The Hope Diamond is a famous 45.52 carat fancy dark blue-gray diamond with a history dating back to the 1600s. It is currently owned by the Smithsonian Institution and is set in a white diamond necklace. The diamond is believed to have boron impurities that give it its distinct blue color. It has a complex and infamous history, including being stolen during the French Revolution. The diamond was purchased by Harry Winston in 1949 and donated to the Smithsonian. The diamond has unique properties, including a reddish cast under certain light and delayed flowering. It is also believed to be cursed.
The Hope Diamond is a 45.52 carat fancy dark blue-gray diamond currently in the possession of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. In its current state, the Hope Diamond has been cut into a round brilliant shape with additional facets along the pavilion, or base of the stone, to bring out the deep color and sparkle of the diamond. It is set in a white diamond necklace that includes 61 other diamonds, and is among the most famous diamonds in the world, due to its unusual history and color. The distinct blue color of the Hope Diamond is believed to be caused by boron impurities in the stone, which has been graded as VS1, meaning that the diamond is slightly clouded when examined under a microscope.
The history of the Hope diamond begins in the 1600s, when the stone was purchased in India by a French merchant, Jean Baptiste Tavernier. At the time, the stone was roughly diamond-shaped, was 112 2/16 carats, and was likely found at the Kollur mine in Goldonda, India. Tavernier described the diamond as a brilliant purple and sold it along with several other diamonds to Louis XIV in 1668. In 1673, Sieur Pitau reduced the stone to 67 carats and it came to be called the “blue diamond of the crown”. or simply the “French Blue”. It remained part of the royal estate and in 1749 was reinstated for Louis XV. In 1792, the diamond was stolen, along with many other court jewels, during the French Revolution, and disappeared underground for twenty years.
The next record of the Hope Diamond occurs in 1812 when a large blue diamond surfaced in England and several jewelers suspected it to be the famed French blue. The diamond changed hands several times before appearing again in the personal catalog of Henry Philip Hope, the Hope Diamond’s namesake. No indication of the stone’s origin has been made, and it changed hands, sometimes acrimoniously, several times before being sold to Cartier, Paris.
In 1910, Cartier showed the Hope diamond to a wealthy young customer, Evalyn Walsh McLean, who initially disliked the diamond due to its setting. Cartier reverted it to a headpiece, which was later made into the necklace currently on display at the Smithsonian. The Hope Diamond became intimately associated with Walsh, who wore it frequently, along with a large collection of other gemstones, until his death in 1947. His diamond collection was purchased in 1949 by Harry Winston, who showcased the ‘Hope Diamond for 10 years before donating it to the Smithsonian, where it remains today.
The Hope Diamond has several interesting properties which were revealed upon closer inspection after the stone was acquired. The stone actually has a reddish cast under certain light, although this color is not visible to the naked eye. It is possible that when Tavernier first acquired it, the purple color was more evident and subsequent cutting and re-cutting of the stone changed its nature. The stone also exhibits delayed flowering. Like other diamonds, it will glow dimly under ultraviolet light. When the light is removed, however, the Hope Diamond flashes a deep red color before fading. It is also believed to be cursed, due to its complex and sometimes infamous history.
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