S. Muller & Sons
Masters of light™
- antwerp -
about
S. Muller & Sons was founded by Shulim Muller in 1955. Mr. Muller's love for quality, excellence and above all, his honesty and integrity, have made S. Muller & Sons what it is today. Mr. Shulim Muller led the company to achieve world wide acclaim as well as a sight from the DTC in 1964.Mr Shulim’s oldest son, Jean Claude, has brought tremendous success to the business through his uncompromising strive for perfection and understanding of diamonds.Today, the company is managed by the third generation of the Muller family.
eightstar
S. Muller & Sons is one of the pioneers in the manufacturing and marketing of the now famous Hearts & Arrows Diamond.The Hearts & Arrows diamond is actually a derivative of an innovation coming from Japan, the EightStar. Mr Takanori Tamura, together with a skilled polisher called Mr Higuchi, came up with the idea of polishing diamonds in order to maximize light return. They created the FireScope, a tool that allows the polisher to visually asses the light leakage of a diamond. The rednees in this scope indicates light return, while the white indicates light leakage. Their goal was to find a way of creating a diamond that would look completely red on the FireScope.After a relentless trial and error process, Mr Tamura and Mr Higuchi realized that while diamond cutting at the time was far from perfect, there was a possibility of developing the perfect cut. They were the pioneers in this quest, as all others wanted to keep the status quo and manufacturers had no incentive to improve their polishing process if clients were happy with what they had.
That's how the EightStar was born - a pioneering diamond cut with maximum light return, appearing completely red in the FireScope. This was done at a time were there were no high tech machines analyzing the diamonds angles and dimensions, and no standard of excellent cut in the market. The EightStar was a feat of human creativity and perseverence.Mr Tamura saw the EightStar as the ultimate expression of the human mind and he kept developing his theories for many years in Japan, sparking a revolution in diamond cutting.S. Muller & Sons saw that these diamonds were revolutionary and the company sent a few polishers from Antwerp to Japan to learn more the EightStar, and our polishers eventually mastered the art of polishing this perfect diamond. To this day, S. Muller & Sons continues to work with Mr Tamura's vision of how a diamond should be cut - over 35 years later.Please be in touch with us if you would like to purchase EightStars. They are not listed in our Online Stock list, but we carry a range of stock and we can also polish for special orders.
factory
S. Muller & Sons is a boutique diamond manufacturer, and we polish all our diamonds in the heart of Antwerp's historic Diamond District.Antwerp's most experienced Master Cutters are to be found in our factory, and for over 60 years now, our company has built a name for polishing Hearts & Arrows diamonds in Antwerp. We source conflict-free rough from Antwerp's bourses and auctions, and we proceed to map and plan all stones according to our strict guidelines.We polish every single Hearts & Arrows diamond in the same exact way - we don't cut corners. Even in commercial cuts, we will not leave naturals or extra-facets in our diamonds and our girdles have a specific number of facets, in order to maximize the beauty of every diamond.When you buy one of our diamonds, you know where the rough came from, who polished it and you can expect the very best. In fact, we are proud to offer, upon request, Certificates of Origin to our clients with extensive information about every diamond polished by us.Click here to learn more about our factory's history and about our special cut EightStar.
Contact
S. Muller & Sons Diamonds NVSchupstraat 1-7
Antwerpen 2018
Belgium[email protected]Tel: +3232327888
BE 0404977176
Thank you
We will get back to you very soon
blog
Netflix's Rough Diamond Show: A Glimpse into Antwerp's Exclusive Diamond MarketSawing a DiamondSouth China Morning Post: Diamonds as InvestmentRudy The Master CutterDiamonds Made in AntwerpInvesting in DiamondsMarketing & Diamonds.
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Netflix's Rough Diamond Show: A Glimpse into Antwerp's Exclusive Diamond Market
Have you ever wondered what lies behind the glimmering beauty of diamonds? Netflix's Rough Diamond show takes you on an exhilarating journey into the captivating world of diamonds, shining a spotlight on the diamond capital of the world – Antwerp.Exploring Antwerp: A Diamond Lover's ParadiseAntwerp, a picturesque city nestled in Belgium, has long been renowned as the ultimate destination for diamond enthusiasts. Its rich history and global reputation in the diamond industry make it a magnet for those seeking the finest gemstones in the world. As you walk through the cobblestone streets, you'll feel the vibrant energy and the allure of diamonds filling the air.The Allure of Rough DiamondsWhile polished diamonds have their own undeniable charm, rough diamonds offer a distinct allure that has captivated jewelry connoisseurs and trendsetters alike. The natural beauty and uncut authenticity of rough diamonds evoke a sense of wonder and fascination.Netflix's Rough Diamond Show: A Glimpse into the Diamond WorldNetflix's Rough Diamond show has garnered considerable attention and become a global sensation, with millions of viewers tuning in to witness the magic of diamond creation. Through engaging storytelling and breathtaking visuals, the show takes you on an enthralling journey through the diamond industry, shedding light on the craftsmanship, dedication, and expertise involved in transforming rough diamonds into stunning gems.S. Muller & Sons Diamonds: A Legacy in AntwerpFor more than 65 years, S. Muller & Sons Diamonds has been a pillar of excellence in Antwerp's diamond industry. This esteemed company boasts a team of master craftsmen and diamond experts dedicated to delivering unparalleled quality and beauty. When you visit S. Muller & Sons Diamonds, you step into a world where expertise meets passion, and where the legacy of diamonds is kept alive through extraordinary craftsmanship.The Antwerp Diamond District: A Vibrant ExperienceNo visit to Antwerp would be complete without exploring the legendary Antwerp Diamond District. This bustling neighborhood is home to a myriad of diamond traders, cutters, and merchants, forming the beating heart of the city's diamond trade. Wandering through its streets, you'll be mesmerized by the display of exquisite diamonds, the palpable energy, and the opportunity to witness the vibrant diamond trade in action.The Sparkling Charm of Antwerp: Beyond DiamondsAntwerp is not just a paradise for diamond enthusiasts; it's a city brimming with charm and allure. From architectural marvels like the stunning historical architecture to the captivating Antwerp Central Station, the city boasts a rich historical and cultural heritage that is sure to captivate your senses. At night, the city comes alive with its vibrant nightlife, offering an array of trendy bars, restaurants, and entertainment venues.ConclusionAntwerp, the diamond capital of the world, offers a truly remarkable experience for diamond lovers and travelers alike. Netflix's Rough Diamond show, in conjunction with the allure of S. Muller & Sons Diamonds, invites you to embark on a journey into the world of diamonds, where craftsmanship, passion, and natural beauty converge. So, why wait? Discover the shimmering gem that is Antwerp and unlock the secrets of diamonds with a visit to S. Muller & Sons Diamonds.FAQs (Five unique frequently asked questions)1. Can I purchase diamonds directly from S. Muller & Sons Diamonds? Yes, S. Muller & Sons Diamonds offers a wide range of exquisite diamonds available for purchase. Their expert team will assist you in finding the perfect diamond for your needs.2. Is it necessary to make an appointment to visit S. Muller & Sons Diamonds? While appointments are not mandatory, it is recommended to schedule a visit in advance to ensure that you receive personalized attention and guidance.3. Does S. Muller & Sons Diamonds provide diamond certification? Absolutely. Each diamond from S. Muller & Sons Diamonds comes with a comprehensive certification, guaranteeing its quality, authenticity, and ethical sourcing.4. Can I customize jewelry at S. Muller & Sons Diamonds? Certainly! S. Muller & Sons Diamonds specializes in creating customized jewelry pieces tailored to your preferences. Their expert craftsmen will work closely with you to bring your vision to life.5. What makes Antwerp the ideal destination for diamond enthusiasts? Antwerp has a long-standing reputation as the diamond capital of the world, offering a vast selection of diamonds, expert craftsmanship, and a vibrant diamond trade that immerses visitors in the captivating world of diamonds.
Sawing a Diamond
Polishing diamonds is an art our polishers have mastered over the years.One of the key steps is the eventual need to cut the diamond in two pieces - sawing. Years back this was done by hand, and it caused quite a bit of weight loss to the diamond.Today, a special laser cutting machine is used to saw the diamond and the loss is minimal. Different companies have different techniques when it comes to sawing and it's important to bear in mind that the danger of something going wrong always exists when polishing a diamond and even more so when sawing a diamond. The laser can damage the diamond and reduce the value of the stone, hence the importance of a good and experienced sawer.In the picture you can see the lines made by our Master Cutter. The are the proposed directions for sawing the diamond, and the diamond manufacturer must calculate the different options and decide which way to go.A manufacturer's experience is perhaps one of the biggest factors in this decision. Often times the resulting two diamonds will change in color slightly after the sawing, and many diamantaires know which mines can cause that change. So they will decide accordingly.Be in touch with us if you have any questions!#antwerp #diamonds #diamondfactory #mastercutter #roughdiamond #awdc #belgiumdiamonds #antwerpdiamonds
South China Morning Post: Diamonds as Investment
Diamonds make you feel good. They’re up there with chocolates and Champagne. Investing in diamonds has a powerful psychological edge over your tech start-up company shares or natural gas futures beause they are so desirable on such a personal level.Is this a good basis for an investment decision?There are diamonds, and there are diamonds. Collectable diamonds – of exceptional size, quality and sometimes colour, perhaps associated with a celebrity or historical figure – are fetching astronomical prices.There are obvious advantages to diamonds. They are portable, durable, comparatively rare and not subject to significant public opinion shifts as so many commodities are affected today by “green” considerations. Unlike fields of grain or herds of cattle, diamonds cannot be increased by human agency unless you are talking about lab-grown ones. Diamonds are easily stored by individuals, and require no special conditions, unlike investment wines.The supply of diamonds is a different story. Supply can be, and has been, manipulated for years. De Beers controlled the modern diamond market with 80 per cent of supply, drip-feeding to maintain high prices. The end of this monopoly 15 years ago reduced prices. Supply has also been changed as new sources have been discovered, in Canada and other parts of Africa.Whether to add this to your portfolio is an individual choice, thinks Chin Yeow Quek, Sotheby’s deputy chairman of Asia and chairman of international jewellery in Asia. “It really depends on the investor’s personal choices, where some people veer towards liquid assets, [such as] stocks and shares; others prefer to invest in more tangible commodities such as real estate. The same goes for jewellery, where you can buy shares in diamonds, but also invest in actual, physical diamonds. Today, top diamonds tend to be seen as a class investment asset.“Generally speaking, diamonds do not fluctuate but, as with most items of value, there will have been some ups and downs. Top diamonds over time will always have an investment return.”The world auction record for a white diamond was set by Sotheby’s Hong Kong in October 2013, when an unmounted oval brilliant-cut diamond weighing 118.28ct sold for US$30.6 million. This diamond was D (colourless) colour, with flawless clarity and excellent polish and symmetry, and which was determined as a Type IIa diamond. “This was a perfect example of a top-quality stone in a significantly large size, achieving top record prices,” Quek says.Arnaud Bastien, president and chief executive, Graff Diamonds Asia, says: “Quality diamonds are a commodity. They fluctuate far less than other commodities which are often widely available and subject to many economic/political uncertainties. Diamonds are rare and they offer many advantages [portability, no maintenance, resistance] and over the past decades, their value has always been growing at a fair pace.”Market forces are at work now as the China market for diamonds has responded to the government’s anticorruption campaign. Togo Yu, diamond specialist at Pour La Vie bespoke jewellery, says: “A D colour is much cheaper than it was three years ago because of a drop in demand. I can give you an example: as reported on March 5, 2010, a one carat round diamond, in D colour, IF (internally flawless) clarity, was US$23,800; in August 2016, the same diamond is US$21,600.“So there is a decrease, but not for the top quality, that has increased. Change the specifications for a one carat round diamond to F VS1 [very slightly included] and value increases from US$9,500 in 2010 to US$9,800 in 2016.”Diamonds are no more speculative than most stocks or shares. Investing is always a gamble, and the old rule holds: don’t gamble with what you can’t afford to lose. In other words, diamonds could be a small part of an investment portfolio.A good investment diamond requires careful choice. “It is always a question of demand and supply; rarity is a key issue,” Yu says. “Bigger size, higher in colour [other than a white colour], top quality in clarity, excellent cutting – these are some of the factors affecting the value of a diamond. For example, 10 carats, in D colour, IF clarity, triple excellent is not easily found, so the price is more than HK$10 million.”Bastien says: “I always recommend my clients to buy the best: you never go wrong when you buy the best. This is valid for every class of asset, from property to wine, from art to diamonds. Diamonds are unlikely to lose their value. Over the years, we have heard that they could be threatened by many things such as new mines, synthetic diamonds and so on but prices have always gone up. It’s a bit like a Picasso painting: today you can find ways to reproduce a Picasso painting to be identical, but somehow, a real Picasso will always remain a Picasso.”“In the long term,” Yu agrees, “diamonds cannot lose value, especially the good quality ones, as there is limited supply but high demand.” It is up to the investor to look at value over time in relation to inflation, though you run up against the perennial problem with diamonds – standardisation, or lack of it.Part of the attraction, and the challenge of diamonds, is that they are not simple to define unlike, say, gold, with the published price per ounce. The well known 4Cs of carat, colour, clarity and cut are not easily assessed by the layperson. There are con men out there. So rule one, dealing with a known and reputable diamond trader, or even manufacturer, provides confidence in the quality of your investment, as well as help reduce mark-ups in the supply chain leading to the retail counter.And know that there are various trade indices, the best known of which is the Rapaport Diamond Trade Index.Yu remarks: “We, not end-users, follow the value of diamonds through Rapaport listing of market prices. As far as I know, everyone [especially traders] is following the price list provided by Rapaport. It means most investors can check prices.” As Bastien advises, buy the very best you can afford, knowing that the higher the carat, the higher the proportional increase in value.An investment is not an investment if nobody else wants to buy it. Or if the buyer can go elsewhere and buy a diamond of the same specifications from another source at the same or lower price. It is true that certain cuts, notably the round brilliant, are more in demand, mainly because of their use in engagement rings. But it is not hard for anyone to buy a round brilliant.Bear in mind that a buyer who is an end-user might not want to pay a premium for a flawless diamond when one with slight inclusions looks exactly the same to the naked eye of the beholder.Keeping in mind that rarity is a significant factor, look at fancy (coloured) diamonds. If buying more than one, several colours would be a sensible idea.Fancies have held their value remarkably well even in volatile times. Only one in 10,000 diamonds is a natural coloured diamond, and the colour makes each one unique. At this moment of rising recognition, the outlook is good for fancies which, incidentally, are not covered by the Rapaport index.
Rudy The Master Cutter
Rudy started to work by S. Muller 35 years ago, still a youngster in his teens. Following his father's footsteps, who was then also working at the company, Rudy quickly became the a specialist in difficult stones and he had the opportunity to work in the company's most important diamonds.Today, Rudy is regarded as one of Antwerp's best polishers. The average age of the diamond polisher in Antwerp is over 55, so Rudy is younger than almost all Master Cutters but as experienced.Rudy is a specialist in the first stage of polishing a diamond, what we called "cross" or 8/8. In this early stage the imagination and improvisation skills of the polisher will make all the difference in the finished diamond, and that's his forte. That skill can be the difference between a VVS2 diamond, or a IF flawless.Today Rudy is regularly featured in specialized reports and many come to see him in our in-house factory at work.#mastercutter #antwerpdiamonds #roughdiamond #antwerp #diamonds
Diamonds Made in Antwerp
Once a slogan often heard in the jewelry world, Diamonds Made in Antwerp are hard to find today. As the industry became more competitive and more technological, these attribute - the place where the diamond was polished - was pushed to the background. Much is spoken about the diamonds being conflict free, sustainable, but little to no attention is paid to the actual art of polishing the diamond.Polishing a diamond requires great skill and it can be likened to producing an art painting. The Master Cutter uses his experience to make the very best diamond out of a simple rough stone. The Master Cutter is the very pillar of the diamond industry, but the reality is that few companies cherish and market their work.S. Muller & Sons is committed to raising awareness about this hidden art and we will be launching a few new marketing initiatives this year to promote it. Stay tuned!
Investing in Diamonds
In the last few years, many investors have turned to physical assets like gold, silver, platinum and diamonds as a safe heaven for large investment portfolios.It's very easy to invest in precious metals like gold and silver, which have spot markets that are liquid and efficient.Investing in diamonds requires significantly more expertise and research, since the diamond market is less liquid and less comoditized. But investors have payed top dollar for unique investment pieces like large D IF and colored diamonds, with record breaking auction results at Sotheby's and Christie's every year for the past five years.Honest advice cannot be understated, and for investors looking at this investment option, we advise them to first get to know potential suppliers and try to get confortable with them. Transparency is another important thing to keep in mind - you want to get as much information as possible about the provenance of the diamond.Be in touch with us if you are looking for some special investment diamonds. We carry exclusive large high value gems that are not listed in our Online Inventory system.
Marketing & Diamonds
Until some 15 years ago, marketing in the diamond industry was almost exclusively done by De Beers, the dominant seller of rough diamonds at the time. As De Beers evolved, they started asking their clients to allocate resources for marketing and later this became a condition for buying from them.De Beers' dominance in the rough diamond industry was greatly reduced in the past decade and today, they have stopped their traditional generic marketing initiatives for the diamond industry. Instead, they are promoting their own brands - Forevermark and De Beers Jewelers.The diamond industry as a whole lost a lot of visibility as a result, and many blame this lack of generic marketing for the decline of the demand for diamonds in some markets around the world. Traditional consumer markets like the US continue strong but new potential markets are not emerging - and that has a negative impact for diamond companies looking to expand their client bases.We at S. Muller & Sons believe in targeted marketing - we promote our famous diamond factory in select outlets like professional trade fairs and also for personalities visiting Antwerp's diamond district. We have partenered with Genesis, a marketing company from Antwerp, in re-designing our website, online stock and marketing strategies.We have also collaborated with AWDC in finding ways to promote Antwerp manufacturers and in the upcoming year, there will be many new initiatives in this area. Antwerp remains an imporant manufacturing hub for imporant diamonds and S. Muller is comitted to continue promoting our factory and Master Cutters.#diamonds #marketing #tech #genesis