The seventh edition of the Antwerp Diamond Trade Fair (ADTF), the world's exclusive by-invitation-only diamond trade show, will be held January 31- February 2, 2016, the ADTF's organizing committee announced earlier this month. The committee, which is made up from representatives of the three organizing bourses - the Antwerp Diamond Bourse, (Beurs voor Diamanthandel), the Diamond Club of Antwerp (Diamantclub van Antwerpen) and Antwerp's Rough Diamond Bourse (Antwerpsche Diamantkring), made the decision about a month after the conclusion of the sixth edition of the fair.

The fair attracted a widely varied array of buyers, and delegations from nascent, new markets as well as established markets, such as North Africa (Algeria and Tunisia), Saudi Arabia and the Arabian Gulf states, Hong Kong and greater China.

Suzanne Eid, the publisher of the Beirut-based publication Collection Magazine, reported that the large but diverse delegation of buyers from North Africa the Middle East that attended the sixth edition of the fair in February of this year, had been very positive and profitable experience.

"The members of the Algerian delegation - none of whom had been to Antwerp before - reported successful networking with a choice of exhibitors. They were very pleased with the fair's format and happy with the choice of goods and price points," Eid said, noting that Algeria is a nascent market for diamond and diamond jewellery that holds great promise.

Buyers from Lebanon were reported to be "more than satisfied as they have found what they were looking for, for better prices comparing to what they would pay in Beirut." Buyers from Saudi Arabia were on the lookout for larger stones - beyond 10 carats and especially in natural fancy colors. Danah Ai Alami, a Saudi Arabian designer based in Dubai said the fair fitted her as a hand in a glove. "I was looking for large diamonds, of 20 carat up, and was very happy with the choices I was offered. This fair is a great concept and I hope to be back next time, too!"

Volkan Adakan, head of a delegation of buyers organized by the Turkish Jewellery Exporters' Association said he had received excellent feedback from his delegation's members. "It is a very easy fair to negotiate and a lot of work can be done during a 48-hour visit. It was a really good fair for our visiting members."

Christine Chu, who headed a delegation of buyers that was coordinated by the Gemmological Association of Hong Kong, said the fair had been a very good opportunity "to broaden their contacts and horizon in the diamond industry. Some of the delegations' members...reported that they had made valuable contacts and connections with diamond suppliers with better services and prices offers [than elsewhere]," Chu wrote. She added that she expected to put together another, larger delegation of buyers for 2016, as the fair offered many prospects for buyers from Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland.

Steven Ickowicz of I D International said that, as usual, he "found the Fair to be well organised, and everybody was very welcoming. The networking seemed better than in the past." Ickowic, who is a returning buyer, said that this time, too, he "still managed to find new companies to deal with" and that he was already looking forward to the fair of 2016.

The Antwerp Diamond Trade Fair is powered by the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC).