The Story Behind the Smithsonian’s Newest Gem: the Exquisite Lion of Merelani
The stunning tsavorite gemstone arrives at the museum with a well-documented history
Jack Tamisiea
April 20th, 2023
With more than 10,000 gems, the Smithsonian’s National Gem Collection is brimming with breathtaking stones like the scintillating Whitney Flame Topaz, the radiant Carmen Lúcia Ruby and the iconic Hope Diamond. But mineralogist Jeffrey Post, the National Museum of Natural History’s curator-in-charge of gems and minerals, thinks the collection’s newest addition will stop museum visitors in their tracks.
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