Cookies Policy

This cookie policy (the “Cookie Policy”) applies to the use by HRD Antwerp NV and its affiliates (“HRD”, “we”, “us” or “our”) of cookies and other similar technologies on our websites at www.hrdantwerp.com, www.my.hrdantwerp.com and www.education.hrdantwerp.com (collectively known as “Site” or “Website”). References in this Cookie Policy to “you” or “your” are references to individuals who use the Site.

At HRD, we understand that trust is the foundation of every relationship, especially when it involves the significant moments marked by our services. Just as we are committed to the integrity and quality of the services and products we provide, we are equally dedicated to protecting your digital privacy.

We believe you should have full clarity and control over the data we collect while you explore our website. This Cookie Policy is designed to be transparent about how and why we use tracking technologies. We use cookies not only to ensure our Site functions securely and efficiently but also to provide you with a personalized, seamless experience. Your privacy is a priority to us, and we handle your information with the highest level of care and professional discretion.

1. What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files stored on your device (computer, tablet, or mobile) when you visit our website. They help us recognize your device and store information about your preferences or past actions to improve your experience.

Think of a "cookie" as a small digital memory file. Technically, it is a tiny string of text and numbers that a website sends to your computer or mobile device when you visit. This file sits in your web browser (like Chrome, Safari, or Edge) and acts as a sort of "ID card" or "bookmark" for that specific site.

Because websites themselves have no "memory," they treat every click as if it's coming from a brand-new stranger. Cookies change that by allowing our Site to "remember" you. For example, if you are browsing our education catalog and added a specific course to your wishlist, a cookie is what tells the Site to keep that course in your shopping cart even if you click onto another page or refresh your screen. Without cookies, the Site would "forget" your selections instantly.

Cookies can also remember your preferences, such as your preferred language, your local currency, or whether you've already seen a specific announcement. While some cookies disappear the moment you close your browser (Session Cookies), others remain on your device so that when you return to us weeks later, we can welcome you back with your previous settings intact (Persistent Cookies).

2. Types of Cookies and How We Use Them

A) Strictly necessary cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookies are essential for the basic technical operation of our Site and cannot be disabled in our systems. For a professional laboratory, these cookies are critical to maintaining a secure and reliable environment for our clients. They are used exclusively to provide the services you specifically request, such as but not limited to:

• Report Verification: Ensuring that when you access our digital grading database to verify a certificate, your session remains secure and the data is delivered accurately.
• Security & Integrity: Authenticating your identity when you log in to your account and protecting our proprietary grading data from unauthorized access or malicious activity.
• System Stability: Distributing web traffic across our servers to ensure the Site remains responsive, especially during high-demand periods for report lookups.

Because these cookies are required for the Site to function safely and correctly, they do not require your prior consent. You can set your browser to block these cookies, but please be aware that essential features—such as the Report Verification tool or your client dashboard—will not function without them.

B) Functional/Preference cookies

Functional Cookies allow our Site to remember the choices you make and provide enhanced, more personal features. These cookies act as a digital memory for your specific preferences, ensuring that your experience is seamless each time you return to our digital platforms.

For example, we use these cookies to do the following though the list is not exhaustive:

• Remember Your Preferences: Save your preferred language, region, or default currency settings for service fees.
• Streamline Navigation: Remember your last-searched report numbers or specific filters you applied within our grading database.
• Enhance Accessibility: Save your customized display settings, such as font size or high-contrast modes.

While these cookies are not strictly necessary for the Site to function, they significantly improve your user experience. If you choose to disable or block these cookies, some of these customized services may not function as intended, and you may be required to manually re-enter your preferences during every visit.

C) Performance/Analytics Cookies

Performance and Analytics Cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our Site by collecting and reporting information anonymously. These cookies allow us to measure and improve the performance of our laboratory's digital tools, ensuring they remain fast, reliable, and user-friendly.

Specifically, we use these cookies to:

• Monitor Site Speed: Track how quickly our grading database and report lookup features load for users around the world.
• Identify Popular Features: Determine which educational resources or gemological data sections are most helpful to our clients.
• Fix Errors: Spot any technical "bugs" or broken links that might prevent you from accessing a digital certificate or account dashboard.
• Traffic Analysis: Measure the volume of visitors to different sections of the Site to ensure our servers are properly optimized for high demand.

All information collected by these cookies is aggregated and, therefore, anonymous. They are not used to identify you personally but rather to help us provide a more stable and efficient service. If you do not allow these cookies, we will be less able to monitor our Site's performance and improve your experience based on how you use our services.

D) Targeting/Advertising Cookies

Targeting and Advertising Cookies are placed on our Site by our advertising partners to help us deliver content and advertisements that are relevant to your professional or personal interests. These cookies do not store direct personal information, but they are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device.

As a diamond grading laboratory and education provider, we may use these cookies to:

• Relevant Remarketing: Display reminders or updates about our grading services and educational resources to you as you browse other websites or social media platforms.
• Service Awareness: Ensure that if you have shown interest in a specific service—such as fancy color diamond grading or laser inscription—you receive information specifically tailored to those interests.
• Measurement: Analyze the effectiveness of our professional outreach and marketing campaigns to ensure we are communicating with the right audience in the gemstone industry.

While these cookies track your activity across different sites, the goal is to provide you with meaningful information rather than repetitive or irrelevant ads. If you do not allow these cookies, you will still see advertisements on the web, but they will not be tailored to your interests in our gemological services.

3. Third-Party Cookies

While exploring our platform, you may encounter cookies that are placed by third-party services rather than directly by HRD Antwerp NV. We partner with reputable service providers to enhance our Site's functionality and to better understand our global reach. These third parties—which may include analytics providers, mapping services (such as Google Maps for our laboratory locations), and social media platforms—set their own cookies to track the effectiveness of their tools and to personalize their services.

Please note that we do not have direct control over the information collected by these third-party cookies, nor do we have access to that data. Each of these providers operates under its own specific privacy and cookie policies. We encourage you to review the policies of these third parties on their respective websites to understand how they manage your data. Your consent for these cookies can be managed through adjusting your individual browser preferences.

4. How Long Do Cookies Stay on My Browser?

The length of time a cookie remains on your device depends on whether it is a "Session" or a "Persistent" cookie:

• Session Cookies: These are temporary digital footprints that only last as long as your current visit. They are stored in your browser's temporary memory and are automatically deleted the moment you close your browser tab or window. We use these primarily for essential security and to ensure your report verification process remains uninterrupted while you are on our Site.
• Persistent Cookies: These cookies have a specific expiration date set by the server (often ranging from 30 days up to 24 months). They remain on your device even after you close your browser, allowing our Site to "recognize" you when you return. This is how we remember your preferred language or your last-viewed grading reports.

These cookies stay on your hard drive until they reach their built-in expiration date or until you manually delete them from your browser settings.

Regardless of their programmed lifespan, you have the right to clear all cookies from your device at any time through your browser's privacy settings.

5. Managing Your Preferences

You have the right to decide whether to accept or reject cookies.

• Browser Settings: You can set your browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent. You can also delete all cookies that are already stored on your device by clearing your browser's browsing history. This will remove all cookies from all websites you have visited.
• Cookie Banner: When you first visit our site, you can choose to "Accept All," "Reject All," or "Manage Settings" via our consent banner.
• Opt-Out: To opt-out of Google Analytics tracking, you can install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

6. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in technology or legal requirements. Any changes will become effective when we post the revised policy on the Site.

7. Contact Us

If you have any questions about our use of cookies, please contact us at: Legal Department, HRD Antwerp, Hoveniersstraat 22, 2018 Antwerpen or email us at privacy@hrdantwerp.com.