Eighty percent of the world's rough diamonds pass through Antwerp. FFGR's personal shopping team arranges private viewings with HRD-certified dealers — and handles secure transport back to Amsterdam.
Antwerp and the diamond trade
Antwerp has been the world's primary diamond trading hub since the fifteenth century, when the city's position at the mouth of the Scheldt made it the natural clearing point for stones arriving from the Indian subcontinent via Lisbon. Today, the Antwerpse Diamantkring and the Beurs voor Diamanthandel process approximately eighty percent of the world's rough diamonds and fifty percent of cut stones by value. The Hoveniersstraat and Schupstraat — the two streets that form the heart of the diamond district — are among the most concentrated locations of high-value commerce anywhere in the world.
The FFGR Antwerp diamond programme
FFGR Nederland provides a private viewing programme in Antwerp for clients with specific acquisition interests or general curiosity about the trade. The programme begins with a private briefing by an HRD-certified gemmologist on the four Cs and the specific characteristics that distinguish Antwerp-cut stones from those processed elsewhere. Viewings at two or three dealer offices follow — selected based on the client's interest in rough, cut, or set pieces — conducted outside public hours and accompanied by the gemmologist.
Amsterdam–Antwerp transfer and secure return
Antwerp is 130 kilometres from Amsterdam by the A16 — approximately 90 minutes in a Maybach. FFGR Nederland provides the full Amsterdam–Antwerp–Amsterdam transfer, with the vehicle waiting during the viewings. Any acquisition is transported in a certified document safe; for stones above a defined value threshold, an armoured vehicle is substituted for the standard fleet without the client needing to arrange anything.
- Transfer: Amsterdam–Antwerp — 90 min by Maybach (A16)
- Gemmologist briefing: HRD-certified, English/French/Dutch
- Dealer viewings: 2–3 offices selected to match client interest (rough, cut, set)
- Secure transport: certified document safe; armoured vehicle for acquisitions above threshold
- Export coordination: Belgian customs documentation, international courier if required
- Combined programme: Antwerp diamond morning + Belgian chocolate/beer afternoon on request
Antwerp cuts more diamonds than any other city on earth. The knowledge required to buy well here is not available in a brochure.
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