The 187-Carat Foxfire Diamond is So Big It has Its Own World Tour

By Geoff Nudelman Published March 22, 2017

There are precious gems and then there are precious gems.

FoxFire Diamond — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The FoxFire Diamond, a whopping 187.63-carat rock, definitely falls in the latter category.

FoxFire Diamond — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The unbelievable find was discovered a few years ago in the Diavik diamond mine, buried deep beneath a frozen lake in Canada. Normally, the stone would have been destined for destruction as part of standard quarrying, but its unique shape saved it and catapulted it into global fanfare.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The fanfare has been so great that the Smithsonian extended the FoxFire’s stay in their Henry Winston Gallery through April 2, 2017. After that, the diamond will continue its tour around the world with dates and locations kept under wraps for now (we can only speculate that the secrecy is because of the value of the gem).

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Beyond the sheer weight of it, the FoxFire has a special luminosity that only a gem of this size could obtain. It casts a glow that causes the diamond to appear as if it’s emitting light.

Recommended Videos

As for the mine, the Diavik produces about 6-7 million (!) carats of gem-quality diamonds annually, but it’s set to close sometime by 2024. It’s expected another stone of this quality will never be found there again before that time.

If you’re looking to try your hand at diamond mining a little closer to home, pay a visit to Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas. This 37.5 acre plowed field is the world’s only diamond-bearing site that is open to the public. In fact, for only $10, you can search the field for an entire day. And the best part? The park’s motto: finders, keepers.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Geoff is a former contributor to The Manual. He's a native Oregonian who’s always up for a good challenge and a great hike…

Culture

Don’t ruin your cigars: here’s how to properly season a new humidor

Seasoning secrets every cigar lover could use

faceless man presenting a cigar humidor with cigars inside with gloved hands

If you're a newcomer to the world of cigars or just bought a brand-new humidor, you'll need to season it. And no, I'm not saying to add salt and pepper to it. If you've never heard of it, you might ask, "What is seasoning for a humidor?"

Don't think you need to flavor the box or anything — seasoning is really about getting the wood inside your humidor so as not to rob your cigars of precious moisture. Easy to understand, and getting it done is relatively straightforward as well. The trick is figuring out the "why," and we'll get into that in a bit. But let's first discuss seasoning a humidor.

Culture

The NBA’s ultimate celebration tool: The victory cigar

A look at the players and coaches who smoke to celebrate

Jordan smoking a cigar image on a bag

Sports are synonymous with celebration. After winning the biggest trophy of their lives, athletes want to indulge in the payoff that comes with seeing their dreams realized. Teams go into the locker room, where a waterfall of champagne hits them in the eyes, and swimming goggles seem to be a requirement, lest you walk around on the best night of your life half blind. While drinking is often the activity of choice after winning a championship, the NBA has an alternative symbol of greatness that other sports don't use nearly enough: the victory cigar.

Basketball is a team game, but it's also an individual canvas for solo superstardom. After winning an NBA championship, the coaches and players who sit atop the throne have long smoked a cigar in the locker room, during the parade, or even on the bench before the clock has hit zero. There's nothing quite like a good stogie to signify the ultimate win over the rest of the league, but how did the victory cigar get so ingrained in NBA championship celebrations? We want to take a walk down memory lane and look at some of the historical moments and people who made the cigar what it is within the NBA today.
Red Auerbach's victory cigar on the bench
Red Auerbach: The Story Behind the Victory Cigar + His Disdain of NBA Officials - Red on Roundball

Culture

The best medical shows of all time to binge now

From ER to The Pitt, these are the best medical shows ever made

Noah Wyle in the Pitt

Throughout TV's long history, the medical drama has occupied a somewhat unique place in the landscape. Medical shows are often some of the most reliable on TV precisely because there's so much drama built in to working in a hospital.

Personally, I've found the medical drama to be deeply comforting for years, even if I have no desire to be a doctor myself. Understanding the stress of people in the healthcare profession is fascinating in and of itself.