Aurora Diamond Collection
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Aurora Diamond Collection of natural color diamonds is one of the most comprehensive diamond collections in the world. It was on public display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York from 1989 to 2005 in the Morgan Hall of Gems. The Aurora Collection was the centerpiece for the 1998 exhibition The Nature of Diamonds organized by the American Museum of Natural History which toured Japan, Canada and the U.S. In 2005 The Aurora Collection was invited to participate in the exhibition Diamonds organized by The Natural History Museum of London. At that time 36 new specimens were added to the original 260 diamonds. Today The Aurora Collection consists of 296 diamonds weighing a total of 267.45 carats.
All the colors of the spectrum that diamonds exist in are represented in various shapes, saturations and modifiers including blue diamonds, pink diamonds, red diamonds, green diamonds, orange diamonds, purple diamonds, violet diamonds, yellow diamonds, olive diamonds and brown diamonds. Also represented are color changing chameleon diamonds. The Aurora Collection was put together by Alan Bronstein and Harry Rodman over 25 years.
The Aurora Collection is currently on display at The Natural History Museum of London.
[edit] References
- Hofer, Stephen Collecting and Classifying Coloured Diamonds - An Illustrated Study of the Aurora Collection
- Bronstein, Alan and Hofer, Stephen Forever Brilliant - The Aurora Collection of Colored Diamonds
[edit] External links
- http://www.auroragems.com/aurora_collection.html - Official page of the Aurora Diamond Collection (includes links to London Natural History Museum articles and press releases about the collection's exhibition)
[edit] Additional Information
The Colors of Diamonds
Natural color diamonds, also referred to as "fancy color diamonds" exist in many hues, tones and saturations. The strength of color is categorized by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) as:
Light
Fancy Light
Fancy
Intense
Vivid
Deep
Dark
The overall colour in diamonds is a function of absorption and reflection of light. When a diamond appears colourless, white light (all the colours of the visible spectrum combined) enters the diamond and all colours are transmitted (translucent) or reflected (sparkle). Note that all Diamonds also refract light in the same way a prism would, and as such a spectrum of colours is often evident upon closer inpection. When a diamond appears to have a colour, some colours from the white light are absorbed while the others reflect and or transmit back to the eye. It is the combination of unabsorbed colours (transmitted or reflected) that give the resultant colour of the diamond. A pure carbon diamond is colourless. .
Diamond color - Blue
Blue diamonds are caused when boron atoms are trapped in the diamonds crystal structure, which alters the absorption spectrum of the stone. Blue diamonds are found most often in South Africa and the extinct mines of India. Blue diamonds tend to be modified by gray or green. The color of blue diamonds can be described as sapphire, sky, blueberry and robin’s egg.
The most famous blue diamonds are The Hope Diamond and The Heart of Eternity Diamond.
Diamond color - Pink
Pink diamonds are caused by Plastic Deformation; a twisting of the crystal structure of the carbon atoms during the formation of the diamond in the earth which alters the absorption spectrum of the stone. It appears in the stone as grain lines similar to grain in wood. It does not alter the nature of the diamond only its color. Pink diamonds are found most often in Australia, South Africa, and Brazil. Pink diamonds tend to be modified by purple, orange or brown. The color of pink diamonds can be described as bubble gum, blossom, salmon and shell.
The most famous pink diamonds are The Agra Diamond and The Steinmetz Pink Diamond.
Diamond color - Yellow
Yellow diamonds are caused when nitrogen atoms are trapped in the diamonds crystal structure, which alters the absorption spectrum of the stone. Yellow diamonds are most often found in South Africa, Russia, and most recently in Canada. Yellow diamonds tend to be modified by orange, brown or green. The color of yellow diamonds can be described as lemon, canary, champagne and chartreuse.
The most famous yellow diamonds are The Tiffany Diamond and The Allnatt Diamond.
Diamond color - Red
Red diamonds are caused by Plastic Deformation; a twisting of the crystal structure of the carbon atoms during the formation of the diamond in the earth which alters the absorption spectrum of the stone. It appears in the stone as grain lines similar to grain in wood. It does not alter the nature of the diamond only its color. Red diamonds are most often found in Australia and Brazil. Red diamonds tend to be modified by purple or brown. Their colors can be described as wine, cranberry, strawberry, and garnet.
The most famous red diamonds are The Moussaieff Red Diamond and The Hancock Red.
Diamond color - Green
Green diamonds are caused by natural radiation over millions of years in the earth which alters the crystal structure of the diamond thus altering the absorption spectrum. Green diamonds can also be caused by hydrogen trapped in the diamonds crystal structure. Green diamonds are most often found in Guyana, Brazil, South Africa, and the extinct mines of India. Green diamonds tend to be modified by yellow or blue. Their colors can be described as grass, emerald, sea foam, and apple.
The most famous green diamonds are The Dresden Green Diamond and The Ocean Dream Diamond.
Diamond color - Orange
Orange diamonds are caused when nitrogen atoms are trapped in the diamonds crystal structure, which alters the absorption spectrum of the stone. Orange diamonds are most often found in South Africa and Brazil. Orange diamonds tend to modified by yellow or brown. Their colors can be described as pumpkin, cantaloupe, amber and brandy.
The most famous orange diamond is The Pumpkin Diamond.
Diamond color - Purple
Purple diamonds are caused by Plastic Deformation; a twisting of the crystal structure of the carbon atoms during the formation of the diamond in the earth which alters the absorption spectrum of the stone. Purple diamonds are found most often in Russia. Purple diamonds tend to be modified by pink or brown. Their colors can be described as lilac, amethyst, grape or plum.
Diamond color - Violet
Violet diamonds are caused by hydrogen atoms that are trapped in the diamonds crystal structure, which alters the absorption spectrum of the stone. Violet diamonds are found in Australia. They tend to be modified by gray or blue.
