For over 5 centuries, Antwerp is the heart of the global diamond trade and the diamond capital of the world until today. The diamond trade in the port started nearly 500 years ago when the first rough stones were brought over from India. Gradually, local diamond traders rose to prominence with their attention to detail and exuberant selection until even the King of France, François I, started ordering his diamonds from the master cutters in Antwerp rather than in Paris.
Today, around eighty percent of all rough diamonds pass through Antwerp on their way towards becoming earrings or other pieces of jewellery. Daily, 220 million dollar worth of diamonds are traded, adding up to an amazing 48 billion dollars annually. On a surface of less than 1 square mile, more than 1700 diamond traders are active. No other city in the world houses four diamond exchanges, controls 84% of the world’s trade in rough diamonds en 50% of the trade in cut diamonds. Every diamond in the world passes at least once in Antwerp!
Established in 1973, the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) is one of the world’s most renowned private companies that officially represents and coordinates the Antwerp diamond sector. Located in heart of Antwerp in the Hoveniersstraat, it directs the import and export of diamonds in and out of Antwerp. Antwerp is home to all major diamond mining companies, which sources diamonds for thousands of diamond dealers across the globe.
Since the approval of the Kimberley Process, Antwerp fulfils the role as the global moral leader in transparency and compliance. In collaboration with competent government agencies, all diamond import and export is physically controlled by the Diamond Office, which serves as an example to many other diamond centres in the world.
LIKE AND SHARE US:
Website: mjscommodities.com
Facebook/mjscommodities
Twitter/mjscommodities
Linkedin/companies/mjs-commodities
***
VIDEO CREDITS:
Production company: Mediasense (an Outside Broadcast division)
Client: AWDC (Antwerp World Diamond Centre)
Producer: Peter Robberechts
Main cameraman: Kevin Descheemaeker
Studio cameraman: Toon Illegems
General assistant: Jori Van de Vyver
Sound: Jori Hernalsteen, Kim Devue
Editor: Stijn Hoebeke
3D & Title graphics: Kim Vanbeckevoort
Voice: Leif Anders
Sound design & postproduction: Sonicville - Yves Demey
Colour grading: Moxy - Joost Van Kerckhove
Music: Music & Images library (selected by Annemie Hendrickx & Peter Bostoen)
Director/scriptwriter: Peter Bostoen
Script Editor: Richard Colston
![](https://s2.save4k.ru/pic/6LEXBg_sD-s/maxresdefault.jpg)