Diamond Museum Amsterdam
The Diamond Museum in Amsterdam is the place to be in Amsterdam for jewelry and diamond lovers. Located just next to famous Museum quarters, the Diamond museum offers visitors a unique opportunity to explore the interesting history of diamonds and the diamond industry in the Netherlands.
Here below you will find out what you can see at the diamond museum in Amsterdam, how Amsterdam became the diamond city of the world in the 17th century and how the Dutch diamonds became famous!
The Diamond Museum Amsterdam in short:
- Age: All ages
- Time needed to visit the Diamond Museum: 1.5 – 2 hours
- Where in Amsterdam: Paulus Potterstraat 8, 1071 CZ Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Discount possible?: Free for kids (0-12), discount available for students and 65+ visitors
- Can you use the iamsterdam city card for Diamond Museum?: Yes, you can use the Iamsterdam city card to visit the diamond museum
- Neighborhood: Amsterdam Museum Quarter
- Close to: Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Stedelijk Museum, Vondelpark, Moco Museum
What is the Diamond Museum Amsterdam?
In 2007, Ben Meier of Coster Diamonds established the Diamond museum (also called the diamant museum in Dutch), which houses a permanent collection of diamond jewelry in a very beautiful villa next to the museum quarter in the city center.
What can you see at the Diamond Museum?
At the Diamond Museum Amsterdam (“diamanten museum”), you will go back in time and explore the origins of diamonds and how they are formed and processed. You will learn about the long history of humans’ fascination with diamonds and their power and wealth.
The museum has a beautiful collection of replica tiaras and crowns with diamonds, as well as a unique permanent collection featuring famous pieces such as the Katana (Japanese sword) of Murano glass with 1967 diamonds and 494 rubies, the smallest diamond ever cut.
Don’t forget the diamond Ape Skull! Decorated with 17,000 diamonds and inspired by Damien Hirst’s diamond-encrusted human skull.
Visitors of the museum can also take a tour of the diamond cutting room and see how diamonds are cut and polished.
What are diamonds? Some facts:
- Diamonds are a crystallization form of carbon atoms and carbon is the principle building blocks in life.
- 3 billion years ago, diamonds came into existence at a depth of circa 140 km inside the earth.
- Diamonds are made when carbon was exposed to an extrimely high pressure and at a very high temperature (roughly 2000 degrees Celsius).
- Just about 20% of the total world production of diamonds is processed into jewellery diamonds
- The other 80% is used for industrial purposes: as diamonds are very hard and sturdy, they are used as polishing discs, drills or even in medical instruments!
- Since 1950, people have found out how to make synthetic diamonds. Currently about 95-99% of all industrial used diamonds are synthetic!
How to make a diamond beautiful?
To be able to make a stone bling bling from a rough, dirty diamond, you will need to process it. The important steps of processing are sawing, bruting and polishing.
The diamonds were cut for the first time in Venice, a couple of hundered years ago (beginning of the 14th century).
In the 17th century, Amsterdam became the world center of processing and trading of diamonds.
How is the value of diamond determined?
The value of diamond is determined by four quality factors, which were determined and established in Amsterdam in 1975.
The quality factors are: Carat, Colour, Cut, and Clarity. As they all start with a “C”, this became known as the system of the 4 C’s.
The price of diamonds does not fluctuate, and the price is kept stable as the amount of diamonds available on the market is regulated.
What is a carat?
Well, a carat is a weighing measurement of diamonds. Back in the time, the seeds of the “Carob” tree (an Arabic species) were used to determine the weigh of gemstones on the scale – as the seeds of the carob have a very stable weight of 0.2 grams.
The word of carat is derived from this tree, nice fun fact right? In 1907 it was internationally established that 1 carat = 0.2 grams.
What is the most expensive diamond in the world?
The most expensive diamond in the world “The De Beers Centenary Diamond” was sold for 100 million USD. It weights 273.85 carats (about 55 grams) and was found in South-Africa.
It is however not the largest diamond in the world though. It does have the greatest number of facets, namely 247.
Is Amsterdam the diamond capital of the world?
For more than 400 years, the diamond industry has been established in Amsterdam. Therefore, Amsterdam also obtained the nickname: “City of Diamonds”.
Why is Amsterdam the diamond capital? Well, it all started when many oppressed diamond workers from Antwerp left the city in 1585 and settled in the religious tolerant city of Amsterdam.
At the beginning of the 17th century, many Jews from Portugal and Germany settled in Amsterdam and became diamond polishers and traders in Amsterdam. They also brought the knowledge and skills to Amsterdam.
Diamond cutting was a craft for which there was no guild. Jews were barred from guilds, making the diamond business one of the few options they had in Amsterdam. This is how Amsterdam became the diamond capital of the world and why we call Amsterdam the city of Diamonds.
Amsterdam remained an important city for diamond trading and polishing, but
currently, the diamond traders in Amsterdam are more focussed on the trading of diamonds. Most of the rough diamonds are being processed and polished in Antwerp.
Who should visit the Diamond Museum in Amsterdam?
The museum offers an informative and entertaining way to explore the history of diamonds and the diamond industry in Amsterdam.
Whether you’re a diamond lover or simply curious about diamonds, the Diamond Museum in Amsterdam is a must-see attraction.
Buy The Diamond Museum tickets with Free Cancellation
With millions of people visiting Amsterdam every year, Amsterdam is a very popular travel destination. This means that tickets for popular tourist attractions are quickly sold out and that it is busy at the ticket counter. It is therefore recommended to purchase your The Diamond Museum tickets in advance, then you know that you can visit this place for sure when you are in Amsterdam.
🛎️ If you buy your The Diamond Museum tickets online, you can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund, and you can even get into the building quicker. This will save you lots of precious time in Amsterdam. With a ticket in your inbox, you have nothing to worry about.
Where is the Diamond Museum Amsterdam located on the Map?
You can find the villa of the Diamond Museum just next to the famous Rijksmuseum at the Museum Quarter (Museumplein), in the city center of Amsterdam. The Diamond museum is located very closely to the other museums of this square. Here, you are also close to the famous Vondelpark too!
(Image) Source: Diamond Museum