The Curse of the Hope Diamond - Ep. 14

The Hope Diamond is one of the most famous jewels in the world, but is it also one of the most cursed?In this episode of Cursed...ish, we follow the allegedly-cursed Hope Diamond from its origins as the Tavernier Blue to the French royal court, through revolution, scandal, suspiciously dramatic deaths, and eventually into its current home at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. Along the way, we dig into the science behind the diamond’s impossible blue color, the legend that it was stolen from a Hindu idol, the French Blue’s connection to Louis XIV, Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, and the chaos of the French Revolution, plus the tragic story of a Washington socialite who owned the diamond before it became a museum icon. We also ask the important questions. Did the Hope Diamond really leave ruin in its wake? Was Pierre Cartier helped by one of the greatest curse-marketing campaigns of all time? Did they tempt fate by mailing the diamond to the Smithsonian for $2.44 in postage? And most importantly, was this blue little menace actually cursed, or did centuries of wealth, power, colonial plunder, tabloid storytelling, and human disaster just happen to sparkle in the same direction?From royal necks to a Great Dane named Mike, from Versailles to the Smithsonian’s Natural History Museum, this is the story of the Hope Diamond curse: part history, part folklore, part luxury-object crime scene.Maybe cursed. Maybe not. Definitely dramatic.Questions, comments, or your own accursed tales to share? Send us a hex at [email protected] hosts of Cursed...ish are not responsible for any misfortunes that may befall you while listening to this podcast. By listening to Cursed...ish, you assume all risk of bad luck, ill omens, and unexplained catastrophes.*Terms and conditions may be upheld by unknown forces.