Earlier this month IGI participated in a presentation at the Antwerp Diamond Bourse. The session, staged in the heart of Antwerp’s historic diamond district, was part of a ‘diamond immersion tour,’ arranged for a group of 60 jewelry enthusiasts.
Jean-Mathieu Mangnay, Manager of Education for IGI Antwerp, described the city’s history as a diamond trading center, and provided information on the modern assessment and grading of diamonds being performed at IGI.
Antwerp has been an important diamond hub since the late 15th century thanks to its strategic location on the Scheldt river, with direct access to the North Sea. The first scaif (diamond polishing wheel) was introduced in Antwerp in 1476. The city has served as a major center for the trading of rough diamonds for over a half-century.
In addition to Mangnay, the group was given information by David Gotlib, President of the Bourse and IGI Chief Operating Officer Deborah Pienica, among others.
This tour for jewelry connoisseurs was organized by professionals from Juwelier Leicht, a German retailer of fine jewelry and watches, also specialized in arranging exclusive and sophisticated art and culture trips for patrons.
The connoisseurs started their tour in Amsterdam, another well-known diamond destination, continuing by boat to Antwerp.
Following the presentation at the bourse they visited a diamond trading company, as well as a factory to see rough crystals being fashioned into polished diamonds.
