Almost all of the exhibits at the small, low-tech Diamond Museum are clever recreations. Those on a budget can save money by going next door to Coster Diamonds – the company owns the museum and is attached to it – and taking a free workshop tour, where you can see gem cutters and polishers doing their thing.
Those who do venture into the museum will find exhibits on the history of the trade and the sparkling creations that have adorned the world's rich and powerful. You'll learn how Amsterdam was the globe's diamond trade epicentre for many centuries, where local Jews dominated the cutting and polishing business, and how the trade moved to Antwerp after WWII once Amsterdam lost its Jewish population. Faux royal crowns and jewel-encrusted swords shine in the display cases.
