Smithsonian Museum of Natural History Acquires Cullinan Blue Diamond Necklace
Filed under: Jewelry, Big Givers

Yesterday, the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History unveiled its latest addition to the National Gem Collection, the Cullinan Diamond Necklace - a piece dating back to 1910 and boasting a history nearly as rich as its famous neighbor, the Hope Diamond.
A 30-carat piece is crafted in the Edwardian style, and boasts a unique structure which allows it to be worn as both brooch and necklace. The centerpiece stone is a large 2.6 carat "fancy blue" diamond with a chain of smaller blue and white diamond pieces.
Jeff Post, curator of the collection, calls the piece "very important ... people get a little bit jaded here [with the Hope Diamond so close by] but there's no where else in the world you can go [to see two such diamonds together."
Last fall we speculated that a huge 507-carat piece of rough diamond
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