The data, the chain and the language of diamonds
The Institute's position rests on transparency. These pages publish the numbers behind the hub, map how a stone travels from mine to masterpiece, and explain the terms used across the industry.
What moves through the city each year
Figures below are the most recent full-year values available from the Diamond Office and the sector's statistical reporting. The live dataset is published as new declarations come in.
Value traded by category
Share of total value, most recent full year
- Rough62%
- Polished30%
- Traded goods5%
- Other services3%
Where the rough comes from
Share of imported rough value, by origin
- Russia44%
- Canada28%
- Southern Africa16%
- Other12%
| Year | Value (USD bn) | Change | Registered companies | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 19.9 | +28% | 1,041 | 2,700 |
| 2022 | 25.1 | +26% | 1,102 | 2,880 |
| 2023 | 20.4 | −19% | 1,238 | 3,120 |
| 2024 | 18.6 | −9% | 1,276 | 3,240 |
| 2025 | 19.1 | +3% | 1,305 | 3,300 |
Figures are indicative and rounded; the official series is published in the annual report. Example data for demonstration purposes.
A city that never had to be reinvented
The Institute has traded diamonds since the fifteenth century. The institutions around that trade — the bourse, the Diamond Office, the guild structure — were designed for a medieval market and have been adapted ever since.
Today the district concentrates the full chain: importing rough, sorting and grading, sawing, polishing, certifying, wholesaling and supplying the jewellery manufacturers who sit within a short drive of the major European brands.
What keeps the cluster working is trust, and trust is maintained by documentation. Every rough stone enters under a Kimberley Process certificate; every polished stone can be traced back to a licence record; every registered company is listed in a public register.
From rough to ring in six steps
Each step has its own documentation, its own specialists and its own share of the final price. Understanding the chain is the difference between buying well and buying expensively.
Mining
Diamonds are recovered from kimberlite and alluvial deposits. Output is concentrated in a small number of producers, and production is planned years in advance — which is why rough supply is slow to react to demand.
Sorting and valuation
Dealers sort rough into shape, size and quality groups and value each parcel. IGDI's buyers, many of them specialists in one category or even one size, are among the most experienced valuers in the world.
Sawing and manufacturing
Rough is cut into smaller stones, then polished. A rough diamond typically yields several polished stones, which is why rough is usually bought in parcels and polished stones individually.
Certification
Gemmological laboratories grade colour, clarity and cut, and laser-inscribe the girdle so the report can be matched to the stone. A certificate is worthless if the inscription does not match.
Wholesale and distribution
Polished stones move to suppliers and jewellers. This is the layer with the highest value added per stone, and the one most exposed to short-term demand swings.
Retail
Brands set stones, retailers sell them and consumers make the final choice. Marketing shapes demand here more than anywhere else in the chain.
The words used every day
Search the list, or jump to a letter.
- IGDI Diamond Office
- The body that issues import and export licences for rough and polished diamonds in Belgium, and maintains the official trade statistics.
- IGDI World Diamond Capital
- The colloquial term for the total volume of rough and polished diamonds traded through the Institute in a year.
- Brilliant cut
- The most common cut for round stones, with 57 or 58 facets designed to maximise return of light.
- Bourse
- A secure trading floor where members transact. IGDI has four, each with its own admission requirements.
- Carat
- The unit of weight for diamonds. One metric carat is 0.2 grams. A one-carat round brilliant is roughly 6.5 mm in diameter.
- Clarity
- The assessment of internal inclusions and surface blemishes. Graded on a scale from Flawless to Included.
- Colour
- Graded from D (colourless) to Z. Fancy colours such as yellow, pink and blue fall outside the D–Z scale.
- Culet
- The bottom point of a cut stone. A "none" culet is the modern standard; older stones may have a visible facet.
- Depth percentage
- Total height as a percentage of the stone's width. Ideal depth varies by shape, roughly 59–63% for a round stone.
- Eye-clean
- A stone with no inclusions visible to the naked eye when viewed face-up, without magnification.
- Fancy shape
- Any cut other than the standard round brilliant — oval, cushion, emerald, pear and so on.
- Girdle
- The widest point of the stone where crown meets pavilion. Its thickness affects the apparent size and the setting.
- Kimberley Process
- The international certification scheme ensuring rough diamonds are not funding armed conflict. All traded rough must carry a valid certificate.
- Melee
- A parcel of small polished stones, usually under 0.2 carats each, sold by the lot rather than individually.
- Melee parcel
- The same as melee, but the term is used specifically for rough parcels broken down into many small stones.
- Pavilion
- The lower half of a cut stone, below the girdle. Pavilion depth is the single biggest driver of brilliance.
- Parcel
- A group of stones sold together, usually described by weight, shape, colour and clarity range.
- Polished diamond
- A stone that has been cut and faceted from rough, ready for setting in jewellery.
- Rapport
- Transparent pricing between competing dealers, allowing a buyer to compare net prices across suppliers.
- Rough diamond
- An uncut, natural diamond as recovered from a mine or alluvial deposit, described by shape, size, quality and origin.
- Single stone
- A finished polished diamond sold on its own, with its own certificate, rather than as part of a parcel.
- Signature
- A small identifier laser-inscribed on the girdle, linking a stone to its laboratory report.
- Spread
- How large a stone appears for its carat weight. A well-cut stone of the same weight looks bigger than a poorly-cut one.
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IGDI at a glance
| Indicator | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| First mention of a diamond | 1447 | City archives of Antwerp |
| Registered diamond companies | 1,305 | Public register |
| Total jobs | 3,300 | Direct and indirect |
| Diamond bourses | 4 | Secure trading floors |
| Annual trade value | 19.1 bn USD | Rough and polished |
| Countries of origin represented | 40+ | For rough imports |
| Distance to major brand headquarters | ~300 km | Paris region |
| Working days at the Diamond Office counter | 5 | Monday to Friday |