Image: Uncle Sam Diamond (cropped)

Description: Four American diamonds from the National Gem and Mineral Collection at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History. Catalog numbers include: 171594, an uncut, 6.45-carat Colorado diamond crystal; G11740, the Freedom Diamond; G11741, the Uncle Sam Diamond; and Canary Diamond R2, an uncut, yellow diamond crystal. These diamonds are among the largest and finest American diamonds, and originate from the only two locations where diamonds have been mined in the United States: Kelsey Lake, Colorado from 1996 to 2001, and Crater of Diamonds, Murfreesboro, Arkansas from 1919 to 1926. Although producing tens of thousands of carats of rough diamonds, neither mining venture was commercially successful. The Kelsey Lake mine is closed and reclaimed, and Crater of Diamonds is now an Arkansas state park where visitors can search for and keep the diamonds they find - typically about 600 per year. The Freedom Diamond and clear diamond crystal originate from Kelsey Lake, while the Uncle Sam Diamond and yellow diamond crystal originate from Crater of Diamonds. The Freedom Diamond is a gift of Robert E. and Kathy G. Mau. The Uncle Sam Diamond is a gift of Dr. Peter Buck. And, the yellow Arkansas diamond crystal is a gift of John A. Roebling.
Title: Uncle Sam Diamond (cropped)
Credit: https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/releases/new-smithsonian-exhibit-showcases-extraordinary-american-diamonds
Author: Smithsonian Institution
Usage Terms: Public domain
License: Public domain
Attribution Required?: No