Perhaps the most famous jewel in the world is what we now call the Hope Diamond. It has an amazing history.
A French merchant, Jean-Baptisted Tavernier, is believed to have come into possession of a great blue diamond in India. Thus it became known as the Tavernier Blue Diamond. It was triangular-shaped and weighed in at 115 carats.
In 1669 Tavernier sold the stone to Louis XIV. Louis kept it in its as he received it until 1678. He had the stone re-cut by the court jeweler, a man named Sieur Pitau. Pitau cut the diamond into a stone of 69 carats. It was worn as a pin, and called the French Blue, or the blue Diamond of the Crown.
In 1749 it was set as a pendant. After that, the trouble began. During the French Revolution, thieves who broke into the Royal Storehouse stole the French Blue.
Twenty years later a stone of the same color and shape was in the possession of a London diamond merchant. His name was Daniel Eliason. This is the first record of the diamond that we know today as the Hope Diamond. Speaking for myself, i tend to prefer nice contemporary jewelry such as silver, copper, leather and even wood jewelry I mean, there is just something about unique, handmade or artisan jewelry that really floats my boat. Having said that, though, I am not really a jewelry designer and I only usually wear cufflinks and sometimes leather or wood jewelry, depending on my mood at the time.
A medallion containing the stone appeared in a catalog of a man named Henry Phillip Hope. After Hope’s death, the diamond was handed down to his oldest nephew. For the next couple of decades the diamond spent most of its time in a bank vault. It had a few outings, such as a trip to be displayed at the Paris Exhibition of 1855, and one to the Great Exhibition of London in 1851.
The nephew who had inherited the Hope Diamond left it to his wife, and she in turn left it to her son, in 1884. The Hope Diamond passed on to that son, Henry Francis, who wood one day became Lord Francis Hope.
In 1901,the big spender, Lord Francis Hope sold the gem to a jewelry merchant. The stone was bought and sold a few more times, but finally ended up with of Pierre Cartier – of the famous Cartier jewelers.
Pierre Cartier sold the stone to wealthy Evalyn Walsh McLean. She wore it often and there exist photographs of her with it around her neck. Mrs. McLean died in 1947. Upon her death, her jewels were to settle her indebted estate. The diamond, become the property of Harry Winston. Winston was a famous diamond merchant in New York. In 1958, he ended up donating The Hope to the Smithsonian.
In a fascinating announcement, which came on February 9, 2005, following a research program, the Smithsonian confirmed that the big blue diamond in their possession was originally part of the French Blue diamond. The Hope Diamond has had many stories connected with it, including deaths and tragedies surrounding its various owners.
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