Last week, the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) and the University of Antwerp hosted an “Innovation and Diamonds” conference at the Antwerpsche Diamantkring featuring internationally-recognised experts in the diamond trade such as alternative financing, the impact of digital on the luxury segment, the feasibility of small-scale ethical mining, De Beers’ foray into lab-grown diamonds. The Innovation and Diamonds conference took place in the framework of the Antwerp Summer University program dedicated to the diamond industry and featured six keynote speakers and dedicated workshops addressing the latest trends and emerging innovations in the trade, reported The Diamond Loupe.
The two-week summer school program “From Mine to Finger: A deep dive into the world of Diamonds” was organised by The U. Antwerp and the AWDC, together with the Belgian Federation of Diamond Bourses. The first week of the program hosted 27 participants and provided an introduction to the historical, geological, technical, economic, commercial and ethical perspectives of the global diamond trade. The second week consisted of the keynote sessions and practice-oriented workshops, where the students received hands-on guidance in rough diamond sorting, polished grading and polishing. At the conclusion of the two weeks, the students successfully presented their thesis projects to a jury of U. of Antwerp professors and diamond industry specialists.
AWDC CEO Ari Epstein said “This program is about walking the talk. If we do not reach out to the younger generation, the leaders of the future, we run the risk of losing those very qualities that set Antwerp apart. We need young people not only to join the trade, but to think about it, and to think about where it is heading.”
Source: The Diamond Loupe
