A rich history

Eliza Lesscher, Marketing Manager at Royal Coster Diamonds, welcomes me to the diamond factory, where diamond cutters are concentrated behind glass. She talks about the rich history of the company, which was founded in 1840 by Moses Elias Coster. We stop at an impressive replica of a crown. “This crown, the Koh-I-Noor, was restored for Queen Victoria by two of Coster's best diamond cutters in 1852,” she explains.

“After Ben Meier took over the company in 1962, Coster Diamonds settled on Museum Square a few years later, in 1970. In 2007, we developed the first diamond with 201 facets, including a patent. And in 2016, Coster Diamonds received the title “Royal Coster Diamonds” from King Willem-Alexander. several royal jewels were made or restored by us”.

'A diamond is not always expensive and unattainable. '

“A diamond expensive and unreachable? People often make a mistake about that,” Eliza reveals as we continue walking towards a showroom. “Of course, it depends on the type and size of the diamond, but the prices of jewelry sometimes start at 400 euros.” As I take a seat in the room, Eliza orders diamonds to be brought to the room. They are brought in via a hatch with airflow pressure. What follows is an impressive collection of beautiful diamonds, each more beautiful than the other.

The 4 C's

“Where some people value “quality” more, others want the largest possible diamond. In the diamond world, we distinguish between the 4 Cs: Carat, Color, Clarity and Cut. Carat stands for carat and is the weight of the diamond. The larger the diamond, the higher the carat and the higher the price. Color stands for color and refers to the color of the diamond, or rather, its absence. The whiter the diamond, the rarer it is. Clarity stands for clarity and refers to the imperfections in a diamond. A natural diamond can have imperfections. Cut means cut, and that is the only “C” that a diamond cutter can influence. For example, there are many different forms, including the brilliant one. Many people think that a brilliant is different from a diamond, but this is just the cut. This once became so popular. '

Tours & workshops

I hang on Eliza's lips and admire the glittering diamonds on the table in front of us. One by one, we'll visit them. “We'd love to show it to people, because we're really crazy and proud of it ourselves. The nice thing is that we all like something else about it. You might prefer a subtle diamond in a necklace, while someone else might prefer the largest possible diamond engagement ring. '

Do you also want to learn everything about diamonds? This can be done by booking a tour or workshop via the website. Trust me: a visit to Royal Coster Diamonds will stay with you for a long time.

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