The Hope Diamond

American jeweler Simon Frankel was the original buyer of the Hope Diamond in 1901 who brought the stone to America, after which it was sold several times until it became the property of Pierre Cartier. Cartier knew that the wealthy and eccentric Evalyn Walsh McLean felt that bad luck objects became good luck in her possession, so he emphasized the Hope Diamond’s negative history. Many people believe that Cartier invented the story of the curse since research shows that the idea of a curse upon the diamond didn’t even appear until the 20th century.

Once Cartier reset the diamond, McLean bought it and wore it constantly. One story tells that Mrs. McLean’s doctor had to plead with her to remove the necklace before goiter surgery.

But tragedy soon struck the McLean family. Mrs. McLean’s nine year old son, Vinson, died in a car accident; her daughter committed suicide at age 25; her husband was committed to a mental hospital until his death in 1941. The Hope Diamond was sold along with McLean’s other jewelry in 1949 to settle estate debts, and its buyer was New York jeweler Harry Winston.