New Dubai-based Diamond Consultancy Demystifies a ‘Girl’s Best Friend’ - Diamonds

With the holiday season and Dubai Shopping Festival just around the corner, many residents and visitors to the Gulf have diamonds on their minds. Why? Because in recent years it has become one of the world’s best places to buy them.

But armed only with a notion of the ‘4Cs’ - cut, clarity, colour, and carat weight - even seasoned diamond buyers face the possibility of being bedazzled by high-quality diamond imitations, arbitrary pricing and questionable sales practices, making this significant and emotionally-charged purchase fraught with danger.

Enter The Diamond Company, a new Dubai-based establishment created to take the guesswork and uncertainty out of the diamond-buying process. The company’s highly qualified staff has a first-rate understanding of both the Dubai and global jewellery markets, as well international accreditation in the field of Certified Diamond Grading from the Antwerp Diamond High Council (HRD). They liaise with the very best designers, retailers and diamond vendors to bring customers a personal buying service: from one-on-one consultations and secure delivery via specialized carriers to evaluation and grading - at every level of budget.

“For every major purchase in our lives, be it buying a house, a car or making an investment, we turn to expert industry guides to demystify the process and eliminate the guesswork. But many people walk blindly into purchasing a gemstone, despite the financial investment and emotional attachment involved,” said Deborah Cleary, founder and managing director of The Diamond Company.

“There are two main issues confronting prospective buyers of diamonds. The first is aesthetic - how can I get the best quality stone or setting for my budget? The second issue is trust - how do I guarantee that this diamond is what I am told it is? People are generally much better informed about imitation and sub-standard diamonds than ever before, but not about how to recognize and avoid them. The Diamond Company has the expertise to guide buyers through every aesthetic possibility, and at the same time help protect its clients on the related issues of authenticity.”

The Diamond Company is a licensed member of DMCC - the Dubai Multi-Commodities Centre - a Government-backed body that facilitates every aspect of the rough and polished diamond industry in the UAE. The Dubai Diamond Exchange (DDE), an initiative of the DMCC is itself a member of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses. Among other world industry standards, the DMCC is a signatory to the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme, an international tracking system aimed at stemming the flow of conflict diamonds.

Diamonds are big business in Dubai: the value of the trade in 2005 was Dhs 25.2 billion - an increase of 72% from the year before. The UAE is one of the largest trading centres in the world for rough diamonds, and the GCC region is the third largest consumer of diamond jewellery in the world.

The Diamond Company treats its international clients and overseas visitors in the same professional manner as local residents. This is particularly important given that the Dubai Gold & Jewellery Group estimates that up to 95% of visitors purchase gold and jewels during their stay in Dubai.

“We know that Dubai’s international reputation for gold and diamond jewellery is excellent. Even so, The Dubai Gold and Jewellery Group encourage all initiatives to promote, educate and guide consumers to purchase jewellery in a safe and confident manner. We are sure that the broad-ranging services of The Diamond Company will prove popular among those consumers that seek independent advice when buying diamonds and diamond jewellery in the Emirate” said Mr. K.P. Baiju, General Manager of the Dubai Gold and Jewellery Group.

The Diamond Company not only sources polished diamonds according to client specifications, but also finds other precious gemstones – as well as managing the bespoke jewellery creation process, from jewel sourcing through to design and materials consultancy and the final delivery of the finished piece. To date, the company has worked with more than 100 clients from GCC states, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE, as well as visitors from the UK, Ireland Australia and the U.S.

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