Smithsonian Gifts
The Unveiling of the Whitney Flame Topaz
On September 22, 2018, the Smithsonian unveiled another gift we gave to the Natural History Museum. It is a 48.86 natural red imperial topaz, and is considered to be one of the finest in the world. Not only is it large in size but it is extremely rare to find this vibrant red color. As with the Whitney Alexandrite, this topaz was also found in Minas Gerais, Brazil. (A very fertile area for finding some amazing gemstones.) The topaz is mounted in a gold mounting with lighting that gives a bit of extra sparkle. You can find it on permanent display in the same room as the Hope Diamond. Check it out at the link below.
naturalhistory.si.edu/explore/collections/geogallery.s1.edu/10026753
The Unveiling of the Whitney Alexandrite
On April 7th, 2010, we attended the unveiling of our gift to the Smithsonian’s fine gem collection. It was an amazing day as it was the very first time the public had a chance to see a new exhibit unveiled during normal hours. The director of the natural history museum, the curator of the gem collection, and family and friends participated in the unveiling. Next time you are in DC check it out. It is located in the gem hall.
The following link gets you to the official Smithsonian webpage for this latest acquisition, including photos and the history of the stone. naturalhistory.si.edu/explore/collections/geogallery/10002774
The 17.08 carat alexandrite is from Brazil and only measures about 1/2″ by 3/4″. What is pictured is larger to illustrate the color change (due to chromium) which is impacted by light. A pure alexandrite is purplish-pink in indoor lighting and teal blue in outdoor lighting.
Golden Fairy
This exceptional gold specimen was collected within the last five years from the Mockingbird Mine, Mariposa County, California. The gray-black crystals associated with the gold are petzite, a rare gold, silver and tellurium-bearing mineral (Ag3AuTe2). The gold specimen represents one of the best examples of crystallized gold from the United States. The specimen stands 9 cm (3.5″) tall. This specimen has been unofficially named the “Golden Fairy”. naturalhistory.si.edu/explore/collections/geogallery/10026752
