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The story of America's biggest and best homegrown diamonds

WBUR | By Here & Now Newsroom
Published February 25, 2026 at 11:00 AM CST
The Freedom Diamond, from the National Gem Collection at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History. The 16.87-carat, cushion-cut diamond in this ring was cut from a 28.18-carat diamond crystal mined from Kelsey Lake, Colorado in 1997. It is the largest faceted diamond from the United States. (Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution)
Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution
The Freedom Diamond, from the National Gem Collection at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History. The 16.87-carat, cushion-cut diamond in this ring was cut from a 28.18-carat diamond crystal mined from Kelsey Lake, Colorado in 1997. It is the largest faceted diamond from the United States. (Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution)

The United States does not have a rich diamond mining history. But an exhibit at the Smithsonian Institute proves that some of the world’s most dazzling gems are homegrown.

Here & Now‘s Scott Tong speaks with Gabriela Farfan, curator of gems and minerals at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, about two of their best American gems on display.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

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