HB Antwerp is a diamond cutting and technology company based in Antwerp, Belgium.[2] It was founded in 2020 by Shai de Toledo, Rafael Papismedov, and Oded Mansori.[3]

HB Antwerp
Company typePrivate
Industry
Founded2020
Headquarters,
Key people
Oded Mansori
(Founder, Managing Partner)
Shai de Toledo
(Founder, Managing Partner)
Rafael Papismedov
(Founder, Managing Partner)
Boaz Lev(Managing Partner)
Number of employees
107[1] (2022)

History

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HB Antwerp purchases rough diamonds from the Karowe mine in Botswana through a deal with Canadian mining company Lucara Diamond Corporation and works in partnership with the Botswana government.[4]

In 2020, HB Antwerp partnered with Lucara and Louis Vuitton to work on several large stones, including the "Sewelo" diamond,[5][6] the "Sethunya", a 549-carat diamond,[7] and a 1,175-carat rough diamond, all discovered in the Karowe mine in Botswana.[8] In August 2020, they entered an agreement to purchase all of Lucara’s large stones (10.8 carats and up) and, in 2022, they signed a ten-year contract.[9][10] The contract was terminated in October 2023.[11]

In 2022, the company partnered with Microsoft to verify and track mined gems; all data about their trajectory is stored on a blockchain.[12] Later that year it partnered with engineering company Comate to devise mini safes in which diamonds are stored and tracked.[13]

In September 2022, during the United Nations General Assembly, Botswana president Mokgweetsi Masisi referred to the government's arrangement with the HB Antwerp as a model for other African countries.[13] He also pointed to the agreement during his negotiations with diamond corporation De Beers,[14][15] threatening to end the partnership if new terms weren't agreed upon.[16] In March 2023, Masisi announced that Botswana would acquire a 24% stake in HB Antwerp.[17]

The company established Signum, a rough diamond brand which sells directly to the public and sold 12 Non-fungible token diamonds in January 2022.[1]

HB Antwerp opened HB Botswana, a new cutting and polishing facility in Gaborone, Botswana, in 2023.[18]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Antwerpse diamant duikt de metaverse in". DE TIJD. January 22, 2022.
  2. ^ "Hoffentlich wird es kein Pferdekopf". Frankfurter Allgemeine. November 23, 2020.
  3. ^ "HB Antwerp la pepite belge qui taille des diamants pour Vuitton Co". L'Echo. November 5, 2020.
  4. ^ "Piepjong Antwerps bedrijf slijpt opnieuw megasteen voor Louis Vuitton". DE TIJD. November 5, 2020.
  5. ^ "Unieke diamant zoekt doorwinterde koper". De Tijd. December 7, 2020.
  6. ^ "The Second-Biggest Diamond in History Has a New Owner". NY Times. January 15, 2020.
  7. ^ "Antwerps bedrijf mag opnieuw uitzonderlijke diamant slijpen voor Louis Vuitton". VRT. November 5, 2020.
  8. ^ "Massive uncut diamond unveiled in New York". Reuters. September 21, 2021.
  9. ^ "Lucara's Q2 Sales Drop as It Holds onto Big Stones". National Jeweler. August 11, 2020.
  10. ^ "Lucara announces a 10-year extension on the HB sales agreement". Mining Review. November 17, 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  11. ^ "Gem Trader HB Antwerp ends feud as Botswana weighs diamond sales deal". Reuters. October 3, 2023.
  12. ^ "Would You Buy a Rough Diamond?". New York Times. January 22, 2023.
  13. ^ a b "'Als diamantreuzen hun businessmodel niet aanpassen, zit hun tijd erop'". DE TIJD. September 30, 2022.
  14. ^ "Masisi Uses Lucara to Pressure De Beers for Better Revenue Sharing Deal". Africa Intelligence. April 7, 2022.
  15. ^ "Quest for World's Biggest Diamonds Gives De Beers a Headache". Bloomberg News. February 28, 2023.
  16. ^ "Botswana seeks better De Beers deal after taking Belgian diamond processor stake". Financial Times. April 12, 2023.
  17. ^ "Botswana Tests De Beers Pact by Buying Stake in Gem Trader". Bloomberg News. March 27, 2023.
  18. ^ Dube, Mqondisi (March 28, 2023). "Botswana, Belgian Diamond Trader Strike Deal". VOA News. Retrieved 17 October 2023.