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"Almost Flawless": Okavango Blue Diamond And Botswana Mining Exhibit Comes To The AMNH
By
Sophia Chang
Published Nov 11, 2021
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Photo courtesy the Okavango Diamond Company
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By
Sophia Chang
Published Nov 11, 2021
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A new exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History showcases a rare 20-carat blue diamond from Botswana that’s considered nearly flawless.
The museum unveiled the Okavango Blue Diamond on Wednesday at the Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals, along with hundreds of rough natural diamonds, as part of a new exhibit about the history of the diamond mining industry in Botswana.
A rarity amongst the violent and colonialist history of diamond mining, museum officials said the four largest diamond mines in Botswana were developed in close collaboration with tribal leaders after the country attained independence from the United Kingdom in 1966. The country is now the second-largest producer of natural diamonds in the world, according to the AMNH.
D. Finnin/©AMNH
The Blue Diamond is on loan from the Okavango Diamond Company, which is owned by the government of Botswana.
Mmetla Masire, the managing director of the Okavango Diamond Company, said he hopes the Blue Diamond will draw New Yorkers to learn more about how Botswana reinvests diamond mining profits directly into education, infrastructure, and public health.
“You see the Okavango Blue, it has a story to tell, it has people learning and understanding how you arrived at that type of diamond,” Masire said. “It is responsible sourcing, responsible mining, that makes a difference.”
The gem’s distinctive blue comes from its chemical composition: “Blue diamonds are extremely rare -- and those of this size, even more so,” said George Harlow, curator of the Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals, in a press release. “While most diamonds contain small amounts of nitrogen, blue diamonds contain lesser amounts of nitrogen, and critically, more boron atoms in their crystal structure, resulting in the captivating hue.”
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Sophia Chang
Sophia Chang is a former WNYC and Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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