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Cursed diamonds? -

There are several reasons why diamonds are regarded as cursed. One of the most compelling comes from the story that the original gems came from Lucifer in the Garden of Eden.

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Cursed diamonds? -

Lucifer observed that Adam and Eve were attracted by the bright colors of the flowers. In order to gain power over the human race, he sought to expose their weakness for beauty. Lucifer created gemstones with the colors of flowers to entice our species.

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Cursed diamonds? -

Others believe that diamonds were never cursed, but that the rumor was spread by mine owners. They were worried about miners stealing the stones, so they made up terrible tales about what would happen to the possessors.

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The beginning -

The Hope Diamond was made approximately one billion years ago. It was originally mined from the Kollur Mine in Telangana, India.

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The Hope Diamond -

It is so special not only because it is just over 45 carats in weight, but also because it emits a strange red glow when UV light is shone on it.

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The Hope Diamond -

Unsurprisingly, it is the largest blue diamond in the whole world.

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Human encounters -

They say that the diamond was first let loose into the world when a Hindu priest stole it from a temple in India. He thought it was just too beautiful to stay in obscurity.

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Jean-Baptiste Tavernier (1605-1689) -

It is unclear whether the stone was bought or stolen from the monk, but it ended up in the hands of French merchant Jean-Baptiste Tavernier.

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Louis XIV (1638-1715) -

Apparently, Tavernier came down with a fever as soon as he was in possession of the diamond. He promptly decided to sell the jewel to the French king, Louis XIV.

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Cut up -

Louis XIV wanted a more wearable arrangement and so asked his jeweler to set the diamond in gold on a necklace. Thenceforth, it was nicknamed the "French Blue" or the "Blue Diamond of the Crown."

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Succession -

Louis XIV suffered the evils of the diamond. All of his children died apart from one, and he himself died of gangrene. It was a very painful death.

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Louis XV (1710-1774) -

The Hope Diamond was passed on to Louis the Beloved. He sent it back to the jewelers to make it into an emblem of the Order of the Golden Fleece. This was a Catholic order of chivalry for the rich and royal of society.

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Marie Antoinette (1755-1793) -

Louis XV managed to avoid any major tragedies, but this woman did not. Louis XVI (1754-1793) reportedly gave the French Blue to his fashionable wife to wear, but things were not looking good for them.

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Guillotined -

Both Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were executed by guillotine in 1793 during the French Revolution (1789-99). After their death, the Hope Diamond was stolen from the royal storehouse and disappeared for a time.

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George IV (1762-1830) -

The French Blue popped up in George IV's jewel collection in England! But George was a laughing stock of a king and ran up huge debts.

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George IV (1762-1830) -

Over time, his overindulgence got the better of him and he grew blind and obese. Coincidently, it was from when he was first seen with the Hope Diamond. He died of internal bleeding as a very unpopular king.

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Thomas Hope (1769-1831) -

A wealthy banker and gem collector bought the French Blue from an auction. It is here that the present-day name of the diamond came from. Both Thomas and his brother Henry died shortly after they got the diamond.

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The Hope family -

The diamond stayed in the possession of the Hope family for most of the 19th century. In 1902, it came up for auction and passed through many different hands afterwards.

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The last sultan -

The Hope Diamond eventually landed in the hands of Sultan Abdul Hamid II (1842-1914) of the Ottoman Empire.

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The last sultan -

While he was in possession of the Hope Diamond, his empire crumbled beneath him. He ended up being the last sultan of the Ottoman Empire. He was deposed, exiled, and died in captivity.

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Pierre Camille Cartier (1878-1964) -

Somehow, French jeweler Pierre Camille Cartier got his hands on it. He decided to reset it and sent it to a fashionable and rich American family, the McLeans.

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Evalyn Walsh McLean (1886-1947) -

Evalyn Walsh McLean truly loved the Hope Diamond and wore it almost every day. She even let her dog wear it on its collar around the house! However, it was not long before the curse started creeping into her life.

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Tragedy -

First, her mother-in-law passed away. The death was closely followed by the passing of her nine-year-old son in a car accident.

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Edward Beale McLean (1889-1941) -

Evalyn McLean's troubles continued when the tragedy created a rift in her marriage. Her husband, Edward McLean, left her for another woman and was then admitted to a mental hospital. He died not long after in the hospital.

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Evalyn Washington McClean (1921-1946) -

The curse struck harder and robbed her of her daughter at the young age of 25. Meanwhile, the McLeans' source of income, the Washington Post, became bankrupt.

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Too much -

In 1947, Evalyn Walsh McLean herself died. The Washington Post was auctioned off and the children sold the Hope Diamond at auction in order to pay their debts.

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Harry Winston (1896-1978) -

The famous jewel merchant Harry Winston bought the diamond from the McLeans at auction. He would put it on display at exhibitions, but it was far from where it could do real damage.

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Donation -

In 1958, Harry Winston generously donated the Hope Diamond to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. It is one of the main attractions for visitors.

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Looking back -

Over the course of history, 14 people have died when in possession of the stone. It is suspicious to say the least. However, some believe these curses are just stories that owners release so the price of the gem goes up. Let's hope they're right...

Sources: (Smithsonian) (Forbes) (ThoughtCo)

See also: A history of jewelry

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