If the US had a monarchy, the 45.52-carat Hope Diamond (top right) would be part of the crown jewesl, but we're a republic, so the priceless gemstone belongs to all of us. The 31.06-carat Wittelsbach-Graff (below right) Diamond will soon be on view for the first time in more than half-a-centry. These two fabulous blue diamonds will be displayed together for the first time at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History from January 28 through August 1. 
The Hope is known to have been found in a mine in India in the 17th century, while the Wittelsbach Diamond surfaced in the 1660s when Philip IV of Spain presented to his daughter, who was betrothed Emperor Leopold I of Austria. According to the Associated Press, "In 1722 it became the property of the Wittelsbachs, the ruling family of Bavaria. It disappeared after World War I, resurfacing in Belgium in 1951, and it was auctioned last year by Christie's in London for more than $24 million. It was acquired by jeweler Laurence Graff, chairman of Graff Diamonds International Ltd."
If I were going to be in the Washington, DC, area in that timeframe, I'd go and gawk.
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