New hallmark for umbrella organisation of Belgian diamond sector
The 'star' sign and 'HRD' acronym constitute the new hallmark of the umbrella organisation of the Belgian diamond sector. With this new corporate identity, HRD wants to play the trump cards of Antwerp as the world diamond centre.
Established in 1973 as the 'Hoge Raad voor Diamant' or the 'Diamond High Council', the organisation has nowadays become the major employer of the Antwerp diamond sector. On the one hand, HRD acts as the spokesperson of the sector towards authorities and third parties, on the other hand it offers a wide range of services to the sector such as diamond grading, training, research and trade & industry equipment.
With this renewed identity the umbrella organisation wants to address the continuing growth and the increasingly faster internationalisation of the sector. Therefore, the Diamond High Council opted for 'HRD', a single universal brand, recognisable all over the world and synonymous with a unique service. At the same time, the baseline 'Antwerp World Diamond Center' has been integrated in the logo. While the 'star' sign refers to Antwerp as the heart of the diamond sector, it also represents the vision and values of the organisation: the 'light' that shines with integrity as a non-profit organisation, the 'passion' reflected by diamond history and superior craftsmanship, and the 'rising star' representing the further international development of Antwerp as a diamond trade centre. Needless to say the new logo has to illustrate that HRD has become one of the world's most respected institutes serving the international diamond scene.
While creating the new logo, the organisation also devised a new marketing concept that should emphasise the trump cards of Antwerp as a leading trade platform even more. The slogan “The Antwerp Diamond Heritage - Since 1447 “, provides the intrinsic link between the unparalleled, rich history of Antwerp, its influence on the current diamond market and its values constituting the key for the future. The year 1447 was used as the starting point of the longstanding relationship between diamonds and the city of Antwerp, a deliberate choice because 1447 was the year in which the city of Antwerp issued the first diamond decree, prohibiting the trade of false diamonds.
The recent rise of artificially produced diamonds makes this decree a very relevant issue today. Apparently, consumer confidence was a priority for the Antwerp diamond sector as early as the 15th century. Therefore, it is no coincidence that the new identity was launched during the 3rd Antwerp Diamond Conference dedicated entirely to consumer confidence in natural diamonds. Peter Meeus, Managing Director of HRD, officially unveiled the new identity when opening the conference on Monday November 15th.
Source:
Hoge Raad voor Diamant
