Which Belgian city is known as the 'diamond cutting capital of the world'?
"Centre (AWDC), a private foundation, is responsible for the representation of the collective interests of the Belgian diamond industry domestically and abroad. It also promotes Antwerp as the global capital of the diamond industry. The second, HRD Antwerp, a completely independent subsidiary of AWDC, is a commercial organization with six different branches: Diamond Lab, Precious Stones Lab, Research, Education, Graduates Club and Equipment. It is a government authorized service providing body, established in 1945, enabling the post-war diamond industry to quickly pick up again. The Diamond Office uses a unique model for import and export procedures: one-stop import & export"
"industrial diamonds are traded in Antwerp, Belgium—the diamond center of the world. The city of Antwerp also hosts the Antwerpsche Diamantkring, created in 1929 to become the first and biggest diamond bourse dedicated to rough diamonds. Antwerp's association with diamonds began in the late 15th century when a new technique to polish and shape the gems evolved in this city. The diamond cutters of Antwerp are world renowned for their skill. More than 12,000 expert cutters and polishers are at work in the Diamond District, at 380 workshops, serving 1,500 firms and 3,500 brokers and merchants. In the 21st century,"
"stone. His meticulous and precisely studied advancements resulted in the first pear shaped Pendeloque or Briolette-cut, a revolutionary breakthrough on shape, design and cutting excellence. A bronze statue in commemoration of Lodewyk Van Bercken's contributions to the diamond industry, can be seen at the beginning of Meir Street in Antwerp, Belgium. The statue depicts Lodewyk Van Bercken holding a diamond in his hand with a baby angel floating above. Meir Street is one of the major shopping arteries in Antwerp Belgium, equivalent to New York's 5th Avenue, located a few blocks from Antwerp's famous Diamond District. Lodewyk van Bercken Lodewyk"
"of diamond polishing tool, the ""scaif"", which enabled the creation of the stereotypical sparkling, multifaceted diamond. This attracted orders from European nobility - and attracted other craftsmen to Antwerp. Charles the Bold commissioned him to cut and polish the Florentine Diamond. In the 1890s a diamond industry is established in Antwerp by families of diamonds traders and manufacturers who came from Amsterdam, Netherlands. Since late 20th century, Indian and Armenian diamond dealers have gained importance in city's diamond trade. Antwerp diamond district Antwerp's diamond district, also known as the Diamond Quarter (""Diamantkwartier""), and dubbed the Square Mile, is an area"
"important. Antwerp World Diamond Centre, (AWDC) the successor to the ""Hoge Raad voor Diamant"", plays an important role in setting standards, regulating professional ethics, training and promoting the interests of Antwerp as the capital of the diamond industry. The AWDC is a non-profit organisation to represent the important diamond community in a united front to various stake-holders. A six-lane motorway bypass encircles much of the city centre and runs through the urban residential area of Antwerp. Known locally as the ""Ring"" it offers motorway connections to Brussels, Hasselt and Liège, Ghent, Lille and Bruges and Breda and Bergen op Zoom"
"distant affiliate of the Catholic university of Leuven offers the first few years of some bachelors in Kortrijk, for higher degrees the University of Ghent is the nearest for the province of West Flanders, as it lies outside the Flemish Diamond. General sources Inline references Flemish Diamond The Flemish Diamond (in Dutch: ""Vlaamse Ruit"") is the Flemish reference to a network of four metropolitan areas in Belgium, three of which are in the central provinces of Flanders, together with the Brussels Capital Region. It consists of four agglomerations which form the four corners of an abstract diamond shape: Brussels, Ghent,"
"and the government of the French Community. Brussels also has many commuters, with 230,000 coming from Flanders, and 130,000 from Wallonia. Much of the success of Brussels is based on the high educational skills of its workforce. As of July 2012, however, the statistical unemployment rate in Brussels was 20.6%. The port of Antwerp was in 2004 the second largest European sea port by cargo volume, and the Antwerp freight railway station accounts for one-third of Belgian freight traffic. Antwerp is the first diamond market in the world, diamond exports account for roughly 1/10 of Belgian exports. The Antwerp-based BASF"
"– Leuven triangle, comprising the city of Lier. The name refers to the geometrical shape of a diamond, corresponding to the location of the four cities and surrounding metro areas, which are among the most urbanized and industrialized — and prosperous — in Belgium. It has strong economical ties with the metropolitan regions of the Randstad in the Netherlands, and Rhine-Ruhr in Germany. It also links its peripheral area for more than a hundred kilometers, exceeding Flanders, to the international and global economy. The economical activities in the relatively larger metropolitan areas are distinct, with an emphasis on industry in"
"in Singapore, Hong Kong, New York, and Antwerp, Belgium, a major centre of the world diamond trade. The exact value of the stone cannot be determined until it is decided how it will be cut and more details about its colour are known. Former diamond-mining geologist Phil Swinfen estimates, based on other similar sales, that the stone could be sold for $40–60 million. The process of selling and cutting the diamond ""will likely take years to complete"". In May 2016, Sotheby's in London announced that the Lesedi La Rona diamond would be offered in a stand-alone auction on 29 June"
"of these diamonds were cut for yield and did not necessarily follow Joseph Asscher’s original proportion calculations for the Asscher cut, which specified parameters for the diamond’s crown height, table size, and facet alignment. In 1945 the war ended; only ten Asscher family members and fifteen of the five hundred polishers survived the Holocaust. There was no company to return to: although Amsterdam was once the world’s diamond polishing capital, the diamond industry there was wiped out. Antwerp subsequently emerged as a major diamond polishing center. In 1946 Joop and Louis Asscher were invited to utilize their expertise and start"
"Antwerp Diamond Bank The Antwerp Diamond Bank (ADB) (Banque Diamantaire Anversoise and Antwerpse Diamantbank) is a small, 75-year-old bank that specializes exclusively in serving the diamond and the diamond jewelry sector. It is the second largest diamond bank in the world, after ABN AMRO's International Diamond and Jewelry Group. In addition to its headquarters in Antwerp, it has offices covering all the major traditional as well as emerging diamond centers such as Antwerp, Dubai, Geneva, Hong Kong, Mumbai and New York. Today the ADB group employs approximately 160 people worldwide, of whom about 110 work at the head office in"
"mostly by the people of the Patel community. Around the world, 8 out of 10 diamonds on the market were cut and polished in Surat. This industry earns India about 10 billion USD in annual exports. A legacy of old Dutch trade links, it began after a Surti entrepreneur returned from East Africa bringing diamond cutters. The rough diamonds themselves, however, come to Surat as rough crystals ripped out mainly from deep under the earth of South Africa and other regions of the continent, and go from here as smooth gems to Antwerp, Belgium where the international diamond trade is"
"China. Diamonds are cut and polished in Surat, India and the Chinese cities of Guangzhou and Shenzhen. India in recent years has held between 19–31% of the world market in polished diamonds and China has held 17% of the world market share in a recent year. Another important diamond center is New York City. The diamond cutting process includes these steps; ""planning"", ""cleaving"" or ""sawing"", ""bruting"", ""polishing"", and ""final inspection"". Diamond manufacturers analyze diamond rough from an economic perspective, with two objectives steering decisions made about how a faceted diamond will be cut. The first objective is that of maximum"
"is unknown; however, it was believed to have been brought from South Africa to the Netherlands. It was first cut in 1904 by F. Freidman & Co. who made it a cushion-cut and named it after Queen Wihelmina of the Netherlands, which is incorrectly referred to as Holland. The diamond was re-cut sometime after the 1960s into its current weight of 135.92 carats. It is judged to be internally flawless and 'D' color by the Gemological Institute of America. This diamond was also formerly owned by William Goldberg. Mouawad is the owner of the Jubilee Diamond. The Jubilee Diamond was"
"of the 19th century Hendrik Cassiers founded a diamond cutting company outside Antwerp, in Grobbendonk. Hendrik Cassiers and Frans Dela Montagne laid the foundations of the diamond industry in the Campine region. The industry would settle in Nijlen, Herenthout, Bevel, Kessel, Vorselaar and Berlaar. The region around Turnhout became famous for its printing business, with companies such as Brepols, which roots date back to 1796 when Pieter Corbeels established his printing business in Turnhout. In 1833, Van Genechten N.V., Splichal N.V. in 1856, Mesmaekers Freres in 1859, Meses-Goris in 1872, L. Biermans in 1875, Poupaert in 1881, La Belgica N.V."
"the native population. The area around Mbuji-Mayi is one of the richest sources of mineral wealth in the world. In the 1950s, it was estimated that the Mbuji-Mayi area had the world's most important industrial diamond deposits, containing at least 300 million karats of diamonds. The city was literally constructed on top of the diamond deposits, and while the city's reputation as a company town under tight control of Belgian economic interests meant it was neat and orderly, it also meant that the city's buildings and homes, including those of top MIBA executives, were sometimes demolished to access the diamonds."
"live in Antwerp, working in the wholesale diamond business. Belgian Indian Jains control two-thirds of the rough diamonds trade and supplied India with roughly 36% of their rough diamonds. A beautiful & major temple, with a cultural centre, has been built in Antwerp (Wilrijk), the diamond capital. Their spiritual leader, Ramesh Mehta, is a full-fledged member of the Belgian Council of Religious Leaders put up on 17 December 2009. As of 2016, there are around 35,000 Jains in the United Kingdom. One of the first Jain settlers, Champat Rai Jain, was in England during 1892-1897 to study law. He established"
"all over the world, including Israel, India, Lebanon and Russia to capitalise on the sale of over US$1.5 billion worth of diamonds. Press Reports describe the Marange find as, 'the biggest in southern Africa since diamonds were discovered in South Africa a century ago'. In September 2013, Belgian and diamond industry officials successfully lobbied the European Union to lift sanctions on ZMDC diamonds. In December 2013, the first European Union Marange auction took place in Antwerp and fetched $10 million for 300,000 carats, working out to a price of just over $30 per-carat on average. A second auction is scheduled"
"fundamental to creating a perfectly round diamond. His brother Sam was elected the first chairman of the Antwerp Diamond Exchange. He was trained by Marcel and his father Jean, beginning in 1956, before becoming Managing Director and Chairman of Diatrada, N.V., a division of De Beers in the 1970s. He invented the ""flower cuts"" in 1985–86, and since 1995, he has been a worldwide consultant to the De Beers group. In 1988, he was commissioned by them to act as master cutter for the Centenary Diamond, a task which took three years. This monumental diamond remained untouched for over a"
"people. The majority live in Antwerp, mostly involved in the very lucrative diamond business. Belgian Indian Jains control two-thirds of the rough diamonds trade and supplied India with roughly 36% of their rough diamonds. A major temple, with a cultural centre, has been built in Antwerp (Wilrijk). Mr Ramesh Mehta, a Jain, is a full-fledged member of the Belgian Council of Religious Leaders, put up on 17 December 2009. There are significant Armenian communities that reside in Antwerp, many of them are descendants of traders who settled during the 19th century. Most Armenian Belgians are adherents of the Armenian Apostolic"
"high value-added goods. The main imports are food products, machinery, rough diamonds, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, clothing and accessories, and textiles. The main exports are automobiles, food and food products, iron and steel, finished diamonds, textiles, plastics, petroleum products, and non-ferrous metals. Since 1922, Belgium and Luxembourg have been a single trade market within a customs and currency union—the Belgium–Luxembourg Economic Union. Its main trading partners are Germany, the Netherlands, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, the United States, and Spain. Antwerp is the number one diamond market in the world, diamond exports account for roughly 1/10 of Belgian exports."
"Mons Mons (; ; ; ; ) is a Walloon city and municipality, and the capital of the Belgian province of Hainaut. The Mons municipality includes the former communes of Cuesmes, Flénu, Ghlin, Hyon, Nimy, Obourg, Jemappes, Ciply, Harmignies, Harveng, Havré, Maisières, Mesvin, Nouvelles, Saint-Denis, Saint-Symphorien, Spiennes and Villers-Saint-Ghislain. Together with the Czech city of Plzeň, Mons was the European Capital of Culture in 2015. The first signs of activity in the region of Mons are found at Spiennes, where some of the best flint tools in Europe were found dating from the Neolithic period. When Julius Caesar arrived in"
"to the north and south of the city centre have been retained for their sentimental value and are used mainly by cruise ships and short sea shipping. Antwerp's other great mainstay is the diamond trade that takes place largely within the diamond district. The city has four diamond bourses: the Diamond Club of Antwerp, the Beurs voor Diamanthandel, the Antwerpsche Diamantkring and the Vrije Diamanthandel. Since World War II families of the large Hasidic Jewish community have dominated Antwerp's diamond trading industry, although the last two decades have seen Indian and Maronite Christian from Lebanon and Armenian, traders become increasingly"
"No business is conducted on Saturdays. The diamond district is located adjacent to the Central Station (Antwerp Centraal) and a few minute's walk to Meir, Antwerp's main shopping street. The Antwerp Zoo is also nearby. There are numerous and various restaurants, bars and cafes around the district. Restaurants include: Ho Chan House (Chinese), San Remo and Da Vinci Pizzerias. Bars include: Bier Central (boasts over 200 types of beers), Kelly's Irish Pub. Cafes include: Del Rey. Antwerp has been a focus of the diamond trade since 15th century. The industry was transformed when Lodewyk van Berken invented a new form"
"World Diamond Center in 2007, in order to help the industry deal with fiscal fraud accusations. It has been suggested that a similar transaction law adopted in France in January 2017 could serve as an inspiration for Belgian lawmakers, because it features an Anglo-Saxon style “public interest compensation agreement” which places greater emphasis on being “reformative” for the purpose of criminal prevention via a mandatory compliance program. Critics argue that the amendment marked the first step towards “class justice” and a two-speed court system favoring those who are able to afford such payments. Belgium’s constitutional court ruled in June 2016"
"Jainism in Belgium The Jains in Belgium are estimated to be around about 1,500 people. The majority live in Antwerp, working in the wholesale diamond business. Belgian Indian Jains control two-thirds of the rough diamonds trade and supplied India with roughly 36% of their rough diamonds. They have built building a major temple in Wilrijk (near Antwerp), with a cultural centre, which was consecrated in 2010. Their spiritual leader, Ramesh Mehta, is a full-fledged member of the Belgian Council of Religious Leaders put up on 17 December 2009. The Jain community in Europe, especially in Belgium, is mostly involved in"
"the city. Tourism is increasingly becoming a major employer in the local area. Begonias have been cultivated in the Ghent area since 1860. Belgium is the world's largest producer of begonias, planting 60 million tubers per year. Eighty percent of the crop is exported. In the past, Liège was one of the most important steel-making centres in Europe. Starting in 1817, John Cockerill extensively developed the iron and steel industry. The industrial complex of Seraing was the largest in the world. Although now a shadow of its former self, steel production and the manufacture of steel goods remain important. Liège"
"in Belgium. Work began on the building in 1927 and completed before the end of 1930. In the 2012 Tour de France, Seraing acted as the finish of Stage 1. Seraing is twinned with: Seraing Seraing (; ) is a Walloon municipality of Belgium in Province of Liege. The municipality of Seraing includes the old communes of Boncelles, Jemeppe-sur-Meuse, and Ougrée. With Liège, Herstal, Saint-Nicolas, Ans, and Flémalle, it forms the greater Liège agglomeration (600,000 inhabitants). To the south of Seraing are the Condroz and the Ardennes regions. In addition to its steel factories, Seraing is home to the crystal"
"parts of the country. The region in which Mbuji-Mayi is situated annually produces one-tenth in weight of the world's industrial diamonds, with mining managed by the Société Minière de Bakwanga. This is the largest accumulation of diamonds in the world, more concentrated than those at Kimberley, South Africa. Mbuji-Mayi handles most of the industrial diamonds produced in the Congo. The province consists of the following five territories: Tshilenge District Tshilenge District was one of the districts of former Kasai-Oriental province (1966–2015) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. While it enclosed the city of Mbuji-Mayi, the city was administered independently."
"diamond industry. This branch has a staff of about 20 persons. (The industry in Mumbai started out with small diamonds, ""cutting the uncuttable"". It now has a share of the market for moderately big diamonds, once dominated by Tel Aviv, and is starting to encroach on cutting big diamonds, Antwerp's forte.) In 2005, Diamond Bank (Switzerland) opened a representative office in Dubai, UAE. In 2008, ADB established a subsidiary in Singapore: Antwerp Diamond Bank Asia Pacific. This is a regional headquarters that supports and develop activities in Mumbai, Hong Kong and possible future initiatives in China. ADB was the first"
"founded the Diamond Office in Antwerp. The cultural center ""Romi Goldmuntz Center"" and the ""Great Synagogue Romi Goldmuntz"" in Antwerp are named after him. Romi Goldmuntz Romi Goldmuntz (Kraków, 1882-1960) was a Belgian businessman who played an essential role in the survival of the diamond business in Antwerp. In 1920, his diamond company employed about 600 workers. Romi and his brother Léopold were important customers of the Diamond Trading Company (DTC, a subsidiary of De Beers). After World War I, in 1918 he persuaded the people who had lived in exile in the Netherlands during the war, to return to"
"the world's industrial diamonds, with mining managed by the Société Minière de Bakwanga. This is the largest accumulation of diamonds in the world, more concentrated than those at Kimberley, South Africa. Mbuji-Mayi handles most of the industrial diamonds produced in the Congo. The province consists of the following five territories: French is the official language. Tshiluba is one of the four national languages of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Tshiluba is spoken by about 6.3 million people in the Kasai-Oriental, Kasai-Occidental and Kasaï-Central provinces. Kasai-Oriental Kasai-Oriental is one of the 26 provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo."
"in Belgium that crosses regional borders and includes Brussels as part of it. The other major Belgian metropolitan areas that are in relative proximity to the national capital (that lie within a radius of approximately around Brussels) are the exclusive competence of the regional authorities. These autonomous authorities may choose to include or exclude Brussels in their own volition. And as such, the autonomous Flemish government developed the geographic and socio-economic concept of ""Vlaamse Ruit"" or ""Flemish Diamond"" in the 1990s. The Francophone counterpart is the ""Triangle Wallonie"" (""Walloon Triangle""), consisting of Brussels and three Walloon metropolitan areas, namely Mons,"