The transport of diamonds can’t be treated as the usual transport because diamonds are products of great value and are expensive products. So, the transport and shipping of diamonds are not considered the same as regular transport.
Diamonds are expensive products prone to theft and sensitive to transportation circumstances. All of this necessitates extra caution on the part of transportation businesses.
The question arises: What is the best way to transport diamonds?
The answer would be that most, but not all, transport companies can be involved in the transportation of diamonds with additional services they provide when it comes to such expensive products.
If you want a clear picture of how diamonds are transported, we recommend you continue reading the article!
What Products Are Considered Expensive?
Transport companies deal with certain products whose value is high or whose product characteristics are specific; therefore, these products must have special treatment.
When it comes to diamonds, it is necessary to arrange every detail of the transport in advance because diamonds are items with great value and price, so they are often the target of thieves.
In addition to diamonds, items that receive particular attention are fragile items, glass items, goods with a specific weight or shape, and goods whose market price is very high.
Also, transporting goods of special significance or goods that belong to a work of art must be secured and transported in such a way as to be protected from all possible risks.
Here are just some examples of goods that must be specially insured during transport because of their value:
- The accessories, such as jewelry and high-end watches
- The electrical products
- The work of art
- The wine bottles and other fragile and expensive drinks
Now that you have a clear picture of the types of goods with special transport and security services, we can talk about the best ways to transport and secure one of those goods – diamonds.
Related Read: The Diamond Industry: How Does Diamond Business Work?
The Best Advice On How to Ship Diamonds
Let’s take a look at the obligations of diamond transport companies:
Diamond shipping companies must have specific, professional knowledge in the field of shipping small, fragile, and extremely valuable objects, as well as a thorough understanding of customs and tariffs regulations in various countries. This is critical for ensuring secure, quick, and cost-effective shipping to the client.
You must use only licensed companies to send diamonds because if a box containing diamonds is delivered through an unauthorized shipping agent, it will be seized at customs and the owners would be penalized.
In addition to the apparent service of moving diamonds, the big security firms also provide a wide range of other essential services, like making it easier to import and export diamonds from any country while conforming to each nation’s rules.
To minimize unneeded delays and surprises, these businesses assist exporters and importers in navigating the complicated bureaucracy.
Additionally, security firms provide warehousing and storage services as well as quality control inspections to guarantee that the product being shipped is free from damage or defect.
Diamond-containing packages feature a unique seal that makes it simple to tell if they have been tampered with. Even if it involves several shipping companies or vaults, the shipment of diamonds is closely watched until the customer receives the jewels without incident.
Customs officials occasionally open packages for security reasons, and packages containing diamonds are always examined on camera to make sure their integrity has not been compromised.
When it comes to transporting diamonds by plane, the situation with passengers is a little different. The major security firms have logistical arrangements within the airports that allow them to transport goods directly to the cargo loading bay of an airplane.
Typically passengers do not have any idea that their plane is carrying valuable cargo, as the majority of diamonds are shipped overseas as cargo on commercial airlines.
The four main participants in diamond logistics and security are:
- The Brink’s
- The Malca-Amit
- The Ferrari Express
- The D2D
Having enumerated them, let us briefly discuss each of these firms.
Read Also: Can Airport Scanners Detect Diamonds?
The Brink’s Company
Brink’s is a $3.4 billion publicly listed firm on the NYSE with locations all over the world. In 1859, Brinks City Express was established in Chicago by Perry Brink. The business, which started off as a single horse-drawn wagon, was started to transport passenger luggage between hotels and train terminals.
Brinks City Express’ headquarters were burned in the great Chicago fire of 1871, which destroyed tens of thousands of buildings, but astonishingly, the company’s horses and wagons survived and continued to provide essential transportation in the city after the devastation.
In order to survive in the late 1800s when the railroad business started to deteriorate, Brinks started transporting the money. At the time, workers were paid in cash, and Brinks made its living by delivering money to companies that needed to pay their employees.
Brink’s was one of few firms that prospered amid the great depression when organized crime syndicates needed to transport enormous quantities of cash around.
By 1959 it had expanded to 112 sites in the United States and Canada, before commencing its worldwide growth, which would eventually take them into the diamond sector in Israel, and then in Belgium.
It wasn’t until 1992 that they started to handle the global logistics for expensive diamond and jewelry shipments. Today, this company is one of the most respected, most reliable and one of the best companies dealing with transport.
The Malca-Amit Company
Raphael Amit, his wife Rachel, and Malca Tykocinski, his sister-in-law, established the Malca-Amit transport company in Tel-Aviv in 1963. The business was founded as a result of the relocation of Israel’s diamond industry from Tel-Aviv to Ramat-Gan, which necessitated the safe transit of commodities between the two cities.
Since so many mail-order diamond shipments were lost or even stolen in transit, the Israeli government forbade their shipment in 1979.
The Malca-Amit was already well-known in Israel as a diamond transporter, and when the government forbade diamond shipments, that helped his success.
Since the eighties, the business has grown both in terms of its global presence and service offerings, but it continues to focus primarily on serving the diamond and jewelry sectors.
Today, this company provides a wide range of services, including 360-degree photography, inspection services in tax-free zones and bonded warehouses, unique trade-show packages for exhibitors visiting trade shows and exhibits, and private aircraft services for accelerated delivery.
The Ferrari Express
In 1959, The Ferrari Group opened its doors in Alessandria, Italy, and since then has expanded to become a major leader in the security industry with offices all over the world.
Similar to its rivals, Ferrari provides a wide range of services beyond physical transportation, such as privacy protection, warehousing, quality control, and show security.
They also offer their internal insurance and have a separate fine art section in New York.
Without the assistance of security firms, this sector would probably come to a complete standstill since criminals would have the upper hand and insurance would no longer be necessary.
The security firms maintain the integrity of our product and play a critical role to keep items flowing into consumers’ hands.
The D2D Company
The last company we will talk about today is D2D. Although this company is rarely mentioned, because it is one of the smaller transport companies, it is considered one of the best and most reliable today.
Diamonds are transported all around the world by the modest, Israeli shipping business called D2D, founded in 1988. Due to its scale, the business is adaptable, and D2D can manage shipments that require sophisticated security.
Now that we’ve quickly learned about the most famous transportation and security companies, it’s time to move on to the important steps that must be taken if you want to ship or relocate a diamond.
The Most Important Rules About Shipping Diamonds
Now that we have covered topics such as what are the most famous transport and security firms and the possibilities you have for transporting diamonds in general, it is time to propose a step-by-step transport process.
Let’s take a look at a few transporting and security rules we’ve selected!
Rule Number One: Provide Enough Security
Never move your jewelry or uncut gemstones without providing enough security. Use specialized vehicles, armored vans, and storage facilities to drastically lower the danger of theft.
Moreover, use the services of professional security organizations that can protect the safety of your possessions from illegal acts. A little above in the article, you can find the most respected companies that deal with good security of goods during transport.
Rule Number Two: Pay Attention To Documentation You Need
Ensure that the required documentation is available.
After all, although a few diamonds in the personal luggage may not cause difficulties, the truck laden with thousands of pricey and priceless objects always demands a formal report to law enforcement organizations.
This is essential for both crossing the border and for any internal activities.
Rule Number Three: Packing Care
Precious cargo has to be packaged with extra care and attention.
To send, transport, or ship everything without any losses, choose the best solution for each sort of delivered goods, whether it is high-end completed jewelry or just raw materials. It may be a good idea to use an electronic safe with a pin code and fingerprint authentication.
Rule Number Four: Calculate Your Route
Determine the best course of travel to avoid lengthy traffic delays and to avoid treacherous areas of the road. We recommend you to use safe, well-known public roads or main thoroughfares, which will raise the degree of security.
Rule Number Five: Never cut corners with insurance!
Since unexpected incidents frequently occur, we do indeed live in a vulnerable period. Therefore, it is preferable to care for your property’s safety.
It is best to contact a goods insurance agent so that if there is any loss, theft, or even damage, your goods are secured (receive monetary compensation if anything happens).
Insurance does not cost much money compared to the loss that can occur if you have not insured the goods.
The Insurance And Shipping Cost
The value, weight, and volume of the shipment are indicators to calculate regular delivery charges.
Diamonds belong under a separate shipping category for high-value items, which entails additional delivery costs. Secure diamond shipments can cost tens or even hundreds of dollars, whereas standard shipping is typically only a few dollars.
Because diamond packages are often tiny compared to those for other items, their transportation costs are determined by the product’s worth rather than its weight and volume. As a result, the cost of shipping depends on the value of the cargo and its location.
The insurance firm often offers additional coverage for the procedure and ensures diamond transportation businesses. If they do want, clients may employ supplementary commodities insurance coverage.
We draw the conclusion that the more expensive the product is itself, i.e. it has a higher value, the proportion of costs of its transport and insurance will be higher.
Related Read: Why Are Diamonds Wrapped In Paper?
Final Thoughts
Let’s once again outline everything you should pay attention to when it comes to transporting diamonds. So, in response to the question originally asked: What is the best way to transport diamonds?
We would say that the answer is that you have at your disposal a large number of transport companies that include the transport of diamonds with the provision of additional services- it is up to you which one you choose.
On the other hand, it is important to mention some of the companies that are most popular and reliable today, and they are:
- The Brink’s
- The Malca-Amit
- The Ferrari Express
- The D2D
Finally, we will remind you once more of the most important thing you need to pay attention to. It is important to look at the documentation and its acquisition as well as providing security and insurance.
On the other hand, choosing the right path as well as good packaging of goods significantly contributes to reducing the risk of theft.
We hope that we’ve answered the original question, but also clarified the significant details when it comes to the transport of diamonds.
Related Read: Can You Travel With Uncut Diamonds?