Every year, Dickinson Jewelers travels to Antwerp, Belgium to purchase diamonds. Because our owner, Claude, is so knowledgeable about diamonds, we’re able to cut out the middle man and pass the savings we receive onto our customers.
What else is there to know about Antwerp and the diamonds we buy there? Check out our top 10 Antwerp facts, and don’t forget: you can request your own Antwerp diamond by calling 301-855-8770 or emailing Claude Dickinson at claude@dickinsonjewelers.com.
1. Antwerp is the diamond capital of the world. Anywhere from 60 to 80 percent of all the diamonds in the world are cut and traded in Antwerp. That’s a lot of sparkle!
2. The Diamond District has been in Antwerp for more than 500 years. Five centuries of diamond cutting and trading – that’s how you know we’re bringing home the best diamonds in the world for our customers!
3. Claude’s been going to Antwerp for more than 20 years. He’s such an Antwerp expert that he says he knows more about Antwerp than he does about DC! Although he loves to explore the city, he’s pretty focused on diamonds. See for yourself!
4. The numbers don’t lie. According to The New York Times, 8,000 people from 160 different countries visit 1,800 different diamond offices in Antwerp and interact with diamonds worth $95 million every single day.
5. Antwerp hasn’t always been the diamond capital. People have been cutting diamonds in Antwerp since the 1500s, but it wasn’t until Belgium’s relaxed economy took business away from Amsterdam in the 1800s that the Diamond District became globally dominant.
6. We buy ethical diamonds in Antwerp. Dickinson Jewelers proudly complies to the Kimberley Process, which adheres to fair trade guidelines and ensures that all diamonds are conflict-free. Only Kimberley Process diamonds enter Antwerp, and we’d never buy anything else!
7. Some people refer to the Diamond District as “the square mile.” This is a reference to the size of the Diamond District, which has the largest concentration of diamond-related activity in the world.
8. You can hear many different languages at any given time. Although the primary language spoken in this part of Belgium is Dutch, the Diamond District is so international that languages like Yiddish, French, and English are commonly heard.
9. Diamond traders are called “diamantaires.” They, too, often have a cultural touch. Many diamantaires are Hasidic Jews, from India, or originate in other countries. They are attracted to Antwerp by a desire to sell the highest quality diamonds in an ethical way.
10. We travel almost 10,000 miles to get to Antwerp. We are committed to bringing home the best diamonds in the world for our customers!