Hope Diamond
The Hope Diamond in the United States National Museum of Natural History
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| Weight | 45.52 carats (9.104 g) |
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| Color | Fancy Dark Grayish Blue (GIA) |
| Cut | Antique cushion |
| Country of origin | India |
| Mine of origin | Kollur mine, Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh, India |
| Discovered | Unknown. Present form first documented in the inventory of jewel merchant Daniel Eliason in 1812 |
| Cut by | Unknown. Recut from the French Blue diamond after 1791; slightly reshaped by Harry Winston between 1949 and 1958 |
| Original owner | Unknown. Numerous owners including: Tavernier Louis XIV Henry Philip Hope |
| Owner | Smithsonian Institution |
| Estimated value | $200–$250 million USD |
The Hope Diamond is one of the most famous jewels in the world, with ownership records dating back almost four centuries. Its much-admired rare blue color is due to trace amounts of boron atoms. Weighing 45.52 carats, its exceptional size has revealed new findings about the formation of gemstones.
The jewel is believed to have originated in India, where the original (larger) stone was purchased in 1666 by French gem merchant Jean-Baptiste Tavernier as the Tavernier Blue. The Tavernier Blue was cut and yielded the French Blue (Le bleu de France), which Tavernier sold to King Louis XIV in 1668. Stolen in 1791, it was recut, with the largest section acquiring its "Hope" name when it appeared in the catalogue of a gem collection owned by a London banking family called Hope in 1839. After going through numerous owners, it was sold to Washington socialite Evalyn Walsh McLean who was often seen wearing it. It was purchased in 1949 by New York gem merchant Harry Winston, who toured it for a number of years before giving it to Washington’s National Museum of Natural History in 1958, where it has since remained on permanent exhibition.
The Hope Diamond has long been rumored to carry a curse, possibly due to agents trying to arouse interest in the stone. It was last reported to be insured for $250 million.
The Hope Diamond, also known as Le Bijou du Roi ("the King's Jewel"), Le bleu de France ("France's Blue"), and the Tavernier Blue, is a large, 45.52-carat (9.104 g),[w] deep-blue diamond, and now housed in the National Gem and Mineral collection at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. It is blue to the naked eye because of trace amounts of boron within its crystal structure, and exhibits a red phosphorescence under exposure to ultraviolet light.
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