below and eight arrows through the crown from above. Their specific proportions and symmetry result in the most extraordinary brilliance and fire.
HRD Antwerp is the leading authority when it comes to scientifically detecting Hearts and Arrows in your diamond. Indeed, HRD Antwerp is the only company worldwide that has developed in-house Hearts & Arrows equipment and software that is 100 % reliable. This exclusive software allows the visualization of both hearts and arrows in one setup.
Based on measurements of the hearts and arrows patterns, this system delivers consistent, objectively measured hearts and arrows grades. There is no room for human interpretation; pure scientific objectivity makes our results 100% consistent and reliable.
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Tailor-made solutions for jewellery retailers
In store tools
HRD Antwerp offers a neutral analysis and supporting tools to legitimize the business of jewellery retailers. We provide the most reliable grading reports, but we have more to offer.
HRD Antwerp helps you achieve trust at first glance with our retailer support tools. The programme contains all the key elements you need to attract and inform prospective customers during their decision-making process. These kits will help you attract, advise and convince more customers and boost your sales.
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Tailored grading programmes
HRD Antwerp offers various possibilities to retailers who wish to start a line of tailored HRD Antwerp grading reports.
We can personalize it with the name and logo of your patented shape, or with a specific diamond drawing.There are many different possibilities, and we are always happy to discuss any new idea you might have.
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Cent
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Centre of Excellence and Point of Trust
This concept is solely for partners who exclusively sell HRD Antwerp certified diamonds. We deliver an innovative and intuitive variety of in-store tools (see below Retail Kit) – including interactive pillars with built-in screens – to explain the diamond grading process in a transparent and modern way (the 5Cs – Carat, Colour, Clarity, Cut, Confidence).
In addition to the in-store tools, the retailer will be registered as Centre of Excellence on our online Retailer Mapping Service. The retailer and his/her staff will also benefit from a 2-day Diamond Sales Training given by one of our HRD Antwerp Senior Lecturer.
This concept is available for partners with a dedicated HRD Antwerp corner in their store. Our in-store tools will add a touch of Antwerp prestige to your jewellery shop, while explaining the 5Cs in a transparent way.
Our range of tools includes charts, brochures and holders, jewellery plates, and other items for their show window and counter. These Retail Kits will help them attract, advise and convince more customers, and boost their sales. In addition to the in-store tools, the retailer will be registered as Point of Trust on our online Retailer Mapping Service.
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Research
The HRD Antwerp Research Department was established when the company was founded in 1973, to meet a profound need for a dedicated research unit.
Our main task today is to monitor and investigate diligently the latest developments in diamond synthesis and colour treatments, to safeguard consumer confidence. This is crucial for the development of new detection protocols for diamonds that are potentially lababoratory grown or have been subjected to a colour treatment. In order to do so, HRD Antwerp invests in various in-house research & development programmes and collaborates with various prestigious research entities around the world.
At our diamond Lab, all potential laboratory grown and colour-treated diamonds are separated from the natural diamonds and sent to the HRD Antwerp Research Department for further investigation. Here, high-tech laboratory equipmets are used to detect the laboratory grown and colour treated diamonds.
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Education
HRD Antwerp offers a wide range of highly qualified international training programmes, which combine continuous innovation, technical excellence, practical experience, and the joy of working with diamonds, gems, pearls and jewellery. We can also offer tailor made programmes for companies.
With our courses, students from all over the world can expedite their career or follow their passion. They can apply to earn the highly coveted diplomas of HRD Antwerp Certified Diamond Grader or HRD Antwerp Graduate Gemologist, or update their knowledge by following one of our workshops. They will become part of the HRD Antwerp’s Graduates Club, a network of alumni sharing their common passion for diamonds, gems, and jewellery.
Whether students opt for a polished or rough diamond course, a jewellery design, sales, or pearl course, or a workshop on fancy coloured & treated diamonds, choosing HRD Antwerp as the place to pursue your education ensures an experience in a unique setting in what is now, like never before, the true diamond capital of the world.
Our senior lecturers from Antwerp also travel around the world every month to give our courses in various locations in Europe (Italy, Portugal, Spain), Asia (China, India) and the Middle East (Turkey, Lebanon, Iran).
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Equipment
Our Equipment Department commercializes the sophisticated systems and devices that are conceived, designed and fine-tuned within the laboratories of HRD Antwerp. These instruments are brought to the market for the benefit of the diamond industry and trade, both in Belgium and around the globe.
Our products include state-of-the-art devices for screening, examining and manufacturing diamonds, and our equipment team is constantly striving to address current market challenges.
Our D-Scope+, the microscope reinvented, offers the most innovative diamonds and gems analysis experience on the market.
Over the past couple of years, differentiating natural diamonds from their laboratory grown counterparts has become increasingly difficult. All HRD Antwerp labs have the expertise and equipment to screen and detect laboratory grown diamonds, but the financial cost of these examinations often outweighs the value of small diamonds.
The development of an automatic melee screening device, therefore, became an imperative. This is why HRD Antwerp launched a superfast automated melee screening device on the market, the M-Screen 4.0.
HRD Antwerp has also launched its new D-Tect, allowing to further test referred stones after the screening process, and thus identify laboratory grown diamonds of all sizes and shapes, mounted in jewellery or not, in the colorless to near-colorless range.
HRD ANTWERP IS BASED IN ANTWERP, DIAMOND CAPITAL OF THE WORLD.
Tel.: +32 3 222 06 11
Fax: +32 3 222 06 99
Tel. +32 3 222 06 25
Fax +32 3 222 06 30
Tel. +90 212 512 4246
Fax +90 212 458 7453
HRD ANTWERP NV
Hoveniersstraat 22
2018 Antwerp
Belgium
BELGIUM
Hoveniersstraat 22
2018 Antwerp
Belgium
TURKEY
HRD Antwerp Istanbul
Nuruosmaniye Cad. N° 12
5334110 Istanbul
Turkey
Headquarters
REPRESENTATIVE OFFICES
Diamond & Jewellery Labs
Tel. +91 22 4256 8000
Email: [email protected]
INDIA
HRD Antwerp Mumbai
2nd Floor, D Quadrant,
The IL&FS Financial Centre,
G - Block, Plot C - 22,
Bandra Kurla Complex, Bandra (East)
400051 Mumbai
India
DUBAI | HONG KONG | MADRID | RAMAT GAN | SHANGHAI | SURAT
CERTIFICATION | EDUCATION | EQUIPMENT
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