Ba-da Bling, Part II

Join me for another trip to the Smithsonian's Gem Gallery, where we can find more fantastic jewels.

Sapphire necklaces by Harry Winston (left) and Cartier (right)

The Hall Sapphire Necklace on the left, designed by Harry Winston, Inc., features 36 sapphires totaling 195 carats, set in platinum and accented by 435 pear-shaped and round brilliant-cut diamonds, totaling 83.75 carats.

The Bismarck Sapphire is named after its former owner, Countess Mona Von Bismarck, an American who married into German nobility in the 1930s. The 98.57-carat sapphire is mounted in a platinum necklace set with 312 baguette and round brilliant cut diamonds and accented with 8 square-cut sapphires.

The egg-sized Logan Sapphire brooch

This huge sapphire weighs 423 carats(!) and is one of the largest faceted sapphires in the world. It is surrounded by 20 round brilliant diamonds.

Emerald and diamond brooch

If you're tired of wearing sapphires all the time, emeralds are another good choice. This emerald, weighing more than 75 carats, once adorned the belt buckle of a sultan. It was reincarnated into a brooch with 129 diamonds.

Emerald necklace

Perhaps you'd like to make a bigger statement. How about this Art Deco piece designed by Cartier in the late 1920s? Twenty-four baroque-cut emeralds are set with smaller emeralds and diamonds in a platinum setting.

Yellow diamonds by Cartier.

Designed by Cartier, Inc. in the late 1980s, this necklace has 50 starburst-cut fancy yellow diamonds with a total weight of 244.10 carats. The matching ear clips contain 25-carat fancy yellow diamonds surrounded by 16 baguette and 4 pear-shaped colorless diamonds, totaling 26.80 carats for the pair. The ring is a 61-carat fancy yellow diamond.

The Chalk Emerald Ring

Donated to the Smithsonian by the Chalk family, this emerald weighs just under 38 carats. It was once part of a necklace owned by an Indian maharani. It was recut by Harry Winston, placed it in a ring surrounded by 15 carats of diamonds.

These jewels are gorgeous, and they do sparkle, but I'll have to be content just to look. And I'm OK with that.

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Ba-da Bling!

I was fortunate to spend a few days in Washington, D.C. awhile back and I'd like to share some of my sight-seeing highlights with you. Today, the Smithsonian and, more specifically, its famous jewel collection.

The most famous, of course, is the Hope Diamond.

The famous blue Hope Diamond is what remains of the original 112-carat stone. It was cut down to 68 carats in 1673 and today weighs "only" 45.52 carats. A mere bagatelle!

Perhaps blue isn't your color. How about red?

This lovely bangle contains 60 carats of antique-cut Burmese rubies surrounded by 27 carats of diamonds.

If you prefer the simplicity of white diamonds, perhaps this necklace will strike your fancy.


This striking necklace was once owned by the same woman who owned the Hope Diamond. It contains 1,050 diamonds totaling 63 carats in a platinum setting.

Or maybe you'd just like a simple pair of earrings like these lovelies once owned by Marie Antoinette.

These pear-shaped diamonds weigh 14.25 carats and 20.34 carats, respectively.

If you were born in May like me, you may think this emerald beauty was made for you. Sorry, but no.

This 167-carat Colombian emerald is set in a pendant containing 35 emeralds and more than 2,000 diamonds.

I saw many, many gorgeous jewels at the Smithsonian, but the most beautiful, breathtaking thing of all was this diadem that once belonged to Empress Marie-Louise of France.

This diadem contains 540 carats of Persian turquoise and more than 1,000 "old mine" diamonds totaling 700 carats.

The original diadem, created in 1810, was made with emeralds, but they were replaced with the turquoise in the 1950s. Why, I don't know, but I think it's stunning as is. I think I could find room for it in my jewelry box.

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