Antwerp: When the Seventh Edition of the Antwerp Diamond Trade Fair (ADTF) opened its doors on Sunday, January 31, expectations among participating exhibitors were low key, recognizing the rather slow holiday sales season reported by European retail jewellers and diamond distributors. Fortunately, by the time the three-day fair — jointly organized by the Antwerp Diamond Bourse (Beurs voor Diamanthandel), the Diamond Club of Antwerp (Diamantclub van Antwerpen) and Antwerp’s Rough Diamond Bourse (Antwerpsche Diamantkring) and held in the halls of the Bourse and the Club — was coming to a close, the overall mood was distinctly upbeat.

“We were here for all three days, spent a lot of time in the halls, viewing lots of goods, holding extended negotiations about the choice of diamonds we had selected. It was not easy, but we did some very serious business here,” Albert M., a Middle Eastern diamond buyer said. “Of course, Antwerp remains the number one source for diamonds. If you do not find what you are looking for here, trust me, you will not find it anywhere else!”

But the ADTF was not about diamonds alone. Some of the exhibitors exhibited an exclusive choice of precious coloured gemstones, among them emeralds, rubies and sapphires. “Antwerp has a lot to offer in the top quality rangers of coloured gemstones,” said Oded Shapiro of the eponymous firm. “While we were only a few at this edition of the ADTF, we did have a lot to offer to buyers on the high end scale.

The Antwerp Diamond Trade Fair is powered by the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC)