The Amsterdam Diamond ‘Marketplace’ and the Jewish experience

ABSTRACT If ‘the marketplace’ may be regarded as a conceptual proxy for the economy of capitalist societies, then the long history of Jews in the Amsterdam ‘diamond marketplace’ is an interesting case study for examining the Jewish experience. Over time, their importance shifted from the marketplace to the workplace and the labour organisation. While analysing how and why these changes occurred, this article will highlight how these changes affected interaction, exchange and cooperation between Jews and non-Jews and influenced the position, prestige and identities of all Jewish men and women that circulated on the ‘diamond marketplace.’