Historical Timeline.
Since1840

180 years of craftsmanship.

Not long after our establishment in 1840, Queen Victoria of England reached out to Coster for a very special assignment. Without realizing it at that time, this assignment would mark the start of an impressive legacy.

timeline-image

The diamond polishing factory M.E. Coster was founded by Mr. Moses Elias Coster at the Binnen Amstel/Waterlooplein , in Amsterdam.

1840

timeline-image

After the death of Moses E. Coster, his son Martin Coster took over the position of director of Coster. When Moses Elias Coster died, he left a will for his wife and 11 children. Three of them entered into a partnership. Meijer Moses (Martin) Coster was involved most in the company until he moved to Paris.

1848

timeline-image

The company is managed by diamond cutter Abraham Eliazer Daniëls.

1850

timeline-image

Martin Coster moves to Paris, where he sets up a cutting factory as well. In the following years he acquires a near-monopoly on diamond cutting in the world’s jewellery capital..

1851

timeline-image

The main diamond of the British Crown Jewels, the Koh-I-Noor, needs to be recut. This diamond is one of the largest and oldest cut diamonds in the world. Coster was commisioned to arrange this, so he sends two of his best polishers, J. A. Fedder and L. B. Voorzanger to England to polish the Koh-I-Noor. They work for 38 days to transform the 186 carat Koh-I-Noor into a 105 carat oval brilliant.

1852

timeline-image

Coster was visited by Count Leopold II of Belgium

1854

timeline-image

The entire Amsterdam diamond industry wins a medal of honour at the World Exhibition in Paris. The Star of the South diamond is cut from the 225 carat rough to a 125 carat cushion brilliant by Coster in Amsterdam and exhibited in Paris. During the first state visit by a British monarch to France in 400 years, Queen Victoria dazzles Paris with the Koh-I-Noor set in her newly made crown diadem.

1855