Antwerp diamonds is a phrase that seems to just say “Special”. Did you ever wonder what makes these diamonds so sought after? Approximately 70 percent of all diamonds in the entire world come from Antwerp, Belgium. Why?

A Long History as a Diamond Centre
Antwerp, Belgium has a long history as a world diamond centre. By the middle of the fourteenth century the diamond trade was flourishing in Antwerp, part of a trade route that led from Eastern Asia to Europe.

In the next two hundred years the Antwerp cutters developed important working and cutting techniques and were turning out high quality, highly sought after stones. Francois I eschewed the established diamond cutters of Paris for those craftsmen of Antwerp, setting a precedent that is still in effect today.

The Renaissance
Amsterdam began to grow in popularity during the Renaissance as a diamond centre and Antwerp diamonds were forced to take second place. This happened for many reasons but historians agree that a big part of it was that all the rough diamonds came through Amsterdam and she kept the best for herself. The Diamond Guild of Antwerp had to utilize whatever inferior stones were sent its way. The Antwerp craftsmen met the challenge and developed techniques and skills that transformed the mediocre stones into expertly cut gems.

DeBeers Opens Up South Africa
By the late 1800s DeBeers Consolidated Mines, Ltd. had begun large scale mining in South Africa. This flooded Europe with rough diamonds and within a few months the talented Antwerp craftsmen were again creating top quality gemstones, better than ever before because of the techniques that they had developed. The beauty of the diamonds created a growing demand. Antwerp had again become the undisputed diamond centre of the world.

World War II
Antwerp again was faced with challenges during the Great Depression. The diamond trade was forced to slow its production to a trickle. The cutting shops would shut down for weeks at a time and many experienced cutters were forced to find other work.

Just before the outbreak of World War II, Jewish businessmen, many of them involved in the diamond trade, left Antwerp and fled to the United States, England, and Portugal. In England over 500 diamond dealers from Antwerp continued to work the diamond trade. To save the precious Antwerp diamonds from the German army the dealers brought the diamonds with them, and with the help of the British government set up the Correspondence Office for the Diamond Industry, a diamond registry.

The Diamond High Council
Because of their foresight the Antwerp industry was able to begin where they had left off once the war was over. Concerned that it maintained the reputation it worked so hard to achieve, the Diamond High Council, now known as the HRD, was created. Its purpose was to regulate and watch over the Antwerp diamond industry as an enforcer of consistency and quality control.

Buying Antwerp Diamonds
With all of that diamond experience and history it is no wonder that Antwerp gems are synonymous with quality and beauty. You can buy an Antwerp stone nearly anywhere because most independent jewellers ultimately get their stones there.

Certification
Just because a stone originated in Antwerp does not mean that you should buy it without considering a few things. A good stone should come with a certification: Look for one of these three options:

HRD- Diamond High Council
GIA- Gemmological Institute of America
AGS- American Gem Society
There will not be a price value given to the diamond. It will only be rated for its color, cut, and clarity.

Other certificates are also available. IGI and EGL started out with good intentions but both have added price values to the stones. Both of these labs’ certificates have been turned into selling tools with overly inflated retail prices. They are then used by some jewellers to show a perceived value savings, when in fact the retailer is charging a full mark-up and not offering a good buy.

A Lasting Legacy
Antwerp diamonds are some of the most beautifully crafted gemstones in the world, and their legacy of quality stretches back for hundreds of years. Whatever diamond you decide to buy, remember that it is only a symbol of your commitment to your bride, and if your relationship shares a similar legacy of quality, it will be just as long lasting

Knowing how diamonds are formed gives couples an appreciation of the rarity and exclusivity of this traditional bridal gem. The newest diamonds on the planet are an astonishing 45 million years old, and the longevity of their beauty is the perfect symbol of a lifelong relationship.

 Basic Process of how Diamonds are formed

 Diamonds are the crystalline form of elemental carbon, formed between 75-120 miles beneath the earth’s crust under specific conditions of pressure, chemistry, and temperature. Once the crystal structure has formed and hardened, it may take thousands of years for the circulation of the earth’s mantle to bring the stones to the surface where they can be mined.

 Most diamonds are formed by the melting of the earth’s crust – the rocks submerge into the mantle, where the carbon atoms are liquefied. Eventually, the temperature drops and the crystal structure of diamonds forms. Geologic events (earthquakes, volcanoes, etc.) then forces the rocks to the surface in a number of ways, such as alluvial deposits (in riverbeds) or kimberlite pipes (primary diamond mines).

 Diamond Composition 

 Diamonds are pure carbon.Diamond is pure carbon, and the word “diamond” comes from the Greek “adamas” meaning indestructible. Diamond is among the hardest substances on the planet, and it is the only gem to be purely composed of a single element. The hardness of the stones is due to the crystal structure of diamond formation: an isometric (cubic) arrangement that resists fracture under the tremendous pressure of the earth’s crust.

 Fancy Colored Diamonds 

Ideally, a flawless, colorless diamond is composed solely of carbon atoms, but that is a very rare occurrence. How diamonds are formed – in the turbulent stew of minerals beneath the earth’s surface – leads to impurities such as trace amounts of other elements. When nitrogen is introduced into a diamond’s crystal structure, the stone takes on a yellow, orange, or brown tint. Boron will create a blue or purple shade, while other trace elements may generate a rainbow of hues. If the color is pale or barely discernable, the diamond’s value is typically lower, but if the color is strong, consistent, and vibrant, the stones are highly sought after as fancy colored diamonds.

 Other colored diamonds result not from mineral inclusions, but from subtle changes to the diamond’s crystal structure. If nuclear rays are present during formation (very rarely), green diamonds may form. Other colors such as red or pink are the result of slight discrepancies in the crystal structure that change the way the stone absorbs and reflects light.

 Flaw Formation

 Very few diamonds are formed flawless. A variety of flaws appear in most stones, from simple chips or scratches created as the stones migrate to the surface to interior disruptions in the crystal structure caused by variations during the actual formation. As much as 60 percent of a raw diamond may be cut away to remove flaws when crafting a jewelry quality stone.

 How Diamonds are Formed: from Carbon to Jewellery

 Only about one fourth of mined diamonds are considered of fine enough quality to become jewellery. Other stones are used as abrasives or for industrial equipment, particularly for cutting and polishing other diamonds. The countries that produce the majority of diamonds for today’s jewellery industry include Brazil, Russia, South Africa, Australia, and Canada, though many other nations have minor diamond deposits as well. Savvy consumers, in fact, will insist on seeing their stone’s certificate to authenticate where it originated and be sure it is not a conflict diamond.

Once the stone is mined, it must be cut and polished into a final shape. There are certified jewellery labs throughout the world to perform these delicate services, and the finished stones are then sold to jewellery manufacturers to be mounted in a variety of settings for different types of jewellery. From the time the stone is mined to when it is placed on a bride-to-be’s finger during a proposal, the process may take several months.