My first adventure to the Smithsonian was in the late ’70s where the sparkly  De Young Pink Diamond caught my eye and just stopped me in my tracks.

The popularity of colored diamonds has increased dramatically over the years and some of the most valuable gemstones are fancy colored diamonds, especially in shades of blue, pink and red.

The Smithsonian houses one of the world’s largest Gem and Mineral collections including the Hope Diamond, which was donated to the Smithsonian by Harry Winston in 1958.

The massive diamond is currently valued at over $250 million and over 100 million people have viewed the gem.