Spectacular Colored Diamonds On Exhibit At Los Angeles County Natural History Museum

The Juliet Pink is a 30.03- carat Fancy Intense Pink diamond. Its intense color grade, lack of inclusions, and size make it exceptionally rare. (Image courtesy of Brian Lazar)

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County is bringing together rare colored gems never before seen in the United States inside the museum’s Gem and Mineral Hall in an exhibition titled “Diamonds: Rare Brilliance.”

At the exhibition’s center is the “Juliet Pink Diamond,” an extremely rare pink diamond of more than 30 carats, and a Fancy Deep Grayish Bluish Violet named the “Argyle Violet Diamond,” after the Argyle mine in Western Australia where it was discovered in 2015. Through examples, such as the fluorescent lighting of a “Rainbow” diamond necklace and a very rare Victorian Orchid Diamond, the exhibition will attempt to bring to light the rare properties of colored gemstones, the science behind natural colored diamonds, and how the interplay of light and chemistry gives diamonds color.

The Diamonds: Rare Brilliance exhibition will open Friday and run through March 19, 2017. The colored gems and jewels in the exhibition are owned by L.J. West Diamonds, which specializes in the sourcing, manufacturing and distribution of colored diamonds.

The Juliet Pink Diamond (top two photos) – This 30.03-carat Fancy Intense Pink oval diamond, with a VVS2 clarity grading, is cut from a 90-carat rough from South Africa. It is set in a necklace with marquise, pear and round-cut shape white diamonds, VVS E-F, totaling 98.70 carats.