The Hope Diamond was mined in 17th-century India and was sold to King Louis XIV of France in 1668. It was recut into a 67-carat stone by his jeweler several years later. In 1749, King Louis XV had the stone recut yet again. It was turned over to the French government together with the rest of the French royal jewels during the French Revolution, only for it to be stolen in September 1792. It disappeared until 1830 when it was said to be in the possession of a London diamond merchant.
Its next owner was Henry William Hope, who took possession of it in 1839, and this is why it came to be known as the Hope Diamond during his ownership. It was then sold to Pierre Cartier in 1909 following Hope’s death, who then sold it to a Washington DC socialite. The next owner was jeweler Harry Winston, who purchased it in 1949 before sending it on a decade-long world tour. The Hope Diamond has been in the Smithsonian Institution ever since 1958. It weighs 45.52 carats and is insured for between $200 and $250 million.
