HRD Antwerp will open its diamond jewellery grading lab in the Middle East at the DMCC’s Almas Tower in partnership with Dubai-based jewellery retailer Stargems Group. An MoU formalising the agreement was signed at Dubai by the two partners in the presence of DMCC officials this week.

Under the MoU, HRD Antwerp will certify the entire jewellery inventory of Stargems through the new lab, which is to be located inside Turkish Trade Center (TTC) in Almas Tower in the DMCC Free Zone.

The new partnership will help HRD Antwerp to expand its presence in the Middle East.

Shailesh Javeri, Chairman Stargems Group commented, “Within the diamond industry, trust is key. As a retailer, we want our customers to have confidence in our products. By certifying our entire inventory with the highly reputable HRD Antwerp brand, our customers can be assured about the authenticity and quality of our jewellery.”

HRD Antwerp’s CEO, Michel Janssens said, "We are delighted to be setting up our first diamond jewellery grading lab in the Middle East. Transparency and authenticity form the bedrock of our work and we want to make sure that Stargems’ clients purchase their jewellery with full confidence and peace of mind. We look forward to beginning our partnership and introducing a new standard to the industry.”

The partnership will contribute to further strengthening the ties between the two diamond hubs and have a positive impact on the industry as a whole, boosting trust and confidence of consumers, the DMCC said.

Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman, DMCC, commented, "We are thrilled to be welcoming HRD Antwerp to both Dubai and the DMCC community. We fully support this collaboration, which we believe will have a positive impact on the industry as a whole. We at DMCC are fully committed to the highest standards of quality, authenticity and transparency and this is exactly the type of partnership that reinforces these values.”