Discover Benelux, Issue 14, February 2015

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Nature’s art, millions of years old TEXT: BERTHE VAN DEN HURK | PHOTOS: DE OUDE AARDE

“Many people find us when visiting the picturesque town Giethoorn, also known as the Venice of the North. When they discover our museum and shop, they are mostly surprised by the remarkable collection of stones and jewellery we have," says Neeltje Zijlstra, owner of De Oude Aarde.

De Oude Aarde (the ancient earth) has one of the best gemstone, mineral, fossil and jewellery collections of the Netherlands.

They have a huge collection of high-quality stones from all over the world. They even have the biggest Aepyornis-egg ever found among other rare and unique minerals. The assortment is immense. De Oude Aarde is not just a museum and shop, but also a main wholesaler in the field: “In De Oude Aarde stones lose their stuffy appearance: here they are elevated to art; nature’s art, millions years of age.”

Exclusive jewellery “We are more than a museum or rock shop,” says Zijlstra. “For our special cus-

tomers, we are always looking for something exquisite and this is displayed in our special department with exclusive jewellery and mineral showpieces.

Rings, bracelets and necklaces are created with high quality stones that are set into jewellery in Italy. According to Zijlstra the large selection of exclusive jewellery pieces are intended for the “enjoyably pampered customer”. Zijlstra: “This jewellery is not made with just ordinary stones or fossils, we use the best Tourmaline, Aquamarine, Pearl, Sunstone, and Tanzanite etc... The department is exclusive but accessible and can be visited without appointment.”

teen years, much has changed. Zijlstra concludes: “The farthest corners of the world and depths of the earth are more accessible than ever. We travel the world to find the best showpieces and stones, indeed not the worst thing our job offers. We go for quality, for us that’s the most important thing.” www.deoudeaarde.nl

History Forty-six years ago, in 1969, adventurer Rene Boissevain decided to quit his year’s long journey around the world to settle in Giethoorn. During his travels he had gained an impressive collection of gems and minerals. With this he successfully founded the museum and shop. Over the past fif-

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