A precious stone that has claimed many lives: the secrets of one of the most expensive diamonds in the world

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The Nadiya diamond is shrouded in legends that are frightening and fascinating at the same time. Its path is filled with stories of loss, curses, and misfortune that have haunted the owners of this precious stone for centuries.

The 45.52-carat deep blue diamond, mined in India, is one of the most famous gemstones in the world. However, its history is shrouded not only in beauty, but also in tales of the curse that has haunted its owners.

The diamond was named not because of symbolic hope, but in honor of the British collector Henry Hope, who owned it in the 19th century. However, the stone's path to recognition was difficult: from a mysterious acquisition in India in the 17th century to the tragic events that accompanied many of its owners.

The first known owner of the diamond was the French merchant Jean-Baptiste Tavernier. According to one legend, the gem was stolen from a statue of the goddess Sita, for which Tavernier was allegedly cursed.

Although the merchant lived a long life, the subsequent history of the diamond is striking with its tragedies. In the 18th century, the diamond adorned the kings of France, Louis XIV, XV and XVI, but the last of them, together with his wife Marie Antoinette, died on the guillotine during the revolution.

After disappearing during the revolution, the stone turned up in London, where it was purchased by members of the British elite, including King George IV. However, financial difficulties forced the new owners to sell the jewel.

The diamond also brought misfortune to Lord Francis Hope, who went bankrupt, and his wife May Yohe, who left him.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the diamond ended up in the United States. Its owner, American heiress Evelyn Walsh McLean, ignored rumors of a curse, but many tragedies occurred in her life: the death of her son, the breakup of her marriage, her husband's madness, and her daughter's overdose.

In 1949, the stone was purchased by Harry Winston, who donated it to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, where it remains to this day.

The Hope Diamond remains the subject of legends and admiration. Its value is estimated at $350 million, but the stone is “not for sale.” Is it really cursed, or is it just a coincidence? The answer still remains a mystery.