Diamond Exhibition Closes in Japan

Bringing to a close a display that has traveled around the world from India to Canada and from Spain to Hong Kong, the Tokyo national museum recently hosted the final stop of the "Diamonds: Nature's Miracle" exhibition.

The show consisted of 17 out of 39 winners of global diamond design contest organized by the DTC, the sales and marketing arm of De Beers. Over 1,500 entries, received from 15 countries, were submitted to the competition, which was judged by representatives from fashion designers Stella McCartney, Vivienne Westwood and Christie's.

In addition to the 17 winners, the Japanese leg of the exhibition also showcased a 200 million yen ($1.66 million) diamond Christmas cake. The cake, covered with 223 diamonds weighing 170 carats, took Jeong Hong Yeon, the chef patissier of the RIHGA Royal Hotel Tokyo, six months to develop and one month to make.

Also on display was a 3.2 billion year old diamond, billed as one of the oldest rough diamonds ever found. The stone weighs 296.56 carats and is usually stored under tight security at the DTC headquarters in London.