Harry Oppenheimer Diamond Museum, many may consider a trap for tourists. Of course, this small museum - a real one. But a visit here for anyone who has gone on a free tour of Tel Aviv by Israeli diamond center ends the same - an invitation to a jewelry store. Tourists are not configured to spend money, no one will be forced to buy jewelry, he should just give up (or at least listen to vendors) and wait until someone from the group will select items and pay off. Someone is always buying. For this and afoot whole trip.

However, if a tourist is aware in advance that it expects it can even have fun. In any case, it makes sense to take a free sightseeing bus to Tel Aviv, even if not with a guide and with audio guide. A diamond in the museum you can see the beautiful rocks and learn fascinating facts.

For centuries, diamond processing has been one of the traditional Jewish crafts. In the Holy Land, the industry began in the early XX century, when the children left orphaned after the Kishinev pogrom in 1903 and was in Palestine, the master of Belgium and the Netherlands have decided to educate the profession. In 1937 he opened the first factory in the diamond city of Petah Tikva. The diamond industry has survived even in hard times after World War II: the young Jewish state really helped the industry brings foreign currency.

Now Israel annually exports faceted diamond on the $ 7 billion, while rough - 4 billion. The Israeli Diamond Exchange, located in Ramat Gan near Tel Aviv - the largest in the world. The Exchange takes a set of four high-rise buildings, which house the world's largest room, where trade in diamonds, restaurants, banks, a lot of office space. Founded in 1986, the Diamond Museum is also located here. The museum is named after Harry Oppenheimer - co-owner and head of the South African Diamond Corporation "De Beers" has done a lot for the development of the diamond industry in Israel.

Visitors are shown a video describing all the processes occurring with diamonds - from diamond polishing up their selling on the stock exchange, and becoming a jewel. Museum halls mysteriously dark, illuminated only showcases rough diamonds, diamonds and other precious stones. Among them is a copy of the world-famous diamonds such as "Kohinur", who is now in the crown of Queen Elizabeth or the "Taylor-Burton", presented by actor Richard Burton to his wife Elizabeth Taylor. Unusually look amazing on the verge of kitsch accessories - hourglass with the sand grains or diamond tennis ball, a mobile phone, a pistol with diamond inlays. In regular temporary exhibitions are exhibited the ancient jewelry, the products of contemporary designers.

If a tourist wants to explore the museum, but avoid shopping, one must ignore the free tour and just buy a ticket.