Cursed Object

 Hope Diamond

According to the legend, a curse befell the large, blue diamond when it was plucked (i.e. stolen) from an idol in India - a curse that foretold bad luck and death not only for the owner of the diamond but for all who touched it.

Whether or not you believe in the curse, the Hope diamond has intrigued people for centuries. Its perfect quality, its large size, and its rare color make it strikingly unique and beautiful.

Add to this a varied history which includes being owned by King Louis XIV, stolen during the French Revolution, sold to earn money for gambling, worn to raise money for charity, and then finally donated to the Smithsonian Institution. The Hope diamond is truly unique.

Is there really a curse? Where has the Hope diamond been? Why was such a valuable gem donated to the Smithsonian?

Taken from the Forehead of an Idol

The legend is said to begin with a theft. Several centuries ago, a man named Tavernier made a trip to India. While there, he stole a large blue diamond from the forehead (or eye) of a statue of the Hindu goddess Sita. For this transgression, according to the legend, Tavernier was torn apart by wild dogs on a trip to Russia (after he had sold the diamond). This was the first horrible death attributed to the curse.

How much of this is true? In 1642 a man by the name of Jean Baptiste Tavernier, a French jeweler who traveled extensively, visited India and bought a 112 3/16 carat blue diamond. (This diamond was much larger than the present weight of the Hope diamond because the Hope has been cut down at least twice in the past three centuries.) The diamond is believed to have come from the Kollur mine in Golconda, India.

Tavernier continued to travel and arrived back in France in 1668, twenty-six years after he bought the large, blue diamond. French King Louis XIV, the "Sun King," ordered Tavernier presented at court. From Tavernier, Louis XIV bought the large, blue diamond as well as forty-four large diamonds and 1,122 smaller diamonds. Tavernier was made a noble and died at he age 84 in Russia (it is not known how he died).

According to Susanne Patch, author of Blue Mystery: The Story of the Hope Diamond, the shape of the diamond was unlikely to have been an eye (or on the forehead) of an idol.

In 1673, King Louis XIV decided to re-cut the diamond to enhance its brilliance (the previous cut had been to enhance size and not brilliance). The newly cut gem was 67 1/8 carats. Louis XIV officially named it the "Blue Diamond of the Crown" and would often wear the diamond on a long ribbon around his neck.

In 1749, Louis XIV's great-grandson, Louis XV, was king and ordered the crown jeweler to make a decoration for the Order of the Golden Fleece, using the blue diamond and the Cote de Bretagne (a large red spinel thought at the time to be a ruby). The resulting decoration was extremely ornate and large.

Stolen!

When Louis XV died, his grandson, Louis XVI, became king with Marie Antoinette as his queen. According to the legend, Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI were beheaded during the French Revolution because of the blue diamond's curse.

Considering that King Louis XIV and King Louis XV had both owned and worn the blue diamond a number of times and have not been set down in legend as tormented by the curse, it is difficult to say that all those who owned or touched the gem would suffer an ill fate. Though it is true that Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI were beheaded, it seems that it had much more to do with their extravagance and the French Revolution than a curse on the diamond. Plus, these two royals were certainly not the only ones beheaded during the Reign of Terror.

During the French Revolution, the crown jewels (including the blue diamond) were taken from the royal couple after they attempted to flee France in 1791. The jewels were placed in the Garde-Meuble but were not well guarded.

From September 12 to September 16, 1791, the Garde-Meuble was repeatedly robbed, without notice from officials until September 17. Though most of the crown jewels were soon recovered, the blue diamond was not.

Why is it called the "Hope diamond"?

There is some evidence that the blue diamond resurfaced in London by 1813 and was owned by a jeweler Daniel Eliason by 1823. No one is sure that the blue diamond in London was the same one stolen from the Garde-Meuble because the one in London was of a different cut. Yet, most people feel the rarity and perfectness of the French blue diamond and the blue diamond that appeared in London makes it likely that someone re-cut the French blue diamond in the hopes of hiding its origin. The blue diamond that surfaced in London was estimated at 44 carats.

There is some evidence that shows King George IV of England bought the blue diamond from Daniel Eliason and upon King George's death, the diamond was sold to pay off debts.

By 1939, possibly earlier, the blue diamond was in the possession of Henry Philip Hope, from whom the Hope diamond has taken its name.

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World Of Mysteries

Japanese Farmer Creates World's First Heart-Shaped Watermelon

We’re sure you’ve heard of square watermelons from Japan, but how about heart-shaped ones? After many years of research, Hiroichi Kimura, a farmer from Kumamoto Prefecture, has finally done it! But it was no easy task shaping the originally round fruits into the symbol of love. Let’s take a closer look at the fruits of this farmer’s labor.

Trying to do something no one else has ever attempted 

 Mr. Kimura originally grew standard round watermelons. One day, a neighbor commented that it would be so interesting to see a watermelon in the shape of a heart. Mr. Kimura’s curiosity was ignited and from that moment on, he began researching how to make a heart-shaped watermelon.

Daily research and plenty of trial and error

 But this was no easy task. Every day, late into the night, Mr. Kimura read books and pamphlets about growing techniques, developed his heart-shaped mould, and researched the ideal cultivation method, soil conditions, atmospheric temperature, and moisture levels for his heart watermelons. It was a long process of trial and error.

Finally, success

At first, all of Mr. Kimura’s efforts ended in failure, but through it all, he never wanted to give up. Without getting discouraged, year after year he continued challenging himself to cultivate a heart-shaped watermelon until he finally succeeded.

Better than he could have imagined

 Mr. Kimura’s heart watermelons have a crunchy consistency that gives way to pleasantly sweet juices. Once you’ve gulped down the red flesh, you’re left with a mellow sweetness that lingers on the tongue. The taste was better than Mr. Kimura imagined.

A labor of love

The driving force behind Mr. Kimura’s work has always been as simple as it is heartwarming. “I want my customers to eat something delicious,” explains Mr. Kimura. Even now, after managing to cultivate the melon of his dreams, he continues to research and develop new, delicious varieties of watermelon. We are truly impressed by this farmer’s love and dedication to his trade.

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