An array of figures in the Belgian diamond community were recipients of a royal honor on July 10, 2006 with most of them directors of the Beurs voor Diamanthandel, Anywerp�s largest diamond exchange. The award ceremony took place in the boardroom of the Beurs voor Diamanthandel, and it was presided over by Camille Paulus, Governor of the Province of Antwerp. �We feel these distinctions are a tribute to the daily efforts made by the Antwerp diamond community to reinforce Antwerp�s role as World Diamond Center�, comments HRD�s president Jacky Roth

The the following leading figures of the diamond industry were honored:

• Artur Beller, Beurs voor Diamanthandel president of the Belgian Federation of Diamond Bourses, who was proclaimed a Commandor in the Order of Leopold II
• Jacky Roth, Beurs voor Diamanthandel vice president and president of the HRD, who was proclaimed a Commandor in the Order of the Crown
• Yves Diamant, a Beurs voor Diamanthandel director, was proclaimed a Knight in the Order of Leopold II
• Bernard Glass, a Beurs voor Diamanthandel director, who was proclaimed a Knight in the Order of Leopold II
• Bernard Weinberg, a Beurs voor Diamanthandel director, was proclaimed a Knight in the Order of Leopold II
• Alain Majerczyk, a Beurs voor Diamanthandel director, who was proclaimed a Knight in the Order of Leopold II
• Freddy Prezerowitz, a Beurs voor Diamanthandel director, who was proclaimed a Knight in the Order of Leopold II.
• Paul Goris, a Beurs voor Diamanthandel director and chairman of Antwerp Diamond Bank, was proclaimed an Officer in the Order of Leopold II.
• Freddy Hanard, managing director of the HRD, was proclaimed an Officer in the Order of Leopold II.