History Of The Hope Diamond

Anytime there is a legend surrounding a piece of jewelry, it always becomes more intriguing. No doubt many have heard of the Hope diamond, and according to the legend, a curse befell the large blue stone when it was stolen from India. The curse foretold of not just bad luck, but death for the owner and all who touched it. 

The legend may or may not be true, depending upon what you believe, but the Hope diamond has most definitely intrigued people for hundreds of years. The large size, rare color, and perfect quality make it one of the most beautiful and striking diamonds in the world. When you combine that with the fascinating history, the Hope diamond is really something special. 

Beginnings

As legend has it, several centuries ago, a man named Tavernier went to India where he stole a massive blue diamond from the forehead (eye) off a statue of the Hindu goddess Sita. He then traveled to Russia to sell the diamond, where he was subsequently torn apart by wild dogs for his transgression. This is the first death attributed to the curse.

While this is the legend, it hasn't been confirmed that this is actually what happened. In 1642, a French jeweler named Jean Baptiste Tavernier traveled to India where he purchased a 112 3/16 carat blue diamond. He later sold the large blue diamond to Louis XIV and was made a noble before his death at 84. It is not exactly known how he died. 

French Kings

King Louis XIV had the diamond recut to enhance its brilliance, down to 67 1/8 carats. He named it as "Blue Diamond of the Crown" and would often wear the diamond on a ribbon around his neck. It was then believed that Louis XIV and his wife, Marie Antoinette, were beheaded during the French Revolution because of the blue diamond's curse. 

While it is true that Marie Antoinette and the King of France were indeed beheaded, it is more likely due to the fact that they led an extravagant life and this was at the height of the French Revolution. During this time, the crown jewels, including the blue diamond, were taken from the royals and placed in the Garde-Meuble. Unfortunately, this was not well guarded and the Garde-Meuble was repeatedly robbed. Most of the jewels were later recovered, but the blue diamond was not.

Present Day

The diamond changed hands many times in the next few centuries after the French Revolution, until it was finally brought to the United States in 1901 by an American jeweler named Simon Frankel.  Eventually it ended up in the hands of Pierre Cartier who sold it to a woman named Evalyn McLean. After her death in 1949, her jewelry was sold off to settle some debts. She too was said to have suffered some ill fate in her life, perhaps due to the diamond's curse.

Harry Winston purchased the diamond in 1949 and donated the diamond to be worn for charities. Later he donated the Hope diamond to the Smithsonian Institution in 1958. It still resides in the National Gem and Mineral Collection in the National Museum of Natural History for all to see.