HRD Antwerp Expands its Reach to the UK

RAPAPORT... HRD Antwerp has launched a new drop-off center in London'sHatton Garden, its first foray into the UK market, it said Tuesday. The location, which is part of an effort to combat theaccidental mixture of natural and lab-grown stones, will serve as a deliverypoint for UK jewelers sending diamonds and jewelry in for grading. Itemssubmitted to the center will then be shipped to HRD's grading lab for testing,and returned with a report confirming they are natural. "There are increasing amounts of laboratory-grown diamondsavailable on the market," said HRD Antwerp commercial director David Ziegler."In an industry where so much relies on trust, it's essential that yousafeguard your reputation by certifying that all of your diamonds are naturaland untreated." Outside of Antwerp, HRD also has several other locations,including Mumbai, Istanbul, Israel, Dubai and Hong Kong. Image: HRD Antwerp diamond-grading equipment. (HRD Antwerp)