The Diamond Museum, Brugge

The Diamond Museum is located in the heart of Bruges. The art of diamond polishing was invented in the city. The Museum is dedicated to informing visitors about every aspect of diamonds and diamond jewelry.

The Diamond Museum was inaugurated in 1999. According to the historian, Ludo Vandamme, diamonds were polished and traded in Bruges as early as the 14th century, long before they became an important industry in Antwerp and Amsterdam. The museum is a teaching facility and offers special diamond polishing shows for schools and visitors. The museum shop sells different types of diamond souvenirs and diamond related books.

The permanent collection of the museum explains the role played by the precious stone in history, with a special focus on its evolution under the Dukes of Burgundy. There is a section dedicated to the development of the industrial diamond and its importance in manufacturing processes. A robot, called Boris, makes diamonds out of graphite in a few minutes and is a popular exhibit at the museum. Other displays include one of the best collections of diamond cutting tools in the world, interesting diamonds and diamond jewelry, the Brazilian collection and the displays of synthetic and industrial diamonds. The Museum also hosts temporary exhibitions, like the 2009 show about the social history of diamond polishers in Bruges and the exhibition dedicated to the history of the diamond jewelry in 2008.