Prins & Prins: A Treasure Box with Gems, Cape Town, South Africa (B)

Walking the streets of Cape Town, one cannot miss the impressive colonial architecture of the Prins & Prins diamond store. Whether you are shopping for stones, interested in how they are dug up and cut, or curious about the early days of Cape Town, this is a door you want to push!

The building where the Prins & Prins diamond store is housed today was built in 1752 as a family home. Given its size, it must have been a pretty wealthy family settling in. With Cape Town expanding with the arrival of many immigrants, artists had a hard time making a living, as their skill sets were not the most sought after. Some of them decorated mansions in exchange for board and food. Stéfan, sales and marketing manager at Prins & Prins shows us around proudly while explaining: “We bought this building that was in a terrible condition in 1980. It should have been demolished, but the demolition of this three-story mansion would have been too pricey and the government auctioned it off. It took us five years to restore and save this building, and we have found stunning art works underneath the last layer of paint!” Stefan points out to a mural. A very classic Pompei-style painting from 1792 decorates the wall. “It was very exotic and stylish here back then to have classic Italian paintings like this”, Stefan explains passionately. Above the restored painting the indigenous yellowwood beam supports the ceiling. One of Cape Town’s most exclusive jewellery stores appears to be a true treasure box with gems from the past. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).