1 00:00:01,320 --> 00:00:04,840 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Missed in History Class from stuff 2 00:00:04,840 --> 00:00:15,560 Speaker 1: works dot com. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. And 3 00:00:15,680 --> 00:00:18,599 Speaker 1: I'm Tracy V. Wilson, and today we're talking about a 4 00:00:18,920 --> 00:00:21,840 Speaker 1: famous jim that I'm shocked has never been covered on 5 00:00:21,840 --> 00:00:25,279 Speaker 1: the podcast before. And it's one of those things that, honestly, 6 00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:28,320 Speaker 1: we could probably get seven different episodes out of if 7 00:00:28,320 --> 00:00:30,840 Speaker 1: we really wanted to pursue some of these trails, but 8 00:00:31,120 --> 00:00:34,479 Speaker 1: we're going for two. So, uh, we're talking about the 9 00:00:34,479 --> 00:00:37,080 Speaker 1: Hope Diamond, and this will be the first of two 10 00:00:37,120 --> 00:00:40,520 Speaker 1: parts on the Hope diamonds. Uh. Just about everybody has 11 00:00:40,560 --> 00:00:42,520 Speaker 1: heard of the Hope diamond, but often once you start 12 00:00:42,600 --> 00:00:46,599 Speaker 1: talking to them, you realize that it's long and storied 13 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:49,360 Speaker 1: history kind of getting gets mixed up in people's heads 14 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:53,199 Speaker 1: with other famous jewels, and sometimes people think it's the 15 00:00:53,280 --> 00:00:55,120 Speaker 1: largest diamond in the world, which it is not. I 16 00:00:55,120 --> 00:00:58,680 Speaker 1: believe that honor goes to the colon and diamond. Uh, 17 00:00:58,720 --> 00:01:02,080 Speaker 1: but what it is that is extremely rare because if 18 00:01:02,120 --> 00:01:05,160 Speaker 1: it's distinctive blue color, and it's fabled because it has 19 00:01:05,200 --> 00:01:08,560 Speaker 1: a very long and twisting history, Uh, it may or 20 00:01:08,600 --> 00:01:10,160 Speaker 1: may not have a curse on it. If you believe 21 00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:15,160 Speaker 1: in such things, and it's kind of just become a 22 00:01:15,240 --> 00:01:19,399 Speaker 1: rock star amongst jewels, and everyone knows about it, but 23 00:01:19,520 --> 00:01:22,080 Speaker 1: not always all the details and kind of what the 24 00:01:22,080 --> 00:01:25,040 Speaker 1: real scoop is. Have you seen it before? I have not, 25 00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:29,400 Speaker 1: I have, I have not. So here's the thing. If 26 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:32,480 Speaker 1: you take a small child to the Smithsonian and tell 27 00:01:32,560 --> 00:01:36,560 Speaker 1: them they are going to see a huge diamond, they 28 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:39,959 Speaker 1: will be disappointed. Yes, they will expect a diamond as 29 00:01:39,959 --> 00:01:42,959 Speaker 1: big as their head, and the hope diamond is a 30 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:46,720 Speaker 1: diamond as big as a walnut. Yes. I have actually 31 00:01:46,720 --> 00:01:50,480 Speaker 1: seen videos from some of the curators, particularly Jeffrey Post, 32 00:01:50,520 --> 00:01:52,800 Speaker 1: who will quote a couple of times in this where 33 00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:54,840 Speaker 1: he says that adults have that same reaction to you, 34 00:01:54,920 --> 00:01:57,600 Speaker 1: like they come in expecting it to be this big 35 00:01:57,640 --> 00:02:00,480 Speaker 1: mammoth thing and then they're kind of like, oh, it's 36 00:02:00,760 --> 00:02:04,520 Speaker 1: I mean, it's big, but it's it's it's big, but 37 00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:09,560 Speaker 1: it's so small. Yeah, And I missed it because whenever 38 00:02:09,560 --> 00:02:12,040 Speaker 1: I'm at the Smithsonian, there's always some other exhibit that 39 00:02:12,240 --> 00:02:14,920 Speaker 1: is there that gets all of my attention, and I 40 00:02:15,040 --> 00:02:17,120 Speaker 1: end up going it's closing time and I end up 41 00:02:17,160 --> 00:02:19,399 Speaker 1: having to run out the door. It's okay, but it's 42 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:22,320 Speaker 1: on my list. I gotta see it. So the Hope 43 00:02:22,320 --> 00:02:26,239 Speaker 1: diamond is twenty five point six millimeters long, twenty one 44 00:02:26,320 --> 00:02:30,399 Speaker 1: point seven eight millimeters wide, and twelve millimeters deep, so 45 00:02:31,160 --> 00:02:35,240 Speaker 1: about a walnut. It is not large, uh, compared to 46 00:02:35,400 --> 00:02:37,800 Speaker 1: things in the world that are large. It is quite 47 00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:41,359 Speaker 1: large compared to other blue diamonds. It is forty five 48 00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:45,800 Speaker 1: point five to carrots. Yeah, and that's actually a revised number. 49 00:02:45,880 --> 00:02:48,200 Speaker 1: It had been believed to be forty four carrots for 50 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:49,720 Speaker 1: a while and then when they took it out of 51 00:02:49,720 --> 00:02:51,720 Speaker 1: its setting at one point they realize like, oh, it's 52 00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:55,560 Speaker 1: actually a little bigger than we thought initially. That's clarity 53 00:02:55,600 --> 00:03:00,320 Speaker 1: grade is VS. One. So, according to the Gemal Logical 54 00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:05,160 Speaker 1: Institute of America's Clarity Scale, there are six categories of clarity, 55 00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:07,680 Speaker 1: and then some of them are subdivided, so that gets 56 00:03:07,680 --> 00:03:11,400 Speaker 1: a total of eleven different grades. VS. One is the 57 00:03:11,480 --> 00:03:14,160 Speaker 1: fifth of these grades. It's the first level of what's 58 00:03:14,200 --> 00:03:18,160 Speaker 1: called very slightly included, which means that crystal can be 59 00:03:18,240 --> 00:03:21,959 Speaker 1: seen in the flat facets of the gym. So the 60 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:26,760 Speaker 1: Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History says that this rating 61 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:30,440 Speaker 1: has been given because there's some whitish graining that's present 62 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:34,440 Speaker 1: inside the Hope Diamond, which itself is a very fancy 63 00:03:34,920 --> 00:03:38,840 Speaker 1: dark grayish blue. Yeah, that's actually it's a it's catalog 64 00:03:38,960 --> 00:03:41,360 Speaker 1: color is fancy, dark grayish blue. I want to call 65 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:46,680 Speaker 1: it very fancy because it's a big Hawkin diamond. It is. UH. 66 00:03:46,760 --> 00:03:52,320 Speaker 1: And there are many theories about UM its actual age 67 00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:55,640 Speaker 1: and where it originated, but where it kind of um 68 00:03:56,320 --> 00:03:59,320 Speaker 1: gets put on the map is in the sixteen hundreds, 69 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:02,680 Speaker 1: and the first European that we know of to touch 70 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:06,040 Speaker 1: it was a man named Jean Baptiste Tavernier, and he 71 00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:08,200 Speaker 1: was born in Paris in sixteen o five to a 72 00:04:08,240 --> 00:04:11,040 Speaker 1: map and chartmaker. UH. And he would become a world 73 00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:14,560 Speaker 1: traveler and an extremely successful gem merchant. And it's like 74 00:04:14,680 --> 00:04:18,920 Speaker 1: just fifteen years old, Tavernier had been traveling throughout Europe 75 00:04:19,080 --> 00:04:20,960 Speaker 1: and had traveled as far as Persia by the time 76 00:04:20,960 --> 00:04:23,080 Speaker 1: he was twenty eight, which was really quite something at 77 00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:27,760 Speaker 1: that time. In sixteen thirty one, Tavernier made his first 78 00:04:27,839 --> 00:04:32,000 Speaker 1: trip to Asia. He would eventually make six trips total 79 00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:36,119 Speaker 1: throughout Asa, the next four being in sixteen thirty eight, 80 00:04:36,440 --> 00:04:40,919 Speaker 1: sixteen forty, sixteen forty three. This one involved a controversy 81 00:04:41,040 --> 00:04:43,359 Speaker 1: with the Dutch authorities over some pay bills. He was 82 00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:48,480 Speaker 1: forced to surrender and transit and sixteen fifty seven. And 83 00:04:48,520 --> 00:04:52,159 Speaker 1: then in sixteen sixty two Tavernier got married. He married 84 00:04:52,160 --> 00:04:55,240 Speaker 1: a jeweler's daughter. But his newlywed statis did not keep 85 00:04:55,320 --> 00:04:57,520 Speaker 1: him home very long because he left for his sixth 86 00:04:57,560 --> 00:05:01,600 Speaker 1: Asian excursion in sixteen sixty UH. And on that one 87 00:05:01,640 --> 00:05:04,159 Speaker 1: he was headed to India, and he made a stop 88 00:05:04,200 --> 00:05:06,280 Speaker 1: in Persia. And by this point he knew a lot 89 00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:11,280 Speaker 1: of the you know, high up government officials in all 90 00:05:11,279 --> 00:05:13,680 Speaker 1: of these places he visited because he was a gem 91 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:18,040 Speaker 1: merchant and he had really cultivated some uh relationships with 92 00:05:18,080 --> 00:05:22,320 Speaker 1: all of these people. Mining of diamonds in India goes 93 00:05:22,360 --> 00:05:25,800 Speaker 1: back to at least eight hundred BC, and by the 94 00:05:25,839 --> 00:05:29,360 Speaker 1: sixteen hundreds, India was recognized as a major diamond center. 95 00:05:29,480 --> 00:05:32,760 Speaker 1: So it's no surprise that Tavernier would travel there in 96 00:05:32,839 --> 00:05:36,200 Speaker 1: search of gems. And while he was on this particular trip, 97 00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:39,680 Speaker 1: Tavernier came into possession of a diamond he described as 98 00:05:39,720 --> 00:05:43,320 Speaker 1: being a beautiful violet color, a hundred and twelve and 99 00:05:43,360 --> 00:05:48,239 Speaker 1: three sixteen carrots, vaguely triangular in shape and rather crudely cut. 100 00:05:49,040 --> 00:05:52,159 Speaker 1: It's believed that the diamond came from the Colure mine 101 00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:57,680 Speaker 1: in Galconda, India, but the gem merchant never specifically said 102 00:05:57,760 --> 00:06:02,279 Speaker 1: exactly how and where he got the gym, and in fact, 103 00:06:02,640 --> 00:06:06,080 Speaker 1: many famous diamonds in history have come from the Colure mine, 104 00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:09,560 Speaker 1: including the co Anure and the Great Mogul Diamond. We 105 00:06:09,640 --> 00:06:13,359 Speaker 1: actually have an episode on the Konure that Katie and 106 00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:15,800 Speaker 1: Sarah did like two years ago. So if people want 107 00:06:15,800 --> 00:06:18,440 Speaker 1: to read about another listen to another famous diamond story 108 00:06:18,520 --> 00:06:21,400 Speaker 1: with a curse. They all have curses. Uh. That's another 109 00:06:21,440 --> 00:06:24,360 Speaker 1: good one. But this particular diamond came to be known 110 00:06:24,400 --> 00:06:28,280 Speaker 1: as the Tavernay Blue and when Taverney returned to Europe 111 00:06:28,480 --> 00:06:30,799 Speaker 1: in sixteen sixty eight, he sold it to King Louis 112 00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:33,039 Speaker 1: the fourteenth of France. So the son king could not 113 00:06:33,120 --> 00:06:36,000 Speaker 1: resist its dazzling lure uh, and he sold it in 114 00:06:36,040 --> 00:06:38,680 Speaker 1: a lot to him with more than a dozen other diamonds. 115 00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:42,560 Speaker 1: This re cut reduced the gym to sixty seven carrots, 116 00:06:42,800 --> 00:06:45,280 Speaker 1: and the diamond was placed in a gold setting for 117 00:06:45,320 --> 00:06:48,760 Speaker 1: the king to wear on special occasions. At this point, 118 00:06:48,920 --> 00:06:51,320 Speaker 1: the diamond came to be known as the Blue Diamond 119 00:06:51,320 --> 00:06:54,800 Speaker 1: of the Crown, or more casually as the French Blue 120 00:06:55,200 --> 00:06:57,760 Speaker 1: and the Diamond remained part of the French Royal Jewels 121 00:06:58,400 --> 00:07:01,360 Speaker 1: uh and in seventeen forty nine, King Louis the fifteenth 122 00:07:01,480 --> 00:07:04,520 Speaker 1: had it set yet again, this time into a ceremonial 123 00:07:04,560 --> 00:07:07,160 Speaker 1: setting for the Order of the Golden Fleece, and at 124 00:07:07,160 --> 00:07:11,800 Speaker 1: that time court jeweler Andre Jacquesman did the honors. The 125 00:07:11,800 --> 00:07:15,360 Speaker 1: French Revolution is the next big event in the history 126 00:07:15,360 --> 00:07:19,160 Speaker 1: of the diamond. The jewels from the French royal treasury, 127 00:07:19,280 --> 00:07:22,480 Speaker 1: including the French Blue, were handed off to the revolutionary 128 00:07:22,520 --> 00:07:27,120 Speaker 1: regime in seventeen nine after Louis the sixteenth and his 129 00:07:27,320 --> 00:07:31,520 Speaker 1: Queen Marie Antoinette tried to flee the country. In September 130 00:07:31,680 --> 00:07:35,400 Speaker 1: seventeen two, while the royal family was imprisoned, the crown 131 00:07:35,480 --> 00:07:38,080 Speaker 1: jewels were looted from their holding place at the Place 132 00:07:38,080 --> 00:07:42,120 Speaker 1: de lacrim Cord over the course of several days. During 133 00:07:42,160 --> 00:07:45,840 Speaker 1: that time, the French Blue vanished, and there are lots 134 00:07:45,920 --> 00:07:49,440 Speaker 1: of theories on what happened to it and how it 135 00:07:49,520 --> 00:07:52,240 Speaker 1: may have been fenced and made its way elsewhere. But 136 00:07:52,680 --> 00:07:55,120 Speaker 1: like I said, we could have gotten seven episodes out 137 00:07:55,120 --> 00:07:56,560 Speaker 1: of this. We could have done an episode just on 138 00:07:56,600 --> 00:08:00,640 Speaker 1: Taverny because he's very fascinating. But so the blue kind 139 00:08:00,680 --> 00:08:04,559 Speaker 1: of vanishes literally from the record for a while, and 140 00:08:05,040 --> 00:08:07,520 Speaker 1: it's not until two decades later that it comes up 141 00:08:07,560 --> 00:08:11,680 Speaker 1: again in In eighteen twelve, twenty years after it was 142 00:08:11,680 --> 00:08:14,680 Speaker 1: stolen from France, after the French Blue was stolen from 143 00:08:14,720 --> 00:08:18,160 Speaker 1: France anyway, a dark blue diamond surfaced in London, and 144 00:08:18,200 --> 00:08:20,600 Speaker 1: this diamond was in the possession of a merchant named 145 00:08:20,640 --> 00:08:23,840 Speaker 1: Daniel Eliason, and it was documented by a jeweler by 146 00:08:23,840 --> 00:08:28,800 Speaker 1: the name of John Francileon. Francileon described the jam as 147 00:08:28,880 --> 00:08:32,720 Speaker 1: weighing a hundred and seventy seven grains, as one carrot 148 00:08:32,960 --> 00:08:36,280 Speaker 1: is the equivalent of four grains. This puts the weight 149 00:08:36,320 --> 00:08:40,600 Speaker 1: of Aliason's gym at roughly forty five carrots, smaller than 150 00:08:40,640 --> 00:08:43,880 Speaker 1: the French Blue, but still an unusual deep blue color. 151 00:08:44,760 --> 00:08:47,600 Speaker 1: Although there wasn't solid evidence of the fact, and more 152 00:08:47,679 --> 00:08:51,640 Speaker 1: on this will come later, many historians long believed that 153 00:08:51,679 --> 00:08:56,760 Speaker 1: this was, in fact the stolen French gym, conveniently resurfacing 154 00:08:56,880 --> 00:08:59,640 Speaker 1: just after the Statute of Limitations on the theft would 155 00:08:59,679 --> 00:09:02,600 Speaker 1: have Now. Yeah, and I also want to point out 156 00:09:02,640 --> 00:09:05,440 Speaker 1: when we say it's roughly forty five carts. Going back 157 00:09:05,440 --> 00:09:07,840 Speaker 1: to that change in its weight that I mentioned before, 158 00:09:07,880 --> 00:09:10,120 Speaker 1: it actually works out to like forty four point to 159 00:09:10,360 --> 00:09:12,680 Speaker 1: five or something, I think if you do the math um. 160 00:09:13,520 --> 00:09:17,480 Speaker 1: And while there's no paper trail of the purchase or 161 00:09:17,520 --> 00:09:20,559 Speaker 1: of any purchase from Alliasin, it's believed that King George 162 00:09:20,720 --> 00:09:24,040 Speaker 1: the Fourth of England actually acquired the stone, and there's 163 00:09:24,040 --> 00:09:26,640 Speaker 1: a portrait of the King painted in eighteen twenty two 164 00:09:26,720 --> 00:09:32,120 Speaker 1: by Sir Thomas Lawrence that shows George wearing, among other accessories, 165 00:09:32,480 --> 00:09:36,040 Speaker 1: a Royal Order of the Golden Fleece, so another similar 166 00:09:36,080 --> 00:09:39,839 Speaker 1: to the ceremonial French setting, also set with a large 167 00:09:39,880 --> 00:09:43,920 Speaker 1: blue gym. When King George died in eighteen thirty he 168 00:09:44,040 --> 00:09:48,080 Speaker 1: left behind considerable debt, and it's believed that the diamond 169 00:09:48,160 --> 00:09:51,360 Speaker 1: was liquidated through private channels to settle part of the 170 00:09:51,400 --> 00:09:53,840 Speaker 1: money that was owed. But at this point it's still 171 00:09:53,840 --> 00:09:57,360 Speaker 1: not called the Hope Diamond, but we're getting there. So 172 00:09:57,880 --> 00:10:01,200 Speaker 1: almost a decade after King to the Fourth death in 173 00:10:01,440 --> 00:10:04,480 Speaker 1: eighteen thirty nine, there is mentioned once again of a 174 00:10:04,559 --> 00:10:07,880 Speaker 1: large blue diamond in the records of a banker, uh 175 00:10:08,040 --> 00:10:10,720 Speaker 1: this time a man named Henry Philip Hope, and it 176 00:10:10,800 --> 00:10:13,680 Speaker 1: is for him that the diamond is named. While the 177 00:10:13,720 --> 00:10:17,800 Speaker 1: diamond is listed in Hope's catalog, its acquisition and origin 178 00:10:17,880 --> 00:10:20,680 Speaker 1: are not included in the notation, so there's a lot 179 00:10:20,720 --> 00:10:25,960 Speaker 1: of hazy changing hands that goes on. Henry Philip Hope 180 00:10:26,040 --> 00:10:29,439 Speaker 1: died the same year his Catalog of Gems published eighteen 181 00:10:29,520 --> 00:10:33,200 Speaker 1: thirty nine, and a lengthy litigation battle was fought among 182 00:10:33,280 --> 00:10:38,200 Speaker 1: his three nephews over his estate. Eventually, his nephew, Henry 183 00:10:38,280 --> 00:10:41,360 Speaker 1: Thomas Hope, finally took possession of the Hope Diamond as 184 00:10:41,400 --> 00:10:44,400 Speaker 1: part of a split up of his assets. The gem 185 00:10:44,480 --> 00:10:48,240 Speaker 1: stayed in the family, eventually passing to Henry Thomas Hope's grandson, 186 00:10:48,520 --> 00:10:53,040 Speaker 1: Lord Francis Hope, the eighth Duke of Newcastle, and as 187 00:10:53,080 --> 00:10:56,600 Speaker 1: a provision of this inheritance, Lord Francis Hope was not 188 00:10:56,640 --> 00:11:00,000 Speaker 1: allowed to liquidate any of the family estate without court permission. 189 00:11:00,040 --> 00:11:04,480 Speaker 1: In but he had married a songstress wife who he 190 00:11:04,520 --> 00:11:07,480 Speaker 1: wanted to keep in the style to which she had 191 00:11:07,520 --> 00:11:11,679 Speaker 1: been accustomed, and he consequently unfortunately lived his life far 192 00:11:11,760 --> 00:11:15,280 Speaker 1: beyond his means, and in nineteen and one he was 193 00:11:15,320 --> 00:11:18,280 Speaker 1: able to attain permission from his sisters in the court 194 00:11:18,360 --> 00:11:21,280 Speaker 1: to sell the Hope diamond in an effort to mitigate 195 00:11:21,320 --> 00:11:24,200 Speaker 1: this mountain of debt that he had accrued. Uh And 196 00:11:24,280 --> 00:11:28,280 Speaker 1: unfortunately he divorced several months after that, so it would 197 00:11:28,280 --> 00:11:30,920 Speaker 1: seem that once things got really tough, the marriage kind 198 00:11:30,920 --> 00:11:34,840 Speaker 1: of soured. A London dealer was quick to purchase the 199 00:11:34,880 --> 00:11:38,360 Speaker 1: diamond from Lord Francis Hope, and was just as quick 200 00:11:38,400 --> 00:11:41,559 Speaker 1: to then sell it to a New York jeweler, Simon Frankel, 201 00:11:41,600 --> 00:11:44,760 Speaker 1: of the firm Joseph Franklin Sons for a hundred and 202 00:11:44,800 --> 00:11:49,120 Speaker 1: forty eight thousand dollars. The diamonds sat quietly under lock 203 00:11:49,160 --> 00:11:51,240 Speaker 1: and key with the Frankels until they sold it to 204 00:11:51,320 --> 00:11:54,800 Speaker 1: Selim Habib after the depression that followed the financial panic 205 00:11:54,840 --> 00:11:59,360 Speaker 1: of nineteen o seven, and after this Thing's moved very 206 00:11:59,400 --> 00:12:02,079 Speaker 1: quickly for the diamond. So Salim have put the gem 207 00:12:02,200 --> 00:12:04,840 Speaker 1: up for auction in nineteen o nine, although it apparently 208 00:12:04,880 --> 00:12:07,880 Speaker 1: did not sell then, And after that auction it was 209 00:12:07,880 --> 00:12:11,079 Speaker 1: purchased by A. C. H. Rosenow, who in turn sold 210 00:12:11,120 --> 00:12:14,440 Speaker 1: it to Pierre Cartier. And there is also in this 211 00:12:14,480 --> 00:12:17,959 Speaker 1: stretch of the diamond changing hands so quickly a little 212 00:12:17,960 --> 00:12:21,040 Speaker 1: bit of a debate about whether Sultan Abdullahamide owned the 213 00:12:21,080 --> 00:12:24,520 Speaker 1: stone briefly. Uh So, it seems for a few years 214 00:12:24,559 --> 00:12:27,439 Speaker 1: in the early nineteen hundreds, the Hope Diamond was really 215 00:12:27,480 --> 00:12:29,760 Speaker 1: something of a hot potato. It just kept changing hands 216 00:12:29,880 --> 00:12:34,720 Speaker 1: very very quickly. Cardier had a business relationship with American 217 00:12:34,800 --> 00:12:39,000 Speaker 1: heiress Evelyn Walsh McLean. He had sold her a ninety 218 00:12:39,040 --> 00:12:42,000 Speaker 1: four point eight carrot white diamond called the Star of 219 00:12:42,080 --> 00:12:45,440 Speaker 1: the East when she was on her honeymoon in nine nine, 220 00:12:45,880 --> 00:12:48,640 Speaker 1: and Cardier showed the Hope Diamond to McLean while she 221 00:12:48,800 --> 00:12:52,960 Speaker 1: was in Paris on another trip in But the society 222 00:12:52,960 --> 00:12:56,360 Speaker 1: heiress was apparently not impressed with the stone setting, and 223 00:12:56,360 --> 00:12:58,839 Speaker 1: there are also accounts that she was a little unsettled 224 00:12:58,840 --> 00:13:02,080 Speaker 1: by rumors about the Hope Diamond being cursed. Uh And 225 00:13:02,120 --> 00:13:05,280 Speaker 1: we'll talk about those more later as well. But Cardier 226 00:13:05,440 --> 00:13:08,280 Speaker 1: was really quite intent on selling this gem to McLean. 227 00:13:08,400 --> 00:13:11,280 Speaker 1: He felt like she was the buyer for it. The 228 00:13:11,400 --> 00:13:14,640 Speaker 1: story goes that Cardier had the stone reset and then 229 00:13:14,720 --> 00:13:17,199 Speaker 1: brought it to the US to loan to Mrs McLean 230 00:13:17,240 --> 00:13:22,080 Speaker 1: for a weekend. It was quite a sales pitch. I 231 00:13:22,120 --> 00:13:26,880 Speaker 1: feel like I've seen this happen on sitcoms when I 232 00:13:26,920 --> 00:13:29,600 Speaker 1: was thinking about it. It also made me think of 233 00:13:29,640 --> 00:13:32,600 Speaker 1: when you do petted options. So yeah, take the kitten 234 00:13:32,679 --> 00:13:35,319 Speaker 1: home for the weekend to see how it goes. Yeah. Yeah, 235 00:13:35,360 --> 00:13:37,440 Speaker 1: I feel like I've seen an I Love Lucy episode 236 00:13:37,480 --> 00:13:41,079 Speaker 1: or something where she she gets a fancy diamond necklace 237 00:13:41,120 --> 00:13:43,120 Speaker 1: that's to be borrowed and she doesn't want to give 238 00:13:43,120 --> 00:13:48,640 Speaker 1: it back anyway. And Evelyn's autobiography, she wrote about that 239 00:13:48,760 --> 00:13:53,480 Speaker 1: loaner weekend. For hours, that jewel stared at me, and 240 00:13:53,559 --> 00:13:56,200 Speaker 1: sometime during the night I began to really want the thing. 241 00:13:56,920 --> 00:13:59,200 Speaker 1: Then I put the chain around my neck and hooked 242 00:13:59,240 --> 00:14:03,320 Speaker 1: my life to a destiny, were good or evil? And 243 00:14:03,480 --> 00:14:06,800 Speaker 1: McLean's purchase of the Hope diamond caused a sensation. It 244 00:14:06,880 --> 00:14:11,800 Speaker 1: was written up in newspapers and they even described the 245 00:14:11,840 --> 00:14:14,280 Speaker 1: manner in which it would be set and worn. And 246 00:14:14,320 --> 00:14:16,960 Speaker 1: there's uh an article in the New York Times from 247 00:14:17,040 --> 00:14:22,200 Speaker 1: January nineteen eleven reporting the sale and also saying the 248 00:14:22,240 --> 00:14:24,720 Speaker 1: diamond will now be worn by Mrs McLean as a 249 00:14:24,760 --> 00:14:27,720 Speaker 1: head ornament, arranged in a band do the large stone 250 00:14:27,720 --> 00:14:30,640 Speaker 1: being placed immediately in front, and with other diamonds of 251 00:14:30,720 --> 00:14:35,240 Speaker 1: lesser size studying the setting bands. So it really was 252 00:14:35,280 --> 00:14:39,160 Speaker 1: a big deal. People knew about this diamond already because 253 00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:41,760 Speaker 1: it was so sizeable and kind of famous and already 254 00:14:41,760 --> 00:14:46,640 Speaker 1: had these curse stories around it, so it was newsmaking 255 00:14:46,760 --> 00:14:49,920 Speaker 1: that similar to how if someone you know spent three 256 00:14:49,920 --> 00:14:52,120 Speaker 1: million dollars on a famous piece of jewelry, now it 257 00:14:52,120 --> 00:14:56,880 Speaker 1: would hit the news like just the Royal baby's swaddling 258 00:14:56,960 --> 00:15:02,280 Speaker 1: made the news. Evelyn wore the Hope diamond frequently. It 259 00:15:02,320 --> 00:15:05,480 Speaker 1: became her signature piece, and although she loved it, she 260 00:15:05,600 --> 00:15:09,120 Speaker 1: was constantly getting warnings from both friends and strangers that 261 00:15:09,200 --> 00:15:13,440 Speaker 1: her beloved accessory was really bad luck. This curse rumor 262 00:15:13,480 --> 00:15:15,360 Speaker 1: had been around for a while, but it seems like 263 00:15:15,400 --> 00:15:17,840 Speaker 1: it really picked up steam around the same time that 264 00:15:17,880 --> 00:15:21,480 Speaker 1: it was changing hands in nineteen o nine. UH and 265 00:15:21,560 --> 00:15:26,720 Speaker 1: Evelyn did experience some various tragic events in her life. UH. 266 00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:30,120 Speaker 1: In nineteen nineteen, her son Vincent, who was quite young 267 00:15:30,160 --> 00:15:32,480 Speaker 1: at the time, died shortly after being struck by a 268 00:15:32,480 --> 00:15:35,960 Speaker 1: car outside the family home. UH. In nineteen twenty nine, 269 00:15:36,040 --> 00:15:39,440 Speaker 1: she and her husband Ned McLean separated when he ran 270 00:15:39,480 --> 00:15:43,680 Speaker 1: off with another woman, and Ned died UH some years 271 00:15:43,760 --> 00:15:49,320 Speaker 1: later in a santatory in a sanatorium from issues associated 272 00:15:49,360 --> 00:15:54,400 Speaker 1: with alcoholism and then uh, in nine six, Evelyn's daughter 273 00:15:54,600 --> 00:15:59,280 Speaker 1: died of a drug overdose. So while she loved it, uh, 274 00:15:59,320 --> 00:16:02,280 Speaker 1: there were lots she loved the diamond. There were lots 275 00:16:02,320 --> 00:16:06,040 Speaker 1: of tragic things happening in her life, but she never 276 00:16:06,080 --> 00:16:09,080 Speaker 1: blamed any of these tragic things on her beloved jewel. 277 00:16:09,520 --> 00:16:13,120 Speaker 1: She said, quote, what tragedies have befallen me might have 278 00:16:13,120 --> 00:16:15,840 Speaker 1: occurred had I never seen or touched the Hope Diamond. 279 00:16:16,320 --> 00:16:20,520 Speaker 1: My observations have persuaded me that tragedies for anyone who 280 00:16:20,560 --> 00:16:24,880 Speaker 1: lives are not escapable. I kind of love that she 281 00:16:24,960 --> 00:16:26,880 Speaker 1: did that well, and I kind of she said, don't 282 00:16:26,880 --> 00:16:29,000 Speaker 1: blame the diamonds well, and when you were talking about 283 00:16:29,000 --> 00:16:30,320 Speaker 1: all these things that had happened to her, I kind 284 00:16:30,320 --> 00:16:32,320 Speaker 1: of want to, like counter with all the terrible things 285 00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:35,280 Speaker 1: that happened to my grandmother. And she was a very 286 00:16:35,320 --> 00:16:37,960 Speaker 1: modest person who had no Hope diamond. Yeah. I mean, 287 00:16:37,960 --> 00:16:40,200 Speaker 1: I think tragic things just happen to people. It's an 288 00:16:40,240 --> 00:16:43,960 Speaker 1: unfortunate aspect of life. And it's easy to attribute those 289 00:16:44,000 --> 00:16:47,480 Speaker 1: to the presence of a thing and focus that as 290 00:16:47,520 --> 00:16:51,760 Speaker 1: you're the bad luck item that's causing them all. But um, 291 00:16:52,280 --> 00:16:55,160 Speaker 1: sometimes bad things just happened. And she really seemed to 292 00:16:55,200 --> 00:16:57,040 Speaker 1: love that jewel. I mean there are movies of her 293 00:16:57,080 --> 00:17:00,320 Speaker 1: wearing it that she took of herself. There photog almost 294 00:17:00,400 --> 00:17:05,040 Speaker 1: any photograph of her features it. Uh. And she actually 295 00:17:05,040 --> 00:17:09,399 Speaker 1: died the year after her daughter in n she was sixty. Uh, 296 00:17:09,480 --> 00:17:11,840 Speaker 1: and she had been wearing the Hope Diamond consistently for 297 00:17:11,880 --> 00:17:14,800 Speaker 1: thirty six years, and it was as a part of 298 00:17:14,800 --> 00:17:17,560 Speaker 1: her jewelry collection that it was set in the pendant form, 299 00:17:17,720 --> 00:17:20,639 Speaker 1: surrounded by the smaller stones that it's recognized for today. 300 00:17:20,920 --> 00:17:23,320 Speaker 1: So she stopped wearing it in the headpiece and began 301 00:17:23,320 --> 00:17:26,680 Speaker 1: to wear it as a pendant. And Uh, at some point, 302 00:17:26,760 --> 00:17:28,800 Speaker 1: I would actually love to do an entire episode on 303 00:17:28,840 --> 00:17:31,760 Speaker 1: Evil and Walsh mcclaim because her life was mind boggling. 304 00:17:32,080 --> 00:17:35,160 Speaker 1: I mean there's even an incident where she allegedly tried 305 00:17:35,200 --> 00:17:37,640 Speaker 1: to hawk the Hope Diamond for ransom money to get 306 00:17:37,680 --> 00:17:41,239 Speaker 1: the Lindbergh baby back. Uh. She just she had a 307 00:17:41,240 --> 00:17:45,080 Speaker 1: wild ride. She threw amazing parties. She was very fascinating. 308 00:17:45,600 --> 00:17:49,639 Speaker 1: So she's certainly episode worthy. But uh, for the moment, 309 00:17:49,760 --> 00:17:52,960 Speaker 1: this is where we're gonna pause, and and this first 310 00:17:52,960 --> 00:17:55,680 Speaker 1: part of the Hope diamond because next we'll get into 311 00:17:56,320 --> 00:17:59,200 Speaker 1: how it kind of became part of the Smithsonian collection 312 00:17:59,280 --> 00:18:02,000 Speaker 1: and the curse is allegedly on it, and some interesting 313 00:18:02,600 --> 00:18:06,120 Speaker 1: scientific study that's been done on the diamond in more 314 00:18:06,160 --> 00:18:11,080 Speaker 1: modern times. But that's it's sort of origin story. Uh. 315 00:18:11,160 --> 00:18:13,840 Speaker 1: And we'll reference back to some of those because they 316 00:18:13,840 --> 00:18:18,160 Speaker 1: come up in the curse discussion. Uh. So yeah, Part 317 00:18:18,160 --> 00:18:21,359 Speaker 1: two of the Hope Diamond will be coming next. I 318 00:18:21,440 --> 00:18:24,560 Speaker 1: believe you may have some listener mail. Well I do. Indeed, 319 00:18:24,600 --> 00:18:27,639 Speaker 1: this actually uh was sent to us in a message 320 00:18:27,680 --> 00:18:30,640 Speaker 1: on Facebook, and it is from our listener management, and 321 00:18:30,720 --> 00:18:32,800 Speaker 1: he says, I was really excited to see the topic 322 00:18:32,840 --> 00:18:35,159 Speaker 1: for the recent podcast on Pluto. I've always had a 323 00:18:35,200 --> 00:18:37,560 Speaker 1: soft spot in my heart for the little guy. When 324 00:18:37,560 --> 00:18:39,439 Speaker 1: I was ten years old, I made friends with an 325 00:18:39,440 --> 00:18:42,160 Speaker 1: elderly man on a camping trip. While all the boring 326 00:18:42,200 --> 00:18:45,040 Speaker 1: grown ups sat around talking about boring adult stuff. The 327 00:18:45,080 --> 00:18:47,640 Speaker 1: elderly man told me stories about the stars and planets 328 00:18:47,680 --> 00:18:49,520 Speaker 1: we could see that night, and then he told me 329 00:18:49,560 --> 00:18:52,960 Speaker 1: a number of rather cheesy puns, mostly about crows. I 330 00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:55,119 Speaker 1: found out on the ride home that he was actually 331 00:18:55,240 --> 00:18:59,359 Speaker 1: famous astronomer named Clyde Tomba. Yes, that Clyde Tomba who 332 00:18:59,640 --> 00:19:02,080 Speaker 1: to run for Stitt in case anyone listening doesn't recall, 333 00:19:02,160 --> 00:19:05,359 Speaker 1: is the person who is credited with finding Pluto. We 334 00:19:05,440 --> 00:19:06,960 Speaker 1: had a chance to hang out on a number of 335 00:19:06,960 --> 00:19:09,360 Speaker 1: other camping trips, and I made sure my parents invited 336 00:19:09,400 --> 00:19:11,320 Speaker 1: my new friend and his wife over for dinner as 337 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:14,480 Speaker 1: often as was possible. A few years later, Clyde shared 338 00:19:14,520 --> 00:19:17,760 Speaker 1: the pictures of Voyager Twose Neptune fly by, explaining the 339 00:19:17,800 --> 00:19:20,880 Speaker 1: science and new discoveries to many of us, blowing our minds. 340 00:19:21,200 --> 00:19:23,639 Speaker 1: Then he told me a few more crow puns. He 341 00:19:23,760 --> 00:19:27,159 Speaker 1: was an incredibly kind, intelligent man, believed in UFOs and 342 00:19:27,200 --> 00:19:29,919 Speaker 1: love cheesy puns. I recently read that some of his 343 00:19:29,960 --> 00:19:32,719 Speaker 1: ashes were included on board the New Horizons probe, so 344 00:19:32,800 --> 00:19:35,840 Speaker 1: he'll actually get to visit his discovery in person. That's 345 00:19:35,840 --> 00:19:38,840 Speaker 1: some pretty cool stuff. Uh. And then he includes some 346 00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:41,399 Speaker 1: of the puns that Clyde told him. And all of 347 00:19:41,440 --> 00:19:45,520 Speaker 1: this does um fall in line with things that I 348 00:19:45,600 --> 00:19:48,320 Speaker 1: have read by Tomba's colleagues that he loved these cookie 349 00:19:48,359 --> 00:19:51,280 Speaker 1: puns and it was just a very sweet and really 350 00:19:51,359 --> 00:19:53,440 Speaker 1: sharing man like he loved to talk about his work. 351 00:19:54,080 --> 00:19:55,879 Speaker 1: Can you tell us one of the Crow funds, because 352 00:19:55,880 --> 00:19:57,560 Speaker 1: I'm going to have to get good with them otherwise 353 00:19:57,680 --> 00:20:00,280 Speaker 1: they're funny. Are you ready? Yes? What is a row's 354 00:20:00,320 --> 00:20:04,200 Speaker 1: favorite part of the sun the chromosphere? What is a 355 00:20:04,280 --> 00:20:08,919 Speaker 1: crow's favorite metal chrome? And then what is the crow's 356 00:20:08,920 --> 00:20:15,280 Speaker 1: favorite caveman chromagna word? Uh? So, which are so cute? Uh? 357 00:20:15,280 --> 00:20:17,520 Speaker 1: And a lot of people have are several people have 358 00:20:17,560 --> 00:20:21,080 Speaker 1: written us about the Plato episode and about our comment 359 00:20:21,119 --> 00:20:23,159 Speaker 1: that it's the only planet to have been demoted, and 360 00:20:23,160 --> 00:20:25,200 Speaker 1: they're like, no, no, no, there are others like series 361 00:20:25,280 --> 00:20:27,760 Speaker 1: and they mentioned some others, and I want to do 362 00:20:27,840 --> 00:20:30,320 Speaker 1: more research on it before we actually talk about that, 363 00:20:30,680 --> 00:20:35,679 Speaker 1: because there is some um controversy, it seems, or just 364 00:20:35,800 --> 00:20:38,160 Speaker 1: you know, debate. I don't know controversies the right word, 365 00:20:38,240 --> 00:20:42,679 Speaker 1: even in the astronomy community about it, uh, including like 366 00:20:42,720 --> 00:20:46,160 Speaker 1: I think and I'm just turning I's top of my head, 367 00:20:46,200 --> 00:20:48,959 Speaker 1: so don't quote any of this as accurate. But I 368 00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:51,119 Speaker 1: think even like the first time it was reported, the 369 00:20:51,160 --> 00:20:54,320 Speaker 1: person that discovered it thought it was a planet, that 370 00:20:54,440 --> 00:20:57,280 Speaker 1: reported it as a different heavenly body because he didn't 371 00:20:57,280 --> 00:20:59,480 Speaker 1: know that it would meet any of those criteria yet. 372 00:20:59,560 --> 00:21:01,960 Speaker 1: And so it's been a little bit confused even though 373 00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:04,800 Speaker 1: it was taught as a planet at in some in 374 00:21:04,880 --> 00:21:08,080 Speaker 1: the eighteen hundreds for a little while. So we've gotten 375 00:21:08,160 --> 00:21:11,400 Speaker 1: we've gotten letters for doing more research, many many, many, 376 00:21:11,400 --> 00:21:17,720 Speaker 1: many many letters. Got other possible devoted planets, many many letters. Yeah, 377 00:21:17,840 --> 00:21:20,879 Speaker 1: so we're not ignoring this. We just wanna, you know, 378 00:21:21,119 --> 00:21:24,600 Speaker 1: make sure we have low information before we start talking 379 00:21:24,640 --> 00:21:27,359 Speaker 1: about it. So that's a scoop if you would like 380 00:21:27,400 --> 00:21:28,840 Speaker 1: to write us. And I just love that people are 381 00:21:28,880 --> 00:21:32,399 Speaker 1: excited about astronomy and astronomy history. It's very excited about 382 00:21:32,520 --> 00:21:36,199 Speaker 1: our moded planet. Are things that super love. Uh, And 383 00:21:36,240 --> 00:21:37,560 Speaker 1: if you want to write us, you can do so 384 00:21:37,680 --> 00:21:40,440 Speaker 1: at History Podcast at Discovery dot com. You can also 385 00:21:40,480 --> 00:21:43,520 Speaker 1: connect with us on Twitter at missed in History, at 386 00:21:43,600 --> 00:21:47,480 Speaker 1: Facebook dot com, slash history class stuff, um tumbler at 387 00:21:47,480 --> 00:21:50,560 Speaker 1: missed in History dot tumbler dot com, and on Pinterest. 388 00:21:51,119 --> 00:21:52,600 Speaker 1: If you would like to learn a little bit more 389 00:21:52,600 --> 00:21:54,560 Speaker 1: about what we've talked about today, you can go to 390 00:21:54,640 --> 00:21:56,960 Speaker 1: our website. Search for the word diamonds and you'll get 391 00:21:56,960 --> 00:21:59,840 Speaker 1: an article called how diamonds work, And it actually does 392 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:02,800 Speaker 1: include a section on famous diamonds that mentions the Hope diamond. 393 00:22:02,840 --> 00:22:05,520 Speaker 1: Of course, because it is super famous, so if you 394 00:22:05,520 --> 00:22:08,160 Speaker 1: would like to learn about that, or almost anything else 395 00:22:08,240 --> 00:22:10,160 Speaker 1: you can think of, you should do that at our website, 396 00:22:10,160 --> 00:22:16,480 Speaker 1: which is how stuff Works dot com. For more on 397 00:22:16,560 --> 00:22:19,000 Speaker 1: this and thousands of other topics, is it how stuff 398 00:22:19,040 --> 00:22:33,199 Speaker 1: works dot com. Netflix streams TV shows and movies directly 399 00:22:33,240 --> 00:22:36,680 Speaker 1: to your home, saving you time, money, and hassle. 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