Opening of special exhibit at Oppenheimer Diamond Musuem

June 2015


Participants in the 2015 Presidents’ Meeting were invited to join the opening ceremony of the brand new “Diamonds on 45: Diamonds as Creators of Music” exhibition at the Harry Oppenheimer Diamond Museum (HODM). The exhibit combines diamonds and music - one a physical and the other a spiritual sphere - and aims to show how diamonds have been used in a variety of ways to promote popular culture over the years.

A portrait of the famous actress and singer Marilyn Monroe. Created by Yehuda Kassif with diamonds provided by HODM Chairman and IDE President Shmuel Schnitzer, it has been part of the museum's permanent exhibition for the past three years. (Photo by Alexander Kucherenko, Jewelry and Still-life Photography)
A portrait of the famous actress and singer Marilyn Monroe. Created by Yehuda Kassif with diamonds provided by HODM Chairman and IDE President Shmuel Schnitzer, it has been part of the museum’s permanent exhibition for the past three years. (Photo by Alexander Kucherenko, Jewelry and Still-life Photography)

As opposed to diamonds set in jewelry, the diamonds that are the focus of this exhibit are integrated into various devices in order to enhance the quality of our everyday life in the fields of medicine, construction, science, and - as this exhibition reveals - music. The exhibition features wind-up gramophones with steel needles, electric gramophones with old needles, and advanced gramophones with diamond needles. It also presents diamond-related songs from different genres and periods, as well as diamond jewelry.

Sharona and Shmuel Schnitzer next to the Marilyn Monroe exhibit. (Photo by Kobi Fuchs)
Sharona and Shmuel Schnitzer next to the Marilyn Monroe exhibit. (Photo by Kobi Fuchs)

“There is nothing better for starting the meeting of the WFDB and IDMA than with diamonds and music,” Israel Diamond Exchange President Shmuel Schnitzer, who is also HODM Chairman, told the assembled guests at the opening ceremony. Alluding to the discussions ahead, he noted that “during this Presidents’ Meeting you may also be hearing some sharp tones, but I am sure that we will conclude this conference harmoniously.”

Israel Diamond Manufacturers Association President Kobi Korn spoke about the museum’s main exhibits - from mining of diamonds to finished diamond jewelry. “I see diamonds as a work of art - equal in stature to paintings and sculpture,” Korn noted. “For 40 years I have enjoyed listening to the melodious music of diamonds being polished in my factory.”

HODM Curator Noga Raved said: “Even a tiny diamond can make a big difference. From the 50s to the 80s of the last century, diamonds were used as record-player styluses and thus participated in decoding and mediating the experience of music. Diamonds no larger than a sand-grain provided many hours of pleasure and enjoyment to millions of people worldwide.”

The entrance of the “Diamonds on 45” exhibit at the Harry Oppenheimer Diamond Museum. Photography: Ran Plotnizky - Design: Tucan Design Studio Ltd
The entrance of the “Diamonds on 45” exhibit at the Harry Oppenheimer Diamond Museum. Photography: Ran Plotnizky - Design: Tucan Design Studio Ltd

“In addition to serving as a technical means of producing musical sounds, diamonds and other precious stones have inspired numerous local and international musicians. Over time, diamonds have appeared repeatedly in popular music lyrics, as can be seen (and heard) in this exhibition,” concluded Raved.

Visitors are advised to download the free CometoArt app to their smartphones before entering the exhibit. Remember to bring your headphones!

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