HRD Antwerp is fine-tuning its diamond grading system.
Starting in January, a ‘refined’ cut grade will be added. Instead of reporting ‘proportions’ and ‘finish,’ the new criteria will now be ‘proportions,’ ‘symmetry,’ and ‘polish.’ The new system also introduces an ‘excellent’ cut grade on top of its ‘very good’ quotation.
The company says the changes are in response to industry requests for conformity.
“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,” said HRD Antwerp general manager Georges Brys.
“The introduction of an ‘excellent’ quotation does not imply that our 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.”
The new cut grade will be operational as of Jan. 1, 2009.
