Diamant Museum

Near the Museumplein in the Museum Quarter, the Diamond Museum tells the 400-year story of the diamond and of Amsterdam's long history as a 'City of Diamonds'. Founded by Royal Coster Diamonds, it traces the gem's journey from deep underground to the sparkle on a ring.

Important to know: the museum is currently closed for renovation and is due to reopen in 2026 at a new address just nearby, on the Paulus Potterstraat. It's worth checking the museum's website for the reopening before you plan a visit.

What you'll see

When open, the permanent exhibition covers how diamonds form, how they're cut and polished, famous stones and royal jewellery, and Amsterdam's centuries-old role in the diamond trade — with replicas of some of the world's most famous diamonds among the highlights.

Good to know

In the meantime, the adjacent Royal Coster Diamonds — one of the world's oldest diamond houses — offers free guided tours where you can watch diamonds being cut and polished. It's right by the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum, so easy to fold into a Museum Quarter day.

Amsterdam’s diamond heritage is also part of its Jewish history. Jewish merchants and craftspeople played an important role in the city’s diamond industry, while diamond workers became a significant force in the Dutch trade union movement. That background gives the subject a broader dimension than luxury alone: it is also a story of skilled labour, migration and working conditions. For that social history, the Jewish Cultural Quarter offers a useful complementary stop elsewhere in the city.

For a change of pace around your museum visit, look beyond the galleries of the Museum Quarter. The Concertgebouw faces Museumplein and gives the neighbourhood a musical counterpart to its visual arts collections. Nearby, the shopping streets of the Willemspark and Oud-Zuid offer a different view of the district, with residential streets between the busier routes. You can also head towards Vondelpark for a walk and some time outdoors.