About Gassan Gassan Diamonds is a family company whose head office is located in a former steam driven diamond factory

in the center of Amsterdam. Still grinding diamond core business of Gassan, in addition to the wholesale loose cut diamonds, including the self -developed and patented worldwide Gassan 121 diamond. Further, the company focuses on retail loose and set diamonds, gold jewelry including the innovative fashion brand Choices by DL and watches from brands like Rolex, IW C, Audemars Piguet, Breitling and Jaeger Le Coultre. The diamond in the capital on 23 December exceeded the record number of visitors and even expect more than 400,000 visitors go to receive this year. Compared to last ye ar, this represents an increase of 6 percent, a milestone in the history of Gassan and a great achievement, especially given the current economic conditions.Achieving the record was celebrated in the presence of a group through the popular red Touristbus T ours and Tickets. This company has transported nearly 135,000 people to Gassan Diamonds in 2013. Frans van der Avert (Amsterdam Marketing Director), Jos Vranken (Director Dutch Board of Tourism & Conventions), Henk Philip and Erik Fisher (Executive Tours & Tickets) were present to celebrate this joyous moment. The top five in terms of sales comes from China, Russia, Indonesia, Japan and Thailand. France, United States of America, Germany, Britain and Spain are the top 5 in terms of number of visitors to th e family business Gassan.Het success is mainly due to a good combination and active cooperation in the tourism industry as well as the launch of its own patented diamond shape the Gassan 121 collection Gassan W atch and innovative jewelery brand Choices by DL. Gassan Diamonds is engaged in the promotion of Amsterdam as a city trip and popular shopping destination for many years and is very proud of the positive result. Gassan Diamonds-Marketing & Sales Willian van den Horn

The Dalmore "Brilliance" sold at Schiphol

A TOUCH OF AT HEATHROW AIRPORT BRILILANCE The extraordinary The Dalmore "Brilliance" is sold at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. This unique vintage 1926 single malt - the core of the rare and vintage whiskey collection at Schiphol - is bottled in a special decanter designed in collaboration with diamond specialist, Gassan Diamonds and put a unique and more than brilliant 1.83 carat 'Gassan 121 "cut diamond. By combining Gassan's renowned sharpening skills and state of the art technology, we have created an additional 16 facets on the top and 48 on the bottom. Due to the unique design, the patented a revolutionary Gassan 121 diamond shape that reflects ultimate beauty. Francesco Scaglione Travel Retail Director at W hyte & Mackay said, "The Dalmore sell s exceptionally well in the travel retail and this is now the largest market for the brand worldwide." "W e have over the years worked closely with Schiphol Airport Retail and innovative displays and promotions for the sector initiated. The Dalmore "Brillia nce" with a retail price of 250 000 is literally the shining gem in their whiskey collection in Finest Spirits & Cigars and is an exceptional exhibition for the brand in one of the busiest airports in the world. " Peter-Jan Rozenberg, director of Schipho l Airport Retail said: "W e are delighted to have worked with this excellent whiskey that really a masterpiece within our Finest Spirits & Cigars collection with The Dalmore.Created by Master Distiller Richard Paterson, this whiskey was distilled and put in to a barrel in 1868, 1878 and 1926 and shows the best in craftsmanship and quality. " Master Distiller Richard Paterson of The Dalmore commented: "The buyer of The Dalmore " Brilliance "will experience a whiskey that is impeccable and refined with excellent Olososo and Apostoles sherry 'cut' of the world famous Gonazalez Byass bodega."

Benno Leeser, President and CEO Gassan is proud to add a touch of Brilliance in this unique project, the ultimate crown this masterpiece. At Gassan, rule no. 1 is qualit y, qualit y, qualit y Benno Leeser Gassan Diamonds is one of the most successful examples of family -run diamond companies. It was established by Samuel Gassan in the heart of Amsterdams diamond district in 1945, just after the end of Second W orld W ar. Since then, Gassan has built a solid reputation for impeccable diamond polishing. Today Gassan is located in a monumental diamond factory built in 1897 along Ams terdams canals, with a large parking site in front of the building and a quay at the back for the canal boats. A tour to Gassan diamonds is a must do for tourists visiting the Netherlands. There are few opportunities in the world to walk inside a fully -operating diamond polishing laboratory. Hundreds of people visit the facilities and observe diamond polishers and goldsmiths producing fine jewellery from raw material. Experienced staff guides visitors through all the processes of the diamond chain, includi ng the possibility to take a closer look to stones of different size, colour, clarity and cut. Gassan is not a mere touristic attraction, though. Its polishers are among the most skilled in the business and its patented Gassan 121 -facets cut renowned all o ver the world. The company boasts cooperation agreements with top -level jewellery firms, such as Damiani and Pasquale Bruni, and even created its in -house fully equipped lab for diamond grading and certification. Rough & Polished discussed with Mr Benno Le eser, grandson of Samuel Gassan and president of the company since 1984, about the history of the company, its strategies and the outlook for the diamond business in Europe and Asia. Could w e start w ith a short presentation of Gassan Diamonds and its histo r y? Gassan was founded by my grandfather, who worked as a trainee in this building from 1924 to 1936. Then the crisis came and during the crisis people said that you could live without diamonds so he went to sell advertisements. Then in 1942 he went to Swi tzerland and in 1945 he finally founded Gassan Diamonds. First we had an office in the Amsterdam Diamond Exchange. My grandfather also did business with Scandinavia, Switzerland, Germany and some Americans. Buyers would come to his office and he would sell them a diamond and open a bottle of Champagne. Over the years we made this principle of making customers at ease more professional, and now we also have shops in Amsterdam, at London City Airport and Changi Airport in Singapore. Gassan w as recentl y named best famil y business in the Netherlands. How important is tradition in such an historical compan y? The research was conducted by KPMG and we were selected against 500 other companies because of our approach to innovation, our ability to turn bad figures in to positive figures, our international perspective, because of the way we work as a family and finally the way we interact with bankers and suppliers. W e are very proud of this prize, as it gives a really good image of our work. On the other hand we think that we are successful because our work has always been based on three aspects: quality, quality, quality, optimal service level and being a 100% family owned company. As you said, the other face of Gassan is innovation: The 121 facets cut is a trademark of Gassan. Could you tell us a bit more about it and about the role innovation pla ys at Gassan? Innovation for us is really important. W e have Gassan 121 which is patented worldwide. Almost 60% of the diamonds we sell are Gassan 121. A standard brilliant cu t diamond has 57 facets and we polish them with an extra 64, which gives it more brilliance. W e also have our own jewellery, designed by my daughter Debora. Its called Choices by DL. The idea is that you buy one piece of jewellery and, whenever you want, you can change the stone on it. W e call it a jewellery wardrobe in a box, as you can adjust your ring, pendant, bracelet or earrings to the clothes you wear, every day. The diamond business is notoriousl y secretive, and yet here w e are in a factor y and museum open to the public. A visit to this place is suggested in man y tour guides of Amsterdam

W hat we do with tourists is making diamonds open to them; we try to take away the secret from diamonds by providing explanations and education. W e made this more professional during the years and last year was a record one, when we were visited by 370.000 tourists. In the factory we speak 27 different languages, and we receive tourists in their own language. W e are open 365 days a year and we start by explaining a little bit about were diamonds come from, the polishing process, and then we give an explanation on how their value is estimated and the 4Cs, carat, colour, clarity, cut. And do you think you are succeeding in doing that? I am convinced we are, because the satisfied faces of visitors at the end of the tour and the many pictures they take of this beautiful historical building mean that the trip was worthwhile. What are the perspectives for branded diamonds in the business? Do people care about them? W hat I can say is that if you put a brilliant and a Gassan 121 diamond on the table, people would see the difference because there is more fire in the Gassan 121. Branding is getting more and more important in the world both for jewellers and diamond producers and in my opinion we are doing a beautiful job in promoting our brand. How important is ethics in the choice of suppliers for Gassan diamonds? It is unbelievably important. W e even state in our invoices that our diamonds are non conflict. What are the challenges faced b y the industr y currentl y? The most important challenge is keeping quality high and innovating continuously. What is your view about the role of Europe as a trade, cutting and polishing centre? Is it doomed to decline? No, it is not. Of co urse small companies have problems in polishing small diamonds because labour cost is expensive compared to countries like India or China. But if you are making something unique, like our Gassan 121, you can keep doing profitable business. What range of ca rats do you w ork on? Gassan 121 usually starts from .30 on. And finall y, w hat is your view on the grow ing Asian market? W e have a strong interest in South -East Asia. Changi Airport in Singapore as an example is an important hub, just like Shanghai or Schip hol in the Netherlands. The relations we are entertaining with Asian markets are great and we very much like their mentality. The Gassan Group and Amsterdam Marketing work this year, structurally in the promotion and marketing of Amsterdam Metropolitan Ar ea. On May 13 this year, the two parties signed the Gassan Diamonds renewal of the Partnership. W ith this partnership Gassan Group contributes substantially to the promotion and marketing activities Marketing Amsterdam in 2013 realizes. On May 7, 2013 sig ned Benno Leeser and Jos Vranken at Gassan Diamonds renewing their partnership. Also in 2013, Gassan and Dutch Board of Tourism and Conventions (NBTC) to work for the promotion and marketing of the Netherlands. W ith this partnership Gassan contributes subs tantially to the promotion and marketing activities NBTC in 2013 realizes the Netherlands. Gassan Diamonds, traditionally a family -owned company, is located in the old steam diamond in the historic center of Amsterdam. The company is engaged in diamond polishing, wholesale and retail of loose and set diamonds, diamonds and gold jewelery and watches. Gassan Diamonds takes a leading position within the diamond world, partly by introducing patented cut, the Gassan 121. The diamond in the capital on December 3 1, 2012 it welcomed 377 596 visitors and that's a record. Visitors get a free tour of the factory where an explanation is given about the quality assessment of diamonds, and loose polished diamonds and jewelery are displayed. Press Release - 21/12/2012

At the very animated Business Monday of the Masters of LXRY at the RAI Amsterdam on 10 December last signed Gassan Diamonds and Alliance Gastronomique a Three -star Sponsorship Agreement. Gassan Diamonds, as an international organization operates with 500 e mployees currently working very actively to further confirm the brand name. This is now prominent in the shops behind the customs at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and Amsterdam Diamond Center store was transformed into a beautiful Gassan flagship store entire ly in the distinctive style. Sparkling jewelry collections, jewelry and watches, with international style while retaining the intimacy as befits a family business. Alliance Gastronomique is the longest running culinary partnership in Europe. 35 top restaurants in the Netherlands and Flanders carpentry for over 45 years, specifically on the road. At Alliance Catering is written with a capital letter. Gastronomique and the world of Gassan Diamonds have now found each other in a long term partnership. Benno Leeser, President of Gassan Group: "W e feel at home in the demanding and sparkling world of Top -Gastronomie. In many of our activities, we experience the same passion, dynamism and views on taste and quality. The collaboration with the Alliance offers us numerous opportunities that meet our marketing strategy. W e are therefore with great pleasure and satisfaction from a close cooperation. " Gerrit Greveling, president of the Alliance Gastronomique: "Under the leadership of our new Alliance Office Henk Borst and Judith ter Stege we put heavily on far -reaching forms of cooperation with a number of top brands and companies that are like no other and the distinctive features of our members the Alliance as an association endorse and propagate. Gassan Diamonds clo ses in everything seamlessly with our perception of Gastronomy and our ambitions in the field of marketing and activations. W e are particularly pleased with this new partner. "