Dr. Jeffrey E. Post, emeritus curator of the Smithsonian's National Gem Collection, will reveal fresh information and regale viewers with anecdotes and tales of some of the world's greatest and most famous gemstones during a Wednesday, December 4 virtual discussion being offered free to Edison Public Library patrons.
Centered around Dr. Post’s new book, The Smithsonian National Gem Collection - Unearthed: Surprising Stories Behind the Jewels, the 2:00 pm program will feature tales, details, and fascinating facts surrounding rarely displayed gems from the Smithsonian vault, including the Hope Diamond, Star of Asia Sapphire, Carmen Lucia Ruby, Hooker Emerald, and Blue Heart Diamond, with the discussion also touching upon some of the recent additions to the museum’s collection.
Dr. Post holds bachelor of science degrees in geology and chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, and a Ph.D. in chemistry, with a specialty in geochemistry, from Arizona State University. He served as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Geological Sciences at Harvard University before joining the Department of Mineral Sciences at the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of Natural History approximately 30 years ago. Over the course of his career, Dr. Post has also served as chairman of the Department of Mineral Sciences, curator-in-charge of the U.S. National Gem and Mineral Collection, and curator for the Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems and Minerals. Dr. Post, whose areas of research interest include mineralogy, gemology, and geochemistry, has published more than 150 scientific articles in these fields and is also the author of The National Gem Collection.
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