This super blue diamond is impressive because of its color, size and creepy stories surrounding it
Posted by Queenanie NOctober 31, 2021shareShare FacebookPinterest
Today’s shape of the Hope diamond.
When people first discovered diamonds 3,000 years ago, even without the technique of rough grinding, they knew that these gems were special. That’s why there are so many legends surrounding diamonds. Many unique diamonds are also known by word of mouth to possess magic, the ability to change fortunes, etc.
Among the famous diamonds in history, the Hope Diamond is the most special blue diamond. Named Hope but it also carries curses of unhappiness and suffering.
Find the most expensive blue diamond in the world
The history of the diamond goes back to 1666. A French merchant, Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, purchased a diamond weighing 112 carats. It is highly likely that it comes from the Kollur mine, India. The gem is crudely cut, but possesses a beautiful purple-blue color that makes people notice.
Two years later, Tavernier sold the blue diamond back to King Louis XIV of France. In 1673, King Louis XIV had the diamond cut. In the hands of royal artisan Sieur Pitau, the blue diamond is honed to sparkle, weighing 67 1/8 carats. It was encased in pure gold and worn as a pendant so that King Louis XIV could use it on important occasions. From there, it was named “French Blue”.
The diamond of hope…or despair
Photo: Getty Images
Like many other famous diamonds in history, this blue diamond also seems to bring tragedy to its owner.
After Louis XIV’s death, the diamond passed to King Louis XV (Louis XIV’s great-grandson), and then to Louis XVI (Louis XV’s grandson). Except for the first son, who lived to be 50 years old, all of Louis XIV’s children died at an early age. Louis XV died of smallpox with three young children. Louis XVI and his wife, Queen Marie Antoinette, were executed by beheading.
During the French Revolution of 1791, royal treasures were robbed for a week. The blue diamond was stolen during this chaotic period. In 1812, a blue diamond reappeared in London, owned by merchant Daniel Eliason. It is said that this is the blue diamond of the French royal family. When it appeared in England, King George IV immediately bought it to put in the royal treasure. However, this king indulged in a luxurious life, heavily in debt. The year he died (1830), the blue diamond was silently sold to pay off his expensive lifestyle.
The person who bought it now was Henry Philip Hope – although there is no record of how he bought it or how much he paid. Its name Hope is derived from his surname (Hope). The Hope family is said to have gone bankrupt because of the diamond’s curse.
After the Hope family, the diamond passed through the hands of many wealthy owners before it belonged to Pierre Cartier of the famous Cartier jeweler family. Pierre Cartier sells the Hope diamond to his wife Evalyn Walsh McLean. The McLean family has suffered many misfortunes since owning this diamond. The first son died in a car accident. Her daughter died at the age of 25. As for her husband, Mr. Edward suffered from mental illness and died in an insane asylum.
Break the curse of the Hope diamond
Harry Winston presents the Hope diamond to the Smithsonian Institution. Photo: Getty Images
After Evalyn Walsh McLean died in 1947, Harry Winston bought all of her jewelry. Among them are diamonds such as the Star of the East weighing 94.8 carats, the Star of the South weighing 15 carats, the McLean diamond weighing 31 carats, and the Hope diamond.
However, Harry Winston did not continue to sell this blue diamond. For the next ten years, he exhibited the diamond at museums and charity events throughout North America. On November 10, 1958, he donated the Hope diamond to the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History. It is thought that this is how he broke the curse of the Hope diamond.
Why Hope is the most famous blue diamond?
In 2010, jeweler Harry Winston included the diamond in a more modern necklace to celebrate its 50th anniversary in safekeeping at the Smithsonian Institution. Photo: Smithsonian
Re-sharpened, today’s Hope diamond weighs 45.52 carats. It is correctly listed as a fancy dark gray diamond. Therefore, it is not clear why when it was first discovered, it was described as blue-violet.
However, another study from the Smithsonian Institution found that, if bathed in UV light for a certain amount of time, the Hope diamond would fluoresce red for a few seconds. Through a microscope, the blue color of the stone reveals a hint of purple that cannot be seen with the naked eye. Perhaps, when it has not been cut, this purple color is more pronounced.
Because of both its special color and large size, the Hope diamond is known as the most expensive blue diamond in the world at the moment. The estimated price is about 400 million USD.