Gems, ROManticized

The exhibition starts with an explanation of the diamond's physical and mechanical properties, which is central to understanding its utility and beauty, and there are enough practical experiments and colourful diagrams to make the Ontario Science Centre drool, grabbing the attention of children and their parents alike. (One woman, however, impatiently asked where the diamonds were. "That's all I'm here for," she said, moving along.) Credit to the ROM for cleverly laying out the nerdy stuff first, when people have the longest attention span.

The next section on diamond geology, however, lacked the cohesiveness to keep even our attention: it jumps from host rocks (that carry diamonds to the earth's surface) to diamond inclusions to indicator gems to carbon sources for diamonds. If you have patience, there are cool finds like nanodiamonds, which are playing an interesting role in the delivery of drugs, and a diamond within a diamond. Still, it's all too easy to rush past this part without a second glance.

The exhibition then shifts to the cultural significance of diamonds, where it is no surprise that so many cultures in the past valued the rocks for their strength and clarity. There was one major exception that piqued our interest: until 1100, Christians believed diamonds were offensive because the gems were speculated by pagans to have magical powers. However, once Christendom became the entrenched religion, its believers totally got over their heebie-jeebies, as shown by a piece on display from the 1600s, the Virgin of the Pillar, that has Mary tricked out with diamond gems.

By that point, you're probably wondering where the heck the grotesquely over-the-top diamonds are. Along one wall of the exhibition, there is a showcase of jewellery dating from several centuries ago up to more modern pieces. Highlights include pieces from the early twentieth century in the shape of a snake and a tarantula—fitting for the period's fascination with the exotic—and exquisite black "lace" cuff bracelets by Michelle Ong. Those smaller pieces, however, merely whet your appetite for the main event.

If you're short on time, go straight to the vault near the exit of the exhibition that holds the "money shot" diamonds. There's a piece designed by man-of-the-hour Frank Gehry for Tiffany & Co. called "Diamonds In The Rough." There's the Oppenheimer Diamond, which weighs in at 254 carats. There's a corsage ornament made up of over 2,600 diamonds. Oh, and there's also the giant yellow Incomparable Diamond—found in Congo by a young girl playing in a pile of rubble—that weighs over 400 carats. There's so much bling, you won't know which way to look—and, as the vault can fit only a few dozen people, you won't get to look long.

The Incomparable diamond. Photo by Asher Wilens/Premier Gem Corp.

Less populated are the panels discussing the mining and shaping of diamonds and the role Canada plays (Canada is the world's third largest diamond producer). The best part of this section is the documentary Crystal Clear: Diamonds From Canada's North, produced by the ROM, that provides a first-hand look at the mining process. The movie provides a much-needed human element to diamond mining, and explores the creative detective work that led to the mother lode of diamonds discovered in the Northwest Territories.

On controversial topics regarding diamonds, the exhibition is a touch skimpy. For example, it devotes only a single panel to "blood diamonds," detailing the changes to stop the transfer, including the certification tactic known as the Kimberley process.

The exhibit also mostly avoids addressing the blatant materialism and absurd romanticization of diamonds. (As one woman told her young girl: "Never refuse a diamond ring because it's too big. They can always be re-sized!") It does so only anecdotally: when diamond sales fell during the Great Depression, you'll learn, diamond companies made a conscious effort to link diamonds with romance to tremendous effect: from 1938 to 1941, diamond sales grew by 50%. And you'll learn that the "A diamond is forever" ad campaign was started to depress supply; when people hold on to their diamonds, it prevents old gems from re-entering the market and competing with new gems, keeping values high.

Photo by Jaime Woo.

Overall, the exhibition has enough information and wares to keep everyone interested, and it's almost pitch-perfect for dates on half-priced Fridays. But we could have used a deconstruction of pop culture, fashion, and status surrounding diamonds. A jewel thief, after all, is viewed as more romantic than one who steals gold or money, and the exhibition lacks the playfulness to explore such social constructs deeper. (While there's an obvious Marilyn Monroe reference for "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend," a nod to the incorporation of diamonds into hip-hop culture would have been neat.) Watching women (and probably a few men) swoon around the gems, we wished the exhibition explored further why diamonds still capture our imagination.

The Nature of Diamonds runs until March 22, 2009.

Photo of black "lace" cuff bracelets by Doug Rosa/Siegelson New York.