“Every Diamond Has a Story!”
Meeting with Jean-Jacques Taché, a representative of the third generation at the head of Maison Taché. He works as a consultant for the “Exceptional Stones” department, dedicated to the purchase of exceptional rough diamonds, their transformation into polished stones and their commercialization. In addition to sourcing directly from De Beers, the department also takes part each year in around fifty auctions organized by independent mines.
Gold’Or: How has the market for exceptional stones evolved in recent years?
Jean-Jacques Taché: Twenty-five years ago, the market was largely dominated by De Beers, which controlled around 80 percent of global production. At that time, Maison Taché was highly dependent on the goods it received. Today, the ecosystem has become much more diversified: many smaller independent mines have emerged and now offer exceptional rough stones as well, with a far broader and richer selection. At the same time, the market for large stones has developed considerably.
This evolution naturally led us to strengthen our collaboration with the major jewellery houses, to the point where we have become a key player at the crossroads between the mining industry and the luxury sector.
Which sales does Taché take part in each year?
De Beers remains a major player, with around 35 percent market share. The role of sightholder gives access to its regular sales, but it also requires a very high level of technical expertise in order to transform the purchased goods into polished stones that meet the standards of the most prestigious houses.
In addition, Taché participates in around fifty auctions every year, organized by independent mines located in Botswana, Lesotho, Canada and South Africa.
Which diamonds fall under the “Exceptional Stones” department?
We are speaking here about rough stones starting from ten carats, generally sold individually by the mines. The largest rough stone Taché has acquired weighed more than 900 carats. Once polished, a diamond generally retains around 40 to 50 percent of the original rough weight. The goal is always to position the final result in the high-end segment, both in terms of colour and clarity.
How is a rough stone evaluated before purchase?
It is essential to analyse the stone in hand at the source in order to determine whether it should be acquired. Taché is equipped with instruments and modelling software, but the first analyses carried out on site remain more limited than what can be done later in the laboratory. Experience therefore plays a crucial role: the eye, intuition, and knowledge of each mine and its characteristics are all decisive.
Every purchase is based on a combination of technical expertise and instinct.
Do you already have a client in mind when making a purchase?
For medium-scale projects, Taché sometimes buys without having a specific client in mind. But the rarer and more valuable the stone, the more we try to generate interest from a client in advance. There are also cases where we search for a very specific stone in response to a particular request.
What happens to the rough stone after purchase?
It is first sent to the GIA in order to establish a Diamond Origin Report, which certifies its origin. This makes it possible, when the polished stone is sent again for certification, to prove that it is indeed the same stone. After that, the rough is analysed in depth in our laboratory to define the optimal cut. For some important stones, there may be as many as seventy possible cutting scenarios. This decision-making phase is often longer than the cutting itself.
For extraordinary projects, clients are often involved from the very beginning of the process. Taché cuts around 90 percent of these exceptional stones in its Antwerp workshop, where all the necessary technology is available, together with close access to experts. The first sawing is done by laser, while the faceting operations are performed manually on discs coated with diamond powder.
Who are your clients?
Our client base has naturally evolved over the past twenty-five years, especially in the segment of large stones, where we have moved closer to the most prestigious jewellery houses. However, our offering is not limited to this high-end positioning.
Taché also continues to serve manufacturers, wholesalers and demanding jewellers looking for diamonds of impeccable quality, whether they are searching for three-point stones or truly exceptional gems.
What makes diamonds so appealing to you personally?
What fascinates me about diamonds is their uniqueness. Every stone is different. Being present at every stage of its journey, from the mine to the cutting process and finally to its integration into a high jewellery creation, gives our profession a rare emotional dimension. Every diamond tells its own story, and that is the adventure we experience with passion, one stone at a time.
By Marcel Weder for Gold’Or magazine.