A rare 19th century 55-carat diamond, once part of the Russian Crown Jewels has gone on temporary view at New York’s American Museum of Natural History on Central Park West. The Diamond gets its name from the Kimberley mine in South Africa where it was found before 1868. It has also been described as a “cape diamond,” an Old World term meaning “deep color.”

The Kimberley Diamond went through a number of transformations during its 145-year history. It was cut from a 490-carat crystal into a 70-carat gem in 1921. The original diamond was fairly large, but there aren’t many descriptions of it, so its history isn’t well-known.

To improve its brilliance and proportions, the diamond was re-cut to its present form in 1958 by renowned New York City Fifth Avenue jewelers the Baumgold Bros. The rectangular diamond is about 1.25 inches in length and virtually flawless.

by renowned New York City Fifth Avenue jewelers the Baumgold Bros. – See more at: http://www.peleddiamonds.com/blog/dazzling-colored-diamond-on-display-in-nyc/#sthash.i7xYx6zL.dpuf

The diamond was then sold to Bruce F. Stuart, great-grandson of Carnation Company founder Elbridge Amos Stuart, in 1971. Over the years, the precious diamond was transferred to the Bruce F. Stuart Trust, which still owns it. The stone is on loan from the Bruce F. Stuart Trust, said exhibit curator George Harlow.