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The Smithsonian museums are the most widely visible part of the United States' Smithsonian Institution and consist of 20 museums and galleries as well as the National Zoological Park. [ 1 ] 17 of these collections are located in Washington D.C. , with 11 of those located on the National Mall .
The 48 states then in the union were assigned numbers in alphabetical order. Alaska was assigned number 49 and Hawaii was assigned number 50, after those states were admitted to the union. There is no Smithsonian trinomial number assigned for the District of Columbia or any United States territory.
This comprises approximately 40 percent of the Smithsonian's collection which is not on display, while the rest of the objects are housed behind-the-scenes in the museums themselves or at other off-site storage facilities. [4] The collections are housed in five numbered buildings, called "Pods," each about the size of a 3-story-tall football field.
Additionally, the Smithsonian's National Gem and Mineral Collection houses approximately 45,000 meteorite specimens, including examples of every known type of meteorite, [60] and is considered to be one of the most comprehensive collections of its kind in the world. [59]
The Hope Diamond, which Switzer helped to acquire for the Smithsonian from Harry Winston in 1958. George Shirley Switzer (June 11, 1915 – March 23, 2008) was an American mineralogist who is credited with starting the Smithsonian Institution's famed National Gem and Mineral Collection by acquiring the Hope Diamond for the museum in 1958.
According to the Gemological Institute of America, it is "the largest gemstone of any kind, cut in the United States". [5] The Washington Post called it "hypnotic, a miniature green hall of mirrors". [2] Smithsonian mineralogist Jeffrey Post said "This tsavorite is truly one of the most important colored gemstones to have been mined this decade ...
The upper half of the necklace consists of twenty-four small diamonds threaded onto a silver chain. The lower half of the necklace is divided into two concentric semi-circular strands, each carrying eight pairs of slightly yellow "football-shaped" mine-cut diamonds and four pairs of barrel-cut emeralds, arranged symmetrically.
Until 2004, the exhibit housing the Collection was the last surviving exhibit from the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History's original 1964 arrangement. In late 2004, the exhibit was closed, and the objects were returned to the Smithsonian's vaults.
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