The Moussaieff Red Diamond (formerly known as the Red Shield Diamond) is a
diamond
Diamond is a Allotropes of carbon, solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the Chemical stability, chemically stable form of car ...
measuring 5.11
carats (1.022 g) with a triangular
brilliant cut
A brilliant is a diamond or other gemstone cut in a particular form with numerous facets so as to have exceptional brilliance. The shape resembles that of a cone and provides maximized light return through the top of the diamond.
Even with moder ...
(sometimes called a trillion or a trilliant cut), rated in
color
Color (American English) or colour (British English) is the visual perceptual property deriving from the spectrum of light interacting with the photoreceptor cells of the eyes. Color categories and physical specifications of color are associ ...
as Fancy Red by the
Gemological Institute of America
The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) is a nonprofit institute based in Carlsbad, California. It is dedicated to research and education in the field of gemology and the jewelry arts. Founded in 1931, GIA's mission is to protect buyers and ...
. It is the world's largest known red diamond, the rarest of all diamond colors.
The Moussaieff Red was discovered by a Brazilian garimpeiro named Ze Tatu in a manual digging
in the district of Major porto in 1989, in a region known as noroeste de minas in the state of Minas Gerais. The rough stone weighed 13.9 carats (2.78 g).
The diamond was purchased and cut by the
William Goldberg Diamond Corp., where it went by its original name, the Red Shield. It was purchased in 2001 or 2002 by
Shlomo Moussaieff, an Israeli-born jewelry dealer in London. It is currently owned by Moussaieff Jewellers Ltd.
The Moussaieff Red was displayed in 2003 as part of the
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...
's "The Splendor of Diamonds" exhibit, alongside
The De Beers Millennium Star and
The Heart of Eternity.
See also
*
List of diamonds
Diamond (gemstone), Diamonds become famous typically for some combination of their size, color and quality. Diamonds occur naturally in many different colors, so the largest diamond of a particular color may not be large in absolute terms, but it ...
References
External links
* The World of Famous Diamonds
"The Moussaieff Red"
Red diamonds
Diamonds originating in Brazil
Individual diamonds
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