Misplaced Pages

Light of the Desert

Type of stone	Cerussite
Weight	898 carats (179.6 g)
Country of origin	Namibia
Owner	Royal Ontario Museum

The Light of the Desert is the world’s largest faceted cerussite gem, weighing 898 carats (179.6 g). It is currently part of the collection of the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) in Toronto.

The raw cerussite was discovered in Tsumeb in northern Namibia. It was then acquired by David Atkinson of Terra and Maria Atkinson, who faceted the raw material into the gem on display. Cerussite is extremely fragile and sensitive to temperature changes and vibration; cutting and transport of the gem therefore causes significant problems. After it was cut in Arizona, the gem was placed in a box, then wrapped in a large woolen scarf and a winter vest, and then hand transported to Toronto for display. Cerussite is too fragile to be set in jewelry.

References

1. ^ Tait, Kim. (2009). Iconic: Light of the Desert. Royal Ontario Museum. (retrieved October 2013)
2. "ROMKids Artventures: Gemstones & the Light of the Desert". Royal Ontario Museum. Retrieved 2024-06-27.
3. Team, Geology In. "The Largest Cerussite Gem in the World". Geology In. Retrieved 2024-06-27.
4. "Cerussite Stone Sizes". gemsociety.org. Retrieved 2024-06-27.

• Collection of the Royal Ontario Museum
• Individual gemstones