by Rosanna Carlucci
“Diamonds are a girl’s best friend.” After spending forty-five minutes in the basement of the Royal Ontario Museum exploring their latest exhibit, The Nature of Diamonds, I began to strongly agree with this statement.

Despite the lackluster set up, the exhibit is definitely not one to be missed. The ROM’s dimly lit basement plays house to some of the most beautiful and rare diamonds ever discovered. The pieces in the collection range from the worlds third largest diamond (a pale yellow kite shaped sparkler that sits at a whopping 890 carats) to a bracelet worn by one of Hollywood’s bad girls, Mae West. Each piece is not only exquisite in design but also a visual sensory overload leaving ones eyes begging for more. Throughout the exhibit each piece is displayed in a shared showcase with detailed descriptions that outline the carat, setting and history of each piece. The highly guarded and mysterious vault is truly the centerpiece of the exhibit. Within its dark walls, the diamond jewellery on display is not only large in scale but also unbelievably detailed. Gasping at each piece, one discovers that the true beauty of a diamond lies not in its ability to dazzle, but in its ability to keep a secret. Silent witnesses to history, the diamonds on display seem to hold within their complex walls secrets and stories from years past. From great loves to great loss and everything in between, the exhibit does not fail to feed ones imagination and fantasies.

Beautiful jewellery, amazing history, and secrets never told- the exhibit is truly a girl’s best friend!