Happy Halloween!

Halloween is coming up, Folks! Do you know what that means? Lots of spooks and scares! Fear is a fundamental human trait. Everyone experiences it and some like it more than others. We all love a tale of a haunting or a crazy story of death. Real-life tales of horror surround a couple of jewels that are notorious for a particularly disturbing history that includes deaths and misfortune. Here are five bone chillingly creepy tales of these jinxed gems.

The Hope Diamond The award for most famous jinxed jewel has to go to the Hope Diamond. Fourteen people have fallen victim to this beautifully haunting diamond.

The story starts with Jean-Baptiste Tavernier buying the Hope Diamond from India in 1668. He was intrigued by its blue hue, leading him to call it the “French Blue”. According to the legends, he was torn to bits and pieces by dogs after purchasing the diamond but fortunately for Tavernier that is a myth. Tavernier sold the “French Blue” to King Louis XIV, but it was lost during the lootings of 1792.

The diamond resurfaced several times, finally landing in the hands of the Hope family between 1830-1939, during which time it was renamed the Hope Diamond. In 1909, Washington D.C. socialite and heiress Evelyn Walsh McLean purchased the Hope Diamond specifically because the diamond was deemed “cursed”. She said “unlucky items seem to be lucky for me”. At that point, there were no deaths or evil energy attributed to the diamond.

However, it wasn’t long until misfortune started to arise. It all started with the death of Mclean’s first born son in a horrible car crash. Later on, her husband would cheat on her, and finally her daughter committed suicide. These events spawned the horrible reputation now associated with the Hope Diamond. It is currently on display in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C.

The Koh -I-Noor Diamond Koh-I-Noor means “mountain of light” in Persian. This stone is one of the oldest and most famous diamonds in the world. At one point the stunning 106 carat diamond served as the eyes of a Hindu goddess idol.

The stone eventually made its way to the founder of the Mughal Empire, Babur. He set the stone into his crown and bad luck soon followed. His son imprisoned him and took the gem for himself. Several other owners met their own deaths shortly after acquiring the diamond.

The cursed gem was sealed and set sail from India to England. The trip did not go as planned for the merchants, seamen, and servants on board. A series of unfortunate events began to happen. There was an outbreak of cholera on board that caused locals in Mauritius to threaten to fire at the vessel if it didn't leave port and a storm raged for 12 hours. The diamond was salvaged last minute during the storm because a servant thought it was made out of glass and didn't want the glass to break everywhere. It is said that the reason why the unfortunate events began to happen to Babur and the seaman is because it is believed to have an old Hindu curse. The curse is said to only allow women to safely wear and handle the diamond. Currently it is set into Queen Elizabeth’s crown and she has not experienced any misfortune. Thankfully.

The Black Prince’s Ruby The Black Prince’s Ruby is a beautiful red stone in the center of an equally beautiful crown. At first glance the red stone looks like ruby and many people assume that it is. However, it is actually red spinel and for this reason it is also known as the “Great Imposter”.

The most heinous death that happened due to the ownership of the stone happened under Pedro the Cruel’s reign. During the conquer of Granada, Pedro’s men stabbed the Sultan of Granada many times over. The stone was picked off of the dead sultan’s body and given to Pedro.

The next owner, Edward of Woodstock, died from a mysterious disease after getting hold of the gem. Many people have barely escaped death while wearing the gem during battle. Some might say the stone might be lucky since many have escaped death but there is no denying that the “ruby” has an evil aura to it.

Black Orlov Diamond The Black Orlov Diamond is another stone that served as the eyes of a carved Hindu god. The curse began when a Jesuit monk stole the diamonds off of the idol.

The black color gives the stone a haunting look. The most notable deaths from the curse came from two Russian Princesses, who jumped to their deaths after being in possession of the diamond. One of the princesses was named Nadia Orlov, which is where the name comes from.

There is much controversy around this diamond as most the stories have been debunked. First, there are no records of black diamonds being mined in India and secondly, there are no records of a princess by the name of Nadia Orlov in Russia.

Delphi Cursed Sapphire The Delphi Sapphire is another “imposter” stone. The purple sapphire we assume it to be is actually an amethyst.

The curse surrounding this stone is also made up, by Edward Heron-Allen. The London Natural History Museum received a donation from Heron-Allen and the donation included the beautiful deep purple Delphi sapphire. Enclosed with the donation was a letter that claimed that the stone “was looted from the treasure of the Temple of the God Indra at Cawnpore during the Indian mutiny in 1855 and brought to this country by Colonel W. Ferris of the Bengal Cavalry. From the day he possessed it he was unfortunate." When the museum was questioned about the unfortunate nature of the sapphire he said he “packaged the stone inside seven boxes and deposited it with his bankers, instructing them that the gem shouldn't see the light of day until 33 years after his death. His daughter waited less than 12 months before donating it to the museum”. It is believed by people now that Heron-Allen fabricated the curse to gain credibility and generate press for himself.

Have a happy and safe Halloween! Avoid the curse of bad luck, and have your jewelry appraised at H&A! Appraisals start at only $20 for basic pieces. More elaborate pieces will cost a little more.