Many beautiful gems traded hands during the AGTA Tucson GemFair 2014, but just a few went to new homes at the Smithsonian’s National Gem Collection. That was the case for two Csarite color-change diaspore gems from the Anatolia Mountains of Turkey that were donated to the museum by Milenyum Mining.

The Dubai-based miner presented Dr. Jeffrey Post, curator of the National Gem Collection, with a 159.33 ct. cat’s-eye cabochon cut and a 44.48 ct. faceted oval stone, which he called “significant upgrades to the collection,” according to a release from Milenyum.

Murat Akgun, president of Milenyum Mining told the media upon release of the news: “To our knowledge, currently there are fewer than 20 faceted Csarite gemstones in the world that have a weight of 40 carats and above. Given the rarity of this unusual gem, we feel the Smithsonian’s National Gem Collection is a fitting home for two of the few examples available in this size and quality.”

JCK