On September 11, 1792, the Hope Diamond was stolen from the house that stored the crown jewels. It's a pretty fascinating little bauble—particularly if you're the sort of person who is impressed by 45.52 carat gems—but you probably wouldn't want to own it, as it's supposedly cursed.
The story goes that the curse began with the Tavernier Blue, which was the precursor to several large diamonds, including the Hope Diamond. Take this with a grain of salt, because it's never been proved: Jean-Baptiste Tavernier stole the 115.16 carat blue diamond from a Hindu statue, where it was serving as one of the eyes. Upon discovering it was missing, priests put a curse on whoever was in possession of the gem—which has included a fair amount of people over the years.
Read Full Article »