The legend of the curse of the hope diamond began in india where a man named tavernier supposedly stole a large blue diamond from the forehead of the hindu idol sita. Mystery of the hope diamond curse malayalam the curse. In 1911, the diamond was purchased by evalyn walsh mclean, a young washington socialite heiress who bought. With anna chancellor, darren easton, polly frame, joseph gregory. Arts and entertainment network filmroos inc traces the history of the hope diamond, a 45carat blue gem, the worlds largest and most valuable. The are several other diamonds with stories of curses such as the. A group of thieves broke into the royal storehouse and took many treasured items, including the hope diamond. The hope diamond, its curse, and the french geri walton. Allegedly, there was one last victim of the diamond s curse a postman named james todd.
The curse of the hope diamond the history of the hope diamond. How many people died from the hope diamond curse answers. French monarchs, an heiress, and at least one unlucky postman have met misfortune after possessing itthough does that really constitute a curse. The story goes that the curse began with the tavernier blue, which was the precursor to several large diamonds, including the hope diamond. The hope diamond dates back to 1642, it is a diamond noted for its. The hope diamond has left the smithsonian only four times since it was donated. According to the legend, a curse attends the owner of the hope diamond, a curse that first befell the large, blue gem when it was plucked i. The curse of the hope diamond scientific experts try to uncover the secrets of the hope diamond, a 45carat, deepblue gemstone that has been housed in the smithsonian national museum of natural history in washington, dc, for the past 50 years. Overview of legendary curse of the hope diamond, the, 1975, directed by delbert mann, with jim boles, claudine longet, martha scott, at turner classic movies. Hope diamond delivered by mail when new york jeweler harry winston donated the famous hope diamond all 45. Tavernier sold the diamond to king louis xiv of france in 1668 with 14 other large diamonds and several smaller ones. The hope diamond curse story is in some ways a morality fable about the cardinal sin of greed. The curse of the hope diamond hope diamond department of.
In 1965 the hope diamond traveled to south africa where it was exhibited at the rand easter show in johannesburg. The hope diamond is a lustrous blue gem weighing 45. The curse of the hope diamond is older than you think. With the hope of creating a national jewel collection, harry winston donated the hope diamond to the smithsonian institution. The legacy of the worlds most famous gem, the hope diamond. The sinister story of the hope diamond curse mysterious. I loved pizza, but i am so full from the popcorn that i am hardly able to finish one slice. The hope diamond was finally sold, at a bargain price, to other diamond dealers, coming to the cartier brothers in paris. Edition discs price new from used from dvd feb 28, 2006 please retry.
Let us find out by learning 20 interesting hope diamond curse facts. Thirteen people who fell victim to the hope diamond curse. If the smithsonian was the national museum of the united states and it acquired the hope diamond, would the american people then be. Legend has it that the diamond once lay in the statue of the goddess sita, wife of rama, the 7th avatar of vishnu, serving as her eye. The hope diamond, a huge bluish diamond, now belonging to the smithsonian in one example of a gemstone with a legend of a curse. The hope diamond, one of the most famous jewels in the world, has a history dating back almost four centuries. Hope died in 1839 another victim of the curse, and the diamond was inherited by his nephew, henry thomas hope. He was then torn to pieces by wild dogs on a trip to russia just after selling the diamond off. It is believed that the hope diamond was initially embedded in the head of a statue of a hindu goddess. With jim boles, elaine bolton, christopher cary, robert clary. The curse of the famous hope diamond legends of america.
The hope diamond has intrigued the world for centuries. Take this with a grain of salt, because its never been proved. The hope diamond the curious collections of barnabas dire. When new york jeweler harry winston donated the famous hope diamond all 45. The diamond has been surrounded by a mythology of a reputed curse to the effect that it brings misfortune and tragedy to persons who own it or wear it, but there are strong indications that such stories were fabricated to enhance the stones mystery and appeal, since. The curse of the famous hope diamond page 3 legends of. Steals the diamond from the breast of a pagan goddess. The original thief, according to legend, died a slow and painful death, while the later owners. As well known as the diamond is, the curse that follows it through history may be even more famous and has inspired countless books. Jeanbaptiste tavernier, returned to france with a haul of diamonds, including a massive, magnificent blue gem. Several controversies exist among scholars and researchers around the world regarding the authenticity and logistics behind the so called curse, but the well documented history and biography of the diamond suggests that theres more to the blue diamond than what meets the eye. The hope diamond s bloody history begins many, many centuries ago. In 1962 it was exhibited for a month at the louvre in paris, france, as part of an exhibit entitled ten centuries of french jewelry.
Resources the curse of the hope diamond smithsonian. History of the hope diamond smithsonian institution. Numerous eastern superstitions are linked to large diamonds, most of them highlight bad luck attributed to their owners. Curse of the hope diamond marie antoinettes dazzling. History and curse of the hope diamond youtube they say.
Its a pretty fascinating little baubleparticularly if youre. The story of a curse is a recent part of the diamonds history, apparently. The sinister past and dark curse of the hope diamond. The hope diamond has long been rumored to carry a curse, possibly due to agents trying to arouse interest in the stone. However, the present weight of the hope diamond is 45. Over the years, the hope diamond was passed on, until in 1901 it was sold by lord francis hope, to pay off his gambling debts. According to the legend associated with it, it originally began its life in india within the forehead of a hindu idol, from which it was plucked by a thief. Explores the legend that the diamond is a piece of a larger stone stolen from the eye of a hindu. Little bigger than a walnut, the dazzling hope diamond is one of the worlds most famous precious gems.
It is blue to the naked eye because of trace amounts of boron within. Frankels and francis hope both died in poverty, and some believe that this was because of the hope diamond curse. The hope diamond was finally bought by jeweler harry winston. The legendary curse of the hope diamond tv movie 1975 imdb. The curse of the methuselah tree nature history documentary timeline duration.
All throughout history, the ones who owned it had a brutal end. The curse of the hope diamond by janet hubbardbrown. The curse of the hope diamond hope diamond department. Over the next 350 years, the diamond travelled the globe in the hands of kings, bankers, and thieves. With a history that spans well over three centuries, the hope diamond has had many owners and settings including a theft, a stint in the french crown jewels, two recuttings, an english king, a wealthy american socialite, and plenty. Legendary curse of the hope diamond, the 1975 overview. Pieces of her elaborate tale were picked up by newspapers, helping establish the curse of the hope diamond as a popular modern legend. The owners immediately prior to evalyn met such unhappy endings that the blue jewel shone with blame. Kimberlite is a type of ingenious rock that is sometimes embedded with. Traces the history of the supposedly cursed diamond from ind. In addition to sensationalizing other accounts of misfortune, she claimed the hope diamond was the cause of her failed marriage and the loss of the hope family fortune. The hope diamond is thought to carry a curse from louis. The hope diamond is one of the most famous jewels in the world, with ownership records. The curse of the diamond lingered in the royal household, now under control of the government, until the moment it became vulnerable again.
In november 1958, winston donated the hope diamond to the smithsonian institution to help establish a national jewel collection. The hope diamond has origins that are rather shrouded in mystery. Ever since, many of its rich owners have fallen foul of its alleged curse. A painting of the diamond by the mineralogist james sowerby has been. Alleged effect of the hope diamond s curse as reported in newspapers of 1911 andor in maye yohes 1929 fanciful book the mystery of the hope diamond many if not most of these events are. This diamond, described in the 1900s as a good sized horse chestnut,1 but shaped like a pear, was supposedly discovered in india in the seventeenth century. Indeed, the blue hope diamond was a believed to be cursed. Ancient mysteries curse of the hope diamond format. It is now housed in the national gem and mineral collection at the national museum of natural history in washington, d. The most commonly accepted origin of the curse dates back to 1653, when a french merchant named jean baptiste tavernier obtained the original 115carat blue diamond in india. The hope diamond is one of the most iconic items in the smithsonians collections, but this glittering gem is rumored to have a dark side. Janet hubbardbrown traces the history of the supposedly cursed diamond from india and its frequently unlucky owners. The curse of the legendary blue hope diamond on all its owners is dramatized from the gems discovery in 17th century india until its donation to the smithsonian institute.
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