Diamonds are a girl's best friend

I had the great pleasure of visiting the Field Museum's latest featured exhibit: The Nature of Diamonds.  It was truly unbelievable.  With diamonds dating back to the Renaissance and earlier up to the extravagant pieces of our time, it was a girl's heaven.  I spent my day bouncing around from glass case to glass case salivating over the endless number of carats... and then... I entered the vault.  This is where they kept the big showstoppers.  Beautiful broaches and necklaces with thousands of diamonds adorning them and this unbelievable 128.54 carat yellow diamond by Tiffany.  I'm still awe-struck.

From top:

Princess Mathilde Corsage Ornament

 In 1855, this six-inch rose was crafted of 2,637 Brazilian diamonds for Princess Mathilde, niece of Napoleon I. Cartier later acquired the piece and sold it to Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt III, queen of New York society in the early 1900s.

"Milky Way" Necklace

This voluminous necklace, designed by Dieter Huebner, sponsored by Brinkhaus Jewelers, is adorned with 2,000 luminous diamonds.The “Milky Way” necklace was designed in 2000 as a celebration and ode to the millennium.

"Bird on a Rock" Tiffany Diamond

The 128.54-carat Tiffany Diamond, one of the world’s largest and finest fancy yellow diamonds, is showcased in this well-known setting designed by legendary jeweler Jean Schlumberger. The “Bird on a Rock” setting is designed with white and yellow diamonds, ruby, gold, and platinum. 

Photos and Background: via fieldmuseum.com