The Hope Diamond – Naked

Time is running out to see the Hope Diamond completely bare, exposing its jewels for everyone to view. It has been removed from its setting and displayed, like never before, as a stand-alone gem at The Smithsonian Natural History Museum, in Washing D.C. Draped at the bottom of the case is the setting, made in 1911 by Pierre Cartier, but the diamond itself is a most breathtaking sight to behold.

This 45.52 carat, blue diamond measures 1 inch across (picture from the tip of your index finger to the first knuckle) and is considered a typeIIb diamond. This type is known for conductivity and phosphorescence (think glow-in-the-dark) and as the pedestal rotates the diamond is exposed to short wave ultra violet light. For up to 2 minutes after the light has been turned off, there is a red glow emanating from within the stone. Believe it or not the history of this famous diamond dates back to 1673, when it weighed in at an incredible 112 3/16 carats. It has a tumultuous past to say the least, including being cut two times (at least once to hide its famous identity), stolen from French Royalty, held for ransom, sold to pay gambling debts, and thought to carry a curse.

Most of the Hope Diamond’s history has been proven and there is some good news for all of us. It is now widely believed that the curse was fabricated to entice a reluctant buyer and didn’t, in fact, prove to cause death to the owner or anyone who touched it. (Phew!) Is there still a sister diamond out there somewhere with my name written all over it?