The ‘Three Billion Year Old Portrait of a Woman’, a one-of-a-kind diamond residing in The Cape Town Diamond Museum, is just as enchanting and fascinating as the museum itself. Created by Mother Nature, the ‘Three Billion Year Old Portrait of a Woman’ is intriguing and mysterious – much like other historic artworks of women, such as the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo.
Did you know?
The ‘Three Billion Year Old Portrait of a Woman’ was originally discovered in West Africa. Yair Shimansky, founder of The Cape Town Diamond Museum, bought the priceless diamond from a diamond dealer in 2006 specifically for the museum, knowing that the public would be mesmerised by its beauty – just as he is.
Interesting facts:
- The small and delicate ‘Three Billion Year Old Portrait of a Woman’ is 2 cm in diameter – the same size as a R2 coin
- The carat size of the diamond is 4.76
- No value can be attached to the diamond – it is priceless
What makes it unique?
- Unlike most diamonds which are valued for their perfection, The ‘Three Billion Year Old Portrait of a Woman’ is valued for its imperfection, which is attributed to ‘nature’s fingerprint’: The fancy yellow diamond is in the shape of a woman’s portrait, visible from both sides of the faceted, flat diamond
- The diamond is three billion years old – older than the dinosaurs!
- The one-of-a-kind diamond is just that: one-of-a-kind. It cannot be found anywhere else in the world.
Perfect timing:
With summer being a distant memory and winter’s natural hibernation-mode settling in, staying indoors to avoid the harsh weather conditions can get a little tedious. Visit the Cape Town Diamond Museum this winter to view the ‘Three Billion Year Old Portrait of a Woman’ and alleviate the boredom associated with the cold weather. It’s the perfect time to take an interesting trip through the history of diamonds.
The Cape Town Diamond Museum can be found in the lively heart of the famous Clock Tower precinct at the V&A Waterfront, conveniently situated close to the gateway to the legendary Robben Island. The museum is unique, being the only one if its kind in Cape Town, and the first to pay homage to the extraordinary story of the South African diamond industry.
The Cape Town Diamond Museum is open 7 days a week, from 09h00 – 21h00. For more information, please visit www.capetowndiamondmuseum.org or call 021 421 2488 for bookings.
