November 8, 1958

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History is home to the 45.52-carat Hope Diamond, the world’s largest deep blue diamond. In its long and varied history, the gem passed through several owners on multiple continents, including King Louis XIV and Marie Antionette of France. In 1911, American heiress Evalyn Walsh McLean purchased the diamond from Cartier in Paris and brought it to the U.S. After McLean died, jeweler Harry Winston bought the diamond and donated it to the Smithsonian. How did he send the priceless diamond to the museum? Winston placed it in a plain brown paper wrapper and sent it by registered first-class mail.

American Art Museum
Treasures galore await at the American Art Museum, home to the “largest collection of American art in the world.” Best sections are Education (especially Kids’ Corner, Learning with New Media, and Journey through Art) and Collections & Exhibitions (don’t miss Browse the Collection, Helios, Director’s Choice and Online Exhibitions.) My personal favorites are Bottle Caps to Brushes (in Kids’ Corner) for elementary grades, and the curator’s commentary about Vegetable Dinner by Peter Blume (in Director’s Choice) for high-school students.

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Tags: hope diamond, smithsonian, harry winston, famous gem, national museum of natural history