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Louis XIV had the blue diamond cut into a heart-shaped 67 1/8_carat gem,
which he wore during court ceremonies. The gem seems to have been bad
luck to Louis XIV’s descendants. Louis XVI and his wife Marie
Antoinette both wore the diamond. They were killed during the French
revolution in 1793. This event was the end of the French kings. The
diamond was stolen during the robbery of the French crown jewels. It
reappeared in 1812 in a smaller, 44.5 carat size. Supposedly, the
cutting was done by a Dutchman named Wilhelm Fals. He is said to have
died of grief after his son, Hendrick stole the gem from him. Hendrick
Fals later killed himself.
Tragedy continued to affect the owners of the stone. The King of
England, George IV soon acquired the diamond. He too went bankrupt and
died in 1830. The gem was next bought by Henry Hope of London. Hope had
the stone recut into its present shape, hence its name, the Hope
Diamond. Hope’s descendants also lost all of their money. They sold
the stone to a Turkish sultan, Abdul_Hamid II. He was overthrown by an
army revolt within a few months, and died penniless.
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Marie Antoinette
Abdul-Hamid II, last sultan of Turkey
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