HB Antwerp
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| This article, HB Antwerp, has recently been created via the Articles for creation process. Please check to see if the reviewer has accidentally left this template after accepting the draft and take appropriate action as necessary.
Reviewer tools: Inform author |
| This article, HB Antwerp, has recently been created via the Articles for creation process. Please check to see if the reviewer has accidentally left this template after accepting the draft and take appropriate action as necessary.
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Comment: The lead reads "is a sustainable diamond cutting and technology company..." but the source only makes mention of a demand for sustainable products. There may be other cases where a source has been synthesised into a more promotional statement. Greenman (talk) 21:53, 22 February 2023 (UTC)
- Comment: Thanks for the feedback. I've removed the extraneous citations, reorganized the information, and attempted to identify any remaining language that could sound promotional. I welcome additional feedback or edits from the community as well. Thanks again. Margxx (talk) 13:50, 10 May 2023 (UTC)
 | This article contains paid contributions. It may require cleanup to comply with Wikipedia's content policies, particularly neutral point of view. |
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| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry |
|
| Founded | 2020 |
| Headquarters | , |
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] with the stated mission of bringing transparency to the diamond industry.[4][5] The firm works with the government of Botswana,[6] the Lucara Diamond Corporation,[5] Microsoft[7] and Comate, a Leuven engineering company.[4]
History
HB Antwerp has access to a mine in Botswana through a deal with Canadian mining company Lucara Diamond Corporation and works in partnership with the Botswana government.[8]
In 2022, the company partnered with Microsoft to verify and track mined gems; all data about their trajectory is stored on a blockchain.[7] Later that year it partnered with engineering company Comate to devise mini safes in which diamonds are stored and tracked.[4]
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.[4] He also pointed to the agreement during his negotiations with diamond corporation De Beers[6][9], threatening to end the partnership if new terms weren't agreed upon.[10]. In March 2023, Masisi announced that Botswana would acquire a 24% stake in HB Antwerp,[11] raising further questions about the future of the government's longstanding partnership with De Beers.[12][13]
HB Antwerp partnered with Lucara and Louis Vuitton to work on several large stones, including the “Sewelo” diamond,[14][15] the “Sethunya”, a 549-carat diamond,[16] and a 1,175-carat rough diamond, all discovered in the Karowe mine in Botswana.[17] In 2020, HB Antwerp entered an agreement to purchase all of Lucara’s large stones (10.8 carats and up).[18] The company also established Signum[19], a customized rough diamond brand which sells directly to the public and sold 12 NFT diamonds in January 2022.[1]
References
- ^ a b "Antwerpse diamant duikt de metaverse in". DE TIJD. January 22, 2022.
- ^ "Hoffentlich wird es kein Pferdekopf". Frankfurter Allgemeine. November 23, 2020.
- ^ "HB Antwerp la pepite belge qui taille des diamants pour Vuitton Co". L'Echo. November 5, 2020.
- ^ a b c d "'Als diamantreuzen hun businessmodel niet aanpassen, zit hun tijd erop'". DE TIJD. September 30, 2022.
- ^ a b "The good gem guide". Financial Times. October 18, 2021.
- ^ a b "Masisi Uses Lucara to Pressure De Beers for Better Revenue Sharing Deal". Africa Intelligence. April 7, 2022.
- ^ a b "Would You Buy a Rough Diamond?". New York Times. January 22, 2023.
- ^ "Piepjong Antwerps bedrijf slijpt opnieuw megasteen voor Louis Vuitton". DE TIJD. November 5, 2020.
- ^ "Quest for World's Biggest Diamonds Gives De Beers a Headache". Bloomberg News. February 28, 2023.
- ^ "Botswana seeks better De Beers deal after taking Belgian diamond processor stake". Financial Times. April 12, 2023.
- ^ "Botswana Tests De Beers Pact by Buying Stake in Gem Trader". Bloomberg News. March 27, 2023.
- ^ "Botswana partners gem trader HB Antwerp, seeks to loosen De Beers' grip". Reuters. March 27, 2023.
- ^ "Botswana's diamond revolution begins today". Botswana Guardian. March 27, 2023.
- ^ "Unieke diamant zoekt doorwinterde koper". De Tijd. December 7, 2020.
- ^ "The Second-Biggest Diamond in History Has a New Owner". NY Times. January 15, 2020.
- ^ "Antwerps bedrijf mag opnieuw uitzonderlijke diamant slijpen voor Louis Vuitton". VRT. November 5, 2020.
- ^ "Massive uncut diamond unveiled in New York". Reuters. September 21, 2021.
- ^ "Lucara's Q2 Sales Drop as It Holds onto Big Stones". National Jeweler. August 11, 2020.
- ^ "Why everyone wants a diamond in the rough". Financial Times. April 1, 2022.