Smithsonian's 2.33-Carat Winston Red Diamond: A Journey Through Color, History, and Geology
2025-06-14
The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History's newly unveiled 2.33-carat Winston Red diamond is the fifth-largest Fancy red diamond known and the only one on public display. This article details the scientific and historical investigation of this rare gem, from spectroscopic analysis to geological origins. It reveals its pure crimson color stems from a careful balance of absorption features linked to plastic deformation and specific defects, tracing its history from 1938 to the present. The study concludes that its likely origin is Venezuela or Brazil.