Yesterday, President Mokgweetsi Masisi announced that the Botswana government had bought a 24% stake in Belgian diamond manufacturing startup HB Antwerp. According to the terms of the deal,Botswana’s state-owned diamond trading company, Okavango Diamond Company (ODC), will also enter into a five-year agreement to supply rough diamonds to HB Antwerp as part of the deal.
In 2020, the company acquired the manufacturing facility of Belgian large-stone specialist AMC Diamonds, gaining 13 employees alongside the company’s machinery and technology which utilises 4IR technologies including laser technology, blockchain and artificial intelligence.
HB Antwerp describes itself as "Antwerp's savoir-faire with the power of technology to create a whole new ecosystem for the natural diamond trade" and the following are some of the technologies they use in the diamond cutting and polishing process.
HyperLoupe
The HyperLoupe system enables HB artisans to explore and analyze the inside of the world’s largest diamonds.
Armed with this innovative technology, even the largest, most complicated diamonds can be cut, taking a highly individualized approach according to a client’s wishes.
Signum Droid
The Signum Droid is the world’s only fully automated diamond polishing robot and enables HB artisans to process a diamond 10 to 30 times faster than a traditional diamond polisher.
The Signum Droid utilizes the patented "on grain-independent polishing" technology which is fully automated.
The Signum Droid is the 3rd version of this automated polishing robot launched in 2018 as ‘Fenix.’
Signifeye
The Signifeye is a stereo microscope focused on diamond grading and observation. The device is used from the rough stage to the final polished stage.
The Signifeye’s features include a dark field LED light, a vacuum pump holder with X and Y manipulation, a special Avalon light for visualization of the facet quality, and a polarisation option for tension.
HB Capsule
The HB Capsule is an Internet of Things (IoT) device that travels with the diamond, using blockchain technology and data analytics to track every stage of a natural diamond’s journey, from its birth to the atelier until it’s sold to an end consumer.
According to HB Antwerp, the HB capsule is a scalable solution for tracking each diamond to ensure governments get compensated fairly based on the polished price of a stone.
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All images courtesy of HB Antwerp