French Blue redirects here. For the color, see Blue. For other uses, see Blue (disambiguation). ...

The Hope Diamond is a large (45.52 carat), deep blue diamond, currently housed in the Smithsonian Natural History Museum. The diamond is legendary for the curse it supposedly puts on whoever possesses it. The Hope Diamond appears a brilliant blue to the naked eye because of trace amounts of boron within the diamond. The Hope Diamond exhibits red phosphorescence under ultraviolet light and is classified as a Type IIb diamond. ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1200x1800, 2789 KB) Summary The Hope Diamond on display at the National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C.. Author: David Bjorgen Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this... The carat is a unit of mass used for gems, and equals 200 milligrams or 3. ... BIC pen cap, about 1 gram. ... Jewelers diamonds in groups of similar colors. ... In order to best utilize a diamond gemstones superlative material properties, a number of different diamond cuts have been developed. ... The Kollur Mine in Golkonda, India, was one of the most productive diamond mines in India and the first major diamond center. ... For the overture by Tchaikovsky, see 1812 Overture; For the wars, see War of 1812 (USA - United Kingdom) or Patriotic War of 1812 (France - Russia) For the Siberia Airlines plane crashed over the Black Sea on October 4, 2001, see Siberia Airlines Flight 1812 1812 was a leap year starting... Henry Hope in 1788 Henry Hope (1735 - 1811) was an Amsterdam merchant banker born in Boston, New England. ... The Smithsonian Institution Building or Castle on the National Mall serves as the Institutions headquarters. ... Inside the National Museum of Natural History, underneath the rotunda. ... The carat is a unit of mass used for gems, and equals 200 milligrams or 3. ... This article is about the mineral. ... The Smithsonian Institution Building or Castle on the National Mall serves as the Institutions headquarters. ... Inside the National Museum of Natural History, underneath the rotunda. ... General Name, Symbol, Number boron, B, 5 Chemical series metalloids Group, Period, Block 13, 2, p Appearance black/brown Standard atomic weight 10. ... Phosphorescent powder under visible light, ultraviolet light, and total darkness. ... For other uses, see Ultraviolet (disambiguation). ...

Origins

Hope Diamond's history can be easily traced to a blue diamond named the Tavernier Blue, which was originally mined from the Kollur mine in Golconda, India, and was a crudely cut triangle shape of 112 3/16 carats (22.44 g). French merchant-traveler Jean-Baptiste Tavernier purchased it sometime in 1660 or 1661. According to legend, the Tavernier Blue was stolen from an eye of a sculpted idol of the Hindu goddess Sita, the wife of Rama, the Seventh Avatara of Vishnu. Taverniers original sketch. ... The Kollur Mine in Golkonda, India, was one of the most productive diamond mines in India and the first major diamond center. ... Golconda fort overlooking Hyderabad Golkonda, also Golconda, a ruined city of south-central India and west of Hyderabad, capital of ancient Hyderabad state (c. ... A triangle. ... The carat is a unit of mass used for gems, and equals 200 milligrams or 3. ... Jean-Baptiste Tavernier. ... // Events January 1 - Colonel George Monck with his regiment crosses from Scotland to England at the village of Coldstream and begins advance towards London in support of English Restoration. ... 1661 (MDCLXI) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... This article discusses the adherents of Hinduism. ... This article is about Sita Devi, the wife of Rama. ... Rama ( in IAST, in Devanāgarī) or Ramachandra is a legendary or historical king of ancient India. ... See Avatar (disambiguation) for other meanings. ... Vishnu (IAST , Devanagari ), (honorific: Sri Vishnu) also known as Narayana is the Supreme Being (i. ...

In 1668, Tavernier sold the diamond to King Louis XIV of France. Sieur Pitau, the court jeweller, cut it and produced a 67 1/8 carat (13.4 g) stone. The stone became known as the Blue Diamond of the Crown or the French Blue. It was set in gold and suspended on a neck ribbon for the King to wear on ceremonial occasions. In 1749, King Louis XV had it set on his pendant for the Order of the Golden Fleece. After his death, it fell into disuse. 1668 (MDCLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Wednesday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... “Louis XIV” redirects here. ... A trial at the Old Bailey in London as drawn by Thomas Rowlandson and Augustus Pugin for Ackermanns Microcosm of London (1808-11). ... Jewelry (the American spelling; spelled jewellery in Commonwealth English) consists of ornamental devices worn by persons, typically made with gems and precious metals. ... GOLD refers to one of the following: GOLD (IEEE) is an IEEE program designed to garner more student members at the university level (Graduates of the Last Decade). ... Events While in debtors prison, John Cleland writes Fanny Hill (Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure). ... Louis XV, called the Beloved (French: le Bien-Aimé) (February 15, 1710 – May 10, 1774), ruled as King of France and Navarre from 1715 until his death. ... The founder, Philip the Good , with at least six other Members wearing collars, 1447-8 Philip III, Duke of Burgundy, with the collar of the Order The Order of the Golden Fleece (Spanish: Orden del Toisón de Oro) is an order of chivalry founded in 1430 by Duke Philip...

When Louis XVI of France became king, he gave the diamond to Marie Antoinette to add to her collection of jewelry. During the French Revolution, while Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were held in prison, the pendant with the diamond was stolen on September 11, 1792, when six men broke into the house used to store the crown jewels. One of the robbers, cadet Guillot, took it to Le Havre along with the Gôte de Bretagne spinel and then to London where he tried to sell the jewels. In 1796, apparently seriously in debt, he handed the gem to Lancry de la Loyelle, who had Guillot put into prison for his trouble. There is no record of what had happened to the diamond after that. Louis XVI, born Louis-Auguste de France (23 August 1754 – 21 January 1793) ruled as King of France and Navarre from 1774 until 1791, and then as King of the French from 1791 to 1792. ... Marie-Antoinette, Queen of France and Archduchess of Austria (born November 1755 – executed 16 October 1793) Daughter of Maria Theresa of Austria, wife of Louis XVI and mother of Louis XVII. She was guillotined at the height of the French Revolution. ... The French Revolution (1789–1815) was a period of political and social upheaval in the political history of France and Europe as a whole, during which the French governmental structure, previously an absolute monarchy with feudal privileges for the aristocracy and Catholic clergy, underwent radical change to forms based on... is the 254th day of the year (255th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1792 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Le Havre is a city in Normandy, northern France, on the English Channel, at the mouth of the Seine. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Year 1796 (MDCCXCVI) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Monday of the 11-day slower Julian calendar). ...

The Hope diamond was recorded in the possession of a London diamond merchant Daniel Eliason in September 1812, which marks the earliest point that the exact history of the Hope Diamond can be definitively fixed. This diamond was generally believed to have been cut from the French Blue, a fact which was finally verified in 2005^[1]. It is often pointed out that the Hope Diamond came into recorded history almost exactly 20 years after the theft of the French Blue, just as the statute of limitations for the crime had expired. For the overture by Tchaikovsky, see 1812 Overture; For the wars, see War of 1812 (USA - United Kingdom) or Patriotic War of 1812 (France - Russia) For the Siberia Airlines plane crashed over the Black Sea on October 4, 2001, see Siberia Airlines Flight 1812 1812 was a leap year starting... A statute of limitations is a statute in a common law legal system that sets forth the maximum period of time, after certain events, that legal proceedings based on those events may be initiated. ...

It is believed that it may have been acquired by King George IV of the United Kingdom, although there is no record of the ownership in the Royal Archives at Windsor. George IV (George Augustus Frederick) (12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was king of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Hanover from 29 January 1820 until his death. ... The Royal Archives, also known as the Queens Archives, are a division of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. ...

Hope Family

The diamond next resurfaced in the gem collection of Henry Philip Hope in 1824. He had it set on a brooch, which he sometimes lent to Louisa Beresford, the wife of his brother Henry Thomas Hope, to host society balls. After Henry Philip Hope died in 1839, his three nephews fought in court for ten years over his inheritance until Henry Hope acquired the gems, including the Hope Diamond. It was then put on display in the Great Exhibition of London in 1851 and Paris Exhibition Universelle in 1855, but was usually kept in a bank vault. 1824 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Aquamarine, platinum and diamond brooch/pendant worn by Mrs. ... A ball is a formal dance. ... 1839 (MDCCCXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... The Great Exhibition: Paxtons Crystal Palace enclosed full-grown trees in Hyde Park. ... 1851 (MDCCCLI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Images of the Palais dIndustrie The Exposition Universelle of 1855 was a Worlds Fair held in Paris. ... Year 1855 (MDCCCLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

When Henry died on December 4, 1862, his wife Adele inherited the gem. At her death on March 31, 1884, it passed to her grandson Henry Francis Hope Pelham-Clinton Hope, the son of Henry and Adele's daughter, Henrietta, and Henry Pelham-Clinton, the sixth Duke of Newcastle. Francis, who had to add one additional Hope to his name, received his legacy in 1887. However, he had only a life interest to his inheritance, meaning he could not sell any part of it without court permission. Henry Francis Hope Pelham-Clinton-Hope was born in 1866 and died in 1941. ... Duke of Newcastle is a title which has been created several times in the peerages of England and Great Britain. ... A life estate, is a term used in common law to describe the ownership of land for the duration of a persons life. ...

On November 27, 1894, he married his mistress, American actress May Yohe. She claimed she had worn the diamond at social gatherings (and had an exact replica made for her performances), but he claimed otherwise. Lord Francis lived beyond his means, and it eventually caught up with him. In 1896, his bankruptcy was discharged, but, as he could not sell the Hope Diamond until he had the court's permission, his wife supported them. In 1901, he was free to sell the Hope, but May ran off with Putnam Strong, son of former New York City mayor William L. Strong. Francis divorced her in 1902. Henry Francis Hope Pelham-Clinton-Hope was born in 1866 and died in 1941. ... Notice of closure stuck on the door of a computer store the day after its parent company, Granville Technology Group Ltd, declared bankruptcy (strictly, put into administration—see text) in the United Kingdom. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... William L. Strong (1827-1900) was the Mayor of New York from 1895 to 1897. ...

Road to the United States

Evalyn Walsh McLean wearing the Hope Diamond

The diamond was sold for £29,000 to Adolf Weil, a London jewel merchant. Weil later sold the stone to U.S. diamond dealer Simon Frankel, who took it to New York. There, it was evaluated to be worth $141,032 (equal to £28,206 at the time). In 1908, Frankel sold the diamond to Salomon Habib in Paris for $400,000. It was presented in an aborted auction on June 24, 1909, alongside other possessions of Habib to settle his debts. Habib sold the Hope Diamond to Paris jewel merchant Rosenau for a sum equal to $80,000. In 1910, Rosenau sold it to Pierre Cartier for 550,000 francs. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... 1908 (MCMVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... Year 1910 (MCMX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday [1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Pierre cartier was the grandson of Louis-Francois Cartier who had taken the jewellery workshop of his teacher, Adolphe Picard, in 1847 hence founding the famous Cartier jewellery. ...

Cartier re-set the stone and in 1911 sold it to U.S. socialite Evalyn Walsh McLean, who initially rejected it but afterwards wore it at every social occasion she organized. When she died in 1947, she had willed the diamond to her grandchildren, though her property would be in the hands of trustees until the eldest had reached 25 years of age, which would have meant at least 20 years in the future. However, the trustees gained permission to sell her jewels to settle her debts, and in 1949 sold them to New York diamond merchant Harry Winston. Year 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Evalyn Walsh McLean (b. ... The word trustee is a legal term that refers to a holder of property on behalf of a beneficiary. ... This article is about the state. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

Winston exhibited the Hope Diamond in his "Court of Jewels," a tour of jewels around the United States, and various charity balls over the years but did not sell it. In August of 1958, the diamond was exhibited in the Canadian National Exhibition. He also had the bottom facet cut to increase the diamond's brilliance and donated it to the Smithsonian Institution on November 10, 1958, sending it through U.S. Mail in a plain brown paper bag. Winston never believed in any of the tales regarding the curse, and died on December 28th, 1978, of a heart attack at the age of 82. Early CNE midway sign A pair of CNE Magic Passes Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) is an annual event held at Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ... Facets are flat faces on geometric shapes. ... Brilliance is a bitmap graphics editor for the Amiga computer, published by Digital Creations in 1993. ... The Smithsonian Institution Building or Castle on the National Mall serves as the Institutions headquarters. ... is the 314th day of the year (315th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... USPS and Usps redirect here. ... December 28 is the 362nd day of the year (363rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 3 days remaining. ... Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ...

Smithsonian years

The Hope Diamond is part of the National Gem Collection in the Smithsonian Institution, in the National Museum of Natural History. At first, it was placed inside a glass-fronted safe in a gem hall. In 1962, it was lent to an exhibition of French jewellery in Paris and in 1965 to South Africa to the Rand Easter Show. After renovations in 1997 to the gems exhibit were completed, the diamond was moved into its own display room, adjacent to the main gem exhibit, where it rests on a rotating pedestal inside of a cylinder made of 3-inch thick bullet-proof glass. The National Gem Collection is exhibited within the Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems, and Minerals. The Hope Diamond is the most popular jewel on display. Inside the National Museum of Natural History, underneath the rotunda. ...

The most recent examination in December 1988 by Graduate Gemologists of the Gemological Institute of America, shows the diamond to weigh 45.52 carats (9.104 g) and it is described as "Fancy dark grayish-blue." The stone exhibits a unique delayed fluorescence; like many other gemstones, it emits a dim light under ultraviolet light, but when the light source is removed, the diamond produces a brilliant red phosphorescence. The clarity was determined to be VS1, with whitish graining present. The cut was described as being "cushion antique brilliant with a faceted girdle and extra facets on the pavilion." The dimensions in terms of length, width, and depth are 25.60mm × 21.78mm × 12.00mm. The Gemological Institute of America, or GIA, is a non-profit institute dedicated to research and education in the field of gemology. ... Fluorescence induced by exposure to ultraviolet light in vials containing various sized Cadmium selenide (CdSe) quantum dots. ...

On February 9, 2005, the Smithsonian Institution published the findings of its year-long computer-aided geometry research on the gem and officially acknowledged the Hope Diamond is part of the stolen French Blue crown jewel.[1] is the 40th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Curse

The first stories about the supposed curse of the Hope Diamond surfaced in 1909. In the June 25 issue of The Times an article written by the Paris correspondent listed a number of supposed owners who had come to an ignoble end. Look up Curse in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Year 1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... The Times is a national newspaper published daily in the United Kingdom (and the Kingdom of Great Britain before the United Kingdom existed) since 1788 when it was known as The Daily Universal Register. ...

According to legend, Tavernier stole the diamond from a Hindu idol. The diamond was one of the two eyes of the idol, and when the priests noticed it was missing, they placed a curse on whoever owned the diamond. One reason that this is not accepted is that the Hope's sister has not been found. The legend claimed that Tavernier died of fever soon after, and that his body was torn apart by wolves (but the historical record shows that he actually lived to 84). The Hope Diamond was blamed for the fall from the king's favor of madame Athenais de Montespan and French finance minister Nicolas Fouquet, the beheadings of Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette and the rape, mutilation and beheading of the Princesse de Lamballe. The legend added fictitious persons: diamond cutter Wilhelm Fals (killed when his son Hendrik stole it); Hendrik Fals (suicide); Francois Beaulieu (starvation after he sold it to Daniel Eliason). This article discusses the adherents of Hinduism. ... “Louis XIV” redirects here. ... Françoise-Athénaïs de Rochechouart, Mme de Montespan Françoise-Athénaïs de Rochechouart, marquise de Montespan (October 5, 1641 - May 27, 1707) was a mistress of Louis XIV. Born at the chateau of Tonnay-Charente, in todays Charente-Maritime, France, the daughter of Gabriel de... Portrait by Édouard Lacretelle. ... Louis XVI, born Louis-Auguste de France (23 August 1754 – 21 January 1793) ruled as King of France and Navarre from 1774 until 1791, and then as King of the French from 1791 to 1792. ... Marie-Antoinette, Queen of France and Archduchess of Austria (born November 1755 – executed 16 October 1793) Daughter of Maria Theresa of Austria, wife of Louis XVI and mother of Louis XVII. She was guillotined at the height of the French Revolution. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Simon Frankel (alleged to be in financial difficulties) had supposedly sold it to Jacques Colot (suicide); the next owner, Russian prince Kanitowski, who supposedly lent it to French actress Lorens Ladue, who he later shot, and was later himself killed by revolutionaries; jeweler Simon Montharides (killed with his family) and Turkish Sultan Abdul Hamid (the diamond was blamed for his forced abdication) who had supposedly killed various members of his court for the stone. There is no evidence that most of these people ever existed. Abdul Hamid is the name of two sultans of the Ottoman Empire: Abdul Hamid I (1774 - 1789) Abdul Hamid II (1876 - 1909) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

May Yohe blamed the Hope for her misfortunes. In July 1902, months after Lord Francis divorced her, she told police in Australia that her lover, Putnam Strong, had abandoned her and taken her jewels. Incredibly, the couple reconciled, married later that year, but divorced in 1910. On her third marriage by 1920, she persuaded film producer George Kleine to back a 15-episode serial The Hope Diamond Mystery, which added more fictitious characters to the tale. It was not successful. In 1921, she hired Henry Leyford Gates to help her write The Mystery of the Hope Diamond, in which she starred as Lady Francis Hope. The film added more characters, including a fictionalized Tavernier, and added Marat among the diamond's "victims". She also wore her copy of the Hope, trying to generate more publicity to further her career. Jean-Paul Marat Jean-Paul Marat (May 24, 1743 – July 13, 1793), was a Swiss-born French scientist and physician who made much of his career in the United Kingdom, but is best known as an activist in the French Revolution. ...

Lord Francis Hope married Olive Muriel Thompson in 1904. They had three children before she died suddenly in 1912, a tragedy that has been attributed to The Curse.

Evalyn Walsh McLean added her own tales, including that one of the owners was Catherine the Great. McLean would bring the Diamond out for friends to try on, including Warren G. Harding and Florence Harding. McLean often strapped the Hope to her pet dog's collar while in residence at Friendship, in northwest Washington D.C.. There are also stories that she would frequently misplace it at parties, and then make a children's game out of finding the Hope. Catherine II (Екатерина II Алексеевна: Yekaterína II Alekséyevna, April 21, 1729 - November 6, 1796), born Sophie Augusta Fredericka, known as Catherine the Great, reigned as empress of Russia from... Warren Gamaliel Harding (November 2, 1865 – August 2, 1923) was an American politician and the twenty-ninth President of the United States, from 1921 to 1923, when he became the sixth president to die in office. ... White House portrait Florence (Flossie) Mabel Kling deWolfe Harding (August 15, 1860 – November 21, 1924), wife of Warren G. Harding, was First Lady of the United States from 1921 to 1923. ... Color-enhanced USGS satellite image of Washington, DC, taken April 26, 2002. ...

However, since the diamond put in the care of the Smithsonian Institute, there has been no unusual incidents relating to it.

It is also falsely claimed that it is not possible to take a clear photograph of the Hope Diamond.

See also

• List of famous diamonds

A number of large or extraordinarily colored diamonds have gained fame, both as exquisite examples of the beautiful nature of diamonds, and because of the famous people who wore, bought, and sold them. ...

Books

• Marian Fowler, Hope: Adventures of a Diamond, Ballantine (March, 2002), hardcover, ISBN 0-345-44486-8
• Susanne Steinem Patch, Blue Mystery : The Story of the Hope Diamond, Random House (April, 1999), trade paperback, ISBN 0-8109-2797-7; hardcover ISBN 0-517-63610-7
• Janet Hubbard-Brown, The Curse of the Hope Diamond (History Mystery), Harpercollins Children's Books (October, 1991), trade paperback, ISBN 0-380-76222-6
• Richard Kurin, "Hope Diamond: The Legendary History of a Cursed Gem," New York: HarperCollins Publishers & Smithsonian Press, 2006. hardcover, ISBN-13: 978-06-087351-6; SBN: 0060873515.[2]
• Edwin Streeter, The Great Diamonds of the World, George Bell & Sons, (Jan, 1898), hardcover, no ISBN known.

URL: Hope Diamond Chapter in Great Diamonds of the World

Images

A picture of the diamond, without flash being used on the camera Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2816 × 2112 pixel, file size: 915 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) A photograph that of the Hope Diamond in Washington D.C., which I took myself, emitting a beautiful glow. ...

Another view of the diamond without flash Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2816 × 2112 pixel, file size: 910 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Another photo, which I took myself, of the Hope Diamond. ...

References

1. ^ Hope Diamond originally came from French crown Associated Press

External links

• Russian blue diamond believed to have been also cleft from "Le Tavernier"