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From May 10th to 13th, Antwerp was omnipresent at the Jewelry Shanghai 2013 Trade Fair, with a first participation of the Antwerp Diamond Pavilion included in a four-day networking program in Shanghai.
In the framework of the thriving trade relationships between China and the Antwerp diamond industry, a delegation of Antwerp diamond companies visited Shanghai last week.
Ari Epstein, CEO Antwerp World Diamond Centre: “The Chinese market has a lot of potential. Due to the economic developments in China and Hong Kong, diamond demand increased steeply the past few years. Our import and export figures are testimony to that evolution. We want to make sure Antwerp stays the preferred trading partner of both China and Hong Kong and that is why we decided to organize a complete networking program.
In cooperation with HRD Antwerp, the Belgian Consulate-General in Shanghai, the Shanghai Diamond Exchange and the Gem and Jewelry Association of China, AWDC organized three networking events to further strenghten these relationships.
In the unique surroundings of the former Chinese pavilion of the Shanghai World Expo, the Antwerp diamond companies got the opportunity to network with no less than 120 potential Chinese buyers
during the Antwerp Diamond Night. In addition, AWDC organized a Meet & Greet with VVIP buyers working for 10 different Chinese companies. The four-day program ended with a cocktail reception at the Belgian Consulate.
Ketan Shah from Kediam: “Although the show itself was a bit slower than we expected, we noticed a lot of interest in our product. We highly appreciate the efforts of AWDC in setting up networking events such as the Antwerp Diamond Night, enabling us to get in touch with the local market, an initiative that can benefit both parties. We have met with representatives from a large amount of retail chains, and you can certainly say there is a lot of potential in China, although it is clear the competition remains high.
You can find the pictures here.
In the past week, a high level AWDC delegation, including AWDC President Stéphane Fischler visited the Guangdong Province in China, specifically targeted at further consolidating the excellent trade relationships between Antwerp and China, especially in regard to certain regional target markets.
The program included a number of meetings in Guangzhou and Shenzhen. During an informal networking dinner at the Belgian Consulate-General in Guangzhou, the delegation met with some of the most important players of the local retail segment. In addition, they were welcomed to the Shenzhen distribution centre of retail giant Chow Tai Seng Jewelry Company. Comprising over 300 licensed shops, Chow Tai Seng is one of the top brands in the Chinese market.
Furthermore they visited the NGTC, China’s largest gemlab. Afterwards, the delegation met with a selection of the most prominent retailers from the Shenzhen region.
The trip was concluded by an exclusive tour of the TTF Jewelry flagship store. TTF Jewelry is widely considered to be one of China’s most prestigious jewelry brands.
Stéphane Fischler, President AWDC: “This initiative is an important step in our strategy to consolidate the highly succesful trade relationships between Antwerp and China, more specifically by enhancing our trade network in the so called first and second tier cities in Mainland China.”
Security is one of the critical aspects of the Antwerp diamond business. In 2010, AWDC established ‘ADA-Security’, the dedicated security office of AWDC. As from today ‘ADA-Security’ will be known as the AWDC Security Office. Its mission is to support and facilitate the diamond business, and to protect the diamond community’s personnel, products, reputation, information and assets against all internal, external, deliberate or accidental threats.
AWDC Security Office appointed Stephan Van Hauwe as Senior Security Coordinator to manage AWDC Security Office.
Stephan Van Hauwe has 16 years of experience in the fields of security, crime, information security and anti-terrorism. He is a skilled professional with an impressive curriculum and an excellent reputation.
He is the ‘Single Point of Contact’ at AWDC Security Office for all security related topics and can be contacted through AWDC.
On April 30th, a multi-stakeholder group comprised of representatives from the diamond industry, civil society and government met at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris, to discuss responsible supply chains for precious stones.
The meeting was hosted by the Fafo Institute for Applied International Studies, Jewelers of America, Signet Jewelers Ltd., the U.K. Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the U.S. Department of State.
Some participants stressed the need for ongoing and continuous improvement in responsible sourcing practices due to evolving risks that the trade in precious stones may be associated with conflict and human rights abuses. Participants discussed existing company, industry, and multilateral initiatives that support responsible sourcing and opportunities for harmonization, noting that international guidelines such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Regions provide frameworks to support responsible business conduct, including the precious stones sector.
Participants also confirmed that efforts to advance responsible sourcing for precious stones should complement and not undermine or replace existing initiatives, such as the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme and the recent UN initiative for colored gemstones.
At the end of the meeting, industry, civil society and government representatives expressed interest in further examining existing and potential due diligence processes in support of responsible sourcing of precious stones, including the artisanal and small-scale mining sectors. Future discussions on this topic will remain open to all interested parties.
For more information, please contact the Public Affairs department on public.affairs@awdc.eu or Business Intelligence on mark.vanbockstael@awdc.eu.
From May 10th – 13th, Antwerp will be omnipresent at the Jewelry Shanghai 2013 Trade Fair, with a first participation of the Antwerp Diamond Pavilion included in a four-day networking program Shanghai.
AWDC offers a four-day program, which includes a standard booth in the Antwerp Diamond Pavilion, participation in the Antwerp Diamond Night –an exclusive networking opportunity with Chinese buyers –, a Meet and Greet with Chinese VVIP buyers and an exclusive cocktail reception at the Belgian Consulate in
The initiative is organized in close cooperation with the Shanghai Diamond Exchange (SDE), Gem and Jewelry Association of China (GAC), HRD Antwerp and the Belgian Consulate in Shanghai.
Check next week's newsletter for a full report!
Lucara Diamond Corp. has announced that it will hold its first “Large and Exceptional Stone Tender”, which will feature 15 single diamond lots from the Karowe Mine in Botswana, including the recently recovered 239-carat diamond.
Viewings commenced in Gaborone, Botswana. The tender in Antwerp will take place in the offices of Bonas from May 3 until the tender’s close on May 22nd.
The seventh “Embassy Open House Day” will take place on Saturday May 11th in Washington DC. The “Embassy Open House Day”, organized by the European Union, allows the American public to get acquainted with the EU and its member states. Attendants will be able to learn more about Belgium, but also about the Antwerp World Diamond Centre and the unique role of the Belgian diamond sector.
