Discover how Antwerp Serves as Unique Diamond Ecosystem
Antwerp truly has it all: the history, the proximity, the liveliness. The city has much to offer. An example for this is the story of the diamond industry in Antwerp below. It is a great example of the diamond ecosystem in the city, as one of the most important diamond hubs worldwide. New diamantaires can claim their spot and find new allies, contacts, collaborations and opportunities within these three streets.
In March 2018, Antwerp-based diamond manufacturers Group Taché and Samir Gems unveiled an extraordinary 910-carat rough diamond—the Lesotho Legend—at the Baselworld fair. This Type IIa diamond, sourced from the Letšeng mine in Lesotho and purchased from Gem Diamonds for $40 million, represented a rare opportunity to reinvigorate the market for large, high-quality stones. The seller, Gem Diamonds, also has a presence in the city of Antwerp, with their sales and marketing branches located in the diamond square mile. Though luxury brands like Graff and Harry Winston had long dominated this space, diamond retailer Group Taché and cutter Samir Gems sought to broaden the field by showcasing the rough stone at Baselworld, hoping to generate interest from new players.
Among the many who admired the diamond was Van Cleef & Arpels, a Richemont-owned luxury brand that had recently been exploring new opportunities in high jewellery. The timing was perfect: Van Cleef had just completed a ruby collection and was seeking a new long-term project. Following the fair, Van Cleef, Group Taché, and Samir Gems struck an agreement to craft a collection from polished diamonds.
This collaboration marked an essential step in creating Van Cleef’s latest high jewelry collection, which features 25 exquisite Mystery Set pieces and 67 D-flawless diamonds, including a stunning 79.35-carat oval stone. The finished jewelry took more than four years to reveal, partly due to delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout this process, Van Cleef remained deeply involved in the planning and design, prioritizing quality over size and avoiding larger, less refined stones.
Taché and Samir Gems outsourced the cutting and polishing to Diamcad, an Antwerp-based firm with expertise in handling large, complex stones, including Graff’s Lesedi La Rona. The diamonds were graded at the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), and each received a Diamond Origin Report confirming its provenance from the Lesotho Legend. Despite the challenges, the final collection reflects both the technical precision of Antwerp’s cutters and the artistic vision of Van Cleef.
This collaboration not only resulted in a remarkable collection but also signals a potential revival for the large diamond sector, introducing new players into a market historically dominated by a few giants and how the Antwerp diamond ecosystem can basically go from a rough diamond to a gem set in jewellery. You can find anything you need right here. By working with Van Cleef, Group Taché and Samir Gems also hope to inspire renewed interest in big stones while setting a new benchmark for future high jewelry collections.
