Did you know that diamond cutting was invented in Italy?

When we think of diamonds, our minds immediately go to Antwerp, the Belgian city long considered the world capital of this precious stone. However, the story of its origins is different—and it concerns us much more closely.

According to the book Diamonds: Art, History, Science (De Luca Editori d’Arte, 2002), it was in Italy, between 1400 and 1410, that someone first understood how to work with diamonds. The secret? Using its own dust. Diamond is the hardest substance found in nature, and the only thing capable of scratching it is… another diamond. An apparently simple discovery, yet one that changed the world of jewelry forever.

The first faceted gems—those shining, sparkling stones we still associate with luxury and elegance today—appeared in the workshops of Florence, Venice, and Genoa. These cities were already vibrant centers of art, commerce, and innovation in the 15th century. This was no coincidence.

Over time, the center of diamond processing shifted toward Northern Europe: Bruges, Antwerp, Paris. It is there that the world eventually looked, somewhat forgetting where it all began.

A small historical vindication, entirely Italian.