The Okavango Blue Diamond Lands At The American Museum of Natural History

We were thrilled to be invited to the American Museum of Natural History for the grand unveiling of the famous Blue Okavango Diamond from Botswana in the Melissa and Keith Meister Gallery, part of the Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals.

This is the first time this dazzling blue diamond has ever been on display for the public and we were so honored to be a part of its reveal. The gem, which is on loan from the Okavango Diamond Company is a fancy deep blue diamond in an oval brilliant cut weighing 20.46 carats.

Read More: The Science of Colored Diamonds

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Museum visitors to see this truly spectacular blue diamond while learning about diamonds more broadly,” said Museum President Ellen V Futter.

The Okavango Blue Diamond comes from one of the world’s largest open-pit diamond mines, the Orapa Mine in Botswana, and is the largest of its kind found in the country to date. “Our natural diamond resources are managed responsibly in a manner that puts the people of Botswana first, said Okavango Diamonds Company managing director Mmetla Masire. “There is a strong sense of local pride knowing that these diamonds are improving the lives of Botswana with profits directly reinvested in education, infrastructure, and public health.”

Botswana’s diamond mines were found after the country attained independence in 1966 and the newly formed government entered into agreements with tribal leaders to make diamonds a national resource. “Our diamonds tell the rich history and unique journey of Botswana’s development,” adds Masire. “The Okavango Blue is not just an ordinary three billion-year-old polished carbon element but rather a physical embodiment of the passing of time, a fragment of eternity.”

The Okavango Blue Diamond exhibit opens to the public on November 10, 2021.