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. Diamond is tasteless, odourless, strong, brittle solid, colourless in pure form, a poor conductor of e ...
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 57-58 facets so as to have exceptional brilliance. The word 'brilliant' is also used for a diamond cut in this fashion. The underside is conical, a shape that provides maxim ...
(sometimes called a trillion or a trilliant cut), rated in
color
Color (or colour in English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English; American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, see spelling differences) is the visual perception based on the electromagnetic spectrum. Though co ...
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 s ...
. It is the world's largest known red diamond, the rarest of all diamond colors.
The Moussaieff Red was discovered by a
Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
ian
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
Minas Gerais () is one of the 27 federative units of Brazil, being the fourth largest state by area and the second largest in number of inhabitants with a population of 20,539,989 according to the 2022 Brazilian census, 2022 census. Located in ...
. 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, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...
'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 occur naturally and vary in size, color, and quality, so the largest of a particular color may not be large in absolute terms, but may still be considered very desirable. Diamonds may also have high valuations in sal ...
References
External links
* The World of Famous Diamonds
"The Moussaieff Red"
Red diamonds
Diamonds originating in Brazil
Individual diamonds
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