Company:HB Antwerp
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| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry |
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| Founded | 2020 |
| Headquarters | Antwerp , Belgium |
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) |
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]
History
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
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Antwerpse diamant duikt de metaverse in". January 22, 2022. https://www.tijd.be/ondernemen/retail/antwerpse-diamant-duikt-de-metaverse-in/10361157.html.
- ↑ "Hoffentlich wird es kein Pferdekopf". November 23, 2020. https://www.faz.net/aktuell/stil/mode-design/hb-antwerp-schleift-rohdiamant-sethunya-fuer-louis-vuitton-17065145.html.
- ↑ "HB Antwerp la pepite belge qui taille des diamants pour Vuitton Co". November 5, 2020. https://www.lecho.be/entreprises/general/hb-antwerp-la-pepite-belge-qui-taille-des-diamants-pour-vuitton-co/10263360.html.
- ↑ "Piepjong Antwerps bedrijf slijpt opnieuw megasteen voor Louis Vuitton". November 5, 2020. https://www.tijd.be/ondernemen/retail/piepjong-antwerps-bedrijf-slijpt-opnieuw-megasteen-voor-louis-vuitton/10262780.html.
- ↑ "Unieke diamant zoekt doorwinterde koper". December 7, 2020. https://www.tijd.be/dossiers/wealth/unieke-diamant-zoekt-doorwinterde-koper/10269188.html.
- ↑ "The Second-Biggest Diamond in History Has a New Owner". January 15, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/15/style/sewelo-diamond.html.
- ↑ "Antwerps bedrijf mag opnieuw uitzonderlijke diamant slijpen voor Louis Vuitton". November 5, 2020. https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2020/11/04/antwerpse-firma-mag-uitzonderlijke-diamant-slijpen-voor-louis-vu/.
- ↑ "Massive uncut diamond unveiled in New York". September 21, 2021. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/massive-uncut-diamond-unveiled-new-york-2021-09-20/.
- ↑ "Lucara's Q2 Sales Drop as It Holds onto Big Stones". August 11, 2020. https://www.nationaljeweler.com/articles/5684-lucara-s-q2-sales-drop-as-it-holds-onto-big-stones.
- ↑ "Lucara announces a 10-year extension on the HB sales agreement". November 17, 2022. https://www.miningreview.com/diamonds-gemstones/lucara-announces-a-10-year-extension-on-the-hb-sales-agreement/.
- ↑ "Gem Trader HB Antwerp ends feud as Botswana weighs diamond sales deal". October 3, 2023. https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/gem-trader-hb-antwerp-ends-feud-botswana-weighs-diamond-sales-deal-2023-10-03/.
- ↑ "Would You Buy a Rough Diamond?". January 22, 2023. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/22/fashion/jewelry-diamonds-signum-antwerp-belgium.html.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 "'Als diamantreuzen hun businessmodel niet aanpassen, zit hun tijd erop'". September 30, 2022. https://www.tijd.be/ondernemen/retail/als-diamantreuzen-hun-businessmodel-niet-aanpassen-zit-hun-tijd-erop/10417116.html.
- ↑ "Masisi Uses Lucara to Pressure De Beers for Better Revenue Sharing Deal". April 7, 2022. https://www.africaintelligence.com/mining-sector_politics/2022/04/07/masisi-uses-lucara-to-pressure-de-beers-for-better-revenue-sharing-deal,109766266-art.
- ↑ "Quest for World's Biggest Diamonds Gives De Beers a Headache". February 28, 2023. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-02-28/quest-for-world-s-biggest-diamonds-gives-de-beers-a-headache?leadSource=uverify%20wall.
- ↑ "Botswana seeks better De Beers deal after taking Belgian diamond processor stake". April 12, 2023. https://www.ft.com/content/0aa2e311-b8d4-488a-9ee7-e8c9cdacaef9.
- ↑ "Botswana Tests De Beers Pact by Buying Stake in Gem Trader". March 27, 2023. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-03-27/botswana-to-take-stake-in-hb-challenging-de-beers-dominance#:~:text=Botswana%20will%20acquire%20a%2024,year%20partnership%20with%20De%20Beers..
- ↑ Dube, Mqondisi (March 28, 2023). "Botswana, Belgian Diamond Trader Strike Deal". https://www.voanews.com/a/botswana-belgian-diamond-trader-strike-deal/7024905.html.
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