Dazzled by the Dam's diamonds

When Prince Willem-Alexander married his crown princess in the Dutch capital at the beginning of the month, it wasn't her train of ivory silk or her deposed father's absence that was the talk of the Dam - it was the size of her rock.

An oval-shaped orange diamond flanked by a cluster of emerald-cut ones set in a band encrusted with even more of the little sparklers. Diamonds, it seems, can never be too gaudy, brash or heavy.

And it would appear we're in the throes of a diamond frenzy; sales are up 15 per cent on last year as women - and men - follow trendsetters such as JLo, Nicole Kidman, Kylie and David Beckham to blaze a trail to their local De Beers.

So, what's the deal with diamonds? Surely, it's just a bit of calcified stone? Ah, the uninitiated. The Egyptians prized them as protective talismans, while the Greeks believed they were slivers of fallen stars. During the Middle Ages, they were used as fidelity-testing devices. The logic was only the true of heart could be in the orbit of such beauty.

Amsterdam and diamonds have long been synonymous. The earliest diamond was cut here in 1586 and, since then, an avalanche of rocks, from the Koh-i-Noor in our own royal crown to the grapefruit-sized Cullinan, have passed through the Dam's diamond houses.

The most famous of these is Gassan, an imposing Gothic building on the side of the Nieuwe Uilenburgerstraat that appears to consist entirely of windows. Built in 1879, the windows were necessary to help the monocled cutters see more clearly as they worked on the gems. Today, the chisels have been replaced with hi-tech machinery but it's still the seductive shop spot for any serious prospector.

Diamonds are forever

Practically. On average, diamonds take 3billion years to crystallise and most gem houses will give you a lifelong option to exchange your diamond, so make sure you choose wisely. Gassan offers free tours, guiding you through the polishing area, where diamonds are tapered to a point and then painstakingly cut into anything from 17 to 57 facets.

Getting to know diamonds is like exploring a new landscape. Your landmarks are the four Cs - carat, colour, clarity and cut. For those who can afford to look beyond commercial diamonds, there's a fifth and more important C - to be charmed by what you buy. Buying purely for investment is never wise, as scores of 1980s investors found when their stones plummeted to a tenth of their value. Find a stone that charms you at Gassan and you can have it set on site. But, if you're still not sold, visit the nearby Sotheby's to pore over the seconds of others, from a vintage rock from £1,800 to, our favourite, a pearl and diamond bracelet at a cool £4,900.

Prospector's paradise

After a tiring day of card-to-wallet exertion - well, as Joan Rivers once put it, 'If God had meant women to do aerobics, he'd have put diamonds on the floor' - it's time to retire to somewhere glitzy. From the outside, the Hotel Pulitzer might not look much but step inside and it's a prospector's paradise. This five-star establishment boasts the award-winning Pulitzers restaurant and 230 bedrooms, all with individual decor.

Of course, Amsterdam has much more to offer than just diamonds. It's just that, as we stumble around the streets with stars in our eyes, we can't remember quite what. There's the Van Gogh museum, Anne Frank's House, the Supper Club and, erm, a generous smattering of tea houses. But to be frank, you can keep the sex and drugs and roll, just give me the rocks.

Bare essentials

KLM UK is running a Diamond Deal until March 16 which includes a diamond brochure, a talk with a gemologist at Gassan diamond factory, a ten per cent discount on selected items at Gassan, and a 25 per cent discount on the Sotheby's jewellery course in London. Tel: 08705 074 074. Tanis stayed at Hotel Pulitzer. Tel: 0031 20 523 52 35 or visit www.sheraton.com/pulitzer

Destination guide: Nederlands