The Diamant Museum Amsterdam

The so-called "Diamond Quarter" is located on Paulus Potterstraat Street, on the northern border of Museum square (Museumplen).

Diamond Museum, Amsterdam

These are four 17th-century mansions owned by the Coster Diamonds factory, founded in 1840. The most famous works of the factory are the legendary "Kohinoor" from the crown of the Queen of Great Britain, "Dresden Green Diamond" and others.

Diamond Museum, Amsterdam

In 2007, the first Diamond Museum in Europe was opened in the house number 8. The idea belongs to the world-famous lapidary Ben Mayer. The museum immediately became popular, in the first year it was visited by 75 thousand people.

Diamond Museum, Amsterdam

First of all, visitors are invited to watch a short film that tells the story of diamond mining and processing. The film is available in Dutch or English, but you can use a written translation in one of the 25 languages.

Diamond Museum, Amsterdam

Then you can look at the cutting machines and tools that perform the finest processing of the hardest material in nature.

Diamond Museum, Amsterdam

Diamonds, due to their rarity in all epochs, were a very valuable mineral and were used for decoration. But the real diamond was first made in 1465 by Ludwig van Berkham, a Dutch jeweler from Bruges in the service of the Duke of Burgundy. For the first time, Van Berkham made a cut with precise geometric shapes, for which he used a special machine and abrasive materials. The Dutch put the diamond industry on an industrial basis, becoming the world's center for diamond processing.

Diamond Museum, Amsterdam

The museum displays copies of historical diamonds, as well as products made from them, including copies of royal crowns of various states, there are also natural stones.

Diamond Museum, Amsterdam

One of the shop windows displays an exclusive watch decorated with precious stones.

Diamond Museum, Amsterdam

The museum's sales hall offers a large selection of diamond-encrusted jewelry. Prices, of course, are frightening, but still they are somewhat lower than in stores.

Diamond Museum, Amsterdam

Zenith and TAG Heuer watches decorated with precious stones. Prices start from 2.5 thousand euros.

Diamond Museum, Amsterdam

In addition to diamonds, the factory also processes other minerals, as well as colored crystal.

Diamond Museum, Amsterdam

I was interested in the collection of figurines of various representatives of the animal world.

Diamond Museum, Amsterdam

There are crystal birds here.

Diamond Museum, Amsterdam

Fish and seahorses.

Diamond Museum, Amsterdam

Funny figures of pets.

Diamond Museum, Amsterdam

In the courtyard of the museum there is a small cozy garden, where there is a cafe.

Diamond Museum, Amsterdam

Finally, you can take a photo next to the huge wooden shoe that stands at the entrance to the museum.

Diamond Museum, Amsterdam

The museum is open daily from 9 to 17, the ticket price is 10 euros, for pensioners, students and children 7.5 euros.