A recent discovery revealed the hard truth about the origins of the illustrious Hope Diamond and its dazzling competitor, the Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond—despite similarities, the two were reportedly not cut from the same stone. Jeffrey Post, curator of the Smithsonian’s National Gem Collection, and his team of scientists conducted extensive tests on the two storied blue diamonds. “They are not part of the same crystal or rough,” Post revealed Thursday, but recognized the striking resemblance. “Perhaps they are distant cousins, but not brothers and sisters.” The Smithsonian was finally able to probe into the centuries-old mystery when it was lent the Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond, which had not been on display for over 50 years. Both stones were carefully examined under a variety of microscopes and lights last week until Post made his announcement. “The detailed pattern is different in the two,” he said. “It is likely that they had a very similar geologic history, but did not come from the same original stone.”
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