Diamond cutting in Netherlands was recently added into the list of traditions included in the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage an initiative set up after the ratification of the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage by the Netherlands, reports say.

The history of diamond cutting dates back to the Jeweish community in Amsterdam tracing it back to the sixteenth century.

Under the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage, Netherlands requires to identify and list its own intangible cultural heritage. UNESCO’s objective behind the effort is to maintain traditions by applying them such that they may also be well appreciated by the current and future generations, reports add. The UNESCO Convention was ratified by the Netherlands last year. The National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage is compiled by the Dutch Centre for Popular Culture and Intangible Heritage (VIE).

Coster Diamonds and Gassan Diamonds, leading diamond companies of Amstedam have been highly proactive in the listing of the diamond cutting craft on the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Officials from the companies also accepted the certificate and plaque with the UNESCO logo, presented by Ineke Strouken (Director of the VIE).

The listing in the National Inventory includes only those traditions which are kept alive by an active community that also works to the future sustainability of the tradition.