The Diamond Museum (Diamant Museum) in Amsterdam is a diamond-themed museum in the city’s museum quarter with displays on diamonds and the diamond industry. Book Diamond Museum tickets here
Amsterdam has been one of the centres of the world diamond trade for over four centuries. This museum was set up by the owner of Royal Coster Diamonds, one of the oldest diamond companies in Amsterdam which has been trading since 1840.
The museum is located in a monumental 19th century building on the Paulus Potterstraat near Museumplein. The museum was established in 2007 and is set-up over 2 levels.
On entry to the exhibition on the first floor there is a short introductory film in the cinema room about the origin of diamonds – how diamonds are created deep below the earth’s surface by extreme pressure and brought up to the near-surface by flowing magma.
There follows exhibits on various aspects of the industry – mining, polishing, the classification of diamonds, the diamond cartel and market, royal jewellery, the 400 year history of diamonds in Amsterdam, notable diamond robberies and famous diamonds.
Learn about the fundamental 4 C’s of diamond valuation – carat, colour, clarity and cut.
Items on display include old goldsmith tools and a copy of Van Gogh’s Starry Night encrusted with 504 diamonds.
Heading up to the second floor there is a display room with many replica international crowns including Dutch Queen Maxima’s wedding tiara.
Finally there is a kitschy mirror lined ‘Glamour Room’ playing videos and music – you are guaranteed to hear Shirley Bassey’s “Diamonds Are Forever”!
The centrepiece is the Coster Skull, a silver-casted gorilla skull set with 17,000 diamonds and inspired by Damien Hirst’s original diamond skull.
  | Trivia side note: The James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever (1971) was partly filmed in Amsterdam. In the film James Bond (played by the late Sean Connery) visits the 3rd floor apartment of Tiffany Case (Jill St John). This building can be found at Reguliersgracht 36 – not far from Rembrandtplein. |
Exhibits at the Diamond Museum are clearly presented in Dutch and English. A museum visit takes about 1 hour. A private tour is available at extra charge for groups up to 15 people. There is a shop on the ground floor entrance.
Overall the museum is quite informative and is worth a visit for those curious about various aspects of the diamond trade.
Diamond Museum Essential Info
| Opening Times | Daily 0900-1700. |
| Admission Prices (2024) | €12.50 for adults, €10 for children 13-17. FREE entry for children 0-12, Museumkaart and I Amsterdam City Card holders. You can pre-book Diamond Museum tickets online here Alternatively, order the I Amsterdam City Card online here which includes free entrance to the Diamond Museum. |
| Getting There | The Diamond Museum is located in a villa on Paulus Potterstraat, across the road from the Van Gogh Museum. From Amsterdam Central, trams 2 and 12 stop at the nearby Rijksmuseum. Or take metro line 52 to Vijzelgracht station which is about 7 mins walk away. |
Diamaond Museum, Paulus Potterstraat 8, 1071 CZ Amsterdam
T: +31(0)20 305 5300, diamondmuseum.com
Last updated 12 January 2024. This article was first published in 2010 and has been regularly updated.
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