Natural History Museum, London
It was a hot, sticky day in London as I made my way to the Natural History Museum - my first visit to South Kensington since the terrorist bombs on 7/7.
So, given the weather and people's fears about coming into the capital, I didn't expect to see many visitors in Diamonds, despite it being billed as the 'world's most dazzling exhibition'.
Reflecting on what I knew about diamonds and what one might expect to see in an exhibition about them, I made a mental list - the background to what they are, how they are formed, mined and prepared, what they are used for, what they mean to us, and the environmental and human cost of producing them.
Images of Elizabeth Taylor flaunting her latest diamond jewellery for the TV cameras, Marilyn Monroe singing Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend, and Sean Connery as James Bond in Diamonds are Forever kept popping into my head.
Once in the exhibition, visitors enter a red-carpet area; a queuing space for busy days that features a huge projected film. Although it was not necessary to queue, many visitors did stop to watch the film for a while, causing the odd obstruction.
The film is full of glamorous images of celebrity diamond-wearers, but the soundtrack concentrates on the science behind diamonds. Some of the jewellery shown in the film is also on display in the exhibition - a nice touch.
Visitors then move into the VIP lounge, where individual diamonds are displayed. The 616 was my favourite here - the largest uncut diamond crystal in the world in its natural octahedral form.
The area is dominated by the De Beers' Millennium Star, which scatters light dramatically around the space like a priceless mirror ball as it rotates under a spotlight. This gem, cut by Steinmetz, formed the centrepiece of an exhibition at the Millennium Dome and was the focus of an infamous failed robbery.
A few clear key words are introduced at the start of the exhibition: diamonds are pure, precious, seductive, fatal, powerful, mysterious and dazzling. Some of these top-level messages are reinforced in an effective sound and light installation in the centre of the exhibition.0
This atmospheric installation makes good use of the impressive internal architecture of the building - projected light plays on the ceiling in time to the words and music, and an occasional 'ping' sound bounces around the exhibition to complement the sparkling exhibits. A huge molecular model is suspended alongside, reminding visitors of the science underpinning the art.
The exhibition has a clear structure, with easily identifiable zones dedicated to historical and famous diamonds; formation, finding and mining diamonds; cutting and polishing; and properties and uses - as well as stunning jewellery from around the world and across history.
Text is concise and appropriately written for its largely adult target audience, although frustratingly it is difficult to make links between some labels and their respective exhibits because of an absence of numbers beside some objects.
Video and sound recordings are used effectively to introduce personal perspectives of a wide spectrum of people (although noticeably not children), and there are plenty of seats for visitors suffering from an overdose of bling.
A dazzling collection of pieces is displayed - some worn by monarchs through the centuries; others inspired by natural forms (including snakes, thistles and dragonflies); and contemporary designs that show novel ways to display diamonds in eye-catching ways, such as a Spiderman dress and on R&B star Usher's personalised watch.
In contrast, the section that looks at the human, social and environmental cost of the diamond industry is noticeably the least developed part of the exhibition and as a result attracted very few visitors.
These are clearly important issues that deserve a more significant presence in the exhibition and I was left wondering why the museum had chosen not to explore these aspects in more depth.
What is the impact of diamond mining on the landscape (clearly massive if a small photograph of a mine in Canada is anything to go by) and how significant are the social, economic and political implications (how diamonds can finance war for example)?
There were protests at the opening of the exhibition over claims about the effects of the De Beers Group's (owner of the Diamond Trading Company) diamond mining on Kalahari or San Bushmen.
This reflects the strength of feelings around these issues, and given the nature of the exhibition sponsors, a less than balanced approach was bound to be criticised. Perhaps the supporting sessions for adults in the Darwin Centre Live programme can go some way to opening up discussion and debate.
Diamonds are not actually this girl's best friend - I have a few others that rank higher - but I can certainly appreciate their aesthetic appeal, especially now I have seen the Aurora collection, which blew away my pre-conceptions about the colour of diamonds.
The exhibition as a whole hangs together well and with the one exception discussed above, tells a pretty comprehensive story in a stimulating way.
As the first temporary exhibition in a newly expanded space, Diamonds has provided the Natural History Museum with a chance to try out a number of initiatives. It is clearly a move away from the family-focused interactive exhibition, this time targeting teenagers and young adults as a new audience.
The Friday evening openings scheduled to start in October aim to attract young adults by presenting science through glamour. And, unusually, the museum has produced a catalogue, which is already one of its top-selling publications.
The exhibition was reasonably busy with people from a wide range of ages and backgrounds. Children were attracted to the Diamond hunters computer game for up to four players - this was difficult to negotiate to begin with, but once everyone caught on it did work well.
It is a shame that the exhibition did not feature more hands-on opportunities; interactives are popular with adults as well as children.
With so many incredibly valuable items in the exhibition, it is no wonder that security was very tight.
I left my bag in the cloakroom as instructed and passed through an airport-style scanner at the entrance. I was told in no uncertain terms not to touch any of the display cases, not to take photographs and to switch off my mobile phone.
Once in the exhibition I was watched like a hawk by the many security staff, with one of them questioning my motives for taking notes and asking me for ID. I am not planning a career as a cat burglar - honest, guv!
Alison Porter is a museum learning consultant
Project data
Cost: £1.2m
Funders: Steinmetz, Diamond Trading Company
Exhibition design: Real Studios
Exhibition ends: 26 February 2006
It was a hot, sticky day in London as I made my way to the Natural History Museum - my first visit to South Kensington since the terrorist bombs on 7/7.
So, given the weather and people's fears about coming into the capital, I didn't expect to see many visitors in Diamonds, despite it being billed as the 'world's most dazzling exhibition'.
Reflecting on what I knew about diamonds and what one might expect to see in an exhibition about them, I made a mental list - the background to what they are, how they are formed, mined and prepared, what they are used for, what they mean to us, and the environmental and human cost of producing them.
Images of Elizabeth Taylor flaunting her latest diamond jewellery for the TV cameras, Marilyn Monroe singing Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend, and Sean Connery as James Bond in Diamonds are Forever kept popping into my head.
Once in the exhibition, visitors enter a red-carpet area; a queuing space for busy days that features a huge projected film. Although it was not necessary to queue, many visitors did stop to watch the film for a while, causing the odd obstruction.
The film is full of glamorous images of celebrity diamond-wearers, but the soundtrack concentrates on the science behind diamonds. Some of the jewellery shown in the film is also on display in the exhibition - a nice touch.
Visitors then move into the VIP lounge, where individual diamonds are displayed. The 616 was my favourite here - the largest uncut diamond crystal in the world in its natural octahedral form.
The area is dominated by the De Beers' Millennium Star, which scatters light dramatically around the space like a priceless mirror ball as it rotates under a spotlight. This gem, cut by Steinmetz, formed the centrepiece of an exhibition at the Millennium Dome and was the focus of an infamous failed robbery.
A few clear key words are introduced at the start of the exhibition: diamonds are pure, precious, seductive, fatal, powerful, mysterious and dazzling. Some of these top-level messages are reinforced in an effective sound and light installation in the centre of the exhibition.0
This atmospheric installation makes good use of the impressive internal architecture of the building - projected light plays on the ceiling in time to the words and music, and an occasional 'ping' sound bounces around the exhibition to complement the sparkling exhibits. A huge molecular model is suspended alongside, reminding visitors of the science underpinning the art.
The exhibition has a clear structure, with easily identifiable zones dedicated to historical and famous diamonds; formation, finding and mining diamonds; cutting and polishing; and properties and uses - as well as stunning jewellery from around the world and across history.
Text is concise and appropriately written for its largely adult target audience, although frustratingly it is difficult to make links between some labels and their respective exhibits because of an absence of numbers beside some objects.
Video and sound recordings are used effectively to introduce personal perspectives of a wide spectrum of people (although noticeably not children), and there are plenty of seats for visitors suffering from an overdose of bling.
A dazzling collection of pieces is displayed - some worn by monarchs through the centuries; others inspired by natural forms (including snakes, thistles and dragonflies); and contemporary designs that show novel ways to display diamonds in eye-catching ways, such as a Spiderman dress and on R&B star Usher's personalised watch.
In contrast, the section that looks at the human, social and environmental cost of the diamond industry is noticeably the least developed part of the exhibition and as a result attracted very few visitors.
These are clearly important issues that deserve a more significant presence in the exhibition and I was left wondering why the museum had chosen not to explore these aspects in more depth.
What is the impact of diamond mining on the landscape (clearly massive if a small photograph of a mine in Canada is anything to go by) and how significant are the social, economic and political implications (how diamonds can finance war for example)?
There were protests at the opening of the exhibition over claims about the effects of the De Beers Group's (owner of the Diamond Trading Company) diamond mining on Kalahari or San Bushmen.
This reflects the strength of feelings around these issues, and given the nature of the exhibition sponsors, a less than balanced approach was bound to be criticised. Perhaps the supporting sessions for adults in the Darwin Centre Live programme can go some way to opening up discussion and debate.
Diamonds are not actually this girl's best friend - I have a few others that rank higher - but I can certainly appreciate their aesthetic appeal, especially now I have seen the Aurora collection, which blew away my pre-conceptions about the colour of diamonds.
The exhibition as a whole hangs together well and with the one exception discussed above, tells a pretty comprehensive story in a stimulating way.
As the first temporary exhibition in a newly expanded space, Diamonds has provided the Natural History Museum with a chance to try out a number of initiatives. It is clearly a move away from the family-focused interactive exhibition, this time targeting teenagers and young adults as a new audience.
The Friday evening openings scheduled to start in October aim to attract young adults by presenting science through glamour. And, unusually, the museum has produced a catalogue, which is already one of its top-selling publications.
The exhibition was reasonably busy with people from a wide range of ages and backgrounds. Children were attracted to the Diamond hunters computer game for up to four players - this was difficult to negotiate to begin with, but once everyone caught on it did work well.
It is a shame that the exhibition did not feature more hands-on opportunities; interactives are popular with adults as well as children.
With so many incredibly valuable items in the exhibition, it is no wonder that security was very tight.
I left my bag in the cloakroom as instructed and passed through an airport-style scanner at the entrance. I was told in no uncertain terms not to touch any of the display cases, not to take photographs and to switch off my mobile phone.
Once in the exhibition I was watched like a hawk by the many security staff, with one of them questioning my motives for taking notes and asking me for ID. I am not planning a career as a cat burglar - honest, guv!
Alison Porter is a museum learning consultant
Project data
Cost: £1.2m
Funders: Steinmetz, Diamond Trading Company
Exhibition design: Real Studios
Exhibition ends: 26 February 2006
