Canadian artist Reena Ahluwalia’s painting The Legacy of the Winston Red Diamond has been added to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., marking its accession into the institution’s National Gem Collection.

The acquisition was formalized during a ceremony in May at the Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems, and Minerals. Dr. Gabriela Farfan, curator of Gems and Minerals, accepted the work on behalf of the museum. The Smithsonian noted it as the first contemporary painting to enter the National Gem Collection.

The painting centres on the Winston Red Diamond, a 2.33-carat Fancy red diamond regarded as one of the rarest of its kind. The stone, described as a one-in-25-million rarity, is the only Fancy red diamond currently on public display and was donated to the Smithsonian in 2023 by Ronald Winston.

Ahluwalia’s work interprets the diamond’s journey through geology, history, and culture. The piece also references its setting in a Cartier-designed ceremonial necklace.

The artwork was informed by scientific research published in Gems & Gemology in spring 2025 by the Gemological Institute of America.

Speaking about the work, Ahluwalia said she was motivated to capture the diamond’s broader narrative through an artistic perspective that connects science, history, and interpretation.