Recently, a delegation of 16 Turkish jewelers, wholesalers and manufacturers visited Antwerp in the framework of the AWDC Antwerp Diamond Visitor Program and met with several Antwerp diamond companies.

Last week, a memorandum of understanding was signed between AWDC, Borsa Istanbul and the Turkish Jewelry Exporters Association, following which AWDC invited a delegation of large and medium-sized Turkish jewelers, wholesalers and manufacturers to network with Antwerp diamond companies.

Turkey’s diamond market is growing, as Turkey is one of the fastest growing economies, strategically positioned between Europe and Asia, and supported by a strong government policy to develop Turkey as a global trade hub for polished diamonds. Turkey constitutes the gateway to countries in the Black Sea area and Central Asian countries such as Kazachstan and Turkmenistan. These regions represent an estimated 300 million potential consumers.

Turkish jewellers noted that the event has helped sourcing and networking. The 20 Antwerp diamond companies that participated were positive about the event, promoting expansion.

The Visitor Program was the first time the Antwerp World Diamond Centre invited a group of foreign retailers to Antwerp to bring them in direct contact with a selection of Antwerp diamond companies. “This new approach was clearly successful," says Margaux Donckier, spokesperson for the Antwerp World Diamond Centre. “Bringing potential clients to Antwerp instead of flying a delegation of Antwerp companies to Turkey not only enables us to save time and money. At the same time it allows us to demonstrate Antwerp’s unique strengths in terms of quality standards and the level of transparency we uphold to new and upcoming markets.”