jeweler harry winston is fabricate ago new setting to be displayed next april. the design was selected in an online vote of more than 100,000 people. that was jim handly reporting. >> not a bad bauble.

fast forward to 1958 when jeweler harry winston donated the diamond to the museum.gh the mail. they're much more careful today. you got it? >> we got it.& >> reporter: to celebrate its half century here it's now about to get a makeover. >> we're going to head back into our gem vault. >> reporter: a new setting giving up a remarkable chance to see up close and personal what all the fuss is really about. can i touch it? >> well i'm not taking any responsibility for it. sure. so there we are. >> reporter: look at that thing. this was meant to be worn. >> it was. i mean certainly the piece of jewelry was meant to be worn. >> reporter: you know where i'm going with this, right? (laughing) not very far. curator post was unmoved by entreaties. i want this. (laughing) or enthusiasm. oh, boy. oh, my. i've never held $250 million before. see, if i just put it right there. it would be very nice. don't you think? >> it looks very nice. >> reporter: that's as close as i'm going to get. isn't it? wow. so much for hope. this is kind of like preparing an operating table. with surge

it will get a new setting in a few months from harry winston.nd out with the setting will look like. it will be a ribbon of white diamonds. it is called -- it won the most votes in an online poll. >> there is a curse associated with it. anyone who touches it either tiguys terribly or meets with a bad stretch of law. >> we're hopeful and optimistic about 66 eastbound. a crash here in centreville is on the shoulder. >> muggy outside this morning. i think we will see some sunshine peeking thugh. the weekend starts out ok. >> ok, thank you. it is mugg

when mclean died, harry winston bought it and donated it to the smithsonian. good old harry is fabricating a new temporary setting to be displayed next april. the design was selected in an online vote of more than 100,000 people. >> it is beautiful. >> reporter: pretty spectacular. >> and that haunted thing makes it a little creepy. >>> coming up, president obama's first u.n. address. >> craig melvin joins doreen next for news4 at 6:00. >>> a wildfire that has torched thousands of acres in california is threatening homes and forcing schools to shut down. >>> police arrested two men in the murder of a 20-year-old fairfax county women. >> and the effectiveness of flu shots compared to nasal sprays. >>> president obama today delivers his third speech to the united nations general assembly. i'm doreen gentzler. >> i'm craig melvin in for jim vance. america's leader told them it's time to help the u.s. fix the world's problems. president obama's speech was not the only one that got a lot of atteio

. >> harry winston donated the diamonds in 1958 where it now sits in in a glass vault.n jeff post took it out and gief us an extraordinary look at it. >> well, chris, here is the hope diamond and it's not often we have a chance as we are here. >> may i -- >> go ahead. >> the hope diamond. >> it is only one inch in diameter but it's been an object of fascination. the museum is celebrating 50 years of the hope diamond by displaying it next week without its setting. they have voted on the internet for a new setting it will be displayed in next spring, but no one will see it like this. >> speaking technically, how good a diamond is it? >> it is a diamond with great clarity. it's a near flawless stone. combination of the size and color make it unmatched diamond. >> chris: if you wanted to sell it? >> if there is anything in the world and say it's priceless, take the u.s. treasury or bigger the u.s. debt and try to take that money and go and buy another diamond, you literally could not do it. there is not one out there anywhere. >> chris: that is a treat. when he seize a movi

the 45 carat gem is getting a new setting by harry winston jewelers. >>> baseball legend tommy lasordaf the smithsonian. a life size portion was unveiled of him yesterday. it heads to chinatown. >> a likable guy. >> interesting. are you saying that with tongue and cheek. >> not at all. >> all right. a rocky start this morning. 295 northbound an accident at suitland parkway. traffic is jammed as you can see there from the beltway to the scene. let's head off to 66 eastbound. better news there. some delays from 50 to the beltway. give yourself 20 extra minutes and 270 southbound round it from father hurley to the split. a little half hour delay getting over there. >> we have a dry start. no fog. maybe a shower or two but you know it will be warm today and tomorrow. temperatures in the low to mid- 80s. by friday we cool off to 75 and saturday night, sunday morning could be a few showers and temperatures in the 70s. >>> as for wall street, no real expectations for any major trading ahead of the fed decision this afternoon. >>> the "early show" will have more

. >> gem merchant harry winston donated the hope diamond to the museum in 1958 where it now sits in anault. that is except for this week when jeff post took it out and gave us an extraordinary look at it. >> well, chris, here's the hope diamond. it's not often we have a chance to introduce someone as closely as we are here. >> may i? >> go ahead. >> the hope diamond. it is only 1 inch in diameter, but it's been an object of fascination for centuries. the museum is celebrating 50 years of the hope diamond by displaying it next week naked without its setting. then people have voted on the internet for a new setting. it will be displayed in next spring. but no one will see it like this. speaking technically, how good a diamond is it? >> it is a diamond with great clarity. it is a near flawless stone. the combination of the size, the color, and the clarity of it make it an unmatched diamond. it really is one of a kind. >> and if you wanted to sell it? >> if there's anything in the world that one could point to and say it's priceless, take the u.s. treasury or bigger the u.s. debt and try a

will be on display for the next couple of months while a new setting is fabricated by jeweler harry winston. >> well, sounds like the plot of an action movie but it was very much reality when a couple of robbers pulled off an amazing screen play-worthy heist in europe. the thieves swooped in yesterday morning just before dawn in sweden's capital of stockhol two masked robbers dropped down from a helicopter onto the roof of a cash depot and used explosives to break in. they helped themselves to bags of money before escaping in their helicopter. and they even planted a fake bomb at the stockholm police helicopter hangar just to keep the authorities from taking off and getting in their way. the whole thing took about 20 minutes. >> a young boy in virginia talks about what it was like to survive a lightning strike that killed his friend. >>> in just a few hours, the governor of massachusetts will announce who will replace ted kennedy in the senate. >>> and the drug bust right outside montgomery county high school. >>> global appeal. president obama will once again take center stage at the unite

winston churchill, not barack obama. gary tuchman, cnn, claremont, north carolina. >>> all right, time for your midday reset. i'm tony harrisin the "cnn newsroom." it is noon in arlington, virginia, where president obama is about to address students at wakefield high. school kids all around the nation will watch live. >>> it is noon on capitol hill, where congress is getting back to the same challenge it had when it left health insurance reform. >>> it is 9:00 a.m. in san francisco, where work crews headed off a nightmarish morning commute. they got the bay bridge fixed and reopened today. >>> let's get started! >>> you've heard the controversy, and the criticism, just about a minute or so, you will hear the actual message. we will bring you president obama's speech to schoolchildren live, as soon as it begins. our white house correspondent, suzanne malveaux, joining us live with a bit of a preview. and, suzanne, what do we know about what's going on right now with that virginia high school? >> reporter: tony, they're getting ready to listen to the president. he just wrapped up what was kind of a a q-and-a. a personal, what