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Famous Fancy Yellow Tiffany Diamond Now On Display
One of the largest fancy yellow diamonds ever discovered, the Tiffany Diamond, has made its debut in the U.S. capital at Washington’s Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.
Tiffany's Bird on a Rock
The diamond, which weighed 287.42 carats when unearthed in South Africa in 1877, will be on display until September 23.
The diamond was named after its purchaser, Tiffany & Co., and subsequently cut into a cushion shape of 128.54 carats with 82 facets, 24 more than what is customary.
The cut stone is now part of the “Bird on a Rock” jewel, designed in the early 1960s by jewelry designer Jean Schlumberger. The “bird” is gold and platinum with white and yellow diamonds with a ruby eye.
The display of the diamond follows a $1.1 million Tiffany & Co. Foundation donation to the Smithsonian in June 2006. The gift established an endowment for the acquisition of gemstones for the Smithsonian’s collection.
According to the Smithsonian, the gems and minerals halls of its National Museum of Natural History attract more than five million visitors a year. The National Gem Collection, started in 1884, includes the Hope Diamond, the most popular museum object in the world.
Via: IDEX
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