FACETS Diamond Week at the Antwerp Stock Exchange. People were welcomed by our Vice President, Ravi Bhansali, to a promising diamond conference. In his welcome speech, he stressed the importance of Antwerp as a ‘trusted diamond partner for the world’s most discerning jewellers, retailers, and luxury brands.
After this, our guest of honour, President of Botswana, H.E. Duma G. Boko took the stage and gave an inspiring keynote about his country’s primary resource and the future of our industry. To him, AWDC is a very important ally for enhancing crucial business oppportunities. Don’t be alarmed: you can check out the highlights on our YouTube channel too: https://youtu.be/xfChjAFryh4?si=hed8qzpq0RtjqHWc
Following the President, Edahn Golan, the FACETS MC, took over and set the scene on the current market conditions, which was the intro to his interview with Al Cook, the CEO of De Beers Group. Cook called aptly to action: ‘It is not what diamonds can do for you; it’s what you can do for diamonds.’
After a short coffee break, Dr. Mekondjo Kaapanda-Girnus, Ambassador of Namibia to Belgium, had her keynote and Anish Aggarwal led a panel on diamond traceability. His guests included Paul Rowley, Jacky Taché, Peter Kovacs, and Mmetla Masire. The discussion was captivating, with upsides and downsides to the idea.
Just before lunch, one of the most relevant topics of the current industry was discussed by Iris Van der Veken, Francesca Manfredi, and Diana Verde Nieto. Verde Nieto aptly encouraged that sustainability is not a cost, it is an investment for the future. The subject of sustainability and equality was tackled even more in-depth on FACETS Day 2.
After lunch, Edahn Golan moderated a panel on the value of natural diamonds with David Kellie, Olya Linde, Sahag Arslanian, Cormac Kinney, and William Lamb. He introduced it with a quote by Sun Tzu: “In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.” A nice takeaway for the industry. They wondered whether the lab-grown diamond would fully replace the natural one and what its consequences could be. David Kellie pitched in by highlighting that a natural diamond is actually one of the most desirable products in the world, and we should market it that way.
Consecutively, the Angolan Secretary of State, Janio Correa Victor, and Antonio Zola of Catoca spoke at the conference, once again highlighting the value of natural diamonds to both consumers and the producing countries, like Angola.
To close Day 1, a few key figures of the industry were rewarded with an award by Karen Rentmeesters, our CEO, and Edahn Golan.
FACETS Day 2 began with a word of welcome from Iris Van der Veken, Karen Rentmeesters, and Gaetano Cavalieri. Highlights of the day included the AWDC’s signing of the Women Empowerment Principles, insightful sessions on gender and leadership led by Iris Van der Veken, and a fireside chat with Eira Thomas. Two panels took place: one of women in the industry and one on the future voices of the industry.
