Eye Candy: Cursed Diamonds

Don’t steal anything from the gods. That’s common sense, right?

Well …

Here are three of the most exceptional gemstones you’ll be glad you never owned:

11. The Koh-i-noor Diamond ( "Mountain of Light")

The Koh-i-noor is in the center of the white diamond cross.

 

 

 

Origin: India.

Legend says it was stolen from the Hindu god Krishna while he slept.

Notable Tale of Woe:

      When the Persians took Delhi in 1739, the reigning Mughal emperor hid the diamond in his turban. But a member of his own harem ratted him out. The Persian shah left the turban in place but got the diamond anyway …  by cutting off the emperor’s head.

Where It Is Now:

Among the coronation crowns of the English Queen consorts.

12. The Hope Diamond

The 45.52-carat Hope Diamond is set in a necklace by Harry Winston.

Origin: India

According to legend, it was taken from the eye socket of a statue of the Hindu goddess Sita.

Notable Tale of Woe:

      At the dawn of the French Revolution   the “French Blue” was part of the country’s Crown Jewels, which symbolized the monarchy. When Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were captured by an angry mob, looters seized the diamond. And as everyone knows, the unlucky king and queen lost their heads.

Where It Is Now:

      On display at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. 

 3. The Orlov Diamond

The Orlov Diamond is the size and shape of half a chicken's egg.

Origin: India

      Like the Hope Diamond, this gem was also pried from the eye of a Hindu god.

Notable Tale of Woe:

      Russian Empress Catherine II was having an affair. After her husband was removed from the throne, she assumed power and dumped her lover, Count Orlov, for a Russian prince. Orlov tried to win her back with something big and sparkly. It didn’t work. But Catherine took the diamond and set it in her scepter … an eternal reminder of Orlov’s heartache.

Where It Is Now:

      With Moscow’s Kremlin Diamond Fund, an exhibit that showcases Russia's crown jewels.