Pelikaanstraat (Pelikan Street) and Diamond District, Antwerp

From the second half of the 19th century Pelikaanstraat (Pelikan Street) is a world famous diamond trading center. The street is also interesting because of its architecture, dominated by picturesque buildings in the Art Nouveau and eclectic style.

Antwerp has been a focus of the diamond trade since 15th century. The industry was transformed when Lodewyk van Berken invented a new form of diamond polishing tool, the scaif, which enabled the creation of the stereotypical sparkling, multifaceted diamond. This attracted orders from European nobility - and attracted other craftsmen to Antwerp. Charles the Bold commissioned him to cut and polish the Florentine Diamond. In the 1890s a diamond industry was established in Antwerp by families of diamonds traders and manufacturers who came from Amsterdam

Antwerp's diamond district is also known as the Diamond Quarter (Diamantkwartier), and dubbed the Square Mile. It consists of several square blocks covering an area of about one square mile. While as of 2012, much of the gem cutting and polishing work historically done in the neighborhood had moved to low wage centers elsewhere, about 84% of the world's rough diamonds passed through the district, making it the largest diamond district in the world with a turnover of 54 billion dollars. Each year, approximately 50% of the rough diamonds return to Antwerp for cutting and polishing. Over 80% of rough diamonds were purchased in Antwerp.

The neighborhood is dominated by Jewish, Jain Indians, Maronites Christian Lebanese and Armenian dealers, known as diamantaires. More than 80% of Antwerp's Jewish population works in the diamond trade; Yiddish was, historically, a main language of the diamond exchange. No business is conducted on Saturdays.

The diamond district is located adjacent to the Central Station (Antwerp Centraal) and a few minutes' walk to Meir, Antwerp's main shopping street. There are numerous and various restaurants, bars and cafes around the district.