Exhibits at the Diamond Museum describe the history and allure of the sparkling stone.
In Amsterdam, a Gem Story
Exhibits at the Diamond Museum describe the history and allure of the sparkling stone.
Reporting from Amsterdam
Aug. 28, 2023, 5:00 a.m. ET
Visitors who missed the blockbuster Vermeer exhibition at the Rijksmuseum here earlier this year will still be able to spot plenty of pearls among the half-dozen of his paintings still on display in the museum’s Gallery of Honor through Oct. 10. But for anyone interested in learning about diamonds, a better bet is just a three-minute walk away: the Diamond Museum Amsterdam.
Opened in 2007 and operated by a foundation established by the gem polishing company Royal Coster Diamonds, the museum has two floors displaying real and reproduction stones.
An introductory video describes how diamonds are formed and mined and how Amsterdam grew to be a global center for diamond polishing in the 17th century — though it has been surpassed, the museum said, particularly by Antwerp, Belgium, where about 80 percent of all rough diamonds and 50 percent of cut diamonds are traded today.
The exhibition includes a timeline of diamond-related milestones; the history of shipping routes from India, an early supplier of gems to Europe; details about the process of cutting and polishing a raw stone; and head-turning nuggets, such as the fact that most mined diamonds end up in tools like saw blades and surgical knives rather than rings and tiaras. follow for more updates roskingemnewsreport.com
To read more about the museum in this New York Times feature, Tap Here.
