A Miracle of Nature - The Foxfire Diamond Unveiled at the Smithsonian Gem Hall
Washington, DC (PRWEB) November 22, 2016 -- The Foxfire Diamond had its first public viewing in America on November 17 when it was unveiled in a ceremony in the Harry Winston Gallery at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. The Foxfire Diamond will be on display for three months at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, Nov. 17 through Feb. 16, 2017. This will be the first time it has been made available to the public. Weighing more than 187 carats, the Foxfire diamond will be presented alongside the renowned Hope diamond in the Harry Winston Gallery.
The two billion year-old, 187.63 carat Foxfire Diamond is the largest uncut, gem-quality diamond mined in North America. It was unearthed in 2015 at the Diavik Diamond Mine, operated by Rio Tinto, in one of the most remote corners of the world—130 miles from the North Pole in the Barren Lands of Canada’s Northwest Territories. The Diavik Foxfire takes its reference from a term used in Canadian folklore, to describe the resemblance of the Northern Lights, to the brush of fox tails in the sky.
“The Foxfire Diamond is truly exceptional, one of the great treasures of the Earth,” said Dr. Jeffery Post, Chair of the Department of Mineral Sciences and curator of the National Gem and Mineral Collection. “We are delighted that our visitors will have this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to view North America’s largest gem-quality diamond in its natural form.”
Diamonds of this carat weight were not believed to exist in North America. Because of this, the equipment at the Diavik Diamond Mine was configured to sift out stones smaller than six carats. The 187.63 carat diamond should technically have not survived, but its uncommonly flattened shape enabled it to safely pass through the crushers.
“The Foxfire was discovered and uncovered in epic feats of engineering that are in themselves quite remarkable, all the while being respectful of the environment and those who have lived on the land for centuries,” said Arnaud Soirat, Chief Executive of Rio Tinto’s Copper & Diamonds.
In June of 2016, the Foxfire Diamond was acquired in a competitive international auction by Deepak Sheth, President of Amadena Investments LLC. In electing to preserve the diamond intact, Sheth has maintained both the diamond’s dazzling physical characteristics and its unique story.
“The combination of the Foxfire’s exceptional size of 187.63 carats, fascinating provenance and ethical pedigree will ensure this two billion year-old diamond takes its place in history books. We may never again see a diamond of this size and quality from a North American diamond mine,” said Deepak Sheth. "Further, we are honored to partner with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History to present our diamond alongside the world-renowned Hope diamond.”
The Foxfire Diamond has boldly earned its place in history, as the largest known, uncut, gem-quality diamond mined in North America.
The National Museum of Natural History is one of the most-visited natural history museums in the world. Opened in 1910, the museum is dedicated to maintaining and preserving the world’s most extensive collection of natural history specimens and human artifacts. The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (closed Dec. 25). Admission is free. For more information, visit the museum on its website and on Facebook and Twitter.
Amadena Investments LLC, is a New York Based company specializing in rare and fine quality collectable diamonds. Visit us at http://www.foxfirediamond.com or contact us at info(at)amadenainvestments(dot)com
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Amy Rosi, AROS Communications, +1 (212) 953-5177, [email protected]
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