Belgium's diamond industry gifts Trump a ring set with 321 diamonds

Belgium's diamond industry has presented US President Donald Trump with an oversized gold ring set with 321 diamonds as a gesture of gratitude for a tariff exemption.

According to the AP, Antwerp's diamond industry last week handed the watch-sized gold ring to Bill White, the US ambassador to Belgium, asking him to deliver it to Trump.

The ring is adorned with 321 diamonds, 56 sapphires, 13 emeralds and six rubies. The years 1776 and 2026 — marking the founding of the United States and the current year — are rendered in diamonds, and the phrase "250 YEARS USA" is engraved in 18-karat gold. The inside bears the inscription "Made in Antwerp for Donald John Trump."

Antwerp serves as the global hub of the diamond trade, handling more than 80 percent of the world's supply. The city's industry struggled under the tariff war Trump launched after taking office in February last year, but found relief in September of that year when cut diamonds exported to the United States — worth more than $2 billion annually — were granted an import tariff exemption.

Isidore Moersel, chairman of the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC), spoke at last week's handover ceremony. "May this ring long remind us that, like the finest natural diamonds, true partnerships are forged under pressure, endure the test of time, and shine brightest when built on trust," he said.

Trump responded through a pre-recorded video message shown at the "Freedom 250" event in Brussels on June 28, a celebration marking 250 years of American independence. "I am truly grateful to my friends in Antwerp for the magnificent 'Freedom 250' ring," he said.

The ring was crafted by David Gottlieb, a high-end Antwerp jeweler.

Neither the AWDC nor Gottlieb disclosed the exact price, but jewelry experts estimated its value at between $25,000 and $35,000 (about 38 million won to 54 million won).