Image: courtesy of DIVA museim
Friday, March 25, DIVA, the museum of diamonds, jewelry and silver, reopened in Antwerp after being closed for a year for renovation work. A seventh hall has now been added and the collection rearranged.
The Diva Museum had to close its doors about a year ago. The museum had only been housed for a few years in a historic building on Antwerp’s Suikerrui between the Town Hall and the Scheldt River. But the building that used to house the somewhat dusty ethnographic museum was in dire need of renovation. Among other things, the entire roof was renewed last year.
The museum took the opportunity to rearrange the collection in the permanent expo “DIVA, a Brilliant Story.” “We have added an additional, seventh room,” says curator Cathérine Regout, “and it becomes one journey, where you start at the raw material – diamond, gold or silver – and you move to descend and make the whole journey along the way from raw material to jewel or silver object.”
The museum has more than 650 objects collected in thematic rooms. There is also a focus on Antwerp’s role as a center of the diamond trade. Diva also targets children with an adapted trail and many interactive applications. Lots of workshops are also organized.
Reopening weekend
The reopening weekend, March 24-26, includes a special tour of the displayed table silver and visitors also get demonstrations of jewelry making and silver polishing. The museum also features a new showpiece, a set of silver toiletries from the 17th century, purchased by the Flemish government.
Workshop: drawing diamonds
This workshop will introduce you to the gouache painting technique used to illustrate diamonds in jewelry designs.
It introduces you to different cuts and teaches traditional jewelry painting techniques. Discover for yourself how to use gouache to capture the brilliance of diamonds on paper. No prior knowledge is required for this workshop.
Program (2 days – 4 hours per day)
Day One
On day one you will get an introduction to different diamond cuts, the basics of light theory and the use of gouache paint. You will practice drawing a round-cut diamond while receiving individual feedback.
Day Two
On day two you will learn more about light in gemstone compositions and discuss some inspiring examples. Then you will continue your work with drawing and painting.
Workshop facilitator
Inesa Kovalova is a jewelry designer with extensive experience in drawing. She graduated from Central Saint Martins College in London and the Creative Academy in Milan – a private design school of the Richemont Group. There she worked on projects for Richemont brands such as Van Cleef and Arpels, Vacheron Constantine, Roger Dubuis and others, followed by an internship at the Van Cleef and Arpels design department in Paris.
In addition, Inesa developed a series of drawing workshops for jewelry designers and enthusiasts. Since 2016, she has been teaching all over the world. For her master classes, she collaborated with several art and design institutions, including the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
Dates
PRICE: € 125 (for 2 days)
May 28 and 29, 2023; each time from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. with a half-hour break
