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"A thing of beauty is a joy forever" - Keats
The legend of the Hope Diamond curse is known worldwide, but gem experts and historians have offered plausible explanations to counter these tales. In fact, one theory states that the "curse" was created by a jeweler attempting to make a sale to a very wealthy but eccentric woman. But we'll get back to that later. The origin of the diamond's curse goes back to 1642, when French merchant Jean Baptiste Tavernier, on a trip to India, bought the 112 carat diamond that had most likely been discovered in the Kollur mine in Golconda, India. At that time the stone was rather triangular and crudely cut, and it was described by Tavernier as having a "beautiful violet" color. Legend, of course, is much more dramatic. It states that the stone's curse was activated when Tavernier stole the diamond from the eye or forehead of a statue of the Hindu goddess Sita. As payback for his crime, Tavernier was ripped to shreds by wild dogs while on a trip to Russia. This was the first death attributed to the diamond's curse. Fortunately for Tavernier, this was not the case. He continued travelling extensively and went back to France in 1668, a full 26 years after buying the diamond. He then sold the diamond (along with numerous other large and small diamonds) to French King Louis XIV. Tavernier eventually died in Russia at age 84. In addition to the records of his purchasing the diamond in India and then selling it to Louis XIV, gem experts and historians agree that the original shape of the diamond was not one commonly used in either the eye or forehead of Indian idols. The diamond's shape was changed by Louis XIV in 1673 when he had it recut to enhance its brilliance. This brought the size of the stone down to 67 1/8 carats, and King Louis gave it the official name of the "Blue Diamond of the Crown". He often wore the diamond on a long ribbon around his neck, yet no legend exists as to any curse besetting the king. The stone was reset in 1749 by Louis XIV, who ordered the crown jeweler to use it in a piece of ceremonial jewelry for the Order of the Golden Fleece. Again, the curse did not surface. But when Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette attempted to flee to France in 1791, the French Royal Treasury jewels became the property of the government, which included the blue diamond. Some blamed the beheadings of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI on the curse, but history states that their fate was due to their extravagances and the French Revolution. The Reign of Terror caused other beheadings, none of which could be blamed on the diamond.
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