The Smithsonian celebrates this year the 50th anniversary of Harry Winston’s donation of the 45.52-carat deep blue Hope Diamond. He sent it to the museum via registered mail on November 10, 1958 (2 bucks for postage, $143.29 for a million dollars of insurance).

To celebrate the anniversary, the diamond will for the first time in 50 years be removed from its current setting and placed in a new setting designed by contemporary Harry Winston jewelers. There are three settings in the running, and you can help choose which one will host the Hope by voting for your favorite online.

Voting started yesterday and will remain open until September 7th, so you have plenty of opportunities to votebomb for your favorite.

Although the winning design will be announced in September, the setting won’t actually be ready until May of next year. The Hope diamond will therefore be removed from its setting in the fall and displayed nekkid until May. This is a first, and most likely a last in our lifetime.

Then it will be set in the contest winning design for and put on display until the end of the year. Hope will return to its original Harry Winston setting in late 2010.