The Hope Diamond Cursed... OR NOT?
Rock&Gem Magazine|October 2023
Diamonds are known traditionally as symbols of wealth, beauty and love, with one notable exception-a large, unusually colored stone that is widely believed to be cursed. Many of those who have owned or simply touched this stone have met tragedy by going insane, suffering serious illnesses, committing suicide, or losing their fortunes-even being executed by guillotine.
STEVE VOYNICK
The Hope Diamond Cursed... OR NOT?

This stone, paradoxically celebrated for its beauty yet feared for its curse, is the Hope Diamond. The size of a walnut and deep blue in color, it is the world's best-known diamond. Over its 370-year-long, often murky history, it has become immersed in legend, stolen at least twice and cut four times. Its owners have included sultans, kings, bankers, jewelers, thieves, a popular stage performer and a fabulously wealthy heiress.

Since 1958, the Hope Diamond has been a major attraction at the National Museum of Natural History (Smithsonian Institution) in Washington D.C., where it has been viewed by more than 100 million visitors and is currently valued at over $250 million.

PLUCKED FROM THE EYE OF AN IDOL

The Hope Diamond's strange story began in 1653 when French gem merchant Jean-Baptiste Tavernier visited India's Golconda Sultanate. There he purchased a crudely cut, triangular, flat, blue diamond of extraordinary size-115 carats. According to legend, this diamond, now known as the "Tavernier Diamond," had been cursed since it previously had been plucked from the eye of a statue of a Hindu idol.

After returning to Europe in 1668, Tavernier sold the diamond to King Louis XIV of France, who ordered the stone recut. Tavernier wrote extensively about the gem before his death in Moscow the following year-when he was reportedly dismembered by a pack of wild dogs.

THE "FRENCH BLUE" AND THE GUILLOTINE

Esta historia es de la edición October 2023 de Rock&Gem Magazine.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición October 2023 de Rock&Gem Magazine.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE ROCK&GEM MAGAZINEVer todo
Rockhounding Ohio's Lake Erie Islands
Rock&Gem Magazine

Rockhounding Ohio's Lake Erie Islands

A short ferry boat ride three miles from Ohio’s Lake Erie coastline is South Bass Island, better known as Put-in-Bay or the “Key West of the North.”

time-read
4 minutos  |
Rockhound Roadtrip 2024
Iowa's Hidden Treasures
Rock&Gem Magazine

Iowa's Hidden Treasures

Exploring Keokuk Geodes: How They're Made & What's Inside

time-read
5 minutos  |
Rockhound Roadtrip 2024
Agatized CORAL
Rock&Gem Magazine

Agatized CORAL

Florida's Collectible State Stone

time-read
3 minutos  |
Rockhound Roadtrip 2024
Rockhounding Florida's Beaches
Rock&Gem Magazine

Rockhounding Florida's Beaches

Beachcombing serene stretches of Florida can reveal fascinating finds like fossilized shark teeth, sea glass, quartz, agate and even coral fragments.

time-read
6 minutos  |
Rockhound Roadtrip 2024
Collecting Staurolite
Rock&Gem Magazine

Collecting Staurolite

Hot Spots In Virginia & Georgia

time-read
3 minutos  |
Rockhound Roadtrip 2024
Pecos Valley Diamonds
Rock&Gem Magazine

Pecos Valley Diamonds

New Mexico's Ancient Attraction

time-read
4 minutos  |
Rockhound Roadtrip 2024
12 Tips for Rockhounding Tucson's Greatest Shows
Rock&Gem Magazine

12 Tips for Rockhounding Tucson's Greatest Shows

Tucson in February becomes the international hub for buying and selling colored gems, rocks, minerals and fossils.

time-read
4 minutos  |
Rockhound Roadtrip 2024
Turquoise in the American Southwest
Rock&Gem Magazine

Turquoise in the American Southwest

A Water & Sky Souvenir

time-read
4 minutos  |
Rockhound Roadtrip 2024
Touring Colorado's MINERAL BELT
Rock&Gem Magazine

Touring Colorado's MINERAL BELT

It's a Showcase of Mining History & Minerals

time-read
6 minutos  |
Rockhound Roadtrip 2024
Geology &Colorado's Taurish Traiks
Rock&Gem Magazine

Geology &Colorado's Taurish Traiks

Most of Colorado’s tourist trains today were originally constructed in the late 1800s to serve the state’s lucrative mining operations.

time-read
4 minutos  |
Rockhound Roadtrip 2024