Nico Taeymans

Nico Taeymans is a member of the Antwerp diamond industry and a member of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme which guarantees conflict-free diamonds. The Antwerp diamond industry also has an additional certificate available to jewellers: the Antwerp Most Brilliant certificate. Affiliated jewellers have to uphold strict quality standards in buying and selling ethical diamonds. Antwerp was to provide customers with trustworthy information with regards to the provenance of a diamond and prevent blood diamonds from making it onto the market. Find out more in our blog about blood diamonds and fair diamond certificates.

The jewellery is made in the brand’s own studio in Antwerp.

Did you know that most of the gold and silver available in Western Europe comes from generations of old recycled jewellery and therefore does not contribute to pollution caused by mining? Nico Taeymans also uses recycled gold and silver from Umicore. They recycle precious metals from electrical appliances, smartphones and computers. Umicore is one of the largest recycling plants for precious metals in the world. A circular business model in other words.

While the brand doesn’t explicitly have a circular business model, circularity is embedded into it’s nature. All materials used last forever, or can be recycled into new products. Nico Taeymans uses only recycled gold and silver, contributing to the circularity of these materials.

Taeymans jewellery is unique and completely handmade in Belgium. He pays particular attention to the origin of his materials and tries to use precious metals with low footprints. The workshop is just a few streets away from the Antwerp shop. 

The brand does not use any animal products, hence can be called Vegan.

Nico Taeymans’ jewellery was available in over 150 shops across Belgium and worldwide. Until the economic crisis brought everything to a halt and many of those shops had to close their doors or reduce their collections. As a result, Taeymans’ wholesale business took a real hit but he never gave up, and his jewellery brand is still going strong today! Albeit with a smaller team, two flagship stores and a handful of distributors.

Nico Taeymans adopted a more intimate approach and it has definitely worked in his favour. He finds inspiration from people for these pieces and produces natural, organic forms. The ideal creator for people who prefer unique and natural jewellery. 

Commentary: Nico does not cut the diamonds. He cuts other gemstones and semi-precious stones. Nico likes to work with rough, uncut diamonds. In 2018, for example, he designed a collection for the Antwerp World Diamond Centre. The collection was inspired by the idea that diamonds can be beautiful and remain affordable for everyone.

The brand achieves provides high transparency regarding their suppliers and materials, as well as their creation methods.