Dom Pedro Aquamarine to Natural History Museum
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The Dom Pedro Aquamarine goes on display at the National Museum of Natural History, as part of the National Gem Collection. At 10,363 carats and 14 inches tall, it's c. 10 times larger than the nearest large aquamarine. Named for the first emperor of Brazil, it was donated by collectors Jane Mitchell and Jeff Bland. First uncovered in Minas Gerais, Brazil, in the 1980s, Jurgen Henn, a German gem broker, had arranged for its cutting into its current obelisk shape by German gem artist Bernd Munsteiner. The donation was arranged by museum curator Jeffrey Post.
Chronology of Smithsonian History
Vastag, Brian, "The Dom Pedro aquamarine's long and winding path to the Smithsonian," The Washington Post, December 2, 2012.
Institutional History Division, Smithsonian Institution Archives, 600 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20024-2520, SIHistory@si.edu
December 6, 2012