Nature of Diamonds lights up the ROM

In the depths of the Michael Lee- Chin Crystal’s lower levels, at the Royal Ontario Museum, a hushed group of media and diamond enthusiasts alike gathered for the opening of “The Nature of Diamonds” in October, an exhibition organized by the American Museum of Natural History and sponsored by De Beers.

Against the backdrop of sparkling lighting, Jim Gowans, president and CEO of De Beers Canada, addressed the crowd from a glass podium.

“For thousands of years, diamonds have held a special place in many cultures around the world,” Gowans said. “We are proud to be associated with the ROM to showcase the origins, history and allure of one of the rarest materials on Earth.”

Fittingly, the exhibit’s entrance is shaped like a cave, and visitors can follow a path that outlines a chronological history of the gem, which has captured the world’s attention for thousands of years and etched out a unique place in many cultures.

With diamond production reaching its tenth year in Canada, the exhibit’s opening is aptly timed to celebrate Canada’s place as the third-largest diamond producer in the world by value.

“Canada is now a diamond superpower,” said William Thorsell, director and CEO of the ROM.

At the Gem Vault in the centre of the exhibit, media personalities jockeyed for position to steal glimpses of the Incomparable Diamond, the third-largest cut diamond in the world. The 407.48- carat golden-coloured stone was found in 1980s in the Mbuji-Maya district of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

In a press release, Kim Tait, the exhibit curator, expressed her excitement about the Incomparable Diamond.

“This is a highly iconic gemstone, with an internally flawless clarity, a golden colour and an incredibly large size,” Tait said. “As a mineralogist, I can attest: you don’t get to see something like this every day.”

The vault also hosts some of the rarest objects in the collection, including a corsage ornament belonging to Napoleon Bonaparte’s niece, Princess Mathilde, comprised of 2,600 diamonds and the Aurora Butterfly of Peace, made of 240 multi-coloured diamonds collected over 12 years.

The exhibit collects more than 500 brilliant objects, each with its own story furthering the allure and mystery of diamonds. “The Nature of Diamonds” is scheduled to continue at the ROM until March 22, 2009, when it moves on to Chicago and Houston.