The Hope Diamond is one of the most famous diamonds in the world and a great example of how to wear a diamond the right way.
This 45-carat diamond has a long, colorful history. It was originally part of a 112-carat piece of a rough diamond called the Tavernier Blue, and it was found in India in the 1600s. We do know that it's been worn by French royalty, as well as being owned by King Louis XIV.
But when King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette were beheaded during the French Revolution, their goods were sold off in an auction… including the Hope Diamond.
It passed through many hands before finally landing with Henry Philip Hope—hence its name—and eventually made its way to America and into the hands of Washington's socialite Evalyn Walsh McLean. Mrs. McLean believed the diamond brought her luck—luck which included her husband dying in a car crash, her son's death from an overdose, and her daughter's suicide—so she bequeathed it to the Smithsonian upon her death.
Now you can visit this incredible piece of history at the Smithsonian Institution!
