The Curse of the Famous Hope Diamond – Legends of America
The Hope Diamond, a gemstone steeped in history and legend, is one of the most recognizable jewels in the world. This magnificent 45.52-carat blue diamond, currently housed in the Smithsonian Institution, has captivated audiences for centuries with its mesmerizing beauty and the ominous tales that shroud its past. While its striking color and brilliance have made it a prized possession for royalty, socialites, and collectors alike, the Hope Diamond is also infamous for the purported curse it carries, said to bring misfortune and tragedy to those who possess it.
Origins and the Tavernier Blue
The story of the Hope Diamond begins in the early 17th century, believed to have originated from the Kollur Mine in Golconda, India. During this period, India was renowned for its diamond mines, which produced some of the world’s most exceptional gemstones. It was during this time that Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, a French gem merchant, embarked on a series of voyages to Persia and India. These journeys were not merely for exploration but were driven by the pursuit of precious stones and other high-end commodities that were in high demand in Europe.
Between 1640 and 1667, Tavernier acquired a large, roughly cut diamond weighing approximately 115 carats. He described the stone as having a "beautiful violet" hue and a somewhat triangular shape. While Tavernier meticulously documented his travels and the gems he collected, he never explicitly stated from whom or when he obtained the large blue diamond that would later be known as the "Tavernier Blue." This lack of clarity has fueled speculation and intrigue surrounding the diamond’s early history.
Legends of Theft and Curses
Adding to the mystery of the Hope Diamond is a persistent legend that claims Tavernier stole the diamond from a Hindu temple, where it served as one of the two eyes of a sacred idol. According to this tale, the temple priests, upon discovering the theft, placed a curse on whoever might possess the missing stone. This curse, it is said, would bring misfortune and tragedy to all who dared to own the diamond.
Whether true or not, the legend of the curse has become inextricably linked to the Hope Diamond, shaping its reputation and adding to its allure. Throughout its history, many owners of the diamond have experienced misfortune, leading some to believe in the power of the curse.
From Royal Possession to Revolution
In 1668, Tavernier returned to Paris and sold the large blue diamond, along with 14 other large diamonds and several smaller ones, to King Louis XIV of France. The acquisition of the Tavernier Blue added to the already impressive collection of jewels possessed by the French monarchy, solidifying their status as one of the wealthiest and most powerful families in Europe.
King Louis XIV commissioned his court jeweler, Jean Pitau, to recut the Tavernier Blue. The recutting process, completed in 1673, resulted in a 69-carat stone with an intense steely-blue color. The stone became known as the "Blue Diamond of the Crown" or the "French Blue" and was set in a gold cravat pin worn by the king on ceremonial occasions.
During the reign of Louis XIV, Nicholas Fouquet, the superintendent of the country’s finances, was allowed to wear the precious stone. Soon after, Fouquet argued with the king and was charged with maladministration of the state’s funds. Fouquet was then imprisoned at the Fortress of Pignerol in 1664, where he stayed until his death in 1680. Another person said to have been cursed by the diamond during King Louis XIV’s reign was his chief mistress, Madame de Montespan. Eventually, she was accused of using witchcraft and aphrodisiacs and fell out of favor with the king.
The French Blue remained in the possession of the French monarchy for over a century, passing through the hands of King Louis XV and King Louis XVI. Both kings were known to have worn the diamond on several occasions. However, the diamond’s association with the French monarchy would ultimately lead to its disappearance during the French Revolution.
As the French Revolution gained momentum, the royal family found themselves increasingly vulnerable. In October 1789, an angry mob stormed the Palace of Versailles and forcibly moved the royal family to Paris. The friction within the country led to the French Revolution. On October 5, 1789, an angry mob of Parisian working men and women marched on the Palace of Versailles and forcibly moved the royal family to Paris. In September 1792, the new National Convention abolished the monarchy and declared France a republic. King Louis XVI was found guilty of treason and executed by guillotine on January 21, 1793. His wife, Marie Antoinette, was executed nine months later. During a week-long looting of the crown jewels in September 1792, the French Blue Diamond was stolen. While many jewels were later recovered, the French Blue was not among them, and it disappeared from history.
Recutting and Reemergence
For several years, the whereabouts of the French Blue remained a mystery. It wasn’t until 1812 that a large blue diamond resurfaced in London, documented by a man named John Francillion. He described the stone, weighing over 45 carats, as being in the possession of a London diamond merchant, Daniel Eliason, and available for sale. Its size and unusual color suggested that it was recut from the French Blue stolen ten years previously.
During the missing years, a Dutch diamond cutter named Wilhelm Fals somehow obtained the diamond and recut the precious stone to hide the jewel’s identity. On completion, the 69 carat stone was reduced to the 45 carat Blue Hope Diamond we see today. When it was in Fals’ possession, his son, Hendrik, stole the gem, ruining his father, who was said to have died in grief. Hendrick Falls then gave the diamond to a man named Francis Beaulieu in payment of a debt. Beaulieu then traveled from Marseille, France, to London, England, to sell the diamond to jewel dealer Daniel Eliason. However, when the jeweler went to pay Beaulie, he found him dead in a lodging house, succumbing to fever. Years later, Hendrik Fals killed himself in 1830.
In 1822, a portrait of King George IV of England was painted in which the King was wearing the insignia of the Royal Order of the Golden Fleece set with a large blue stone bearing a striking resemblance to the French Blue diamond. When King George died in 1830, his estate was encumbered by outstanding debt, and it is thought that the diamond, along with other jewelry and personal effects, were sold to cover the many debts he had left behind.
The Hope Family and Further Misfortunes
In 1839, the diamond appeared in the gem catalog of Henry Philip Hope, a London banker, and it became known as the "Hope Diamond." The Hope family owned the diamond for several decades, during which time it was passed down through generations.
After Hope died in 1839 and litigation within the family, the stone was passed on to his nephew, Henry Thomas Hope, in 1841. Later, the precious stone would pass to Henry Thomas Hope’s grandson, Lord Francis Hope, who lived beyond his means. In 1894, Lord Francis Hope met American concert hall singer May Yohé, and the two married the same year. By the time they married, Hope was nearly bankrupt. Still, the pair ignored financial problems and lived lavishly, gambled, and often traveled, squandering everything he had left, including jewelry, heirlooms, pictures, art, and land. He then began to borrow money, sending him into even further decline. In 1900, they made a tour of the world, and on their way home, they met Captain Putnam Bradlee Strong, a handsome and popular man in the United States Army. Yohé fell head over heels in love with the dashing captain and refused to return to England with Lord Francis. In 1901, Lord Francis Hope sold the Blue Diamond to help pay off his debts.
By the 1900s, stories of the diamond’s curse had been flourishing for years, with some saying that the original form of the Hope Diamond was stolen from the eye of a sculpted statue of the goddess Sita.
A String of Owners and Tales of Doom
Throughout the early 20th century, the Hope Diamond changed hands several times, with each new owner seemingly experiencing misfortune. Allegedly, the first to purchase it was French banker Jaques Colet, who bought the Hope Diamond from Simon Frankel, and just a short time later, Colet went mad and committed suicide. Afterward, it was sold to Russian Prince Ivan Kanitowsky, who loaned it to his lover, actress Lorens Ladue. The first time she wore the diamond on stage, she was shot by a man in the audience, who many people said was the Russian prince himself. Just a few weeks later, Kanitowsky was stabbed to death in Paris by Russian revolutionaries.
By this time, the legend of the curse had increased, and an article entitled “Hope Diamond Has Brought Trouble To All Who Have Owned It” appeared in the Washington Post in 1908. The same year, the stone was back in possession of the Frankels, who made a concerted effort to sell what they called the “hood diamond.” The next person to acquire it was a well-known Greek jewel broker named Simon Maoncharides, who acquired the stone in late 1908. He quickly sold the diamond to Habib Bey, a Persian diamond merchant. On the night that the deal was concluded, Maoncharides accidentally drove his carriage over a precipice, killing himself, his wife, and child.
Afterward, Habib Bey quickly sold the stone to Salomon Habib, acting on behalf of Abdul Hamid II, the Sultan of Turkey. Within months, Habib Bey drowned during the sinking of a French steamer in 1909. Abdul Hamid II, known as “Abdul the Damned,” gave the Hope Diamond to his favorite concubine, Salma Zubayaba. A few months later, Zubayaba was stabbed and killed by a low-level official in the treasury who tried to steal the gem. Shortly after this incident, Abdul Hamid II was overthrown during the Young Turks Rebellion of April 1909.
Evalyn Walsh McLean and the Curse’s Continued Reign
In 1911, the Hope Diamond was acquired by Evalyn Walsh McLean, an American mining heiress and socialite. Despite warnings about the diamond’s curse, McLean purchased the diamond and wore it frequently, often pairing it with other famous jewels.
However, the curse seemed to follow McLean, as she experienced a series of tragedies, including the death of her son in a car accident, the breakdown of her marriage, and the death of her daughter from a drug overdose. These events further cemented the Hope Diamond’s reputation as a cursed object.
Donation to the Smithsonian and a Dormant Curse
In 1949, McLean’s jewel collection was sold to Harry Winston, a New York diamond merchant. Winston, in turn, donated the Hope Diamond to the Smithsonian Institution in 1958, with the intention of establishing a national jewel collection.
Since its arrival at the Smithsonian, the Hope Diamond has become one of the museum’s most popular attractions. Millions of visitors have marveled at its beauty and learned about its fascinating history.
According to legend, there was one last victim of the diamond’s curse – a postman named James Todd. After promising to donate the diamond, Winston sent it through the U.S. Mail from New York to Washinghton, D.C. After Todd had delivered the package, he crashed his truck and shattered his leg. He then got in another crash, injuring his head. He also lost his wife and dog to untimely deaths, and afterward, part of his house burned down.
Interestingly, since the Smithsonian acquired the gemstone, the “curse appears to have gone dormant,” and for decades, the Hope Diamond and the rest of the museum’s gem collection have brought only good luck to the museum with higher attendance. Owning the diamond has brought “nothing but good luck” for the nonprofit national museum, according to a Smithsonian curator. It has helped it build a “world-class gem collection” with rising attendance levels.
A Gem of Enduring Fascination
Today, the Hope Diamond remains on display at the Smithsonian Institution, where it continues to captivate visitors from around the world. Its striking blue color, its fascinating history, and its association with tales of curses and misfortune have made it one of the most famous and recognizable jewels in the world.
Whether one believes in the curse or not, the Hope Diamond serves as a reminder of the power of legends and the enduring fascination that gemstones hold for humanity.
The Hope Diamond Today
The Hope Diamond, described as the “most famous diamond in the world,” is exhibited in the Harry Winston Room in the Hall of Geology, Gems, and Minerals of the Natural History Museum of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. The pendant surrounding the Hope Diamond contains 16 white diamonds, and the necklace chain contains 45 white diamonds. It was last reported to be insured for $250 million.
Sources:
- Aquiziam
- Live Science
- Smithsonian Institution
- ThoughtCo
- Public Broadcasting System
- Time-Life Books, Mysteries of the Unknown
- Wikipedia