The stones pass through so many hands on their way to the end customer that their origin is obscured.
(Photo: AP)
Antwerp The way to Tom Neys leads past a sentry box with a barrier. The street in front of his office is closed to traffic, only several police cars are parked here. Neys works at the Antwerp World Diamond Center (AWDC) in Antwerp’s diamond district. The explanation for the great security effort: “Every diamond that is traded in Belgium has to go through this building,” says Neys.
According to the AWDC, 80 percent of all rough diamonds and 50 percent of all cut diamonds pass through Antwerp on their way to the end customer. This makes the Belgian port city the most important trading center in the world.
Neys is a sought-after conversation partner these days because the diamond industry is once again on the defensive. The G7 and the EU are making a fresh attempt to impose sanctions on Russian “blood diamonds”. Russia is the largest supplier of rough diamonds, accounting for 30 percent of global production, according to the AWDC.
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