Diamonds are considered one of the most expensive gems. But famous stones are the Orlov diamond, the huge Cullinans, the lost Great Mogul, the Regent, one of the bloodiest stones, the Kohinoor, the Hope diamond blue color and others - represent not only material value. Each of them is a whole story, sometimes quite tragic.

Most of the legends associated with the most famous diamonds in the world talk about the influence that the stones have on the owner.

Largest known diamond

110 years ago, on the territory of modern South Africa, a diamond was found, which is considered to be the largest in the world today. Its weight was more than 620 g, or 3106 carats. As it turned out, it was only a fragment of a huge crystal, which they could not find in the quarry. The price of the find was so high that there were no people willing to buy the diamond. Only 2 years later the stone was acquired by the rulers of the Transvaal Republic and presented to Edward VII after the end of the Boer War. They paid 150 thousand pounds for it. Today, the price of a rough diamond would correspond to the price of 94 tons of gold.

It took the Dutch jeweler Joseph Asskor 4 years to turn this gift, which the King of England casually called a piece of glass, into the famous diamonds - two large and several medium ones, which are called Cullinans.

Another 96 small stones of amazing purity were made from the fragments. The largest Cullinan-I with a pear-shaped cut became the top of the scepter of English monarchs and is known as the “Star of Africa”, Cullinan-II adorns the British crown, smaller diamonds are called “Small Stars of Africa”.

The total weight of the cut diamonds is just over a thousand carats, and the loss during cutting was almost 66%.

Beautiful Kohinoor

The famous Kohinoor Diamond has a very rich history that dates back to 56 BC. An ancient Indian legend tells of a little boy who was found on the banks of the Yamuna River. A large diamond shone in the child’s forehead - the same Kohinoor. A young elephant driver who discovered the child brought him to the rulers of the ancient state. This boy turned out to be the son of the Sun God - Karna. According to legend, the weight of the diamond at that time was 600 carats. They decorated the statue of the divine Shiva, placing it in the place of the third eye that brings enlightenment.

Documentary mention of the stone dates back to 1304, when its owner was the Raja of Maltan. What happened to Kohinoor in the next 200 years is unknown, but in 1526 it already belonged to the Great Mughals, who remained its owners into the 2nd century. In 1739, Delhi was sacked by the Persians, and their ruler Nadir Shah really wanted to get his hands on the priceless stone. It was not found in the treasury of the defeated city: the Raja, in order to save the diamond, hid it in his turban. But Nadir Shah turned out to be no less smart and demanded that the defeated ruler exchange turbans according to the then existing custom and thus got what he wanted.

Before 1849, the Kohinoor fell into the hands of different people, and after the capture of Lahore by British troops, it ended up with the British. During the celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the East India Company, the diamond was presented to Queen Victoria. Two years later it was shown for the first time during the World's Fair. But the diamond did not produce the expected sensation - the ancient Indian cut did not allow it to reveal itself in all its glory. It was decided to commission the jeweler Voorzanger from Amsterdam to re-cut the stone. Thanks to her, he gained fame as one of the most beautiful in the world, even though the diamond lost weight from 186 to 109 carats.

Orlov and Black Orlov

In 1775, Grigory Orlov, who was in love with the Russian Tsarina, presented Catherine II with an amazingly beautiful bluish-green diamond. Little is known about the history of the Orlov diamond. The diamond, whose original weight was about 400 carats, was found in the late 17th century in India.

According to one version, this is the missing jewel of the Great Mogul, and according to another, it is a diamond, possibly stolen by a simple British soldier from a temple in Seringapatam. Orlov bought it while in Amsterdam from Ivan Lazorev, a Russian jeweler. The stone became the central part of the imperial scepter and is today in the treasury of the Diamond Fund of Russia.

The origin story of the Orlov black diamond remains a mystery. It has a stepped square cut that is relatively new, so stories about its Indian origin are unlikely. There is also no documentary evidence that a large dark gray diamond existed in India. The diamond's dark past has given rise to many rumors and contributed to the stone's bad reputation: many consider it cursed. However, this did not prevent the Orlov diamond from becoming a stunning decoration of a platinum necklace made by the American jeweler Winston and last sold for a huge sum at Sotheby’s in New York.

Recently found stones

Not all famous diamonds have a centuries-old history. For example, almost 30 years ago, a golden-brown diamond weighing more than 755 carats was discovered in a mine in South Africa. For a long time That’s what they called him – Brown. The stone was cut by the talented Gabi Tolkowski. At the end of the last century, the gem was purchased as a gift to King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand on the 50th anniversary of his reign.

One of the rare golden yellow diamonds was found in the Congo in the 80s. last century. The rough diamond weighed more than 890 carats, and processing turned it into a 407-carat diamond, rightfully deserving of its name “Incomparable.” It is considered the third largest of all cut diamonds. Currently, the Incomparable is on public display at the Royal Canadian Museum in Ontario; anyone can see the rare beauty of the stone.

The Centenary Diamond was discovered in South Africa in 1986. Of the original weight of the crystal of 599 carats, a little less than half remained after cutting by Gabi Tolkowsky. However, the result was worth it. Not a single photograph can convey its ideal purity, the dazzling radiance of immaculately polished edges. Insured for £100 million, the stone is kept in the Tower as part of the British monarchs' jewels.

The most expensive diamonds

Most unique diamonds are not for sale. They belong to monarchs or are kept in museums and treasuries of different states. Their cost is truly enormous. But small, but rare stones often put up for sale.

Among the most expensive diamonds The largest red color can be considered Moussaieff Red. This color is very rare; this diamond weighs only a little more than 5 carats, but it is estimated at $7 million. The stone was found by a simple farmer from Alto Paranaiba, a town in Brazil whose mines are famous for discovering multi-colored diamonds.

A stunningly beautiful dark blue diamond was found at the Premier Diamond mine in South Africa. Thanks to its original cut, it earned the romantic name “Heart of Eternity.” The cost of the 27.6-carat gem, according to experts, was $16 million. In the same region, a diamond was discovered that, after processing, turned into a beautiful 60-carat pink diamond, called Steinmetz Pink. The current owner bought the stone at auction, paying $25 million.

The Wittelsbach Diamond once graced the crown of Bavarian rulers. The 35.5-carat blue diamond remained the property of the monarchs until World War I, and was sold several times after that. The last time it changed hands was in 2008. Its acquisition cost the new owner $24.3 million.

The most beautiful stones that have inspired people to exploits and crimes since ancient times are diamonds. More precisely, their processed versions are diamonds. These jewels are rarely found in nature. Large specimens are so rare that humanity keeps their stories in its memory. We invite you to familiarize yourself with the top 5 most famous gems.

The Cullinan Diamond

This treasure was found on January 25, 1905 in the Transvaal province of South Africa. Its weight was 3106ct or 621.2 g. The crystal was distinguished by the complete absence of defects, cracks and mineral inclusions. The most striking thing is that it was part of another, larger sample, which, unfortunately, could not be found.

The South African miracle received its name in honor of Sir Thomas Cullinan, who owned the mine. The cost of the stone was so high that there were no buyers for it for several years. By today's standards, this unprocessed specimen would cost 94 tons of gold!

The first owner of this treasure was the British King Edward VII. However, the capricious monarch did not appreciate the scale of this natural miracle, calling it “a piece of glass.” He ordered the jewelers to make several smaller ones from it. After some time, the Cullinan turned into 2 large, 7 medium and 96 small diamonds of perfect clarity.

The largest of the stones is called the "Star of Africa" ​​or "Cullinan I" and adorns the top of the scepter of British monarchs. It has a pear-shaped cut and a size of 530.2ct, which allows this gift of nature to hold the world championship.

The Koh-i-Noor Diamond

The name of this multifaceted ideal is translated as “Mountain of Light.” In its uncut state it weighed over 800ct. South India is considered its homeland. The owner of this treasure was the founder of the Mughal dynasty himself.

The diamond occupied a central place on the ceremonial Peacock Throne of ruler Shah Jahan. This Indian prince became famous for building the luxurious Taj Mahal mausoleum for his beloved. IN different time The “Mountain of Light” was owned by: the Persian Shah Nadir, the founder of the Afghan royal Durrani dynasty, the Indian Raja Ranjit Singh and his descendants.

The “Mountain of Light” was presented as a gift to Queen Victoria, and after her death it took pride of place in the royal crown. In 1852 they decided to recut it. As a result of this procedure, the crystal lost 40% of its mass (from 191 to 108.9ct). In addition, it has become less interesting historically, having lost its original form.

Star of Yakutia Diamond

This crystal was found in 1973. Its mass is 232ct. Interestingly, in the English De Beers catalog it is listed under the name “50 Years of Aeroflot”. This name was given initially. However, the then Chairman of the Council of Ministers, Alexey Kosygin, insisted that he receive a more sonorous name.

Today, the “Star of Yakutia” is kept in the Kremlin’s Diamond Fund. Unlike other famous gems, this one cannot be cut. Therefore, everyone has the opportunity to admire the pristine “star” beauty.

Orlov (The Orlov Diamond)

"Orlov" was the pride of the Romanov dynasty. Its size is 189.62ct. The cut diamond crowns the scepter of the imperial house and has a rather mysterious past.

According to one version, he was kidnapped in 1747 from the throne of the Persian Shah Nadir. Another version claims that the jewel was found in the jungle on the ruins of an ancient Indian temple. This was the third eye of the statue of the god Brahma.

The diamond was brought to Russia by the Armenian merchant Lazarev in 1768. He sold it to Count Grigory Orlov for 400 thousand rubles. The imperial favorite presented the jewel to Catherine II. This is truly a gift worthy of a great woman!

The Pitt or Regent Diamond

It is believed that this crystal was found in 1701 in India, on the banks of the Kistina River. The uncut weight was 410ct. Legend has it that a slave who found the stone hid it in his wound. After that, he secretly made his way onto a ship bound for England and offered the captain half the price from the sale of the diamond. However, the cruel sea wolf decided otherwise: he threw the slave overboard and appropriated the booty for himself. The jewel was purchased by William Pitt, the commandant of Fort St. George in Madras. In honor of him, the stone received its second name. The new owner cut it and sold it to the French monarch. So the diamond passed to the regent of France, Philip II of Orleans. After that, it was owned by all the royals who occupied the throne.

During the French Revolution, all royal treasures were stolen. However, a year later government agents found and returned the jewelry. Napoleon decided to decorate his sword with “Regent” for the imperial coronation. Today this stone is on public display in the Louvre.

We have presented to you only the tip of the iceberg of famous jewelry. All large gemstones could tell exciting stories, filled with admiration and incredible adventures of their owners.

Which one do you like? Choose!

"Cullinan" (or "Star of Africa") is the largest diamond in the world. Its weight was 3106.75 carats (621.35 grams), dimensions 100x65x50 mm. The diamond was found by accident on January 25, 1905 in South Africa in the Premier Mine and, apparently, was a fragment of a very large crystal, which was never found. On November 9, 1907, the government of the Transvaal Colony presented the Cullinan Diamond to the English King Edward VII on his birthday. The king entrusted its cutting to the famous Dutch company I.J Asscher diamond company. Several months were spent studying the huge diamond, and in 1908 it was split into several large pieces, from which 9 large and 96 small pure blue-white diamonds were eventually made; one part of 69.5 carats was left unprocessed. The total mass of diamonds produced was 1,063.65 carats.

The best cutter in Europe, Joseph Asscher, founder of the I.J Asscher diamond company, worked on cutting the largest diamond. He knew how, as the grinders say, to “open” the stone. To do this, it was necessary to find a point on the surface of the diamond, after grinding it, you can look inside the diamond and determine the direction of one single blow, which allows you to dismember the stone along existing cracks and get rid of foreign inclusions in it. The largest diamond, the Cullinan, had cracks, so it could not be made into one giant diamond. Josef Ascher studied the unique diamond for several months before making a barely noticeable scratch on it. After this, in the presence of several famous jewelers, in the midst of solemn silence, Asher put a chisel to a scratch on the diamond, hit it with a hammer and lost consciousness. But the calculation turned out to be correct. Having regained consciousness, Asher repeated this operation several more times on the fragments of the Cullinan diamond that had arisen from the first blow.

"Cullinan-I" or "Big Star of Africa" ​​- 530.2 carats. Transparent, colorless. Has 74 edges. Drop-shaped (pandelok). Decorates the scepter of the English King Edward VII. Kept in the Tower, London. If "Cullinan I" were removed from the scepter, it could be worn as a brooch.

“Cullinan II” or “Second Star of Africa” - (317.4 carats), located in the crown of the British Empire under the “Black Prince” ruby. Kept in the Tower, London. It can also be used as a brooch along with the Cullinan I.

Our Light is a clear, colorless, gem-quality diamond discovered by the Canadian mining company Lucara Diamond Corporation at the Karowe mine in north-central Botswana. The mass of the found diamond is 1109 carats (221.8 g). Diamond dimensions - 65×56×40 mm. The diamond was discovered on November 16, 2015. The diamond found is the second largest in history. The stone received its name based on the results of a national competition. Translated from the Tswana language it means “Our light. The diamond was put up for sale at Sotheby's on June 29, 2016, but it failed to sell. The maximum proposed amount, $61 million, was less than the minimum expected ($70 million).

Excelsior is a diamond found on June 30, 1893 at the Jachersfontein mine, in what is now South Africa. It weighed 971 ¾ carats (194.2 grams) and was the largest diamond found until it was surpassed by the Cullinan, found in 1905. "Excelsior" had excellent qualities and had a bluish-white tint. The stone was cut by the Amsterdam company I.J Asscher diamond company (now Royal Asscher Diamond Company) in 1904, resulting in 21 stones, the largest of which weighed 70 carats. The stones were later sold individually. The weight of all cut stones equal to 373.75 metric carats; the loss in mass was 62.44%.

"CONSTELLATION" is an 813-carat diamond discovered by the Canadian company Lucara Diamond Corporation in Botswana. The company announced the discovery on November 19, 2015. Lucara sold the Constellation diamond for $63 million, a record amount ever paid for a rough diamond.

The Great Mogul is the largest diamond found in India. Discovered in 1650 in the Golconda diamond mines and originally weighed 787 carats. Its cutting was entrusted to the Venetian Hortensio Borghis. According to Tavernier, the 279-carat diamond made by Borgis was shaped like a rose, with a tiny spot visible on the inside and another flaw underneath. After the assassination of Nadir Shah in 1747, traces of the diamond are lost. It is possible that the later famous “Kokhinur” or “Orlov” stones were obtained from it.

The Woye River is the ninth largest diamond in the world (after the Cullinan, the Our Light diamond weighing 1,111 carats, found in 2015, the Excelsior, the Star of Sierra Leone, the Great Mogul, etc.) . This gem is also called the “Victory Diamond” because it was found in West Africa in 1945, the year of the victory over Nazi Germany. The original weight of the Woye River diamond is 770 carats. The diamond was split into 30 diamonds, the largest of which weighed 31.35 carats.

Lesotho's Promise is a clear, colorless, gem-quality diamond discovered on August 22, 2006 at the Letseng mine, located in the northern part of the Kingdom of Lesotho. The mass of the newly found diamond was 603 carats (121 g). At the time of discovery, it was the largest diamond found in the 21st century. Gem Diamonds sold the find at an auction held on October 9, 2006 in Antwerp, Belgium, for US$12.4 million. The buyer was the South African division of Graff Diamonds. The diamond was divided into 26 parts various sizes, which were then cut. The weight of the largest diamond obtained was 75 carats (15.0 g), and the smallest was 0.55 carats (110 mg). The total weight of the resulting diamonds is 224 carats (44.8 g).

“Orlov” is the largest and most famous of the seven historical precious stones of the Diamond Fund, which has adorned the Imperial scepter of Catherine the Great since 1784. Diamond was found in India at the end of the 17th century - early XVIII century. According to the information received, the diamond “lost weight” during cutting. This white diamond with a faint greenish tint was originally estimated at 400 carats, but after being cut into a diamond, its weight was greatly reduced and is estimated at 189.62 carats. This is one of the few diamonds that retains its original Indian cut. Like other 18th-century jewels, the Orlov's early history is associated with an Indian temple. The most popular legend is that around 1750 he was taken to Madras from a temple in Seringapatam by a British soldier posing as a Hindu. It is more likely that the “Orlov” was obtained by recutting the “Great Mogul” diamond described by Tavernier, most likely taken by Nadir Shah to Persia in 1739. The stone was purchased in Amsterdam from a Persian merchant for 400 thousand florins by the court jeweler Ivan Lazarev (according to some reports, he was married to the seller’s niece). Then it was bought from Lazarev by Count G. G. Orlov and in 1773 he presented it to Catherine II on her name day instead of a bouquet of flowers in the vain hope of returning her lost favor. The news of this gift spread throughout Europe, since none of the European monarchs had a diamond of this size.

“XXVI Congress” (332 ct) - found in Yakutia in 1980, stored in the Diamond Fund of the Moscow Kremlin.

The Shah Diamond is a diamond of Indian origin weighing 88.7 carats, which is stored in the Diamond Fund in Moscow. One of the greatest treasures of the Persian Shahs. It was given, among other gifts, to the Russian Emperor Nicholas I by the ruler of Persia, Feth Ali Shah, after the mass murder of Russian embassy employees, including the ambassador, the famous writer A. S. Griboedov, took place in Tehran in January 1829. An immaculately transparent, light yellowish-brown stone. The deep groove on it indicates that it was worn as a talisman. It is believed that the stone was found in the Golconda mines in the 16th century, before they were abandoned. According to Tavernier’s description, in 1665, “the diamond was suspended from the throne of the Great Mughals and hung so that the one sitting on the throne could constantly see it in front of him.” The diamond clearly shows three engraved names of its owners and the corresponding dates in the Muslim calendar, based on lunar year(dates in the usual chronology are given in brackets): Nizam Shah, 1000 (1591); Shah Jahan, 1051 (1641); Feth Ali Shah, 1242 (1826).

There are dozens of famous diamonds in the world, many of which have various dramatic stories associated with them. It is worth noting that the stories of the most ancient Indian diamonds have acquired various legends, so they are quite contradictory and change in detail from one source to another. From our article you will learn about the five most famous diamonds in the world.

Cullinan - the largest diamond in the world

This diamond was awarded first place in our review not because of its ancient history, but because of the record value. The largest diamond in the world was found on January 26, 1905 in South Africa at the mine of the Premier Mining Company, part of De Beers. As the shift came to an end, one of the workers noticed a large dull stone in the wall of the face, which he removed from the rock with a knife. He brought the stone to the office, the manager irritably turned it over in his hands and exclaimed, “This cobblestone cannot be a diamond!” threw the find out the window. Of course, later this stone was picked up and truly appreciated. The unique diamond weighed 3106 carats (621.2 grams!) and was the largest diamond found on earth by that time. The diamond was named "Cullinan" in honor of the company's director, Thomas Cullinan.

Diamond Cullinan

By the way, according to another version, no one threw the diamond out the window, and it was found not by a worker, but by Frederick Wells, manager of the Premier diamond mine, who received a bonus of 10 thousand dollars for his unique find. The diamond was purchased for just $800,000 for the 66th birthday of King Edward VII of England. It is worth noting that this transaction took place shortly after the Boer War, which may have significantly affected the value of the unique diamond. The stone was sent to the Asscher Brothers company, whose specialists studied the stone for two years and only after that began processing it. The Cullinan was cut into 9 large and 96 smaller diamonds. The most famous of them are “Cullinan-1” (“Great Star of Africa” diamond) and “Cullinan-2” (“Small Star of Africa”).

The first, after cutting, weighed 530 carats, acquired a pear-shaped shape and became an adornment of the scepter of King Edward VII, kept in the treasury of the Tower of London. "Cullinan-2" weighing 317 carats was inserted into the crown of the Queen of Great Britain. It is worth noting that the second largest diamond in the world, the Excelsior, weighing 993 carats, was also found in South Africa.

“Kohinoor” – mountain of light

Kohinoor is one of the most famous Indian diamonds. An ancient Eastern proverb says: “Whoever owns the Kohinoor owns the whole world.” The diamond was found in the mines of Golconda, the first mention of it dates back to 1304. Originally the diamond had round shape and weighed 186 carats. At first, the owners of the stone were rajas from the Malva clan. Then the stone ended up in the hands of the rulers of the Mughal Empire, who treated this relic very carefully, considering it a guarantee of the inviolability of their power. At the beginning of the 17th century, during the reign of Shah Jehan, a diamond was inserted into the eye of a peacock that adorned the Peacock Throne in the palace in Delhi.

In 1739, the ruler of Persia, Nadir Shah, invaded India with his army, he captured Delhi and began looking for a magnificent diamond, about which he had heard a lot before. He was informed that Mohammed Shah, the defeated ruler of the Mughal dynasty, had hidden the diamond in his turban. Then Nadir invited Mohammed to a feast, where, as a sign of reconciliation, he offered to exchange turbans. This was an ancient Asian custom, and Mohammed had no choice but to part with his turban.

Kohinoor – Indian Diamond

Nadir quickly left the feast and began feverishly unwinding his turban in his chambers; when the sparkling stone fell to the floor, he enthusiastically exclaimed: “Kohinoor!”, translated this meant “mountain of light.” In addition to the Kohinoor, Nadir Shah had two more valuable diamonds - the Derianur (“sea of ​​light”) weighing 200 carats and the Shah weighing 90 carats. The ruler loved to sort through his treasures and admire the play of light on the faces of diamonds. It was a huge blow for Nadir Shah when Derianur was stolen from him. He was so afraid of losing the Kohinoor that he went crazy and was killed by his own guards in 1747.

Diamond continued his wanderings around the world. There is evidence that before it found a permanent home in Great Britain, the diamond changed 18 owners, who were either killed or died in battle; those who survived died in extreme poverty. In 1850, the Kohinoor was presented to Queen Victoria. Since before this it had brought misfortune to only one man, it was believed that the diamond would be safe for a woman. Queen Victoria took the history of this seriously beautiful stone and in her will she wrote that if a male monarch inherited the diamond, only the queen would wear it. The diamond was recut and its weight was reduced to 108.93 carats. Since then, Kohinoor has only adorned the crowns of English queens.

Diamond “Shah”

The Shah Diamond is believed to have been found in 1450 in Central India. This is a very transparent yellow diamond, 3 centimeters long and weighing 90 carats. In 1591, one of its owners, Shah Nizam, ordered the inscription to be carved on one of the faces of the diamond: “Burkhan Nizam Shah the second, year 1000.”

In the same year, as a result of the war, the diamond passed to the Great Mogul Akbar, who calmly reacted to the inscription on the diamond, but his grandson Jehan Shah, when he ascended the throne, decided to immortalize his name on the diamond. So on the other side of the diamond a second inscription appeared: “Son of Dehangir Shah Jehan Shah. 1051."

Almaz Shah

It is worth noting that according to European chronology the year was 1641. For almost another hundred years, the diamond was in the hands of the Great Mughal dynasty, but in 1738, the Persian ruler Nadir Shah captured Delhi, and the Shah diamond also became his prey. In 1824, a third inscription appeared on the stone: “Lord of Qajar Fath Ali Shah Sultan. 1242." When the Russian diplomat and writer A. S. Griboyedov was killed in Tehran, the famous diamond was presented to the Russian emperor as a sign of reconciliation. Now the Shah diamond is kept in the Diamond Fund of Russia.

“Orlov” – a gift to the Empress

“Orlov” is a 200-carat diamond with a greenish-blue tint. It comes from the famous Golconda mines in India, where it was found at the beginning of the 16th century. Initially, it was cut in the form of a “tall rose” weighing 300 carats, but Jehan Shah, already mentioned above, did not like the cut of the stone, and he ordered the stone to be processed again. As a result of the new cut, the diamond lost another 100 carats and acquired its modern shape. When the diamond fell into the hands of Nadir Shah, he named it “Derianur” (“sea of ​​light”).

The beautiful diamond was stolen from the Shah, and ultimately it ended up in Amsterdam, where in 1773 it was offered to be bought by the Russian Count Grigory Orlov. By that time, the count's position at court had wavered significantly, so he decided to buy a diamond and give it to Catherine II, in the hope of regaining her favor. Orlov purchased the diamond for a huge sum of 400 thousand rubles at that time and presented it to the empress.

Diamond Orlov

By order of Catherine II, the diamond was placed in a worthy frame and strengthened in the upper part of the Russian sovereign scepter. This expensive gift did not bring any special “dividends” to Orlov, however, there is information that he did not buy any diamond at all... It was bought by Catherine herself, and in order to deflect accusations of wasting the state treasury on a beautiful “trifle”, she started a rumor about a rich gift . Where is the truth and where is the lie? Try to figure it out... What distinguishes famous diamonds is the abundance of the most contradictory facts in their “biographies”. One undoubted fact is that the diamond is the property of Russia.

Cursed Diamond “Hope”

The famous Hope Diamond is perhaps one of the most beautiful and dangerous diamonds in the world. Although it weighs only 45.5 carats, the diamond is now valued at $200 million due to its rare deep sapphire blue color and remarkable clarity.

According to existing legend, this diamond once adorned a statue of a deity in one of the Indian temples. Although there was a threatening warning on the wall of the temple that the thief himself and all subsequent owners of the jewelry would be severely punished for stealing the stone, the diamond was still stolen. The thief was torn to pieces by a pack of rabid dogs, and the diamond began its bloody journey around the world.

When it was brought to Europe, Louis XIV purchased the diamond and decorated his crown with it. During the revolution of 1792, the diamond disappeared from the treasury of the French kings; for some period nothing was heard about it; only in 1830 did it reappear on the precious stones market. The stone was purchased at auction by the English banker Henry Thomas Hope. Although thanks to this purchase the banker essentially immortalized his name - the diamond began to be called the “Hope Diamond” or simply “Hope” - the fatal jewel did not bring him happiness. The banker's son was poisoned, and his grandson was completely ruined.

Diamond Hope

The diamond goes to our compatriot Prince Katinovsky, who, with truly Russian generosity, gives it to his beloved actress, but after that... kills her. The prince himself does not have long to live - he becomes a victim of the anarchists.

This is how Vladimir Mezentsev described the further adventures of the fatal stone in the book “The Stone Tale”: “Having passed through the hands of resellers, the fatal diamond ended up in Spain. Its new owner, a wealthy Spaniard, decided to travel to India in the fall of 1909. And what? The ship sank off the coast of Singapore. But the stone, as they say, surfaced here too. Pearl seekers examined the sunken ship and found a diamond. It was bought by the American millionaire McLean. The inexorable did not spare the American either. When he was walking with his son on the street, the boy was hit by a car. The father blamed his wife for the death of his son, who did not care about the child, and divorced her.

The Indian gods punished the next owner, the Frenchman Hauteville, even more cruelly: a few months later his wife was hit by a car on the street, one son was poisoned by mistakenly taking another medicine, and the second suddenly went blind.”

Then the diamond was acquired by the rich eccentric Evelyn Walsh McLean. She did not believe in any curse, but the stone did everything to dissuade her of this. Her little son was run over by a car, her daughter died from an accidental drug overdose, her brother died suddenly very young, and her husband ended up in a psychiatric hospital. They said that she nevertheless took the diamond to the church to remove the curse from it, but this did not help. Still, Evelyn Walsh McLean did not part with the diamond until she was sent to a psychiatric hospital.

In 1947, she bequeathed the Hope Diamond to her six granddaughters. The sinister glory of the stone was already so well known that the granddaughters were not even allowed to touch it. But 25-year-old Miss Evelyn McLean, granddaughter of the deceased, co-owner of the Hope Diamond, seems to have become a victim after all (maybe the curse fell on her because she was named after her eccentric grandmother?): She was found dead, lying fully clothed on his bed without any signs of violence in a house locked from the inside...

The last owner of the diamond, who bought it from the heiresses, eventually gave it to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, where it remains to this day.

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