The Expensive Hope Diamond Is Said To Be Cursed Since Its Previous Owners Wound Up Suffering Extremely Unfortunate Fates
Throughout history, dazzling and high-value jewelry pieces have always generated a lot of buzz. Gorgeous gems just have a way of instigating conflicts and rumors.
Every diamond has a deep, rich past, but some stones have a much spookier background than others, bringing nothing but death and destruction upon those who come across them.
One of the most famous of them all is the Hope Diamond, a stunning blue diamond that is the largest of its kind. It is also on the list of most expensive diamonds in the world. At the moment, the gemstone is safely housed at the Smithsonian Institute in the National Gem Collection. But long before that, it passed through many hands.
It is believed that the Hope Diamond was unearthed from the Kollur mine in India. Originally, it was a crude, triangular shape. A French merchant, Jean Baptiste Tavernier, acquired the stone in 1666 while on a visit to India.
In 1668, he sold the diamond to King Louis XIV, who had it recut. The king wore the diamond on several ceremonial occasions.
After Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette attempted to flee France during the middle of a revolution, all valuable jewels were turned over to the government. However, thieves managed to raid the French jewelry collection in 1792 and nabbed the blue diamond.
In 1812, documents from a man named John Francillion showed that the diamond was in the possession of Daniel Eliason, a London merchant. There were also several references that suggested King George IV of the United Kingdom owned it at one point, but it was sold after the king’s death in 1830 to pay off his enormous debts.
In 1839, the diamond became the property of Henry Philip Hope, and that’s how the Hope diamond got its name. When he died, the gem was passed down to his nephew, Henry Thomas Hope, and then to the nephew’s grandson, Lord Francis Hope. Francis Hope sold the diamond to pay off his debts. Soon after, the various owners of the Hope Diamond were said to have suffered unfortunate fates.
For one, Princess de Lamballe was attacked by a French mob while wearing the diamond. In another instance, the son of a Dutch jeweler murdered his father to steal the diamond. Later on, the son took his own life. Additionally, a Greek gem merchant had driven off a cliff with his entire family.
Arsgera – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
Then, in the 1900s, a French jeweler named Pierre Cartier became the owner of the Hope Diamond. He showed the diamond to Evalyn Walsh McLean, heiress to a successful mining company. To convince Mrs. McLean to buy it, Cartier made up tragic stories of the downfalls of previous owners, appealing to her whim.
However, the same bad luck struck her. During her ownership of the Hope Diamond, her nine-year-old son died in a car accident. Later, her husband left her for another woman. She fell into financial ruin and died impoverished.
Following Mrs. McLean’s death, Harry Winston, a New York jeweler, bought her entire jewelry collection. He donated the Hope Diamond to the Smithsonian Institution in 1958, where it immediately became a widely popular attraction.
Since then, the Hope Diamond has left the Smithsonian only four times. Its beautiful violet hue and long, complex history have made blue diamonds more intriguing than ever.
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