HRD Antwerp to Add ‘Excellent’ Cut Grade
July 09, 08
HRD Antwerp’s diamond lab is expanding its grading reports. Instead of reporting proportions and finish, starting January 1, the lab will assess the diamond cut according to three criteria, proportions, symmetry and polish. In addition, HRD Antwerp will add an ‘excellent’ cut grade on top of its ‘very good’ grade. The lab said the changes follow years of research and consulting the market. “We needed to adjust our system in order to meet the market demands, since diamond dealers felt there was a discrepancy in grading terminology between different diamond labs,” explained Georges Brys, general manager of HRD Antwerp. “The introduction of an ‘excellent’ quotation does not imply that our very own ‘very good’ grade will be downgraded. On the contrary, we have upgraded part of the top-level cuts which, before, would get a ‘very good’ grade,” Brys added. In a release, the organization said their cut grade is not a ‘black box,’ but rather a fully transparent and consultable system. HRD Antwerp will hold a symposium on its cut grade on July 17