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Melbourne Museum will Exhibit a Large Collection of Pink Diamonds Owned by LJ West November 09, 2022 (0 comments)
Melbourne, Australia and New York, NY--Dynamic Earth gallery in Melbourne, Australia, will host one of the largest collections of Australian pink diamonds to ever been seen in public. All of the diamonds are owned by LJ West Diamonds, a New York-based diamond dealer that specializes in fancy-colored diamonds. LJ West is partnering with Museums Victoria to present this exhibition titled, “Pink Diamonds,” which will run until January 29, 2023.
The pink diamonds exhibition will showcase more than 100 unique gemstones found in the Australian Kimberley region. Natural-colored diamonds have long been valued for their uniqueness. However, few have the means these rare gems. The physical conditions needed to create them occur very rarely, making them precious and valuable. Natural fancy-colored diamonds are sometimes compared to works of art, hidden treasures and rare books
“Museums Victoria is pleased to present this world-first display of some of the earth’s
extraordinary beauties,” says Lynley Crosswell Museums Victoria director and CEO. “This exhibition will bring to light their dazzling hues, the fascinating science and the precise skill required to cut these exquisite gemstones.”
These diamonds all came from Argyle mine in remote Western Australia, which produced approximately 90% of the world’s pink diamonds, until it was retired in 2020 after exhausting its supply of gems.
Among the highlights is the 2.83-carat Argyle Violet, which “is one of the most spectacular gems on Earth,” “one of the rarest jewels in the world” and “the Picasso of the
Collection,” according to Larry West, who owns the diamond firm. The gem was seen once before in 2016 at the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles. It is the only stone in history to carry this color grading which is produced by the presence of hydrogen. The violet diamond is hundreds of times rarer than a pink diamond.
West has been building his collection of Argyle Pink diamonds for over 30 years, many of which have never been on public display. “I am thrilled for the best of the collection to be back in Australia and presented as the largest pink diamond exhibition ever,” West says.
“Our planet created these flawless diamonds over 1.6 billion years ago,” adds Dermot Henry,
Museums Victoria Research Institute’s head of sciences. “Finding a pink diamond is like retrieving the ‘needle from the haystack;’ only one carat in every million will display this intense pink color. They remind us how truly wonderful nature is.”
West adds: “My attraction to natural color diamonds is much like my attraction
to life – every day is unique. Every colored diamond that I’ve ever seen or owned has
had its own unique characteristics, its own flaws, and its own beauty. This once in a lifetime opportunity will allow audiences to discover what gives pink diamonds their distinctive color, and the art behind cutting, polishing and setting diamonds as jewelry.”