Hope Diamond and the National Gem Collection
They say a diamond is a girl's best friend. Imagine taking your date to the world's greatest collection of gems on display at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History. More than 7,500 individual gemstones, ranging from less than a half-carat to almost 23,000 carats, fill the cases in in the Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems, and Minerals. Harry Winston's gift of the Hope Diamond inaugurated the stunning series of spectacular gifts that transformed the National Gem Collection from a fine to a truly fabulous one. The National Museum of Natural History is located at 10th Street & Constitution Avenue, and is open daily 10 am 5:30 pm. The closest Metro Station is the Smithsonian Station on the Blue and Orange line.
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The Hope diamond is the world's largest deep blue diamond. AT 45.52 carats, it is classified as a type IIb diamond. The diamond's blue coloration is attributed to trace amounts of boron in the stone. *
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In 1911, the Hope diamond was sold to Mrs. Evalyn Walsh McLean of Washington, D.C., after it was mounted on a headpiece and surrounded by three tiers of white diamonds. Sometime later, Mrs. McLean had it reset as a pendant. *
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A back view of the Hope Diamond necklace. *
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In the pendant surrounding the Hope diamond are 16 white diamonds, both pear-shapes and cushion cuts. *
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Austrian crystal pendants are adapted from the original Hope Diamond. Eight round and eight princess cut crystals surround the center blue crystal.
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visitors can view the Hope Diamond through a secured glass display. *
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Saphire and diamond earrings *
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Diamond platinum necklace - More than 1,050 diamonds totaling about 63 carats adorn this necklace. Designed by Cartier around 1910, it belong to Evalyn Walsh McLean, who also owned the hope diamond. *
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Hall Sapphire Diamond Necklace - This exquisite necklace features 36 matched sapphires from Sri Lanka totaling 195 carats. Their deep sky-blue color contrasts brilliantly with a sparkling sea of 435 diamonds weighing 84 carats. *
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The 98.6 Carat Bismark Sapphire set in a diamond and platinum necklace was designed by Cartier and was found in Sri Lanka. The piece was a gift to the Smithsonian Institute by Countess Mona von Bismark in 1967. *
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Marie-Louise Diadem - Napoleon I gave this crown to his consort Empress Marie Louise. Set in silver, the 950 diamonds weigh 700 carats. The 79 original emeralds have been replaced with Persian turquoise cabochons. *
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Hazen Diamond Necklace - The 325 diamonds in this platinum necklace weigh a total of 131.4 carats. Harry Winston, Inc., designed it. *
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Victoria-Transvaal Diamond Necklace - The dazzling pendant of this diamond and gold necklace is the 68-carat, champagne-colored Victoria-Transvaal diamond, which was discovered in South Africa in 1951.
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This reproduction of Smithsonian's famed blue diamond has a hand cut glass center stone encircled by 16 prong-set Cubic Zirconia.
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Visitors view the many dazzling gemstones displayed in the museum. *
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