I am on a big gem kick lately which means that I may have to head to Houston if I want to check out the next big stone on my list, a 1,869-carat natural emerald crystal, the largest ever recovered in North America. That is just one of the amazing stones on display in the Lester and Sue Smith Gem Vault, a new permanent exhibit hall at the Houston Museum of Natural Science which recently opened. The permanent exhibition features cut and polished stones and is the natural complement to the museum’s Cullen Hall of Gems and Minerals. In addition to just featuring large stones, the Gem Vault also showcases the dramatic designs that can be created using larger stones. The necklace shown here is one of the exhibits and the stones used are Morganite, a peachy-pink beryl named after J.P. Morgan.

[via Dallas Morning News]