October 29, 2019 Jack van Gelder presented a special Diamond Craftsmanship Token to five families. All are descendants of the Amsterdam founders of what is now known as the Amsterdam City of Diamonds. Because of the Rembrandt & the Golden Age yearlong theme in Amsterdam, the ‘Koninklijke Nederlandse Munt’ and ‘Kenniscentrum Immaterieel Erfgoed Nederland’ have partnered with GASSAN Diamonds and Royal Coster Diamonds to bring together the crafts of coin minting and diamond working. They have jointly launched a special and very limited edition: the Diamond worker’s token, set with real diamonds.
The power of two crafts combined
The craft of diamond working experienced a massive growth in The Netherlands during the Golden Age and is currently practiced in Amsterdam at two companies: Royal Coster Diamonds and at GASSAN Diamonds. Because of the Rembrandt & the Golden Age yearlong theme in Amsterdam, the ‘Koninklijke Nederlandse Munt’ and ‘Kenniscentrum Immaterieel Erfgoed Nederland’ have partnered with GASSAN Diamonds and Royal Coster Diamonds to bring together the crafts of coin minting and diamond working. They launched a special and very limited piece: the Diamond Craftsmanship Token. This is the second token in the series ‘Intangible Heritage in the Netherlands’ and available in three variations. The Cu/Ni token is packaged in the well-known coincard, with only 2,500 pieces available. Apart from this coincard, there was also a very exclusive gold Diamond Craftsmanship Token available with a real diamond in the middle. Only 10 (!) pieces of this unique gold token were made. The third and final piece was only available from via the website of the ‘Koninklijke Nederlandse Munt’: the Silver Diamond Craftsmanship Token, again with real diamonds! Only 50 pieces were available. All three items were sold out within a couple of hours.
Awarding the silver Diamond Craftsmanship Token
Last night, Jack van Gelder presented the special silver Diamond Craftsmanship Token at the Jewish Historical Museum to the descendants of Jewish families who were important to Amsterdam’s diamond history. One of Jack van Gelder’s ancestors was a diamond cutter and he therefore has a personal connection to this trade and the people who practice it.
The front of the token is based on the cutting stone used to cut a diamond. In the center, the Cu/Ni token is made in such a way that it looks like a diamond has been placed inside. The gold and silver tokens have real diamonds.
On the other side, the logo of the Inventory of Intangible Heritage of the Netherlands takes center stage, in which the Diamond Craftsmanship Token was credited in 2013.
The design comes alive, like a diamond shines, when the light hits the different facets on the token.
