IndependentsApr 01, 2025
Bergman Jewelers in Omaha Closing After 137 YearsThe independent jeweler first opened its doors in 1888.
EditorsJan 19, 2017
The Biggest Diamond in Washington
It weighs nearly 188 carats and it’s not on Melania Trump’s hand. Our Editor-in-Chief reports from the nation’s capital.
The Foxfire Diamond, pictured here in the display case it will occupy for another month in Washington, D.C., is the largest known rough gem-quality diamond ever mined in North America. It was found at the Diavik Diamond Mine in Canada in August 2015. (Photo credit: Clay Blackmore)
As I write this, I am on an Amtrak train bouncing, tilting and clattering its way to Washington, D.C., where I have been invited to the inauguration as a personal guest of our 45th president, Donald J. Trump.
Just kidding.
I am actually going to speak at the D.C. chapter of the GIA alumni association tonight at a Holiday Inn in Arlington, Virginia, giving the PowerPoint version of the blog post I recently wrote on my retail prognostications for the year.
Since I am on my way to our nation’s capital, however, I feel like it’s a good time to catch readers up on my last trip to D.C. As they say, there’s no better time than the present to finish a story you should have written two months ago.
Back in November, I was invited to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History for a dinner welcoming the 187.63-carat Foxfire Diamond as a temporary resident of the museum’s Harry Winston Gallery, which is also home to the 45.52-carat Hope Diamond.
Discovered at Canada’s Diavik Diamond Mine in August 2015, the Foxfire is the biggest diamond ever known to be found in North America.
Rio Tinto, which owns a 60 percent stake in Diavik, had the diamond in New York back in May and I got my little, grubby, never-polished fingers on it then. The following month, the stone went up for auction and Deepak Sheth of Amadena Investments/Excellent Facets Inc. placed the winning-but-never-disclosed bid for the diamond.
As I reported in November, Sheth has opted to keep the diamond in its rough state for now, lending it first to the Smithsonian and very kindly inviting me to the above-mentioned dinner welcoming the stone.
Held after hours in the gallery itself, the event presented the perfect opportunity for a private, albeit self-guided, tour of the two rooms that house the museum’s mineral collection.
It also gave me the chance to meet Sheth and Jeffrey Post, geologist, chair of the museum’s Mineral Sciences department and the curator-in-charge of the museum’s mineral collection.
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
and took its name from the aboriginal description of the Northern Lights as resembling a “brush of undulating fox tails.”
Post spoke to the crowd on two separate occasions that evening, first addressing why he’s excited to have (and why it may be difficult to separate from) the diamond in the museum’s collection, and then talking a little bit more about the scientific properties of this special stone.
The Foxfire, he said, has strong fluorescence; he compared the shade of blue it turns when under UV light to blue glacier ice. It also exhibits bright-orange phosphorescence when the light is turned off that fades away slowly.
“We’ve never actually seen it stop. We just finally get tired and walk away from the diamond,” he joked.
Post--who, admittedly, has not seen a ton of diamonds in his lifetime but has examined some extraordinary stones--said he’s never seen a diamond that fluoresces so blue and then phosphoresces so orange. They are studying the Foxfire while they have it to get a better idea of what it means and “really, what’s going on inside this diamond.”
He also remarked on how this big rough diamond fits into the museum’s mission of educating and creating an experience for its visitors, saying, “How often do any of us get to see a large diamond that’s been found and mined anywhere in the world, and the public--never. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for most of our visitors.”
Listening back to my recording of that evening’s remarks, I was reminded of what Larry West told me when I was interviewing him about his company’s natural colored diamonds that are now on display in Los Angeles: The general public does not get to see these types of stones very often, which is something that you tend to forget when you work around jewelry every day.
Yes, people can walk through jewelry stores and see showcases filled with row after row of 1-carat diamonds but it’s not very often, if ever, that they get to see truly rare and wonderful stones, like West’s colored diamonds or a big diamonds in it rough form like the Foxfire.
The Foxfire Diamond will remain on display at the Smithsonian, housed in a glass case just feet from the Hope, until Feb 16. After that, Sheth plans to take it on a “world journey” to share it with other admirers.
We’ll let you know where it’s headed.
Post spoke to the crowd on two separate occasions that evening, first addressing why he’s excited to have (and why it may be difficult to separate from) the diamond in the museum’s collection, and then talking a little bit more about the scientific properties of this special stone.
The Foxfire, he said, has strong fluorescence; he compared the shade of blue it turns when under UV light to blue glacier ice. It also exhibits bright-orange phosphorescence when the light is turned off that fades away slowly.
“We’ve never actually seen it stop. We just finally get tired and walk away from the diamond,” he joked.
Post--who, admittedly, has not seen a ton of diamonds in his lifetime but has examined some extraordinary stones--said he’s never seen a diamond that fluoresces so blue and then phosphoresces so orange. They are studying the Foxfire while they have it to get a better idea of what it means and “really, what’s going on inside this diamond.”
He also remarked on how this big rough diamond fits into the museum’s mission of educating and creating an experience for its visitors, saying, “How often do any of us get to see a large diamond that’s been found and mined anywhere in the world, and the public--never. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for most of our visitors.”
Listening back to my recording of that evening’s remarks, I was reminded of what Larry West told me when I was interviewing him about his company’s natural colored diamonds that are now on display in Los Angeles: The general public does not get to see these types of stones very often, which is something that you tend to forget when you work around jewelry every day.
Yes, people can walk through jewelry stores and see showcases filled with row after row of 1-carat diamonds but it’s not very often, if ever, that they get to see truly rare and wonderful stones, like West’s colored diamonds or a big diamonds in it rough form like the Foxfire.
The Foxfire Diamond will remain on display at the Smithsonian, housed in a glass case just feet from the Hope, until Feb 16. After that, Sheth plans to take it on a “world journey” to share it with other admirers.
We’ll let you know where it’s headed.
More on Editors
The Latest
MajorsApr 01, 2025
QVC Group to Cut 900 Jobs in the U.S.The layoffs come amid the TV shopping channel’s efforts to restructure and focus on live shopping through social media.
Events & AwardsApr 01, 2025
U.S. Antique Shows Adds Fall Show in FloridaThe debut event will take place in Miami’s Coconut Grove neighborhood this fall.
Brought to you by
The Heart of the Industry: Giving Bench Jewelers the Recognition They DeserveBench jewelers spend years honing their skills, Jewelers of America’s Certification validates their talents.
Events & AwardsApr 01, 2025
TJS to Host Discussion on Jewelry Industry’s Labor ShortageThe roundtable will take place May 17 ahead of the trade show’s welcome dinner.
Weekly QuizMar 27, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
CollectionsApr 01, 2025
Monica Rich Kosann Says ‘Good Grief’ in Peanuts Jewelry CollectionThe “Peanuts x Monica Rich Kosann” collection features the comic strip’s classic vocabulary across 10 bracelet designs.
Recorded WebinarsMar 31, 2025
Watch: What Do We Mean When We Say ‘Recycled’ Gold?Three industry experts dive into the complexities of the material often marketed as an “ethical” alternative for metal in jewelry.
Brought to you by
Natural Diamonds Should Mean MoreNatural diamonds mean more than lab-grown, but when every cut is ideal, they all look the same. Customers want more—Facets of Fire delivers.
TrendsMar 31, 2025
Amanda’s Style File: Dripping in DiamondsDiamonds are not only one of the most prominent gemstones, but the birthstone for those born in April.
MajorsMar 31, 2025
Lashbrook Expands Into Luxury Golf Gifts With AcquisitionThe Utah-based company known for making wedding bands has acquired Doubloon Golf.
WatchesMar 31, 2025
Bulgari CEO Jean-Christophe Babin Will Also Head LVMH WatchesThe longtime luxury executive led one of LVMH’s watch brands, TAG Heuer, for 12 years before taking over Bulgari in 2013.
CrimeMar 28, 2025
2 Suspects Arrested in $1.7M Smash-and-Grab Robbery of NY Jewelry StoreAuthorities said the robbers fled with jewelry and 70 Rolex watches, later taking pictures of themselves posing with big stacks of cash.
SourcingMar 28, 2025
19th-Century Jade Book Now Available in EnglishLotus Gemology founder Richard W. Hughes has translated Heinrich Fischer’s 1880 book “Nephrit und Jadeit” from its original German.
CollectionsMar 28, 2025
Piece of the Week: Löf’s ‘The Valentine’ RingThe ring's design features contrasting lines influenced by work from architecture-inspired photographer Nikola Olic.
SurveysMar 27, 2025
Consumer Confidence Falls in March Amid ‘Gloomy’ OutlookThe Conference Board’s index fell as consumers continued to worry about the impact of tariffs, the labor market, and the price of eggs.
AuctionsMar 27, 2025
300-Year-Old Ring Linked to Witch Trial Judge Goes Unsold at Auction However, two medieval jewels surpassed estimates at Noonans Mayfair’s recent jewelry auction in London.
WatchesMar 27, 2025
Austin Butler Joins Breitling as Brand AmbassadorThe Oscar-nominated actor debuted in the campaign for the new “Top Time B31” collection, which introduced Breitling’s Caliber B31.
SourcingMar 27, 2025
Susan Jacques, Gaetano Cavalieri to Headline 2025 ICA Congress The Congress is scheduled to take place May 19-22 in Brasilia, Brazil.
IndependentsMar 26, 2025
Bailey’s Fine Jewelry Acquires Fellow NC Independent JewelerThe family-owned retailer is the new owner of Morrison Smith Jewelers in Charlotte, North Carolina.
WatchesMar 26, 2025
Bulova Celebrates 150th Anniversary With Art Deco WatchesThe “150 Art Deco” collection features a Miss America timepiece and a pocket watch from the brand’s Archive Series.
MajorsMar 26, 2025
QVC Group Appoints New PresidentAlex Wellen, formerly CEO and president of MotorTrend Group, has taken on the role.
Events & AwardsMar 26, 2025
Jewelers of America Announces New Funding Initiative The Impact Initiative is part of the nonprofit association’s new three-year strategic plan.
AuctionsMar 25, 2025
Christie’s To Auction 35-Carat Sapphire, 13-Carat RubyThe ruby and the sapphire, which Christie’s calls a “once-in-a-generation masterpiece,” are part of the upcoming Hong Kong jewelry auction.
CrimeMar 25, 2025
Tiffany & Co. Earrings Swallowed Following Grab-and-Run Theft RecoveredThe two pairs of earrings, snatched from a Tiffany & Co. store in Orlando, Florida, are valued at a combined $769,500.
ColumnistsMar 25, 2025
The Smart Lab: Using Short-Form Videos to Sell More JewelryThe time to start experimenting with video content is now, writes columnist Emmanuel Raheb.
CollectionsMar 24, 2025
Pomellato’s Latest ‘Nudo’ Collections Revamp its Classic DesignFrom striking high jewelry to miniature fine jewelry, the new chapter continues to highlight gemstones featuring its signature 57-facet cut.
MajorsMar 24, 2025
4 Top Executives to Depart Signet Jewelers Amid TurnaroundThe jewelry giant is reducing its senior leadership by 30 percent as part of its new turnaround strategy.
