NEW YORK (AP) ― A rare 19th-century 55-carat diamond has gone on temporary view at New York’s American Museum of Natural History.
The Kimberley Diamond gets its name from the mine in South Africa where it was found sometime before 1868.
It was cut from a 490-carat crystal. It was turned into a 70-carat gem in 1921 and recut to its present form in 1958 to improve its brilliance and proportions.
The champagne-colored, emerald-cut diamond will be on display through the end of June 2014.
Curator George Harlow says the rectangular diamond is about 1.25 inches in length and virtually flawless.
