When Harry Winston donated the legendary Hope Diamond to the Museum of Pure Historical past in Washington, D.C. in 1958, he mailed the stone through the US postal service for $2.44. That was a seemingly dangerous transfer contemplating that the 45.52-carat steely blue diamond has been valued by some at $200 million to $300 million; others say it’s priceless.

However Harry Winston believed that everybody ought to get pleasure from seeing magnificent diamonds and gem stones, which is why he contributed the Hope Diamond and different well-known stones to public establishments.

Historic pure diamonds are a predominant attraction in a number of museums internationally. It’s historic and cultural materials, and infrequently a logo of a nation’s wealth and energy. So subsequent time you might be in London, Paris, Washington D.C., or Dresden, Germany, listed here are the 5 museums the place you possibly can see epic diamonds—and take a selfie.

The Régent, Louvre Museum, Paris

If Paris is in your itinerary this summer season, be certain that to go to the Apollo Gallery within the Louvre Museum to see the museum’s most spectacular jewel: The 141-carat Régent diamond, which as a logo of the French monarchy’s energy and wealth has adorned Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte’s sword and several other royal crowns.

Found in Golconda, India in 1698, the stone was initially bought (some say stolen) by Sir Thomas Pitt, then Governor of the British settlement of Madras. In 1717, he bought it to Duke Philippe d’ Orléans, the French Regent (therefore the identify), who added it to the French Crown assortment. In 1792 in the course of the French Revolution, the stone disappeared. A yr later, it was found hidden within the beams of an attic, and in 1800 bought by Napoleon I. It was the centerpiece of royal crowns and regalia, and final adorned Empress Eugenie’s Greek-style diadem. It’s been a part of the Louvre’s assortment since 1887.

The Louvre’s assortment additionally homes the fabled Sancy, a 55.2-carat pale yellow, pear-shaped diamond, which could be traced again 500 years to Charles the Daring. It was pawned to finance wars, stolen, and a loyal servant swallowed the stone somewhat than forfeit it to thieves. It was later faraway from his cadaver.

The Dresden Inexperienced, Inexperienced Vault, Dresden Royal Palace

In 2019, the Dresden Inexperienced Vault was the scene of a jewellery theft worthy of a film. Fortunately, the museum’s most well-known diamond, the Dresden Inexperienced, was on exhibit at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Artwork on the time of the break-in. The thieves had been promptly apprehended but it surely took one other yr to find the lacking jewels, that are again on exhibit within the museum.

At 41 carats, the Dresden Inexperienced is a once-in-a-lifetime jewel. Inexperienced diamonds are exceptionally uncommon, and one in every of this dimension is taken into account a freak of nature. Found within the historic Golconda mines of India in 1722, the inexperienced diamond turned a part of the Royal Courtroom of Saxony, and an emblem of the Golden Fleece. Frederick the Nice of Prussia fancied the stone, and had it set in a hat pin, the place it’s nonetheless displayed right now.

The Hope Diamond, Museum of Pure Historical past, Washington, D.C.

Hundreds of thousands of holiday makers line up yearly to view the Hope Diamond, which is the centerpiece of the museum’s Corridor of Gems. Till the Hope got here to gentle, most individuals by no means knew that diamonds may very well be blue. Extra lately, elusive blue diamonds have caught the general public’s consideration with record-breaking gross sales, together with the 14.62-carat Oppenheimer blue diamond, which fetched $57.8 million in 2016. That’s not even shut in dimension to the 45.52-carat steely blue Hope Diamond.

Take observe, the typical carat weight of a diamond engagement ring hovers round one carat, so the Hope is sort of 50 occasions bigger!

The Hope was found within the well-known Golconda mines of India and bought by French service provider Jean Baptiste Tavernier, who bought it to King Louis XIV in 1668 the place it remained till the French Revolution. It was stolen, reappeared in a brand new reduce, modified palms a number of occasions, and in 1911 was bought to heiress Evalyn Walsh McLean. Upon her demise in 1947, it was bought by Harry Winston.

The Hope Diamond has a salacious historical past: It’s been referred to as a cursed diamond since a number of of its previous homeowners confronted demise and tragedy when it was of their possession. Fortunately, it’s safely underneath glass and may’t hurt anybody.

The Cullinan Diamond, Tower of London

The historic Tower of London’s Jewel Home has been newly restored so guests can get a better have a look at the primary attraction: The British Crown Jewels. When they’re pulled out for historic occasions, just like the current coronation of King Charles, it’s a reminder of the Brit’s lavish royal pomp and circumstance that has endured for hundreds of years.

In the case of royal jewels, nothing trumps the Cullinan I, the large 503-carat diamond positioned within the British Crown’s royal scepter. It’s the biggest colorless pear-cut diamond on the earth.

That mammoth diamond was reduce from the unique Cullinan diamond, a 3,106-carat tough stone found in South Africa in 1905, which nonetheless holds the file as the biggest identified tough diamond. The Cullinan was introduced to King Edward VII, who had it reduce by the Asscher firm into 9 main stones which reside in numerous items within the British Royal assortment. The second largest is Cullinan II, a 317-carat cushion reduce diamond set within the Imperial State Crown.

Aurora Pyramid of Hope, Pure Historical past Museum, London

 Once we consider diamonds, white or colorless involves thoughts. However pure diamonds exist in nearly each colour within the rainbow. These are often called fancy-colored diamonds and, in high qualities, they’re remarkably uncommon. For each 10,000 white diamonds, just one is classed as fancy or with measurable colour. That’s what makes the Aurora Pyramid, that includes 296 fancy-colored pure diamonds, a phenomenon.

The gathering was assembled by passionate New York diamond collectors Alan Bronstein and Harry Rodman, who spent greater than a decade looking for fancy-colored diamonds in each potential hue.

The Aurora assortment demonstrates that there’s at all times extra to find about pure diamonds.