![]() ![]() McLean’s later misfortunes-her husband ran off with another woman and later died in a sanitarium, a car struck and killed her son and her daughter died of a drug overdose-contributed to the perception that the stone was cursed. Over the years, other publications picked up the story, helping perpetuate the legend about the stone. McLean purchased the jewel-an acquisition reported in the New York Times on January 29, 1911, with a recounting of Cartier’s dark tale. Cartier created a fantastic story about the jewel’s provenance and how the stone brought grief to anyone who handled it. socialite Evalyn Walsh McLean to buy the gem. A coincidental string of unfortunate events befell its handlers.īackstory: The so-called curse originated as a marketing ploy devised by jeweler Pierre Cartier to entice Washington, D.C. Penland / Smithsonian Institutionįact: It isn’t. He used the curse as a marketing ploy to entice Evalyn Walsh McLean to buy the gem.ĭane A. The curse of the Hope Diamond originated with jeweler Pierre Cartier. So on the occasion of the Smithsonian's anniversary, we take this opportunity to clear up a few of the tall tales, myths and misunderstandings. Yet perhaps because of the breadth and eclecticism of its collections, visitors sometimes arrive at the Institution with a few misconceptions. The Smithsonian Institution has been a part of the American landscape since 1846. ![]()
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