A diamond’s story, heritage, speculation and significance is what sells it or any piece of jewellery: Agnes Abdullahu

The Dubai-based Diamondaine Diamantaires Club aims to connect individuals and companies in the diamond industry, and ‘diamondpreneurs’ with capital, partners and solutions, says its founder Abdullahu

A dream to make the diamond industry brighter, more accessible, and transparent led Agnes Abdullahu to start her journey in the world of jewels and diamonds. Inspired by a project to connect individuals and companies in the diamond industry, and to overcome the lack of cross-industry networking, she founded Diamondaine Diamantaires Club, headquartered in Dubai, the first club to connect ‘diamondpreneurs’ with capital, partners and solutions in creative and transparent ways.

Here are excerpts from a conversation The Retail Jeweller had with Agnes Abdullahu, Founder, Diamondaine Diamantaires Club about her journey and future plans:

What are the aims of Diamondaine Diamantaires Club, and how do you plan to achieve them?
Our mission is defined in one sentence: ‘Together, We are Brilliant’. We promise to deliver optimistic and diverse storytelling, experiences, and learning processes to our members. We organize diamond networking trips twice a year, specially crafted for the diamond, gold and gemstone industry to connect, network and get inspired by other members and our programme. We want participants to tell their stories and their challenges, and share their dreams with the world. We want them to be heard- whether it is entrepreneurial learning, owning a mining project, or a jewellery business.

Which brands have you collaborated with, and wish to collaborate with in future?  
We have collaborated with many media agencies, magazines, diamond companies, gold companies and strategic government organizations in the diamonds, gold and gemstone industry across Belgium, Africa and the USA. We have to understand that the diamond, gold and gemstone industry is a worldwide business and from exploration to end consumers, we cannot survive without each other.

We worked with the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre(DMCC), African Diamond Council, Trans-Atlantic Gems Sales, Synova, International Institute of Gemmology in India, SADPMR, DelGatto Diamond Fund, royal families, family offices, the Choron Group, art funds and Investment Companies, Botswana Diamonds, Scarselli, and many other reputable names. We need big names and proper ways to carry out the diamond business, but we also need smaller ones. We need names of smaller companies, names of consumers, and names of titans of the diamond, gold, and gemstone industries which we usually don’t hear about.

Stories sell diamonds, not diamonds themselves. The diamond is not forever. A diamond’s story, heritage, inheritance, speculations, the provocative history behind it, and the significance it has made throughout its journey is what sells the diamond or piece of jewellery. We want to work with every diamond, gold or gemstone aficionado who has passion, vision and shares our dream.

What are the key activities of the club and how are they beneficial for participants?
We had two diamond networking editions in Dubai. Dubai is a melting pot of businesses and financial institutions. It was crucial in our club’s development. It has elegance and broadness that no country has. The African Chapter will be my personal dream and a way to connect Africa, as a source, with partners and consumers that will make these trips to fulfill their mission. Then, we will move to other diamond centers, in the hope of making an impact with creative programmes to intrigue diamond interest in the diamond companies and non-diamonds, including gold and gemstones.

What is your future agenda?
We plan to host the third edition of our diamond networking trip Dubai on November 2-3, 2023, promising lots of sparkles, well-placed partners, positive stories, diamond tours, Dubai bling, royals, knowledge sessions, executive meetings and connections, discussions, and togetherness. After that we are moving to South Africa, for the fourth edition, focusing more on African mining companies, jewellers and consumers. The next is scheduled for Johannesburg and Antwerp in 2024. We shall continue to India afterwards.

Written by Bushra Satkhed

Retail Jeweller World Exclusive