dutch master diamond cutter

Pieter van der Meulen rocked the diamond cutting world when he set foot in Antwerp, Belgium in 1630. Since then, the Dutch have led the industry for centuries.

Pioneering into uncharted territory, Pieter van der Meulen established the essential use of diamond saws, a considerable update from the primitive hammer and chisel previously used to cut diamonds. This epoch-making leap swiftly gained traction; in no time it had reached all most preeminent diamond cutting centres, and from then on the diamond saw was the go-to tool for cutting diamonds.

The Dutch introduced a game-changing technique for diamond refinement and created the perfect finish – a smooth, glossy sparkle. This process, commonly referred to as bruting, revolutionized gemstone polishing.

While it was the Dutch who first divulged the precious art of diamond cutting in Amsterdam, a certain French virtuoso was determined to follow in their footsteps. Jean Baptiste Tavernier, a skilled jeweler, voyaged to Amsterdam in the early 18th century. He yearned to uncover the techniques pioneered by the Dutch, and consequently purchased a few uncut diamonds during his stay.

Tavernier’s uncut diamonds were returned to France, where King Louis XIV purchased them. Progressive Dutch techniques were employed to cut and polish these stones, resulting in an unprecedented standard of quality exceeding all previous iterations.

The nineteenth century saw the Dutch relinquish their renowned title of and prowess in the diamond industry. This takeover came as a consequence of the discovery of new deposits in faraway places such as South Africa and Russia. Despite this major shift, the Dutch name lived on with an inheritance – masterful craftsmanship in diamond cutting was passed down for generations to come. To this day, some of the most talented diamond cutters in the world maintain their ancestral Dutch reputation.

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