In the last blog post we already talked about Surat, the diamond cutting capital of the world. 9 out of 10 diamonds worldwide, whether from the mine or from the laboratory, come to Surat for cutting. DIAVON also cooperates with a production facility in India's Diamond City, where our MANUFAKTURDIAMANTs, created in a complex process in the laboratory, are cut into unique masterpieces. If you would like to learn more about our cooperation with the Indian grinding facility and our on-site social commitment, read on here.
Lack of appreciation for such valuable work
The previous blog post has already made clear what a significant role Surat plays for the diamond industry. Not only is the majority of all rough diamonds cut here, but the trade in rough diamonds is also an integral part of everyday life in Surat. The city is now the world's largest trading center for the untreated stones. Unfortunately, the importance of Surat to the industry is often underappreciated. Sending rough diamonds to Surat and receiving back perfectly cut masterpieces seems to be a matter of course for many, which is not further questioned. Yet, cutting diamonds is a very time-consuming activity that should not be underestimated. The grinding and polishing process of a diamond involves over 200 work steps and represents an extremely demanding form of craftsmanship. Therefore, diamond cutters and polishers must undergo extensive education and a long training process before they are able to help a rough diamond achieve maximum brilliance. This fact should be kept in mind when you hold a perfectly cut one-of-a-kind piece in your hands.
Respect for the people behind the product
We at DIAVON are aware of what is accomplished in the grinding shops in India and therefore show enormous appreciation for the work done there. We are convinced that the diamond cutters deserve the same respect and appreciation that we have for the diamonds. That's why it was particularly important for us to get a first-hand impression of the grinding shop we work with. Since transparency along the entire value chain is a top priority for DIAVON, we wanted to ensure that, in addition to the ecological aspect, the working conditions at the production facility also met our moral standards. In addition to a fair salary and safe working conditions, the employees at our Indian production site are also provided with hot meals in the canteen, a company doctor and support with health insurance.
Commitment to women empowerment
There will always be room for improvement, but we intend to fill that room as far as possible. Women empowerment is a great matter close to our hearts. There are already women working in the grinding shop, and we offer them a secure job in a male-dominated industry. However, our goal is to triple the quota of women by the end of 2023. In order to provide the best possible support for the female grinders, we have had extensive discussions with local employees about the difficulties women in India face in the workplace. Many of them find themselves in the difficult situation of having to fulfill a role as a housewife and mother on the one hand, while being just as financially responsible for their family on the other. It is also not uncommon for women to never have been able to finish school because they had to start working in their teens due to family financial hardships. DIAVON is therefore currently planning two projects to help women in this situation, namely the construction of a kindergarten and the construction of a school. In this way, we would like to ensure that the female employees in our production facility can pursue their profession without hindrance, while their children are well cared for and receive a quality education. Through these measures, we can achieve that the MANUFAKTURDIAMANT, beyond the ecological added value, also creates a social added value for the employees in India and, above all, women are strengthened in their professional as well as in their family position.
We are convinced that we can only offer our customers credible transparency if we have first created this transparency for ourselves. Therefore, it was an important and necessary step to personally ensure in Surat that the production facility complies with our ethical corporate guidelines. We will continue to stay in close contact with the grinding factory and will report news about the social projects on our blog in the Insights category.