1934: ADB was established as Comptoir Diamantaire Anversois S.A. by the Société Belge de Banque.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, the diamond industry in Belgium was flourishing and very much alive. The establishment of the Comptoir Diamantaire Anversois was considered a real première in the world of finance, since for the first time a bank decided to devote its activities solely and entirely to the interest of the diamond industry. Its founding members were Société Belge de Banque, Banque Transatlantique, Société Internationale Forestière et Minière du Congo and the De Beers Group. The Bank started its activities with a capital of BEF 30 million (equalling 745 000 euros). The Bank’s registered office was set up in the very heart of the Antwerp Diamond Centre at 54, Pelikaanstraat.
The Banking Reform Act, which was introduced in 1937, offered the Comptoir Diamantaire Anversois the opportunity to acquire a bank status. The capital was raised to BEF 60 million (more or less 1.5 million euros) and both Kredietbank and BBL joined in as shareholders.
As such, the name Comptoir Diamantaire Anversois changed into Banque Diamantaire Anversoise S.A., also known as Antwerpse Diamantbank NV and Antwerp Diamond Bank NV.
The Second World War broke out and while violence was spreading throughout Europe, the Bank displayed its sense of responsibility, honouring its profession. In spite of the German occupation, the severe discrimination inflicted on a large part of the diamond community and the upheaval of the world economy, the Antwerp Diamond Bank (ADB) pursued its business and continued its activities as usual. The Bank’s commitment towards the diamond sector and its clients was profound: in 1940 the then managing director and his staff took the decision to transport the clients diamond stock, then valued at BEF 100 million (circa 2.5 million euros) and consisting of both pledged goods and goods in custody, and ship them via France to England and ultimately into the United States. The occupying forces found the safes, deposit boxes and accounts empty.
In 1941, with the very kind co-operation of the Chemical Bank, a special agency was founded in New York.
After the liberation in 1944 the ADB, whose headquarters were moved to Brussels during the war, returned to Antwerp and its clients.
With the development of the international trade, typical of the post-war period, ADB played an important role in the revival of the Belgian diamond industry and as such in the promotion of Belgian exports of which diamonds represented a considerable share. During that period of virtual ‘relocation’ of the diamond business from Amsterdam to Antwerp, the Bank also played a decisive role in the financing of rough diamonds at the sights organized by De Beers in London. In view of the increasing importance of Antwerp in the rough market and in the distribution of rough, the Bank was able to expand its activities considerably, first in Antwerp and at a later stage on an international level.
In the early 80’s, both the Bank and the entire diamond banking community worldwide were faced with serious problems when the international diamond market came under pressure from inside its own industry as well as from the world economy in general. Supported by its shareholders and its customers, the ADB has been able to maintain its position during the crisis, if not to reinforce it.
1982: a wholly-owned subsidiary of ADB was established in Geneva, the Banque Diamantaire (Suisse) S.A. which was renamed later on in Diamond Bank (Switzerland) S.A.
The activities of this subsidiary are mainly focused on financing international diamond transactions and portfolio management.
1999: by taking over the shares from Generale Bank and Bank Brussel Lambert, KBC Bank nv became ADB’s major shareholder.
1999: ADB opened a representative office in New York.
2000: the Bank received its license to open a representative office in Hong Kong.
2002: KBC increased its stake in ADB to 99,9%and showed its commitment to ADB by taking over the participation of Henfin Holding which was representing De Beers on the board of ADB as one of its founding shareholders.
2002: ADB opened of a branch in India’s prime diamond centre, Mumbai.
2005: Diamond Bank (Switzerland) opened a representative office in Dubai, UAE.
Today the ADB group employs approximately 180 people worldwide of which 125 are located at the parent Bank in Antwerp.