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How much is the Hope Diamond worth? Ask Smithsonian.

Our inquisitive readers are rising to the challenge we gave them last month. The questions are pouring in and we’re ready for more. Do you have any questions for our curators? Submit your questions here.

How much is the Hope Diamond worth? — Marjorie Mathews, Silver Spring, Maryland

That’s the most popular question we get, but we don’t really satisfy people by giving them a number. There are a number of answers, but the best one is that we honestly don’t know. It’s a little bit like Liz Taylor’s jewels being sold in December—all kinds of people guessed at what they would sell for, but everybody I know was way off. Only when those pieces were opened up to bidding at a public auction could you find out what their values were. When they were sold, then at least for that day and that night you could say, well, they were worth that much. The Hope Diamond is kind of the same way, but more so. There’s simply nothing else like it. So how do you put a value on the history, on the fact it’s been here on display for over 50 years and a few hundred million people have seen it, and on that fact it’s a rare blue diamond on top of everything else? You don’t. – Jeffrey E. Post, mineralogist, National Museum of Natural History

What’s the worst impact of ocean acidification so far?- Nancy Schaefer, Virginia Beach, Virginia

The impacts of ocean acidification are really just starting to be felt, but two big reports that came out in 2011 show that it could have very serious effects on coral reefs. These studies did not measure the warming effect of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, but rather its effect of making the ocean more acidic when it dissolves in the ocean. Places where large amounts of carbon dioxide seep into the water from the sea floor provide a natural experiment and show us how ocean waters might look, say, 50 or 100 years from now. Both studies showed branching, lacy, delicate coral forms are likely to disappear, and with them that kind of three-dimensional complexity so many species depend on. Also, other species that build a stony skeleton or shell, such as oysters or mussels, are likely to be affected. This happens because acidification makes carbonate ions, which these species need for their skeletons, less abundant.

Nancy Knowlton, marine biologist
National Museum of Natural History

Art and artifacts from ancient South Pacific and Pacific Northwest tribes have similarities in form and function. Is it possible that early Hawaiians caught part of the Kuroshio Current of the North Pacific Gyre to end up along the northwest coast of America from northern California to Alaska? — April Croan, Maple Valley, Washington

Those similarities have given rise to various theories, including trans-Pacific navigation, independent drifts of floating artifacts, inadvertent crossings by ships that have lost their rudders or rigging, or whales harpooned in one area that died or were captured in a distant place. Some connections are well-known, like feather garment fragments found in an archaeological site in Southeast Alaska that appear to have been brought there by whaling ships that had stopped in the Hawaiian Islands, a regular route for 19th-century whalers. Before the period of European contact, the greatest similarities are with the southwest Pacific, not Hawaii. The Kushiro current would have facilitated Asian coastal contacts with northwestern North America, but would not have helped Hawaiians. The problem of identification is one of context, form and dating. Most of the reported similarities are either out of their original context (which can’t be reconstructed), or their form is not specific enough to relate to another area’s style, or the date of creation cannot be established. To date there is no acceptable proof for South Pacific-Northwest Coast historical connections that predates the European whaling era, except for links that follow the coastal region of the North Pacific into Alaska.

William Fitzhugh, archeologist
Natural History Museum

Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami's trilogy kicks off with "Where is the Friend's Home?" Image courtesy of the Freer Gallery.

Friday, January 27 Iranian Film Festival: Koker Trilogy

Even if you haven’t made it to the Iranian Film Festival yet, don’t miss part 1 of the Koker Trilogy by internationally acclaimed director and screenwriter Abbas Kiarostami. The first film, “Where is the Friend’s Home?” employs the simple premise of a young boy traveling to his classmate’s village to return a book to weave a potent allegory on friendship, duty and the importance of breaking the rules sometimes. Free. 7:00 p.m. The second and third film will be shown Sunday: And Life Goes On at 1:00 p.m. and Through the Olive Trees at 3:00 p.m. Meyer Auditorium, Freer Gallery.

Saturday, January 28 Renwick Birthday Party

The Renwick Gallery turns the big 4-0 this weekend. Come celebrate with music, crafts, games, a scavenger hunt through the galleries, and, of course, cake. Free. 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Grand Salon, Renwick Gallery.

Sunday, January 29 Silkscreening Demo

Join local artist Kristina Bilonick for an art talk and demo of the silkscreen printing process. Bilonick is known for her interactive art installations incorporating screen printing, video and other media. Stick around afterward to try it yourself in a hands-on activity. Talk is free; activity has a minimal fee. Preregister by emailing AmericanArtLuce@si.edu. 1:30 p.m. American Art Museum.

For a complete listing of Smithsonian events and exhibitions visit the goSmithsonian Visitors Guide. Additional reporting by Michelle Strange.

Learn the story behind Dale Chihuly's Blanket Cylinder Series at the Renwick Gallery. Image courtesy of the American Art Museum.

Tuesday, January 17 The Loving Story

Learn about the dramatic story of Mildred and Richard P. Loving in this documentary about the 1967 landmark Supreme Court decision, Loving v. Virginia, which banned laws forbidding interracial marriages. After the film, stick around for a panel discussion with director Nancy Buirski and legal scholars. Free. 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. McEvoy Auditorium, National Portrait Gallery.

Wednesday, January 18 Dale Chihuly’s Blanket Cylinder

Join curatorial assistant Debrah Dunner for the Renwick’s monthly gallery talk. Dunner delivers on Dale Chihuly’s Blanket Cylinder Series. The artist was inspired by motifs on Indian trade blankets to create intricately patterned blown glass cylinders. Free. 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. Renwick Gallery, American Art Museum.

Thursday, January 19 Beat the Blues

Shake off your winter blues with singer Andrea Wood and her talented blues quintet on the Take 5! stage. Borrow a board game to play during the concert and enjoy printmaking demonstrations by artists from George Mason University. Free. 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Courtyard, American Art Museum

For a complete listing of Smithsonian events and exhibitions visit the goSmithsonian Visitors Guide. Additional reporting by Michelle Strange.

Join curators to learn about "Pair of Prickly Pairs" as part of a gallery talk. Photo courtesy of the Renwick Gallery

Monday, December 19 Fly Me To Mars

Author and illustrator Catherine Weitz’ award-winning children’s book Fly Me To Mars tells the story of wayward planet on a fantasy journey. Weitz, a senior scientist at the Planetary Science Institute, focuses on Mars geology in her research. Come meet Dr. Weitz and have your copy of the book signed in time for the holidays. Free. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Air and Space Museum, at the entrance to the museum store.

Tuesday, December 20 Holiday Arts and Crafts

Join museum staff for a morning of arts and craft making with a holiday theme. Participants will have their own chance to create memorable ornaments with materials provided by the museum. Free; please call 202 633 4844 to make reservations. 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Anacostia Community Museum, program room.

Wednesday, December 21 American Craft Masterpieces

As part of the Renwick’s monthly gallery talks series, experts discuss the masterpieces in small, intimate groups. This month, join Rebecca Robinson as she provides insight into Jon Eric Riis’ Pair of Prickly Pairs. Riis is an internationally-known tapestry artist whose intricate works often incorporate precious materials such as metallic and silk threads. Pair of Prickly Pairs was acquired by the museum in 2001 and features an unusual cactus-like roughness on the surface of the fruits that was produced with the incorporation of glass seed beads into the work. Free. 12 p.m. Renwick Gallery, first floor lobby.

Thursday, December 22 Butterfly Pavilion

Come out of the chill of winter and discover a tropical oasis in the middle of the Mall. Located next to the “Butterflies + Plants: Partners in Evolution” exhibit at the Natural History Museum, the Butterfly Pavilion is home to hundreds of rare butterflies and exotic plants from all over the world. Tickets are required, and can be purchased in person at the Butterfly Pavilion Box Office or online. $6 for adults, $5.50 for seniors (60+), $5 for children (2 to 12), and $5 for members. Natural History Museum, 2nd Floor West, open 10:15 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily.

For a complete listing of Smithsonian events and exhibitions visit the goSmithsonian Visitors Guide. Additional reporting by Michelle Strange.

Beth Lipman's sculpture "Bancketje," is on view at the Renwick. Photo courtesy American Art Museum

With Thanksgiving Day at hand, the ATM team combed the collections for the some of the best feasts depicted in art. Visit the American Art Museum and its branch, the Renwick Gallery, to see these and other masterpieces of holiday food festivities.

1. Sioux Dog Feast: George Catlin was a self-taught artist who traveled the American West during the 1830s. This painting portrays a feast given by the Lakota people to visiting U.S. government representatives, likely observed at Fort Pierre in 1832. Recounting the event in his Letters and Notes Catlin wrote, “Near the foot of the flag-staff were placed in a row on the ground, six or eight kettles, with iron covers on them, shutting them tight, in which were prepared the viands for our voluptuous feast.”

2. Vegetable Dinner: This 1927 work, painted by artist Peter Blume at the precocious age of 21, depicts a pair of women—one, seated and smoking, the other, standing and chopping vegetables. “Blume was involved with a style called Purism, which emphasized exquisite contours and simplified shapes,” writes museum director Elizabeth Broun. “Still, there’s something in the way the knife slicing away a potato skin is poised against the vulnerable thumb, perhaps to cut more deeply. Blume could find a dark tension in this game of edges and surfaces.”

Doris Lee's 1935 "Thanksgiving," is held in the collections. Photo courtesy American Art Museum.

3. Thanksgiving: During her lifetime, Doris Lee was a popular mainstream artist whose work evoked Norman Rockwell and appeared in Life magazine. This 1935 painting provided a look back at the simpler domestic life many yearned for during the years of the Great Depression. The bustling kitchen is full of preparation for the annual feast, and although the work appears simple in terms of subject, it is filled with countless realistic details.

4. Archelous and Hercules: In ancient Greek myth, the god Archelous took the form of a bull during flood season and carved channels into the earth, while Hercules tore off his horn to create a cornucopia of plenty. Thomas Hart Benton’s 1947 oil painting adapts this legend as a parable for the American Midwest, where engineers worked to tame the Missouri River. The plentiful harvest spilling from the horn represents the future bumper crops farmers would enjoy as a result of this work.

5. Bancketje: This sculpture—named after the banquets often featured in 17th century Dutch still-life paintings—is a literal feast, but one already eaten. Contemporary glass artist Beth Lipman worked with 15 other artisans to create the extravagant installation, piling 400 pieces of hand-blown glass tableware, stemware, candlesticks and serving dishes atop an oak table. The 2003 piece manages to combine an initial impression of abundance with a subsequent awareness of emptiness and decay.