You pay to get to the diamonds shop. Nice wrap😁 This is not real museum, but a 10 min walk through a small gallery with pictures and diamond-digging story. And then 30 Min at the shop.

Last week while visiting Cape Town I happened upon the Shimansky Diamond museum. With no real familiarity of jewelry or stones, just a love for natures beauty, I decided to take a detour from my day and do the museum tour. This should definitely be on any list of activities to do in Cape Town! The history and information provided truly changed my perception of jewelry. Much thanks to my very detailed and informed guide Constantina.

A really interesting bit of history and closer look at what it takes to shape a diamond to show off its true beauty. Staff are knowledgeable and friendly. Entrance is R100 pp or look out for complimentary tickets available in their website. There appear to be a limited number. Your tour ends off in the Shimansky jewellery shop. So many beautiful pieces to choose from. Best you start saving now 😉

Great experience in cape town! Absolutely a recommendation to get more information about the beloved diamonds. The guide answers all your questions. Live insights about how diamonds and other metals getting processed. It dies not take a lot of time and if your thinking about to make your fiancé a present take the chance!

I had the pleasure of being guided by the lovely Zukiswa. The tour was enlightening. I learned about the fascinating history of diamond mining in South Africa and how it fits into a global context. As well as the intricate process that goes into developing a diamond from rough to wearable. Perhaps the most enjoyable thing about the tour wasn’t the impressive depth of knowledge shared but Zukiswa’s personal touch. She was calm, made me feel comfortable. This was very fun. I highly recommend it. I recommend going during the week if you want to see the craftsmen working.

Diamond Museum- Shimansky- V&A Waterfront. With complementary visit voucher, witnessed the hardest substance of nature & South Africa's history as the largest diamond producer in world. Mining, processing, policing etc explained by the staff. Diamond-Natural Diamond cut-Artificial Diamond & the cut combined result in brilliant final product. Total Internal Reflection of light is the key. 57 facet round brilliant cut is the classic one.

Definitely a must to add to your to do list. It was a knowledgeable, exciting, interesting, fun and interactive experience. Friendly assistants and tour guider Nadya were helpful and make you feel welcomed and are easily approachable.

Cape Town, mother of nature and treasure home, I can't express how much I adore this beautiful country. During my stay in Cape Town, I visited the diamond museum, where Ms. Nadia, the knowledgeable and lovely guide, explained everything. I was amazed with all the information, and I had the opportunity to visit the shop, where so many unique pieces of art are available at various prices to suit all budgets. Thanks a lot for the tour and the wonderful staff.

We had an amazing time at the Cape Town diamond museum! Our guide Wesley was very knowledgeable and accommodating. He taught us about the history of diamonds and the importance of the four C’s when picking out a diamond. It is also very Covid friendly as the tour is private (just your group and a guide). This is an excellent place to go with your partner to learn about diamonds and pick out an engagement ring. However, that’s not the only jewelry they have to offer! I got a beautiful 14k gold table mountain ring with a small diamond. I highly recommend this experience if you are in Cape Town!

It was excellent! It's a must see!

This place is definitely a hidden gem in plain sight 😅. We absolutely loved the tour. It's the perfect place to find engagement rings, wedding rings or something blue 😉... And a lot more. Ps: Download the complimentary voucher on their website and book ahead of your visit.

Situated in the bustling heart of the world-famous Clock Tower precinct and Gateway to Robben Island at the Waterfront, the Cape Town Diamond Museum pays tribute to the world’s most precious gem, the diamond. Witness a 3 billion year old story unfold from a diamond’s formation to the final polished stone. The Cape Town Diamond Museum is a non-profit organisation dedicated to creating a new appreciation for diamonds. A gift from Shimansky to the city of Cape Town. Diamonds are the world’s most desirable treasure – and the oldest, with origins over three billion years ago. South Africa’s contribution to that history changed the world diamond industry forever. This South African museum is simply a must see. SA’s Cape Town Diamond Museum pays homage to this extraordinary story, with insight and originality, sophistication and style. Make sure to include the elegant, South African Diamond museum as part of your visit to the V&A Waterfront, Cape Town. No trip to the city is complete without a visit to the South African Diamond Museum in Cape Town, located at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. No trip to the city is complete without a visit here.

The 1867 discovery of diamonds in the Cape Colony, South Africa, radically modified not only the world’s supply of diamonds but also the conception of them. As annual world diamond production increased more than tenfold in the following 10 years, a once extremely rare material became accessible to Western society with its growing wealth. Today South Africa maintains its position as a major diamond producer. Diamond Mining | Famous Diamonds | Diamonds Through The Ages The story of diamonds in South Africa begins between December 1866 and February 1867 when 15-year-old Erasmus Jacobs found a transparent rock on his father’s farm, on the south bank of the Orange River. Over the next few years, South Africa yielded more diamonds than India had in over 2,000 years. The first diamond discoveries in South Africa were alluvial. By 1869, diamonds were found far from any stream or river. First in yellow earth and below in hard rock called blue ground, later called kimberlite, after the mining town of Kimberley. In the 1870′s and 1880′s Kimberley, encompassing the mines that produced 95% of the world’s diamonds, was home to great wealth and fierce rivalries, most notably that between Cecil John Rhodes and Barney Barnato, English immigrants who consolidated early 31ft prospects into ever larger holdings and mining companies. In 1888, Rhodes prev Unlike the proverbial cat, one may expect the Premier Mine to enjoy only four lives. The first lasted from the discovery of the diamond pipe just before 1902 – and the formation of the Premier (Transvaal) Diamond Mining Company – until the outbreak of World War I when the mine was shut down and operated on a caretaker basis. By January of 1916 it was working again and production continued up to 1932 when diamond mining operations ceased due to the depressed state of the diamond industry. Working resumed in 1945, but its fourth life really began in 1979 with the opening up of the mine below the Gabbroe sill, a 70-meter geologic intrusion of barren rock which cuts right through the pipe some 400 meters below the surface. Production from this new source has not only given the mine its longest life, but one that should enable production to continue for another fifteen years. In the early years of its existence, the Premier Mine produced many large diamonds, including, of course the Cullinan in 1905, and since working was restarted in 1945 the mine has continued to yield some exceptional stones. One of the most exciting moments was early on Sunday, May 22nd, 1954, when a diamond measuring just under 51 mm long, just over 25 mm wide and 19 mm thick unexpectedly appeared on the grease tables at the recovery plant. It was immediately apparent to the officials present that this, later known as the Niarchos diamond (426.5ct), was an exceptional find. Visit a South African museum dedicated to the diamond industry. Discover more about South African diamonds and the history of diamonds when you visit our museum based in the Clock Tower, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town.

Amazing tour by Arnaldo Grobbelaar! Very informative and fun! It was very interesting to learn about the local diamond 💎 industry! Thank you for the great experience!

Excellent showroom and beautiful pieces of diamond jewelry.. worth visiting and exploring options. Nadya, the lady showed me around and explained all the steps stages and different cuts and clarity 3Cs, she did an excellent job and gave me very valuable advice on what to buy and how to select diamonds...

Amazing museum outlining the history of diamonds in SA. Our guide Nadya was amazing - thank you so much for your enthusiasm, friendliness, effort and outstanding service!

Amazing museum. Nadya gave exceptional tour about the history of diamonds in South Africa, some fun facts and other never heard information. You can see also the production area of the diamonds. Highly recommended!

This was an outstanding experience on our entire trip to Cape Town! The tour was super informative and interesting. Our tour guide Nadia was super nice and just lovely to learn from. We ended up buying a necklace and it was so great! Highly recommend this entire experience even if you’re not in the market for any diamonds.

Nothing interesting, no big real diamond on display.

We had a great afternoon at Shimansky and Nosheen Ganief is an excellent expert of diamonds and showed us everything in detail. Thanks so much for the time.

Tanya Coetzee was our hostess. She was excited and enthusiastic. The tour and experience was amazing and very detailed. I learnt alot and would highly recommend her to anyone. Thank you for an amazing experience Shimansky and Tanya !

Tanya Coetzee is amazing! Thnk u so much for educating us on the world of diamonds-Shimansky has the most amazing designs and range for all ur needs! 😃

Excellent and knowledgeable tour conducted by Nola; beautiful diamond creations by Shimansky; if in Cape Town make sure you visit.

Amazing place! South Africa was always about gems and this museum was the best initiative for this kind of item. You will feel how the processes are so interesting and how technological gem cutting can be nowadays. It’s beautiful and educational and a must see place.

Need to make a booking. This is unclear and only realise when you get to the museum. Thus sadly couldn’t go in, but at least a small exhibit outside

Beautiful museum. Our guide Nadia was very knowledgeable and nice. It's a must go if you are in the waterfront area of Cape Town.

Wow wow! Beyond our expectations! What a great tour by Nadya! This is a must do on your to-do-list in Cape Town. Thank you!!

Amazing tour, interesting history facts, witness the journey of diamond from bulk to polished miracle. Kudos to our guide Nadya, she loves her job and knows a lot about the whole process.

Very nice tour/guide.

Definitely loved the experience and learning about diamonds. Josh the tour guide was awesome. He answered all my questions and was very patient. I would definitely recommend this place if you want to buy diamonds and have a first hand experience of the cutting process.

We had a wonderful tour of the diamond museum with Nadya who was a brilliant guide. We learned a huge amount about the diamond mines and origins, as well as seeing how the cutting process worked and done replicas of the most famous diamonds in the world. We would recommend the tour without hesitation especially with Nadya herself as she included all the most interesting details and easily held our attention even though were on our first day’s holiday and pretty tired! The shop at the end has the the most beautiful, alluring jewellery , too!)

What a lovely informative museum. Had to cut it short due to the tantrums of my very adult baby (my boyfriend); but I would've sold my big toe in order to complete the tour and get to see the diamond cutting process. Our guide was so pleasantly kind and her voice was like sweet rain. Loved it ❤️. Will return, no doubt about it!

I recently visited the Cape Town Diamond Museum and had a fantastic private tour with Josh. He was super friendly and explained everything so well. Josh knows a lot, and he made the tour really interesting. I had a great time learning about diamonds. Big thanks to Josh for being so nice! I totally recommend this museum for a fun and informative visit. Five stars! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Wonderful experience! 100% recommended giving the Diamond Museum a visit. Our guide Zukiswa was very knowledgeable and gave a lot of insight into the history of diamonds and the process of making diamonds on top of that she was very friendly and welcoming. Definitely a must visit for anyone who is thinking of taking the next step with that special someone.

Every woman must visit the diamond museum. Every man who wants to keep his lady happy, would be wise to visit. Apart from the history and grading, you can try on some spectacular rings. You can see jewellers at work during week days. Entry is free. Private tour. Best to book in advance or at the front desk.

I loved learning more about the history of diamonds. Some facts are just so amazing. Now I know my 3-C's. I would recommend this museum to anyone interested in diamonds and how rings are made. Cut and shaped. The tour was quick and easy to understand with comprehensive information and detail. They offer you a drink and guide you through the wonderful showcase available.

Very friendly staff that give you an insightful tour into the history of diamonds. Weekdays you can see how diamonds get cut and set into rings. They have a beautiful diamond and tanzanite exhibit that you can view upclose and try on. They also have a size chart for rings which is very helpful for men wanting to propose soon.

Thanks to Marlene Naidoo, we've been part of an extremely informative and highly enjoyable museum tour experience which took us from 3.3 bn years ago all the way through to modern day. It's been one of the most exciting tours my Mom and I have ever been to. Thank you Cape Town Diamond Museum for such excellent customer service and courtesy!

Amazing museum which is a guided tour with a knowledgeable guide. You can see the factory at the back at work which is nice and there’s a shop at the end. Never know whether you’re expected to buy, but it’s fun to browse anyhow!

Small museum. Very informative and interesting involving history, extraction and characteristics of diamonds. Nadya is passionate about her job and providing information on diamonds. Worth a visit while visiting the Waterfront.

Visited last February and had a wonderful time visiting this beautiful museum! We were shown through the museum by a guide and she was so friendly and had so much knowledge. Very interesting to take a closer look into this part of history of South Africa. The place to go when in need of a wedding ring! :D

I would like to sincerely thank Leila for the wonderful guided tour of the Diamond Museum! Leila not only introduced the museum and its history in a very interesting and entertaining way, but also shared her extensive knowledge and enthusiasm for the subject. I was thrilled with the variety of information Leila imparted and I’m sure that without her help I would not have learned so much about the fascinating world of diamonds. I can only recommend anyone who wants to visit the Diamond Museum to take a tour with Leila.

It's a sales pitch really. The guide didn't do anything exceptional but show off her memorialisation skills of the information we could easily read. Then gave us a sales pitch at the end.

Mariette Nel was our guide and we couldn’t have asked for better. She was charming, funny and knowledgeable. She brought the history of diamond mining to life. The tour was fascinating, the jewellery was exquisite and the overall experience was unforgettable. Highly recommended.

Great experience. So interesting to learn about diamonds and then see all the amazing rings in the show room. Really enjoyed our experience and tour with Marlene. The complimentary glass of wine was lovely touch. Thank you!

My guide was amazing, very patient and knowledgeable. She took me through the history of diamond mining, got to see a replica of a diamond mine and even saw the jewelers working!! I was alone and my guide Anè made it such a great experience. They have a shop where they have BEAUTIFUL pieces, very breathtaking! If you’d like to go, I’d recommend calling in first to make a booking so that they’re ready for you.

Nadya was an amazing guide ! The visit was super interesting and we learned a lot of unknown stories without it being a 30min boring lesson. We visited on a rainy day and I highly recommend the museum now that winter started. Big big thanks to Nadya for helping me design the ring I wanted.

I bought the Cape Town City Pass and this is included. The museum is said to be opening at 8am but it doesn’t. We were by the venue from early until 10 am and it was still not opened. The staff does not answer calls which makes it difficult to plan your trip. We ended up losing on this opportunity because they only opened at 10am and told us to wait until 1pm for the tour. The unfriendly front staff even make it seem like it’s your own fault that their website wasn’t updated.

We found this a really interesting experience. Gabi gave us a very professional but easy going and informative chat taking us through the natural and commercial history of diamonds, and the many exhibits. Some things we knew, but much we did not know or our understanding was corrected by Gabi, who patiently answered all of our questions. Seeing the actual work areas for the craftsmen making Shemanky’s jewelry was interesting too, although being a Sunday they were not working. The display area for all of their jewelry was amazing as well, but there was no expectation or pressure to buy. Definitely would recommend this as one thing to do near the V&A Wharf in Cape Town.

🔶️The best experience in my life thanks for the tour i really enjoyed every second. I came in at the museum ignorant about the history of diamonds and came out learned. Thanks to shimansky team personal thanks to the white lady that took me for the tour "she was really nice and professional". At CPT. 😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎

I went to the museum on a rainy Sunday. The lovely Jodi gave me the most informative and interesting private tour. I learned a lot about the history of diamonds in Africa, and diamonds in general. Would highly recommend visiting the museum. The visit is complimentary.

(Translated by Google) One of the must see in Cape Town. Our guide was not only very nice, but also insanely told us the history of diamonds, their discovery, mining in the past and today, times when interest in diamonds as decorations began. A short video about the properties of diamonds is presented. You can also see beautifully exposed the most beautiful diamonds in the world and learn about their history. Then you can see how the diamonds are worked - the workshops are behind the windows. And finally, the show room - you can watch, try on and buy something made of jewelry. It is very worth visiting the museum, learning many interesting stories and at the same time watching real diamond masterpieces. I highly recommend. (Original) Jedno z must see w Cape Town. Nasza przewodniczka była nie tylko przesympatyczna ale też obłędnie przedstawiała nam historię diamentów, ich odkrywania, wydobywania dawniej i dziś, czasy kiedy zaczęto interesować się diamentami jako ozdobami. Przedstawiany jest krótki film na temat właściwości diamentów. Można też zobaczyć pięknie wyeksponowane najpiękniejsze diamenty świata i dowiedzieć się o ich historii. Następnie można zobaczyć jak pracuje się nad obróbka diamentów - za szybami znajdują się pracownie. I na koniec show room - można obejrzeć, przymierzyć i kupić coś z biżuterii . Bardzo warto odwiedzić muzeum, dowiedzieć się wielu ciekawych historii i jednocześnie obejrzeć prawdziwe diamentowe arcydzieła. Bardzo polecam.

(Translated by Google) Always worth a visit (Original) Immer einen Besuch Wert

It is not a museum, but a shop

Wow...awesome

Such a unique experience! And wealth of information about diamonds! Loved it!

Looks like a small museum built so customers will come.

(Translated by Google) Impressive (Original) Impresionante

(Translated by Google) The visit is interesting, especially if you are in Cape Town by the waterfront and have about 45 minutes free, what nobody tells you is that the museum is private and the visit ends in a shop where they expect some purchase .. But at no time does the guide (in our case an elegant lady) require or insist on any acquisition. (Original) A visita é interessante, principalmente se você estiver em Cape Town, pelo waterfront e dispuser de cerca de 45 minutos livres, o que ninguém conta é que o museu é privado e a visita termina em uma loja onde esperam que seja feita alguma compra... rs Mas em momento algum o guia (no nosso caso uma elegante senhora) exige ou insiste em qualquer aquisição.

Wonderful experience learning about South African diamonds. Most stunning diamonds, tanzantie and jewelry collections. A must see in cape Town

David took us on a fabulous tour of the Diamond Museum. He was friendly as well as informative and went into detail about every aspect from how a diamond is formed until its final formation. He's Friendly and would definitely recommend

Such a unique experience! And wealth of information about diamonds! Loved it!

Just go!!!!! You'll love the tour and history

How much does the tour cost?

(Translated by Google) Nice guide (but did not know so much about diamonds), free, a guide per person or group that knows each other. Unfortunately not so much about the history and life of the miners (Original) Nette Führerin (wusste aber nicht so viel über Diamanten), gratis, eine Führerin pro Person oder Gruppe, die sich kennt. Leider nicht so viel über die Geschichte und das Leben der Miner

Extraordinary beautiful jewelry. Customer service was excellent.

I fell in love with diamonds. The history and elegance

Wow will come get my stones in the next life

Free guided tour offered by them. Got to know quite a lot of interesting stuff about diamonds! Was expecting a bigger place though! It was more like a gallery than a museum

I would highly recommend to visit this museum if you want to learn about diamonds. Jessica, our guide was fantastic, she explained a lot about history, the process and the types of diamonds. At the end we could visit the store and we could even try on the rings. It was a great experience.

What a great experience. So insightful and a good excursion. Jessica Abrahams was a fantastic host. Was whiling away time but ended up gaining much more. Great stuff

It is Amazing. Very informative,and professional.

Consider it a mini museum and it's a little gem of a discovery. For me, it's an accomplishment to get a guy interested in diamonds. From the Diamond Museum you walk through into the Shimansky Showroom to what Shimansky piece Charlize Theron wore.

Very intristing place to be

Very knowledgeable of diamonds. They are truly “forever”

Wish I had all the money in the world to rain here

Great experience very friendly service!

Great guide in which he started the story of the diamond n how did it go from 2500 b.c till today n how diamond was discovered in S.A.

Various masterpieces of various african artists

Fun but the Gift Shop was expensive.

Amazing

This museum was rather small but cozy and my personal guide was lovely.

We had the most amazing afternoon. Nadya Buchanan was very informative and explained everything in detail. Our daughter has learnt so much and what made her more excited when she could put the huge ring on her finger. The museum set up is a big WOW. Most of all because of your ' Diamond' Nadya Buchanan, who has made the tour so awesome. THANK YOU SO MUCH Nadya. I will recommend the Diamond Museum to Family and Friends. And definetly Nadya as their tour guide. Once again, thank you for the awesome experience.

Great jewelry collection tour and amazing diamond history… Diamonds are a definitely a girls best friend. Shamie is amazing bubbly and a cheerful soul… Visit Shimansky for unique and beautiful collections/pieces❤️❤️❤️❤️

Just had a fantastic museum tour with the most amazing Carmen. She was so helpful throughout the tour. Learnt a lot about diamond history in South Africa. I must say you have one of the most amazing shows rooms and you got a gem in Carmen Rossouw