The Hope Diamond

As a kid, I was fascinated by the Curse of the Hope Diamond.

But you don't seem to hear about it so much anymore.

For a quick rundown of the tale, visit this site, or check out the Wikipedia entry.

But surely one of the weirdest facts connected with the gem is that it was once sent through the US Mail!

Henry “Harry” Winston, a leading American jeweler and gem dealer, bought the diamond from Mrs. McLean’s estate in 1949. In November 1958 Winston donated the diamond to the Smithsonian Institution, intending it to be the foundation for a National Jewel Collection. With his years of experience in shipping jewelry all over the world, Winston chose to have the diamond delivered by registered mail. He told a reporter for the Washington Post that “ . . . [registered mail is] the safest way to ship gems. . . . I’ve sent gems all over the world that way.”

Just a thought about that curse: since 1958, the Hope Diamond has been owned, in a manner of speaking, by the whole nation. If one chooses to date America's hard times--the end of some mythical Golden Age--from roughly that period, could it be said that the curse is still operative?

Why not sell the Hope Diamond to a rich oil shiek, use the money to help relieve the deficit, and see what happens?