The Diamond Gallery is Africa's new and most exclusive diamond and Tanzanite experience situated in the historic Bo Kaap in the heart of the City Centre. A visit to our showroom and South Africa's only Tanzanite emporium is not to be missed by any gem enthusiast or those shopping for engagement rings, anniversary gifts, special pieces or a keepsake.

Exclusive and Private viewings are by appointment only as we pride ourselves on ensuring a luxury and personal experience with every visitor.

We offer the finest selection of loose diamonds and Tanzanite stones, as well as a large selection of designer jewellery at the most competitive prices. All stones are conflict free and of the highest quality.

Highlights:

Conflict-free diamonds
Competitive prices on the highest quality loose stones and jewellery
Brand new Tanzanite Emporium

The Cape Town Diamond Museum is definitely one of the museums in Cape Town that you simply have to visit. It is a little hidden gem!

Experience diamonds like never before. Learn about the diamond industry, the history of diamonds and diamonds in South Africa. You can expect an intimate tour and learning experience when visiting the diamond museum. Expect to see mining gear, famous diamond replicas, historical artifacts, specimens of natural kimberlite and much more. You will also have the chance to see how diamond jewellery is manufactured to the final product.

The museum is a non-profit organisation focused on creating a new appreciation for diamonds and the diamond industry. It is a gift from Shimansky to the public. Be sure to pop in for a tour when you are visiting the museums at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town. Book in advance to avoid disappointment.
Experience, discover, explore and learn at the Cape Town Diamond Museum.

Situated in the bustling heart of the world-famous Clock Tower precinct and Gateway to Robben Island at the Waterfront, the Cape Town Diamond Museum pays tribute to the world’s most precious gem, the diamond. Witness a 3 billion year old story unfold from a diamond’s formation to the final polished stone.

The Cape Town Diamond Museum is a non-profit organisation dedicated to creating a new appreciation for diamonds. A gift from Shimansky to the city of Cape Town.

Average Duration: 15mins
Tour operating hours

Full tours (Monday to Friday)
Includes a complimentary refreshment, lecture, factory tour and access to showroom
Monday to Thursday 9am to 16.00pm
Friday: 9am to 14.00pm

Reduced Tours outside factory operating hours
Includes a complimentary refreshment, a lecture and access to showroom
Monday to Thursday 16.00pm to 17.30pm
Friday 14.00 – 17.30pm
Saturday and Sunday: 9.00am to 17.30pm

What you can expect on the tour:
We invite you to experience the rich mineral heritage of the African continent when you join us on a free tour of our factory. Begin by viewing our private collection of semi-precious stones. Visit our state of the art CAD room where three-dimensional blueprints and wax moulds are used to create bespoke pieces.
Observe smelted gold transformed, and watch our craftsmen set gems and semi-precious stones in the creation of elegant jewellery.
The tour concludes in our showroom where you can view our range of jewellery, loose gems and curios.
Should you prefer something unique to take home, we have a wide selection of unset diamonds, tanzanites and gemstones that can be custom-made within 24-36 hours.
Our knowledgeable staff will assist and advise you. Your visit is completed with complimentary souvenir to remember us by.
No one leaves Afrogem without something special.

Please note:
1. Reduced tours outside of our regular hours can be arranged with at least 2 hours notice.
2. When visiting our premises you will need to be accompanied by a registered tour guide.
3. We are only open for trade and tours with International clients.

Garden opening times:

The Garden is open every day from 08h00 to 19h00 during summer (Sep-Mar), 08h00 to 18h00 during winter (Apr-Aug).
The Conservatory is open every day from 09h00 to 17h00.
The Curator’s Office is open Monday to Friday only, from 07h30-16h20, except on public holidays.

Free Guided Garden Tours
Free guided tours of the Garden leave from the Visitors’ Centre (Gate 1) at 10h00, 11h00 and 14h00 Monday to Friday and at 10h00 on Saturdays. Free guided tours also leave from the Garden Centre (Gate 2) at 10h45 Monday to Saturday. There are no tours on Sundays.

Tours are free but Garden entry fee applies.

All tours are 90 minutes long.

Each guide presents a unique tour taking in the highlights of the season, exploring most of the Garden while including the oldest and most famous features like the Dell.

Go to Events to find out about additional free guided walks on offer at Kirstenbosch, e.g. bird walks, themed walks and special walks during school holidays.

Special Interest and Group Tours
Special interest guided tours and group bookings can be arranged in advance via the Information Desk at a fee of R65 per person, additional to Garden entry fee, with a minimum of R520 per tour. A tour led by a professional horticulturist or botanist can be arranged at a fee of R400 per person, with a minimum fee of R1200 per tour, and a maximum time of 3 hours.

To make a booking or enquire further, telephone the Information Desk at 021 799 8783 or fax 021 797 6570.

Shuttle Car Tours
Shuttle car tours of the Garden leave from the Visitors’ Centre (Gate 1), on the hour, daily, from 09h00 to 15h00, on fair-weather days. The shuttle car can accommodate a maximum of 7 passengers.

Tickets for the Shuttle Car Tours cost R80 per person, additional to Garden entry fee. Tickets are purchased from the Ticket Office along with the Garden entry ticket.

To book, call the Kirstenbosch Ticket Office on 021 799 8782 between 08h00 and 17h00.

Picnics are allowed in Kirstenbosch, but you are not permitted to take chairs, tables, umbrellas, tents etc. into the Garden. Braais / barbecues are not allowed. Picnic hampers and/or takeaways are available from the Kirstenbosch Tea Room and Moyo restaurant.

Kirstenbosch is a No Bins Garden, rubbish bins are not present in most parts of the Garden. Visitors are expected to take their refuse with them when they leave the Garden and dispose of it responsibly. This discourages scavengers like rats, and keeps the Garden cleaner.

Dogs are not allowed in the developed Garden or the natural area immediately surrounding the Garden as far as the upper contour path. Dogs may be brought in via Rycroft Gate (Gate 3), where they may be walked up to the 300 m contour path via the path through the Seed Orchard/Stock Beds. See the Dogs Map for the dog-walking paths and dog exclusion zone. Dogs must be kept on a leash at all times, and dog walkers must pick up and dispose of their dog’s litter. Visitors caught breaking these rules may be fined.

Right of admission is reserved.

Kirstenbosch will not be held liable for any loss, damage or injury sustained on its premises.

Entry to Kirstenbosch and parking at Kirstenbosch is at own risk.

Enjoy your visit to Kirstenbosch, protect our natural heritage and please abide by the following rules: NB: visitors caught breaking the Garden rules may be fined.

Do’s
Discover plants and animals
Explore the Garden, the forest and the fynbos
Walk
Hike
Watch birds
Spot wildlife
Take photographs
Picnic on the lawns
Relax at concerts
Enjoy sculptures and art
Supervise your children
Savour the beauty and tranquillity
Take litter home, and dispose of it responsibly

Dont's
Walk in the flowerbeds
Trample, break or remove any plants, flowers or seeds
Disturb, harm, feed, touch, catch or remove any wildlife
Bring dogs or pets
Bring garden furniture
Play ball games or fly kites
Ride a bicycle, skateboard or roller skate
Play a radio or musical instrument or make noise
Swim
Climb the trees
Climb the sculptures
Litter
Light fires or braais
Drop cigarettes
Let off fireworks

If you are planning to walk or hike in the natural area of Kirstenbosch or on Table Mountain, please take note of these safety guidelines and take care:

Table Mountain has many steep gorges and sheer cliff faces, which are dangerous to even the most experienced and well-equipped rock climbers. Only Nursery Ravine and Skeleton Gorge provide safe routes up and down the mountain behind Kirstenbosch. Please keep to the demarcated footpaths.

The Cape weather is notoriously changeable and differs from one place to the next. In summer, clouds can descend on the top of Table Mountain blanketing it in mist with no warning, suddenly turning a hot sunny summer day into a cold, windy and misty-wet one on top of the mountain. Another factor is the wind, which can gust and blow very strongly.

Muggings and attacks on Table Mountain have increased in recent years. Even though the Kirstenbosch and Table Mountain National Park security are constantly on patrol, and have apprehended culprits, it is not advisable to walk alone or in small groups. Also, do not carry large amounts of money or valuables with you.

Mountain Safety Checklist
Never hike alone and never split up. A group of 5 or more is advised.
Choose your route according to your group’s ability and fitness.
Take a good map of your route.
Tell someone at home which route you are taking and stick to it.
Wear suitable hiking clothing: sturdy shoes, a hat, sunblock and always take a windbreaker.
Always take fresh water with you, at least 2 litres per person.
Get back before dark.
Turn back if the weather turns cloudy or rainy, and don’t set out if the weather conditions are cloudy, misty or the wind is very strong. Check to see if the Cable Car is running – Cable Car Tel: +27 (021) 424 0015.
If you get lost, particularly in the mist or the dark, stay put, find shelter, keep warm and dry and wait it out.
If you lose the path, retrace your steps, do not push on.
Take a charged cellphone with airtime and emergency numbers programmed in. e.g. Kirstenbosch Info Desk +27 (021) 799 8783, Kirstenbosch Security +27 (021) 799 8618, Table Mountain National Park emergency +27 (086) 110 6417, Claremont Police Station +27 (021) 657 2251/2250

Montebello Design Centre is located in Newlands, Cape Town, and is the result of a financial and property bequest by Cecil Michaelis.

The Project is situated in the farm buildings of the historic site of Montebello. These buildings and land have a colourful history, being the birth place of Ohlssons Brewery and Continental China. Today, Montebello Design Centre is home to a broad spectrum of designers and artists, from jewellers to painters, film makers to landscapers.

The PROD (product design, research and opportunity development) programme is an outreach project run as part of Montebello Design Centre's mandate to promote craft and design.

Montebello Historical Perspective

The Papenboom Estate
The Montebello Estate has an interesting history involving some prominent characters of Cape Town's past, and activities on the Papenboom estate of Newlands, including its sub-division into small estates, beer brewing, trout hatching, the Montebello homestead expropriation and the struggle for the preservation of some fine examples of period architecture.

Changing Ownership
The Montebello homestead and stables were built on what was part of the Papenboom Estate on land granted to Rutger Mensing in 1764. Mensing was the first brewer in the area, making use of the abundance of fresh spring water. The land passed to successive owners Rudolph Steenbok, Hans Jurgen Hauk and Dirk Gysbert van Reenen who built the house Papenboom, designed by Thibault and which was destroyed by fire in 1836.

Anders Ohlsson
In 1888 a prominent Capetonian of Swedish descent, Anders Ohlsson, purchased the Newlands Brewery from Cloete. Ohlsson's purchase included Montebello, Cloete's palatial residence near the brewery, and the associated outbuildings such as the stables and the stores. The documents recording this sale make the first known reference to stables but it is difficult to ascertain whether these are the same as those found on the site today. Although the original plans has not been found, the architect, John Parker, was responsible in 1905 for drawing plans for the addition of a "car port" on to the original building. Parker had worked on other stables of similar detail and construction found in the vicinity.

The Michaelis Family
Maximillian Michaelis purchased the Montebello estate from Anders Ohlsson in 1919. His son, Cecil Michaelis, conducted experiments with South African clays in the old Montebello stables to produce the fine local porcelain which gave birth to the now flourishing South African ceramics industry. Following the expropriation of the Montebello homestead and grounds for the South African College School, Cecil Michaelis successfully contested further attempts to expropriate the land on which the fine stable buildings stand and the adjoining richly wooded area.
The Centre is one of Cape Town’s best kept secrets with over twenty arts and craft studios and workshops, a historic greenhouse and nursery, a forge, and stunning restaurant and organic deli farm shop. Montebello Design Centre is located in Newlands, Cape Town, and is the result of a financial and property bequest by Cecil Michaelis. The Project is situated in the farm buildings of the historic site of Montebello. Montebello Design Centre is located in Newlands, Cape Town, and is the result of a financial and property bequest by Cecil Michaelis. The Project is situated in the farm buildings of the historic site of Montebello. These buildings and land have a colourful history, being the birth place of Ohlssons Brewery and Continental China. Montebello Design Centre is a Non Profit Company, with a number of commercial tenant studios on sight.