In a recent article titled “Support Services: Transporting Diamonds”, Ehud Laniado gets into an in-depth description of how diamonds – one of the most precious commodities in the world – are transported safely worldwide, and scans some of the major security companies in the industry that make it happen.
Besides the obvious service of transporting diamonds, the major security companies also offer a myriad of other crucial services, such as simplifying the import and export of diamonds from any country, while adhering to each country’s requirements for moving diamonds in and out. In short, these companies help exporters and importers navigate the “complex bureaucracy to avoid unnecessary delays and surprises”. Security companies also offer warehousing and storage, as well as quality control audits to ensure that the product they are shipping “is free from damage or defect”.
As most diamonds are shipped overseas as cargo on commercial airlines, the major security companies have logistical arrangements within the airports “that allow them to transport goods directly to the cargo loading bay of an airplane, usually without passengers having any idea that their plane is carrying valuable cargo”.
The three major players in diamond security and logistics are Brink’s, Malca-Amit and Ferrari Group.
Valued at $3.4 billion, Brink’s has offices all over the world. It was established in 1859 as a single horse-drawn wagon. 100 years afterwards, Brink’s had already expanded to 112 locations in the United States and Canada. In 1992, the company branched out to the transport and logistics for high-value shipments of diamonds and jewelry. Apart from their well-known armored cars, Brink’s has pioneered “the two-key safe, bullet-resistant windows, turret guards, perimeter fencing, and electronic locks”.
Israel-based Malca-Amit was founded in 1963 in Tel Aviv. In 1979, Israel “prohibited diamonds from being shipped through the mail, since so many never arrived at their destination”, which gave Malca-Amit a boost in business. Today, it services principally the diamond and jewelry industries and offers, among other services, “inspection […] in tax-free zones and bonded warehouses, special trade-show packages for exhibitors attending trade-shows and exhibitions, private jet services for expedited delivery, and 360 degree photography services”.
Italy-based Ferrari Group was established in Alessandria in 1959. With offices all over the world, Ferrari offers not only physical transportation, but also “private security, warehousing, quality control, and exhibition security”.
