Most of Namibia's development was built on diamonds. Since 1908, when one of the richest diamond placers on earth was discovered, millions of carats of first-class gem and industrial diamonds have been mined from deposits in the far south-western corner of the country. To protect the diamond industry, the deposits have been locked away in a restricted area for more than 100 years. Except for the occasional determined researcher, only miners, mining support services and government officials have so far been allowed to visit the enigmatic Sperrgebiet - the restricted diamond area. But the diamond resource on land is dwindling, causing the mining activities to shift ever further towards the vast resources that still remain offshore. This means that the area can finally be put to other uses. In 2008, notably 100 years since the first diamond was discovered here, the restricted area was proclaimed as the Sperrgebiet National Park (later renamed the Tsau //Khaeb National Park) and added to Namibia's protected area network. The new national park has nonetheless remained off-limits to the public due to diamond-related security concerns. The long-term vision for the park is to open up parts of the area for controlled tourism. The Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) and the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) are currently engaged in discussions to find a balance between limiting security risks to the diamond industry and developing tourism. With the help of donor funding, largely from Germany (Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau), the administrative tasks, planning and building infrastructure for park management and tourism facilities are underway. As one of the few researchers who have been privileged to visit the restricted diamond area, I am excited to introduce you to some of the treasures that have been locked away for so long. This is just a taste of what awaits the intrepid explorers who will visit the Sperrgebiet in the near future.