30+ Carat “Juliet Pink” and Rare “Argyle Violet” diamonds make U.S. Debut

In Diamonds: Rare Brilliance At the Natural History Museum Of Los Angeles County; On View December 16, 2016, through March 19, 2017
 (l) The Argyle Violet is among the rarest diamonds ever found. At 2.83 carats, it is almost impossibly large for a violet diamond and is the largest ever from Australia. (r)The Juliet Pink is a 30+ carat Fancy Intense Pink diamond. Its intense color grade, lack of inclusions, and size make it exceptionally rare.
(l) The Argyle Violet is among the rarest diamonds ever found. At 2.83 carats, it is almost impossibly large for a violet diamond and is the largest ever from Australia. (r)The Juliet Pink is a 30+ carat Fancy Intense Pink diamond. Its intense color grade, lack of inclusions, and size make it exceptionally rare.

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHM) today announced details for its coming exhibition Diamonds: Rare Brilliance, which will bring together rare colored gems never before seen in the United States inside the museum’s renowned Gem and Mineral Hall. At the center of Rare Brilliance will be the “Juliet Pink Diamond,” which is an extremely rare pink diamond of over 30 carats, and a Fancy Deep Grayish Bluish Violet named the “Argyle Violet” after the eponymous Argyle mine in Western Australia, where it was discovered in 2015. Through stunning examples, such as the fluorescent lighting of a “rainbow” diamond necklace and a very rare Victorian Orchid Vivid Purple diamond, the exhibition will bring to light the rare properties of colored gemstones, the science behind natural colored diamonds, and how the interplay of light and chemistry gives diamonds color. Organized in partnership with L.J. West Diamonds, Rare Brilliance will be on view from December 16, 2016, through March 19, 2017.

“We are thrilled to share these gems, which are incredibly rare in color, intensity, quality and size — and so brilliantly fashioned from the original roughs — with museum visitors, providing opportunities to learn about the geology, physics and chemistry behind each diamond’s sparkle and hue,” said Dr. Aaron Celestian, NHM’s Associate Mineralogy Curator. “These jewels, on loan from L.J. West, capture the imagination and will shine amongst the museum’s world-renowned collection of gems and minerals.”

“Throughout history diamonds have been synonymous with love and romance. The Juliet Pink captures this connection with its vibrant, strong pink colour that is both alluring and seductive. After understanding the stone’s importance and colour we decided to name the stone the ‘Juliet Pink Diamond,’ as the stone captivates passion and ultimate beauty.” – Scott West, the vice president of L.J. West Diamonds.

The Juliet Pink Diamond, which will be set in a necklacewith marquise, pear and round-cut white diamonds totaling 98.70 carats for the exhibition, has been designated a type IIa diamond by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) for its remarkable chemical purity and clarity. Naturalcolored diamonds are a strikingly rare phenomenon, occurring in an estimated one out of every 10,000 gems, and the precise science behind individual colors remains a mystery.

In addition to the Juliet Pink Diamond, Diamonds: Rare Brilliance will introduce U.S. audiences to one of the world’s rarest diamonds — a Fancy Deep Grayish Bluish Violet named the “Argyle Violet” after the Argyle mine in Western Australia. There are no other known diamonds of this combination of colors or with the same clarity and size, and it is the largest Violet to be discovered in the Argyle Diamond Mine. The 9.17 original rough stone was an unusual shape characterized bydeep grooves and an uneven surface. After more than 80 hours of carving and polishing, the diamond on view in NHM’s Gem Vault is a 2.83-carat oval that is set in a designer ring surrounded by Argyle Vivid Pink Diamonds.

“We are so pleased to be able to share these exceptional stones with the public through the Rare Brilliance exhibition at the Natural History Museum of LA,” Scott West from L.J. West Diamonds said. “Just as the ring and necklace settings provide a backdrop to highlight the brilliance of the cut stones, the excellent company of NHM’s Gem and Mineral Hall collection will provide the perfect context for these rare and important diamonds.”

The NHM Gem and Mineral Hall

The world-renowned, 6,000-square-foot Gem and Mineral Hall at NHM opened in 1978 and is one of the finest permanent exhibit halls of gems and minerals in the world. The Hall houses a selection of the Museum’s extensive collection — displaying more than 2,000 spectacular specimens within two large galleries — which as a whole includes more than 150,000 specimens and is the largest in the western United States.The NHM Mineral Sciences Department curates the museum’s world-class collection of minerals, rocks, gems, ores, and meteorites, and it conducts research focusing on furthering scientific understanding of these materials. The department actively maintains the Gem and Mineral Hall and provides general and scientific programming through the Museum’s Gem & Mineral Council.


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