Competition is fierce in Antwerp’s grading market, pushing
labs to continually increase the quality of their certification and look to new
regions further afield for growth opportunities.
Competing locally with other industry leaders, such as the
GIA, IIDGR, and IGI, Belgian lab HRD Antwerp is entering a new phase of its
development with an eye toward playing a greater role on the international
stage.
Last April, HRD Antwerp inaugurated a new lab and office
premises in Mumbai, an expansion that “underscores our commitment to
fundamentally strengthening the ties between the world’s leading diamond
trading center — Antwerp — and the Bharat Diamond Bourse, the world’s largest
diamond bourse,” CEO ad interim Michel Janssens said.
In a world where simulants and lab-grown diamonds are posing
a significant threat in terms of consumer confidence, if not yet in terms of
competition for market share, Janssens stressed the importance of continually
improving knowledge of diamond, gemstone and jewelry specifics.
Having a greater ability to distinguish lab-grown stones
from natural ones boosts confidence not just within the industry, but also for
the end consumer.
Still, the issue of undisclosed synthetics or simulants
getting mixed in with natural diamonds — a problem the industry is already
tackling on a global scale — isn’t the only threat these stones pose. HRD’s
teams are on their toes, Janssens said, working to eliminate all possible
sources of distrust — which is why, in September 2016, the lab introduced a
revamped version of its grading report. The new report is produced on
tear-proof paper to reduce the possibility of forgery, and features a number of
advanced security innovations.
However, not everyone is convinced among diamantaires. A local
diamond manufacturer who asked to remain anonymous, said, ”Making certificates
inviolable is certainly basic for a lab. But the reality is that the lab’s
first job is to remain bribery-free. I’m not talking about Belgian labs alone;
this goes for the others as well, including the GIA.
“You can have the most unbreakable certificate, but if the
stone that’s sealed inside doesn’t match, there you just break the chain of
trust. And business reporters can claim trust is dead in our industry; the
consumer will always need to rely on a certificate to make sure of what he
buys.”
Article from the Rapaport Magazine - September 2017. To subscribe click here.