Throughout the ages, people have fought bloody battles and even risked their lives in order to possess beautiful and rare jewels that would bring them a great fortune. As symbols of wealth, power and status, some people would stop at nothing to acquire these captivating jewels, resorting to cheap tactics, threats and thievery to come into their possession. This article will look at the two most mysterious cursed jewels and the fate that would befall all of those who possessed them.
The sinister past of the Hope Diamond
Who can resist a brilliant green sapphire, or a sparkling diamond, cut with perfection to reflect all the colours of the rainbow? Well, the following jewels are irresistibly beautiful, but deadly, and they’ve certainly got a story to tell. The most famous case of a mysterious jewel is that of The Hope Diamond. Since it was stolen from a Hindu statue in the 1600s, it has cursed the fate of everyone that came into its possession…
King Louis XVI of France and his wife, Marie Antoinette were beheaded by guillotine during the French Revolution, the princess of Lamballe suffered fatal wounds after being beaten to death by a mob, Jacques Colet committed suicide, and Simon Montharides died in a carriage crash with his entire family. And the list goes on.
Could the curse be broken?
In 1911 a woman called Mrs. Evalyn McLean purchased the diamond from Cartier after claims that she was capable of lifting the curse. Her efforts however were in vain, and her own family fell victim to the diamonds powerful malevolent force. Her son was killed in a car crash, her daughter died from an overdose and her husband eventually died in a sanatorium after leaving her for another woman. As for the diamond’s current whereabouts, it is now locked away on display at the Smithsonian Institution, and with no more tragedies to speak of ever since, it seems as if its reign of terror is now finally over.
The curse of the Black Orlov Diamond
Looking at this diamond is like staring into the abyss, and all those that owned it were eventually plunged into a darkness even blacker than that of the stone. This diamond is also known as “The Eye of Brahma Diamond” having been stolen from the eye of a statue of the Hindu God Brahma. Many believe, as in the case of The Hope Diamond, that this is what caused the diamond to be cursed. In this case however, all those that owned it would meet their end by committing suicide.
Splitting the diamond to break the curse
The diamond was brought into the US in 1932 by J.W. Paris, who would eventually jump to his death from a New York skyscraper. After that, it was owned by two Russian Princesses that would jump to their deaths from a building in Rome just a few months apart. After the string of suicides, the diamond was cut into three different pieces by a jeweller, as it was thought that this would break the curse. This must have worked, as since it was split apart, there has been no news of it ever since.
Author: Jane Upson, a professional freelance writer with more than 10 years’ experience across many fields. She has a particular interest in issues relating to mental health, fitness, and nutrition.
