Editor’s Note
This profile highlights the remarkable legacy of Carlos Soler Cabot, a tenth-generation jeweler whose family’s influence extends from the foundations of Catalan cultural institutions to the pinnacle of the global diamond trade.
A Legacy of Ten Generations
Carlos Soler Cabot, a diamond expert, belongs to the tenth generation of jewelers. His company is the only Spanish firm that is part of the Antwerp Diamond Bourse in Belgium, the most important in the world, and he is a numbered and titled member of the Diamond High Council. His brand has always been linked to culture; his great-grandfather, Joaquín Cabot, was one of the founders of the Palau de la Música Catalana, the Sample Fair (1920), and a sought-after jeweler of the Belle Époque.
Returning to Origins and Focusing on Diamonds
“In 2006, I joined the family business as an observer. At that time it was a multi-brand jewelry store and we were competing with others offering incomprehensible discounts, like three watches for the price of one. I convinced my father that we should return to our origins, to designing and producing our own jewelry.”
“There is a lot of ignorance and a lot of technique behind [the diamond], it is the most valuable stone and has a significant journey. The volume moved in terms of carats convinced me to get fully involved. You have to sell 15 watches to get the profit from a three-carat diamond.”
The Advantage of the Antwerp Bourse
“It means I go to the source, to the origin, the information is truthful, all of that allows me direct access to the best stones and thus I can offer them without inflating prices. The competition with Asia is fierce, so you have to move.”
Identifying a Good Diamond
“Ours carry the minted seal, but you need the 4Cs: ‘colour’, ‘clarity’, ‘carat’ (weight, five carats are one gram) and ‘cut’. Based on that, you get the HRD certificate from the Diamond High Council. There would be a fifth C: trust in an expert, it is fundamental.”
On Sustainability and Human Exploitation
“A complex issue. When peace was signed in Sierra Leone, the Kimberley Certificate was created; that was a great success. It means that when you are in a mine and extract a diamond, you must weigh it immediately, and there is a government person who immediately registers it. At the airport they have the data and it must match.”
“Human exploitation? The wages are very low, but proportional to life in the country of origin and well above what they earn working elsewhere. There is regulation in each place.”
Experiences in Sierra Leone
“I have been to the river mine in Sierra Leone. There the diamond is a transparent stone that erodes and it’s easier to see the purity. You can only access it with accreditation. Upon setting foot in Sierra Leone, a man who claimed to be from immigration tried to bribe me to let me pass or he would put me in jail. I called the Minister of Mines, he identified me, and then the man asked me for a Coca-Cola, to scrape something.”
“I felt physical fear in Sierra Leone one day when the turbo of the 4×4 broke down and we found ourselves enveloped in black smoke in the middle of nowhere. The car became unusable and we were carrying a fortune in diamonds on us.”
Natural vs. Artificial Diamonds
“Yes, we only deal with natural ones, which are found in mines in Canada, Africa, Sierra Leone, Russia, South America… Australia has pink diamonds. One might think they have a high human cost, but artificial ones have an energy cost that ultimately impacts humans and, moreover, they depreciate.”
Colored Diamonds and Craftsmanship
“Colored ones are the Fancy, the most valuable and the best in the world. There are yellows, cognac tones, blues, but pink is the best, the most valued. In contrast, black is industrial, carbonized and dyed.”
“I believe craftsmanship is very valuable, there is less of it every day and institutions should promote people skilled with their hands in manufacturing. You have to know how to set a jewel, execute pieces that are sometimes very complex. The details are the key to a good piece.”
Famous Clients and Ideal Prescribers
“Montserrat Caballé said: ‘I want something showy but not too expensive’. The Russian government gave her a yellow diamond, she brought it and we made the setting, and she said Putin was amazed. Also Rafa Nadal, Josep María Flotats, and lately we made the wedding rings for Rigoberta Bandini.”
“Meryl Streep, for her elegant maturity, or Marion Cotillard for her sensuality.”