The work was published in 1992, a year before a very important milestone for Europe, as it was the year the single market was launched, resulting in the free movement of people, goods, services and money among the European countries. This is, as far as I know (and I’ve done quite a bit of research) the only complete work on the history of the diamond industry in Antwerp, both covering the entire span of history and all aspects within the topic. Other works have been written on certain aspects of the Antwerp diamond (see list after this post below), but none is as exhaustive as this book.
The historian Iris Kockelberg researched and wrote about the 16th-19th centuries, while Eddy Vleeschdrager covered the 20th century. Jan Walgrave, who had already partially written on the subject, notably in 1973 (again, see below), is responsible for the beautiful illustrations seen throughout the published work. It must be added that this book is somewhat of an antiquity these days and quite difficult to find, and even so, can be very pricey.
The book begins with a description of the importance of Bruges as the first and most important trading port city in Belgium (Flanders in those days) until the beginning of the 15th century. At this important crossroads in history, Antwerp took over the most important position of the region in the trading of goods. In the 15th and 16th centuries, Antwerp increased its importance in international trade, mainly with Germany, Italy and Portugal. Especially through the two latter countries, goods entered the city from Africa and Asia. Here one very important trade were precious stones, including diamonds.
This first part of the book is very centered on the purely historical and religious events in Antwerp. Focusing on diamonds, it is well documented as to where they were traded in the city. After sharing premises with traders of other goods (such as works of arts and books) at different locations in the city, diamond traders finally moved to a new exchange place, built in 1531 and located on the same spot as the current Stock Exchange (Handelsbeurs, today used as a public events venue). The 16th century was characterized by foreigners mainly controlling the diamond trade in Antwerp, such as the famous Italian Affaitadi family, an ancient noble family from Cremona, close to Milan.
The early European cuts are discussed as well in this work, explaining that at first diamonds were set in their original octahedral shape, i.e. as a double pyramidal, with the lower pyramid disappearing in the jewel and the other forming a sharp point in the upper part. In the late 14th century, table cuts occurred, in which the top of the diamond octahedron was cut off, forming a much more flat surface. Thus the cut gems appeared more in a flat, square or crown shape. In the 16th century, faceted stones made their appearance, and became known as the rose cut. In the next century, the brilliant cut took over as the popular fashion. This type of cut was square early on, an example of which in the so-called cushion-shaped diamonds. These would eventually evolve into the round brilliant cut we know today, the early versions only having about 32 facets, whereas the standard today is 57 facets.
The Brilliant Story of Antwerp Diamonds dedicates a chapter to the 17th- and 18th-century diamond trade in Antwerp. This was a difficult period for the city: after the fall of Antwerp to Spain in 1585, the Dutch fleet on the Schelde (Scheldt) river was maintained, resulting in Antwerp being blocked from accessing the sea and thus conducting any international trade. Despite this turn of affairs, which would last the better of two centuries, the diamond industry was among the few to prosper and Antwerp did not lack in capital and investments abroad. Diamonds still reached Antwerp via especially Lisbon, were processed in the city and then exported all over Europe. The chapter contains many interesting photos of the royal characters of the era, such as Maria de Medici and the Infanta Isabel of Spain, as well as maps and paintings by Rubens and Jan Brueghel the Elder.
The first half of the 19th century saw trade declining in Antwerp, despite the Scheldt being reopened to all traffic after the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. Various conflicts and increasing competition from notably England, meant that Antwerp gradually lost its strong trading position. The Belgian Revolution gave Belgium its independence in 1830, and Antwerp followed in 1831. The Revolution resulted in a boom in the diamond polishing business, where the famous ‘rose cut’ was produced nowhere as well as in Antwerp. The second half of the 19th century that aw a complete revival of trade in the city, aided by the Industrial Revolution and the diamond rush in South Africa, caused by the discovery of the legendary Star of South Africa in 1869.
In the 20th century Antwerp assumed its position as a world diamond trading center, despite naturally facing grave difficulties during the two World Wars. Many diamond trade unions and organizations were born in this period, diamond processors seeing a need to organize and defend their trade in earnest. Between the two World Wars, Antwerp even held a Jewelry Parade, to promote the city’s position as the most important diamond center. Large polishing factories were built on city grounds. During World War II many of the citizens of Jewish ancestry, the foundation of the diamond industry, left Europe for America, but many were later persuaded to return by businessmen such as Romi Goldmuntz, who is credited, among others, for upholding the survival of the diamond trade in Antwerp. Of the four bourses located in the city, all but one were founded in this important historical period (the oldest one, the Antwerp Diamond Club, had already been founded in 1892). In 1973, the HRD (Hoge Raad voor Diamant, the Diamond High Council) was founded, an organization which, besides promoting the diamond trading business of Antwerp, also emits diamond certifications and teaches professional gemology courses.
The last chapter looks into the future and predicts what the diamond trade in Antwerp would look like in the 21st century. Subjects such as the role of industrial diamond (as opposed to the traditional ornamental stones), the use of laser technology in the cutting of diamonds and naturally, the role of computers and synthetic diamonds in the world of diamonds are all discussed. In the midst of an increasing globalization of not only diamond trading, but all business fields, as it was seen at the end of the 20th century, Antwerp is still seen as retaining its position as the world diamond capital (as was since to be proven true).
The Brilliant Story of Antwerp Diamonds. (Kockelberg, Iris/Vleeschdrager, Eddy/Walgrave, Jan. 1992, MIM, Antwerp)
Antwerp World Diamond Centre. (Walgrave, Jan. 1973, Diamantfestival Antwerp)
Antwerp – The diamond capital of the world. (Walgrave, Jan/De Gersem, Paul. 1993, Federation of Belgian Diamond Bourses)