Israel Diamond Museum Exhibits Rare Gemstones and Minerals
By Staff -- JCK Online, 6/1/2004 2:00:00 AM
The Harry Oppenheimer Diamond Museum in Ramat Gan, Israel, has opened a unique exhibition of gemstones and minerals, including 500 rare items gathered from 55 countries around the world. The private collection of Ben-Zion Harel, an international gemstone dealer, and Sarah Harel was accumulated over a period of 30 years and will form part of the permanent collection of the museum.
Among the unique pieces on display are a prehistoric insect resembling a mosquito, trapped in amber more than 20 million years ago; a 2-billion-year-old crystal from Namibia, containing a droplet of water that moves freely within the stone; the largest ruby in the world; a 25-million-year-old red emerald from Kenya, embedded in stone and weighing 1,908 grams; "Emerald Crystal Twins" from Northern Afghanistan, a perfectly formed crystal that sprouted a second perfect crystal; and a fossilized tree trunk that grew calcite crystals—an exceedingly rare combination in nature—weighing 5,112 grams.
