CollectionsJul 25, 2025
Piece of the Week: Jemma Wynne’s ‘Forme’ NecklaceAnne Hathaway was seen wearing the toggle necklace three times while filming scenes for “The Devil Wears Prada 2.”
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.
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
Events & AwardsJul 25, 2025
Pre-Registration Open for September Hong Kong ShowJewellery & Gem World Hong Kong is scheduled for Sept. 15 to 21, and buyer pre-registration will be available until Sept. 7.
FinancialsJul 25, 2025
LVMH Sales Slip in H1 Amid ‘Prevailing Uncertainties’Renovations at Tiffany & Co. stores ate into profits in the company’s watch and jewelry division.
Brought to you by
Taking the Moment Head On: How Rio Grande Champions the Present & Future of Fine JewelryAs a leading global jewelry supplier, Rio Grande is rapidly expanding and developing new solutions to meet the needs of jewelers worldwide.
Events & AwardsJul 24, 2025
2 Retailers to Receive 2026 Gem Award for Lifetime AchievementMark and Candy Udell of London Jewelers will receive the honor at the 24th annual Gem Awards next March.
Weekly QuizJul 25, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
SourcingJul 24, 2025
De Beers Sees Diamond Production Sink 36% in Q2 While struggles continue at the mining and trading end of the pipeline, consumer demand for diamond jewelry is holding steady.
CollectionsJul 24, 2025
Francesca Villa Adds Dimension to Her Intaglio CharactersThe “Fantasia” jewelry collection turns the intaglio animals from her “Close Encounters” collection into 3D characters.
Brought to you by
Investing in the Next Generation of Bench JewelersThe Seymour & Evelyn Holtzman Bench Scholarship from Jewelers of America returns for a second year.
WatchesJul 24, 2025
Breitling Drops Super Bowl Watch Honoring the Philadelphia Eagles The special Classic Avi Chronograph 42 with an Eagles-green dial is limited to 59 pieces, a nod to the Super Bowl Philadelphia just won.
CrimeJul 23, 2025
JSA Warns of Violent String of Smash-and-Grabs in California JSA has received reports of mobs swarming jewelry stores, driving cars into the storefront or smashing through the windows.
CollectionsJul 23, 2025
Silvia Furmanovich’s ‘Kashmir’ Collection Is a Tribute to Northern IndiaThe “Kashmir” collection features centuries-old craft techniques made in collaboration with the region’s master papier-mâché artisans.
IndependentsJul 23, 2025
Montreal’s Ecksand Eyes Move to SoHoCreative Director Erica Bianchini shared why the jeweler is looking to expand into the U.S. and how it’s putting Canadian craftsmanship on the map.
IndependentsJul 23, 2025
IJO Raises Nearly $37K for LA Fire Relief Two Los Angeles Fire Department stations plan to use the donations to upgrade their equipment and tools.
CollectionsJul 22, 2025
Jewelry With a Rock ‘n’ Roll Aesthetic Heads to Sotheby’s LondonNext week, the auction house will kick off a selling exhibition of jewelry by British artist Hannah Martin and Coldplay’s Guy Berryman.
SourcingJul 22, 2025
Antwerp Diamond Heist Documentary Coming to Netflix“Stolen: Heist of the Century” is based on “Flawless,” the book about the middle-of-the-night theft, and will debut on Netflix in August.
ColumnistsJul 22, 2025
The Gifting Gap: How to Market Jewelry Beyond the HolidaysEmmanuel Raheb shares the top five gifting moments outside of major holidays that jewelers should build marketing campaigns around.
Events & AwardsJul 22, 2025
NY Now’s Summer Market Returns in AugustThe wholesale trade show’s Luxury Lifestyle section will showcase established and emerging jewelry designers.
MajorsJul 21, 2025
Rio Grande Expands Personalization OfferingsAs demand for custom jewelry grows, the company is expanding its services to support retailers.
Events & AwardsJul 21, 2025
NAJA’s 2025 ‘Ace It’ Conference To Go VirtualThe mid-year conference for jewelry and watch appraisers is slated for Aug. 9 to 10 on Zoom.
TrendsJul 21, 2025
Amanda’s Style File: Graduated With Honors Graduated stones make for elevated tennis-style pieces and dramatic statement necklaces.
Events & AwardsJul 21, 2025
Gem Awards Now Accepting Nominations for 2026Nominations in the categories of Jewelry Design, Media Excellence, and Retail Innovation will be accepted through July 30.
MajorsJul 18, 2025
Lewis Heyman on Sourcing Gemstones, Post-Retirement PlansHe retired last month after 28 years traveling the world to source the very best gemstones for his family’s jewelry business, Oscar Heyman.
TrendsJul 18, 2025
Piece of the Week: CCWW Designs’ Shell Charm NecklaceThe charm necklace features six nautical charms of shells and coral that founder Christina Puchi collected on Florida’s beaches.
MajorsJul 18, 2025
Plumb Club Elects New Board MembersThe organization elected its youngest vice president as it looks to draw in fresh talent.
TechnologyJul 18, 2025
Brad Campbell, John Liebler Join Clientbook’s Executive Team Campbell joins the company as vice president of business development while Liebler is the new vice president of operations.
CollectionsJul 17, 2025
2026 Winter Olympic Medal Design Symbolizes UnityThe medals feature a split-texture design highlighting the Games’ first time being hosted by two cities and the athletes’ journeys.
Supplier BulletinJul 17, 2025
The INSTORE Jewelry Show 2025: Your Holiday Preparations, All Wrapped Up! Sponsored by The INSTORE Jewelry Show 2025
