HRD Antwerp’s first Centre of Excellence branch opens in Shanghai

HRD Antwerp opened its first Centre of Excellence branch in Shanghai, China, on December 15th. The opening took place in the framework of the City of Antwerp’s mission to Seoul and Shanghai, and was held in the presence of the Mayor of Antwerp Bart De Wever and Antwerp’s Alderman for Diamonds Ludo van Campenhout. China is the second most important and fastest growing market in the world for polished diamonds, making it a priority for HRD Antwerp.

The opening of the Centre of Excellence is an important step in the right direction to expanding their presence in China.

A Centre of Excellence is a collaboration between a jeweler and HRD Antwerp, intended to give consumers greater trust in the jeweler. To this end, a Centre of Excellence will only sell diamonds and diamond jewelry that have an HRD Antwerp Diamond Grading Report. It is also a unique opportunity for HRD Antwerp to gain a stronger foothold in one of the most important markets for polished diamonds globally.

Under the The Centres of Excellence project, select retailers are offered attractive in-store tools clearly explaining the different steps involved in diamond grading process, to inspire consumer confidence in the product as well as the retailer. The main message HRD Antwerp is promoting is “choose wisely”, building on the 4 Cs (Carat, Cut, Clarity, Color) as well as the ‘5th C’ of Certification and Confidence. The Centres of Excellence are also designed to offer a fun and interactive experience for end-users, helping to distinguish it from other retailers.

In Shanghai, HRD Antwerp is teaming up with Chow Tai Seng (CTS), one of the largest jewelry retailers in Mainland China, to run the newest Centre of Excellence. CTS currently has 2,100 points of sale in 23 provinces in China. CTS is also the exclusive distributor in China of the ‘Love 100 Antwerp’, a unique diamond design created by Belgian diamond company Exelco NV.

The collaboration and the opening of the Centre of Excellence in Shanghai, paves way for the quality and the interests of Antwerp diamonds to be additionally promoted in China, and HRD Antwerp will be able to further expand its presence in this important market.