The Largest Cut Piece of Aquamarine in the World

At 14 inches tall, the aquamarine obelisk known as the Dom Pedro is pure light. Like a cool oasis on the horizon, the cut gem stands as a pale blue beacon. It is the largest cut piece of aquamarine in the world and, after journeying from miners in Brazil to dealers in Germany and collectors in the States, the Dom Pedro, named for Brazil’s first two emperors, is now the newest addition to the Natural History Museum’s gem collection. Joining other noteworthy stones, including the much-loved Hope Diamond, the obelisk is a one-of-a-kind, according to the museum’s curator of gems and minerals Jeff Post. - Continue reading at Smithsonian.com.

Photo: Donald E. Hurlbert, Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural history

Ed note: Here is where you can see some of the world’s most famous diamonds.