The Story behind the Hope Diamond
Hi Girls
Since I seem to have diamonds on the brain this week, ( Ok, ok when don’t I have diamonds on the brain) I decided to find out the story behind the Hope Diamond. Apparently when it was first discovered by Jean Baptiste Tavernier it was a 112 3/16-carat diamond. He described it as having a lovely violet tint.
He then sold the Diamond, along with several others to King Louis XIV of France in 1668. In 1673 it was re-cut by the court jeweler, which brought it down to a 67 1/8-carat stone. The King wore it for royal ceremonies as a necklace. In 1749 the stone was once again reset by the court jeweler, to be used as part of the ceremonial jewelry for the Order of the Golden Fleece (Toison D’Or).
In 1791 the jewels were turned over to the French government. In 1972 it was stolen, during some severe looting. In In 1812 a re-cut version of it appears to have surfaced in London. There are rumors that King George IV of England had purchased it then sold it quietly to relieve some of his debts.
The next owner appears to be Henry Philip Hope. Obviously this re-cut diamond came by its name through him. It was then passed along for two generations, after his death, before being resold to take care of some of his family’s debts.It was then sold to Selim Habib, then C.H. Rosenau, then Pierre Cartier. Cartier then changed the stone’s setting to please the next buyer, Mrs. McLean. It was then mounted as a headpiece along with three layers of white diamonds.
Harry Winston Inc. purchased her entire jewelry collection in 1949. It was finally donated to the Smithsonian in 1958 where it has remained. It has only left the museum four times, since then.
Can you imagine what it must have been like to wear that fabulous diamond? It makes me want to spend the day watching Marilyn belt out Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend, decked out in my own small collection of jewels.
SMILES!
ZOE
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