Hope Diamond is a brilliant blue stone, surrounded by white diamonds and suspended from a diamond necklace. This is a surprise to many when they first know about the diamond as they expect this famous diamond to be a clear diamond.
The Hope Diamond in the beginning was a beautiful violet colored 112-carat stone. It was first purchased by a merchant named Jean Baptiste Tavernier, who later sold the stone to Louis XIV of France. The diamond was then cut into a 67-carat stone with the color named as French Blue.
The diamond was stolen when the crown jewels were looted during the French Revolution. It subsequently was found again in 1812 and was bought by George IV of England. George IV of England later sold off the diamond to pay off his debts. Where the stone went then was not known, though it found its way as part of Henry Philip Hope's collection. Till this day, Hope's name is still attached to the diamond.
The Hope Diamond has a long-standing legend of a curse which originated when it was plucked from an idol in India. Regardless how true the legend was, many who have owned the diamond have met with misfortune. The Hope family while owning the diamond went bankrupted. The stone was then sold to Cartier jewelry firm in Paris. When Pierre Cartier later sold it to Evalyn Walsh Maclean of Washington, DC, her first son was killed at age nine in a car accident and her daughter committed suicide at the age of twenty-five. Her husband was declared insane and was institutionalized until his death in 1941.
After Mrs. Maclean acquire the stone, she had the stone reset and made it into the necklace that we know today. The necklace was eventually purchased by Henry Winston from Mrs. Maclean's estate in 1947, which became part of the Smithsonian Collection.
To summarized, whether there is a curse on the diamond, the Hope Diamond is still well known for its beauty and brilliance
The Hope Diamond in the beginning was a beautiful violet colored 112-carat stone. It was first purchased by a merchant named Jean Baptiste Tavernier, who later sold the stone to Louis XIV of France. The diamond was then cut into a 67-carat stone with the color named as French Blue.
The diamond was stolen when the crown jewels were looted during the French Revolution. It subsequently was found again in 1812 and was bought by George IV of England. George IV of England later sold off the diamond to pay off his debts. Where the stone went then was not known, though it found its way as part of Henry Philip Hope's collection. Till this day, Hope's name is still attached to the diamond.
The Hope Diamond has a long-standing legend of a curse which originated when it was plucked from an idol in India. Regardless how true the legend was, many who have owned the diamond have met with misfortune. The Hope family while owning the diamond went bankrupted. The stone was then sold to Cartier jewelry firm in Paris. When Pierre Cartier later sold it to Evalyn Walsh Maclean of Washington, DC, her first son was killed at age nine in a car accident and her daughter committed suicide at the age of twenty-five. Her husband was declared insane and was institutionalized until his death in 1941.
After Mrs. Maclean acquire the stone, she had the stone reset and made it into the necklace that we know today. The necklace was eventually purchased by Henry Winston from Mrs. Maclean's estate in 1947, which became part of the Smithsonian Collection.
To summarized, whether there is a curse on the diamond, the Hope Diamond is still well known for its beauty and brilliance
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