The Hope Diamond, The Largest and "Most Perfect" Dark Blue Diamond in the World4349345
The Hope diamond, a large, 45.52 carat (9.10 g) deep-blue diamond, which currently sits in the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in Washington, D.C., is one of the most famous diamonds in the world. It is difficult to assign a dollar value to the largest and "most perfect" dark blue diamond in the world. Some sources value the 45.52 carat rock at a quarter of a billion dollars ($250,000,000), while others quote a more conservative figure true religion jeans as low as $200,000.
Origins and Early History
It is not known exactly when and where the Hope Diamond was discovered, but it was likely in the mid 17th century and most likely in the Golconda area of India. This region was the only major source of diamonds in the world prior to their discovery in Brazil in 1723 and the Kollur mine in particular was a well known source of true religion sale colored diamonds.
Diamonds from this mine have been turned into diamond rings, earrings and every other imaginable type of jewelry. As legend has it, several centuries ago a French named Jean-Baptiste Tavernier made a trip to India. While he was there he stole a large blue diamond from the forehead (or eye) of a statue of the Hindu goddess Sita. He then smuggled it to Paris when in 1668 Tavernier sold the blue diamond to King Louis XIV of France.
The king actually had the stone re-cut into a heart shape in 1673 while reducing its size from 112.5 carats to 67.5carats, now becoming known as the "Blue Diamond of the Crown." During the reign of King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette the French Revolution erupted, and in 1792 the royal treasury was looted and the Crown Jewels, including the Hope Diamond disappeared.
The Curse of the Hope Diamond
After Tavernier stole the diamond the Hindu Priests were incensed and placed a curse on whoever owned the diamond so that there would be "bad luck and death not only for the owner of the diamond but for all who touched it." Indeed, possession of the Hope diamond has been connected to many violent deaths, tragedies and debt. First of all, it is told that Tavernier was killed by a pack of wolves on a trip to Russia after he had sold the diamond to King Louis XIV of France, who himself eventually died broke and scorned.
After it was passed on to Louis XVI, but both he and his wife were beheaded during the French Revolution. Then in 1839 an entry of a large blue diamond was entered in the gem collection catalog of London banker Henry Philip Hope, the man from whom the diamond now takes its name. He didn't believe in the curse and called it the "Hope Diamond" in response, however later on their only son died in a car accident while Hope too died an unexpected death while the Hope family went bankrupt.
Over the next 16 years, the Hope diamond went from owner to true religion brand jeans , while continuing to leave a trail of tragedy and debt. In 1949, the diamond was bought by Harry Winston, a dealer in precious stones. Winston, in turn, donated it to the Smithsonian Institution, where it now remains.
