Hope Diamond 蓝钻石

Hope Diamond 蓝钻石

H

ope diamond is the most notorious and famous diamond in the world. The Hope Diamond is also known as "Le bleu de France" or "Le Bijou du Roi" and believe that it come from the Kollur mine in Golconda, India. It is the rarest of stone but its uniqueness and beautiful had attracted people to own it. There is a curse in this blue diamond, it bring the bad luck and death not only for the owner of the diamond but for all who touched it.

 

Start of Legend

Several centuries ago, a man named Jean Babtiste Tavernier (French trader and smuggler) made a trip to India. He stole a large blue diamond from the eye of an Indian idol. After he sold the diamond, he was attacked by wild dogs and torn apart on the trip to Russia. This was the first horrible death attributed to the curse.

 

History

Louis XIV, the Sun King of France purchased the diamond from Tavernier. In 1673, King Louis XIV decided to re-cut the diamond and officially named it the “Blue Diamond of the Crown” or “French Blue”. It was set in gold and suspended on a neck ribbon that the king wore on ceremonial occasions.

The King Louis XIV passed away on 1715. The cause of his death was due to gangrene.

Gangrene (坏疽) is the death of tissue in part of the body. Gangrene happens when a body part loses its blood supply. This may happen from injury, an infection or other causes.

Louis XIV had lent the diamond to his mistress, Madame de Montespan. She wore the diamond and soon thereafter lost favor with the King. As evidence, Madame de Maintenon, who became the second wife of Louis which replaced Madame de Montespan. She compromised in the vast scandal of the poisons and neglected by the King, retired in 1691 to her monastery of Saint-Joseph in Paris. She died in 1707.

After the death of King Louis XIV, his great grandson became the King Louis XVI and his queen, Marie Antoinette inherited the diamond. King Louis failed to impose his will, as his reforms stumbled on the hostility of the nobles. This had contributing to the French Revolution. His and his wife executed in the guillotine (断头台) during the revolution.

Nicolas Fouquet was the Superintendent of Finances in France under King Louis XIV. He also as a guardian of French Crown jewels. He wore the diamond for a festive occasion. In consequences, he was imprisoned and executed by order of the King.

Princess de Lamballe, was a member of Marie Antoinette’s court and was her closest confidante. She was killed by a French mob in a most horrific fashion – apparently hit with a hammer, decapitated, stripped, and disemboweled, among other things. Her head was impaled on a pike and carried to Marie Antoinette’s prison window.

 

Wilhelm Fals was a Dutch jeweler who recut the diamond again. His son, Hendrik Fals ended up murdering him and then committed suicide in 1830.

Francis Beaulieu was a diamond merchant who sold the diamond to King of England, George IV. Francis Beaulieu died in misery and George IV died deep in debt.

Henry Philip Hope was a wealthy London banker owned the diamond and suffered a long series of misfortunes, including the death of his only son.

Lord Francis Hope was a grandnephew of Lord Francis inherited the diamond and suffered scandal, an unhappy marriage and financial ruin.

May Yohe, wife of Francis Thomas Hope claim that to have worn the diamond and authored many of these unsubstantiated tales of woe. She died in poverty.

Simon Frankel was a New York jewelry broker bought the Hope diamond in 1901 and met severe financial difficulties during the Depression.

Jacques Colot went mad and committed suicide.

Price Ivan Kanitovski was murdered by Russian revolutionaries.

Mile. Lorens Ladue borrowed the diamond from her lover, Ivan and was then murdered by him.

Simon Maoncharides was a Greek jewel broker drove his car over a cliff and killed himself, his wife and his child

Habib Bey was a Persian diamond merchant owned the diamond briefly and drowned in the sinking of a French steamer in 1909.

Abdul Hamid II was a Sultan of Turkey paid $400,000for the diamond and lost the Ottoman Empire in an army revolt.

Abu Sabir was a servant of the Sultan polished the diamond for the Sultan and was imprisoned and tortured.

Zubayda was Sultan’s favorite concubine wore the diamond and was later found stabbed to death.

Kulub Bey was a guardian of the Sultan’s diamond was hanged by Turkish mob.

Jehver Agha was an official of the Sultan’s treasury attempted to steal the diamond and was hanged.

Evalyn Walsh McLean purchased the diamond from Pierre Cartier. Her mother-in-law died shortly thereafter; her first-born son died in an auto accident at the age of nine; her husband ran off with another woman, dissipated their fortune, suffered brain atrophy from alcoholism and died in a mental hospital; and her only daughter died of a drug overdose at the age of twenty-five. Evalyn was forced to sell the family newspaper, the Washington Post, and died soon after her daughter's death. Evalyn’s surviving kids sold the diamond to Harry the Smithsonian for $2.44 in postage and $155 in insurance.

James Todd, the mailman who delivered the diamond to the Smithsonian, apparently had his leg crushed in a truck accident shortly thereafter. He also suffered a head injury in a separate accident and lost his home in a fire.

James Todd, the mailman who delivered the diamond to the Smithsonian, apparently had his leg crushed in a truck accident shortly thereafter. He also suffered a head injury in a separate accident. Oh, also, his house burned down.