A Great Blue Hope
Most often the word Diamond calls to mind colorless, sparkly gem stones rolling on back velvet or dazzling in a ring setting. The colors of diamonds, however, are as variant as the rainbow. The largest faceted or cut diamond, the Golden Jubilee Diamond (545.67 carats) is of a yellow-brown color. The largest ever rough-uncut diamond found was the Cullinan Diamond (3,106.75 carats prior to cutting), which is deemed white in color. Others range from citrine green and yellow to pumpkin orange. Though likely one of the world's most famous diamonds, the Hope Diamond, is dark blue. Blue diamonds are rare enough, but a dark blue even more so.
While the Hope Diamond is not the world's largest blue diamond, it is the largest dark blue at 45.5 carats. It had been cut from a larger stone, The French Blue (69 carats), which was also cut from an even larger stone, The Tavernier Blue (nearly 115 carats). Until February 9, 2005 this series of familial cuts was speculation. The history of the Hope Diamond was shrouded in mystery complete with tales of curses and thievery.
The Discovery Channel's “Unsolved History” delved into the mysterious history of the Hope Diamond to examine the outrageous claims that the stone was cursed; stolen from the eye of an Hindu goddess Sita in an ancient Temple in India; that it caused the beheading deaths of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, as well as the rape, mutilation and beheading of the Princesse de Lamballe. The documentary also sought to prove or disprove the rumors and beliefs that the Hope Diamond is actually cut from the stolen French Crown Jewels and in that respect the true property of the French Government. To do this, they followed a team of gemologists selected by the Smithsonian Museum, which currently holds ownership of the jewel, to scientifically analyze not only the quality, color and clarity of the diamond, but to geometrically analyze the cut using computer software and laser measurement systems to determine if it was in fact possible for the Hope Diamond to have been cut from the French Blue, and in turn also the Tavernier Blue Diamond.
The historical lineage of the Hope Diamond's owners leading up to Henry Phillip Hope in 1824, from whom the diamond received its current name, is fascinating as it traveled from India through many hands before coming to rest at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. Even the Smithsonian's procurement was unique in that it arrived through the US postal service oddly in a plain brown paper bag. The documentarians take obvious enjoyment in the mystique to the stone's history, and use the tales as well as a rather thorough explanation of various facets of the diamond industry to draw out the inevitable conclusion of the Hope Diamond's paternal stone.
Although the documentary is nearly four years old, and the results of their discoveries already grace most websites and literature relating to the Hope Diamond, the material is presented in a fun and enthusiastic manner. Given the tone and mood of a forensic crime drama, the show creators convey the excitement of the Gemologists and the Smithsonian as they make true revelations in the history of this already very famous diamond. While at some moments the attempts to make the documentary less “history channel” and more “CSI” are contrived enough to induce a few snickers, the overall effort is an admirable attempt to make a fairly niche interest more inviting to a broader audience. Pleasantly worth the 50-minute watch, Unsolved History: The Hope Diamond dispels the mystery and rumor, but not the fascination and wonder that surrounds the infamous Hope Diamond.