Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Now on view at the museum, the Winston Fancy Color Diamond Collection is an extraordinary showcase of some of the world’s rarest and most dazzling gems. Anchored by the 2.33 carat Winston Red Diamond, the display showcases 40 other gems arranged in a radiant rainbow of color, featuring every shade imaginable from deep teal to soft peach. "This ranks among the most significant gifts ever received by the Smithsonian,” said museum director Kirk Johnson. “The Winston diamonds are unprecedented in their beauty and rarity, and we are thrilled to welcome them as additions to our National Gem Collection. We extend our gratitude to Ronald Winston for making this gift to the nation possible.”

There’s a little more ✨ sparkle ✨ at our Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. The ultra-rare Winston Red Diamond, one of the largest “Fancy red” diamonds in the world, is now on view. What is a “fancy” diamond? The “Fancy red” color grade means that the diamond is pure red without brown, purple, or orange hues. It’s only one in 25 million diamonds! The Winston Red Diamond is now on view alongside 40 other gems from the Winston Fancy Color Diamond Collection at our National Museum of Natural History. https://s.si.edu/3QVjvd9

Born and raised in western Illinois, Kay Behrensmeyer has been the museum's Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology for more than 40 years. An early interest in nature, nurtured by her family and combined with a passion for art, led her to an undergraduate degree in geology and PhD from Harvard. Much of her career has been in the field, including significant amounts of time spent in Kenya. Hear more from Kay about her favorite part of being a scientist, an inspiring woman in her life, and advice for the next generation of scientists. #SmithsonianWHM #SmithsonianWomensHistory

When it comes to uncovering prehistoric secrets: Did you know there’s a small army of volunteers who assist the scientists at the Smithsonian Institution's Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History? In today’s Friday edition of “Matt About Town, WTOP’s Matt Kaufax follows up his story from this past Tuesday (about the museum’s fossil preparators) by talking to some of the volunteers helping with dinosaur bones! The Smithsonian is always looking for new volunteers with valuable experience across a range of fields to support its efforts. If you’d like to learn more about volunteering at the National Museum of Natural History, visit the museum's website. Find more episodes of "Matt About Town" on WTOP.com, inside the WTOP News app, or on 103.5FM. (🎥: WTOP/Matt Kaufax)

It’s one of D.C.’s coolest jobs: Uncovering fossils at the Smithsonian Institution's Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Learn more about what it means to be a “fossil preparator” in today's episode of "Matt About Town" with Matt Kaufax. Find more episodes of "Matt About Town" on WTOP: https://lnkd.in/ecacMNBA

This Monday has got some bite to it 🦷 Flippered and charismatic, pinnipeds (which includes seals, sea lions, and walruses) are true personalities of the sea. Like whales, manatees, and sea otters, they are marine mammals, meaning millions of years ago their ancestors evolved from a life on land to a life at sea. Today, they remain creatures of both land and sea. Though able to walk on land, they are truly at home in the water. Strong flippers and tails propel them, and a streamlined body helps them cut through the water efficiently. Pinniped diets consist of mostly krill, fish, and squid. Many species will switch prey depending upon the season or what type of food is most abundant. Some species like elephant seals and harbor seals hunt alone, while sea lions and fur seals often hunt in groups. Seen here are a California sea lion (Zalophus californianus), a harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) and a northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris).

Myria Perez began preparing fossils at age 12. Now, as a fossil preparator and fossil educator in the museum's Deep Time FossiLab, she prepares, conserves, and houses fossils from the Paleobiology Collection in front of museum visitors as well as assisting with volunteers and educational programming about fossils and fossil preparation. Hear more about her childhood "fossil fever," what she loves about working in science, and advice for the next generation. #SmithsonianWHM #SmithsonianWomensHistory

Pro Tip: When cleaning an elephant, make sure to dust the wrinkles. "The major concern was making sure that we got the dust off the mount and not pushed further into the skin," said Paul Rhymer, a sculptor and taxidermist who worked for the Smithsonian for 25 years. Earlier this year, Rhymer and a team of specialists cleaned the museum's iconic African elephant, who is affectionately known to staff and visitors alike as Henry. Because Henry's wrinkled skin, which is covered in wax, is prone to holding dust, the team had to utilize a variety of brushes to clean every nook and cranny. The team's tireless work, which lasted over two nights at the museum, yielded a picture-perfect pachyderm. "The mount is in excellent condition," Rhymer said. #FirstDayOfSpring #SpringCleaning

What does it mean to be human? This question, deceptively simple and imbued with as much philosophy as science, has puzzled all manner of people. But few have thought more about it than paleoanthropologist Rick Potts, the director of the museum's Human Origins Program. Potts has been asking this question for most of his career. And in 2010, the question became the thematic throughline for the museum’s ambitious “David H. Koch Hall of Human Origins” exhibition. Opened 15 years ago this week, click here to read more about the Hall's approach to the overall evolutionary epic of humans and their closest kin: https://s.si.edu/4bxJXD7

We opened our doors 115 year ago today! 🎉🎂 Since that time, our scientists and staff have worked to amass a collection of more than 148 million objects and specimens that serves as an archives of the history of geology, life and culture on this planet, has enabled the discovery of countless new species, and underpins our exhibits and educational outreach which bring a deeper understanding of the natural world to the millions of visitors we welcome every year. This original architectural drawing from 1903 shows our location across from the Smithsonian Institution Building, or the Castle, and the original United States National Museum, now known as the Arts and Industries Building.