Welcome to Corporate Diamonds
My name is Rob van Beurden, I founded Diamond House in 1987 and I am
a Member of the Diamond Bourse.
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Corporate diamonds are diamonds that are used as part of a business incentive scheme.
Ever since Diamond House opened its doors in 1987, requests have come in from companies asking me to add a 'sparkle' to their annual incentive programs. It took a while to develop a concept that we could confidently take to the marketplace. But in the end we developed a number of ways to use diamonds in a corporate incentive scheme that turned out to be highly successful.
The best practical way to buy a Diamond is always to follow the 4 C's (color, cut, clarity, carat) and
learn as much as you can about the type of Diamond you would like.
Instinct should play a more important role in your purchase and that comes
with knowledge.
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| Interview with Rob Van Beurden
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How would you describe the services that you provide?
Basically, I'm a diamond broker for both professionals and
diamond-loving-clients. I sell at competitive prices, but do not expect bargains.
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You did not inherit that "business" from your family. So how (or why)
did you get involved in the diamond world?
By living in Antwerp, I made friends in the diamond industry.
This microcosm had a non-tangible facet that attracted me in a sort of
irresistible way. And the diamond industry demands more than a commercial
interest : it takes passion.
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But if all people who are passionate about diamonds would be good at
dealing in diamonds, that would surely mean a lot of people…
It is not that easy. It takes passion, but it demands a lot of dedication.
Every diamond is a product of nature and is therefore unique.
Evaluating the quality of diamonds requires feeling more than knowledge,
and that can only be maintained by dealing with diamonds on a daily basis.
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So, you were caught by the diamond virus in the crib ! ? !
In fact, it happened much later. I am Dutch, and came to study in
Antwerp where I got in contact with the world of diamonds. Indeed,
Antwerp is known as the diamond capital of the world. It represents
60% of the world market which itself, is mainly shared by Jewish
(40%) and Indians (40%). All that activity used to be centered in
Amsterdam, and started to move down to Antwerp in 1935. Many countries
are of course trying to attract the diamond business, most actively
Switzerland, Monaco, Germany and Israel. But it stays in Antwerp.
The city is the only one in the world that still has three diamond
schools, where future diamond cutters can learn their art ; this
contributes a lot to the reputation which Antwerp has earned for
presenting the best craftmanship in the world.
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Reputation seems to be a very important criteria in the diamond
market…
Indeed, this world is very conservative. Everything is based on mutual
trust amongst the members of the International diamond market. The
same is true for the final buyer. My motto is "try and buy a diamond
from someone you feel good with". Chemistry between buyer and sales
is what matters.
A good example of that is something that happened in March of 1999
when I gave a lecture at the British Chamber of Commerce in Brussels.
Fourteen people attended and by the time I got back to Antwerp, an
e-mail had arrived from one of the participants, ordering a diamond
of significant size and quality, although we had never met before.
Just by listening to what I had to say, and feeling that
trust-inducing chemistry.
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And what can you recommend to those who do not happen to know someone
like you?
I would just say : "Call me!". I will be happy to come and tell you
everything I know about diamonds.
But for those who are too shy to call and
who want to be reassured, only two of all diamond laboratories worldwide carry
out blind approval : the HRD ( Hoge Raad voor Diamant ) and the GIA
( Gemnological Institute of America ). They certify the quality of polished
diamonds. Not all diamonds come with a certificate. Professionals know enough
that they don't need it. But anyone buying a diamond who wants an extra
guarantee may order a certificate for approximately 150 USD per carat.
When it comes to diamond professionals, you can always inquire about their
membership in the diamond exchange. It certifies that they have acquired all
the necessary knowledge about diamonds. There are only 1,500 members
worldwide, and I'm proud to be one of them. It took me more than seven years, during
which my reputation, technical skills and credibility were thoroughly checked.
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You referred to a lecture at the British Chamber of Commerce. Are
lectures an important part of your activity?
Indeed. Establishing trust is the most important thing. Educating and
informing seems to me to be the most efficient way to give potential
clients a good way to know me and to know the market. That is also the
main purpose of this web site. And I encourage anyone who would like
to go beyond the information given here, to contact me.
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