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Hope Diamond: The Legendary History of a Cursed Gem
The true story behind the most famous-and infamous-stone in the world.
The Hope diamond is not only exceptionally beautiful it has a long and incredibly colorful history. That history - spread over three continents - features diamond mining in India, the French Revolution, the machinations of British King George IV, the Gilded Age in America and a number of very clever jewe...more
The Hope diamond is not only exceptionally beautiful it has a long and incredibly colorful history. That history - spread over three continents - features diamond mining in India, the French Revolution, the machinations of British King George IV, the Gilded Age in America and a number of very clever jewe...more
Hardcover, 400 pages
Published
May 9th 2006
by HarperCollins Publishers
(first published May 1st 2006)
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Cursed or not cursed, that is the question. On one hand, cursed means more tourists coming to see, which means more money.
But cursed doesn't seem likely.
The Hope Diamond is one of the draws to Smithison Natural History museum. It forms part of a gem collection and is always surronded by people, most of whom just look at it because everyone else is. Or they think it is the biggest diamond in the world. (I like the mammal better myself, though there is something about the Hope).
Kurin's book is as...more
But cursed doesn't seem likely.
The Hope Diamond is one of the draws to Smithison Natural History museum. It forms part of a gem collection and is always surronded by people, most of whom just look at it because everyone else is. Or they think it is the biggest diamond in the world. (I like the mammal better myself, though there is something about the Hope).
Kurin's book is as...more
A book sponsored by & published by the Smithsonian itself, this is a truly fascinating look at the actual history of one of the most famous diamonds in the world. The author spent over 10 years in the researching of the diamond, & the places he went to learn these things I could only ever dream of being able to go... The Hope is supposed to be "cursed" by ill fortune to whoever wears it or comes in contact with it, but most of that has been disproved, since the authors even went to the t...more
This book wound up being utterly fascinating. Kurin tracks the diamond back through its recorded history, from the mid-seventeenth century to the present day. Along the way, he provides details on diamond mining, composition and cutting as well as Indian and European politics and history. The 'curse' of the Hope diamond turns out to be so much nonsense, but the reality makes for a much better tale.
I was starting to feel a little cursed myself while reading this book, since every time I tried to pick it up life would interfere. But alas, I and the book have prevailed and the reading is complete.
Kurin not only captures every bit of history surrounding the Hope diamond, but the mining, trading, and cutting associated with diamonds in general. I found myself, more than once, trapping anyone around me and making them listen as I read a passage or two. I had to laugh when Kurin talks about the...more
Kurin not only captures every bit of history surrounding the Hope diamond, but the mining, trading, and cutting associated with diamonds in general. I found myself, more than once, trapping anyone around me and making them listen as I read a passage or two. I had to laugh when Kurin talks about the...more
Aug 05, 2009
Mikki Cabrera
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
everyone
Recommended to Mikki by:
Machele Taliaferro
Fascinating book about the Hope Diamond. The cool things is that by following the Hope Daimond, you have an opportunity to follow history-all wrapped around something as intriguing as the lore and legend surround this famous gem, which now resides in the Smithsonian Gem Museum. Great read!
I purchased this book at the Smithsonian after seeing the Hope with my own eyes. I knew virtually nothing about the stone, including the legend of its curse, so this book seemed a perfect fit for my curiosity. Dr. Kurin does a magnificent job of detailing the history of this stone-from its origins to the technology used to cut and shape the stone. And while all this information is great from a research perspective, it did not make for the most interesting read. There are other books out there th...more
The writing wasn't perfect and it could have gone without a few chapters, but very well researched work.
Fascinating account of the world's most famous gem. A good bit of collateral history was included as the diamond made it's way from one owner to the next.
Not bad--learned a lot about diamonds and gems in general. Some excellent turns of phrase, and incredible guess-work and research about the Hope diamond. Some sections are cheesy and there's an overall tone that suggests the duller parts of touring a museum, but it doesn't get too bogged down. Overall, an interesting read.
The beginning was slow and a bit boring. But the ending was much more interesting. After finishing, I trekked down to the National Museum of Natural History to see the famed Hope Diamond. Ends up, it will be put in a new setting next month. I'll have to go back and see it then.
I had high hopes for this one, but it was slow to take off. Some parts were not very interesting. It details tne ownership and history of the Hope Diamond. I didn't realize it was so old, but some of the early years' info was very dry.
This book was one that I randomly picked up in the library because it looked interesting. So far I have not been bored, and I'm learning a lot about Indian history and trade between countries during the 15th and 16th centuries.
Bought this at the Smithsonian after seeing the dimond.
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