What I do in Antwerp
The comedian Rodney Dangerfield didn’t get any respect and fortunately for his line of work he didn’t expect any. When I show up in Antwerp I get plenty of respect but not the first time I walk in the door of a cutter with my own tools and grade all the diamonds I look at twice over. They really want me to be looser in my expectations and less observant in my grading. I can’t be of course because when buying for my customers I’m obligated to get them not only the best price I can there but also the best stone for the price. That includes avoiding problem stones not just by grade and cut but also by durability. The cutters really do not want me paying this much attention.
On one trip last year I examined a package where I found many twinned diamonds. So many in fact it exceeded the total number that I’ve seen in over forty years of experience. Something like that shakes you. A twinned diamond is one where one diamond grows through another. In fact it can be several growing through each other. Because a diamond has a grain just like a piece of wood those sections between the strong grain could separate if hit just so. Scrutinizing the diamonds to this degree takes a lot of time. as the clues for many problems are seen only in the subtle ripples of the polish.
There are checks and balances in the Antwerp buying experience. Once you choose a stone protocol requires you to wait 24 hours and then confirm you want them. This gives you the opportunity to shop around. In a typical 8:30 to 5:00 day you could theoretically see a lot of cutters. Because of the time I spend on each stone I rarely make it to more than three. It works out fine for me as most cutters do not offer the exactness of cut that I’m looking for. I see all those I need to.
On my last trip in three days I saw only two cutters. One I saw four times and one three. The fact that I’m looking for top cut means that sometimes it’s imperative that I get a Sarin or Megascope report where a laser reads every facet and angle on the diamond. The machine takes ten seconds. I have one myself and I know, but a cutter will take an hour or more to get a report to you. Selling is all a relationship. After a while this gets faster. In a good relationship you build trust. Fortunately I can double check on the reports when I get home and know which way the relationship is heading. Later in the day and because of the eight hour time difference I spend time checking in with the store and finding out what additional stones I need to locate as well as letting people know what I put aside that day.
Aside from looking at diamonds for knots, twinning and graining I have evenings to check out the beer, waffels and do some sightseeing. Antwerp is a beautiful town and less than an hour by train from Brussels which is one of my favorite cities in the world. Almost everyone speaks english and getting around is easy.
All in all it’s a lot of work but a good time and an amazing experience.
Waffels
