The Legend of the Hope Diamond

A legendary diamond couldn't help but be the protagonist of a... legend! Let's discover together all the details on the legend of the Hope diamond.

What kind of diamond is this?

The Hope Diamond, also known as the Blue of France , is famous for its incredible weight (45.53 carats) and its value ($250 million!). Its extremely rare color has certainly contributed to making it perhaps the most famous diamond ever. Today, the Hope is kept at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, after a decidedly fascinating existence.

Yet, its fame does not only come from these important characteristics. Legend has it that Hope was a cursed stone.

Hope: A Cursed Stone

The Hope Diamond is said to have come from the mines of Golconda, India, where it was purchased in the late 1600s by the merchant Jean Tavernier . However, it seems that Tavernier took it from the eye of an Indian statue, depicting the idol Rama Sitra. The wrath of the deity would therefore be the basis of all the curses that the stone carries with it.

Jumping back in time, we know that Marie Antoinette , the Queen of France, owned this splendid jewel, thanks also to a painting that depicts her with the Hope around her neck. Given to her by the King, who in turn obtained it from Tavernier, it seems that all of them ended up in misfortune and misery, beheaded or gone mad.

After Marie Antoinette, it passed from hand to hand between bankers, merchants and aristocrats, ending up, in 1900, in the hands of the American jeweler Harry Winston , who donated it to the Smithsonian, where it is today. All the people who owned the stone for some time, experienced incredible misfortunes.

It seems, however, that many of the misfortunes experienced by the owners of the Hope were actually perfectly placed in their times, not at all rare.

Red as blood

Another reason that makes the Hope diamond considered cursed is its color: it seems that, in certain light conditions, it becomes blood red, emitting its own light. The Smithsonian, in recent years, has not stopped studying this very special gem, noting how ultraviolet light is able to return a fluorescence. Once the ultraviolet lamp is turned off, here is the red glow, which persists over time. The diamond, therefore, would be phosphorescent, following electronic excitation.

Nothing supernatural, but a simple chemical phenomenon, at least according to science. In short, a fascinating legend, which enchants most and makes the Hope a truly memorable diamond.