JWR Jewelers' Annual Trip to Antwerp,
the Diamond Capital of the World

It’s Fall once again in Athens, Ga. That means football, cooler weather (we hope), and a trip to Antwerp Belgium for JWR Jewelers. Every year, we have the opportunity for a buying trip to the diamond capital of the world, and it’s one of our favorite experiences. We’ve been 11 years in a row now and have chosen some gorgeous gems on our trips. This year, we’ll be leaving on October 18th and we’ll be hand selecting stones for our store, and our customers.

Walking the streets of Antwerp, Belgium, it feels like many other European cities with beautiful old world architecture, much of it repurposed for this modern world. People shop and dine where royalty once lived. Streets are filled with families riding bicycles where armies long ago marched in formation. Chocolate and waffle shops are plentiful, as well as opportunities to enjoy a cold Belgian beer.

An obscure area with great international importance exists in the middle of this grand old city. The heart of the diamond industry has no neon signs or billboards to direct you there. Along certain streets there are retail jewelry shops for tourists, but the true center of the diamond trade is not far away. The most obvious clue you have arrived is the security stationed at each end of the district. There are no window displays of glimmering diamonds. The heavily secured buildings of the diamond district are home to over 1,700 registered diamond companies with over 4,500 diamond dealers, according to the Antwerp World Diamond Council.

For well over 500 years, Antwerp has been a major player in the diamond trade. In the 1860s, Antwerp rose above its European competitors in Amsterdam to the prominence it still enjoys today. However, times have not always been so prosperous. The Great Depression in the 1930s hit the diamond industry hard and many diamond cutters had to close their shops. At the onset of World War II, diamond dealers attempted to save as much stock as possible and prevent it from falling into the hands of the Nazis by sending their diamonds to London. The British government entered into an agreement to keep the diamonds safe for the duration of the war. An organization known as the Correspondence Office for the Diamond Industry was set up to register the diamonds and keep them for the duration of the war. Because of this, large quantities of diamonds were returned to their owners after the city was liberated, according to the website Diamondland.be.

For four years Antwerp was occupied by German troops. Many of the city’s diamond traders were lost at the hands of the Nazis. One special building remains from the bombings of World War II. The Bethe Moshe Sephardic Synagogue, founded in 1913, is nestled among the large modern buildings of the diamond district. This small but beautiful synagogue built in the Neo-Romanesque style also survived a terrorist attack in 1981.

It is a testimony to the character of the citizens of Antwerp that the horrors of war and the massive loss of life did not destroy its spirit. In a short amount of time, Antwerp was back in the diamond business. Today it is said that what New York is to the world’s money markets, Antwerp is to the world’s diamond industry. According to the Antwerp World Diamond Centre, eight out of every 10 diamonds mined in the world pass through Antwerp in their rough or polished form. “Cut in Antwerp” is a true sign of quality.

In today’s world, diamonds are also cut in China, India, Israel, but many of the finest rough diamonds are designated to be cut by Antwerp cutting firms. City Lyceum Meir is preparing young students in the art of diamond cutting in Europe’s only diamond cutting school. The training takes many years and includes classroom studies, as well as hands-on work in the industry as internships. It has been a personal joy of ours to travel to Antwerp numerous times to buy diamonds for our store and as a personal diamond broker for special clients. As members of the Independent Jewelers Organization (IJO), we have the opportunity shop in some of the finest diamond houses of Antwerp in this historic and powerful center of the diamond trade. The selection of top-quality diamonds in every size, shape and color is enormous. On our trips we have hand-selected diamonds of every size and shape from .10ct to a spectacular 6.0ct. for a special anniversary. It makes a diamond extra special when it is selected especially for you in the Diamond Capital of the World. We have a buying trip to Antwerp this October, and the diamond of your dreams could be waiting for you there.

If having a diamond selected for you in Antwerp is something you, or someone you know, would be interested in, we’d love to be your personal broker. This is the opportunity to own, or give someone else, a breathtaking masterpiece of nature that will be a priceless symbol of love and commitment at a once in a lifetime savings. So please, give us a call or stop by our store on Alps Rd. We would love to talk diamonds with you.

Sincerely,

Tony Cruz
GIA Graduate Gemologist
AGS Certified Gemologist Appraiser