In 1839, Henry Thomas Hope acquired the diamond, endowing it with his name. It eventually re-emerged as a 45.52-carat stone recut to prevent identification. In the French Revolution’s turbulence, the French Blue disappeared. By 1793, their heads rolled, and all but one of their children met grim fates. Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette eventually inherited the French Blue. ![]() Nonetheless, the curse of the Hindu god proved a more compelling explanation. Were child mortality and necrosis common in the 17 th and 18 th centuries? Absolutely. The king’s excruciatingly painful and stinky end by gangrene in 1715 also added to the legend. Nonetheless, Fouquet’s downfall would fuel the curse.Īs would the deaths of almost every legitimate child Louis XIV sired. Of course, Fouquet’s extravagant lifestyle didn’t help his case any. Shortly after, the king accused him of embezzlement, and Fouquet spent the rest of his life in the fortress of Pignerol hanging out with the likes of the Man in the Iron Mask. On a special occasion, Nicholas Fouquet, a favorite of the king, wore the diamond. The king wore the stone set on a cravat pin of gold. Pitau’s work resulted in a 67.125-carat jewel that royal inventories listed as the Blue Diamond of the Crown of France. After purchasing the Tavernier Blue, Louis XIV hired Jean Pitau to recut the crudely-shaped triangular stone in 1678. Of course, the so-called trail of death would continue. If the jeweler’s bones didn’t become dog treats, you could argue that the stone bestowed him with an abnormally long life. While fantastic supporting evidence for the curse, other accounts say the jeweler lived to the ripe old age of 84. To make matters worse, wolves or wild dogs ravaged his corpse. Some rumors claim Jean-Baptiste Tavernier died of a raging fever not long after returning from India. And when you consider the state of the economy in 17 th century Europe, Tavernier had few clients to choose from. (Such patents cost between 400,000 and 500,000 livres at the time.) What’s more, doing business with the king came with priceless publicity. Wise notes in The French Blue, Tavernier received a patent of nobility in the deal. The stone was valued at twice that amount! Why would Tavernier part with the diamond for so little?Īs author Richard W. In 1668 or 1669, he sold this namesake jewel to King Louis XIV of France for a crazy bargain, 220,000 livres. Tavernier detailed the blue gem in his travelogue, The Six Voyages of Jean-Baptiste Tavernier (1678), providing detailed illustrations of the cut and quality. These details remain up for debate, however. Some believe Tavernier sourced it from the Kollur mine in the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh in 1666. ![]() A trader and traveler, he returned from his sixth voyage to India with the blue beauty. Tavernier described the jewel as “violet” (a synonym for blue at the time) and of the highest clarity. Named the Tavernier Blue, the diamond was later recut, birthing numerous other jewels, including the infamous Hope Diamond. In retaliation, they placed a curse on whoever possessed the gem, supposedly launching a series of unfortunate events that would impress Lemony Snicket. ![]() 1700).ĭevotees of the temple were far from impressed. Portrait of Jean-Baptiste Tavernier by Nicolas de Largillière (c.
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