Beware the Bling: The Cursed Gemstones that Carry a Dark LegacyFriday the 13th Edition
Koh-i-noor Diamond
It’s Friday the 13th—considered by many to be a day of bad luck, mishaps, and the occasional mysterious shiver down the spine. So today felt like the perfect time to explore some of the world’s most notorious gemstones—gems said to be cursed, steeped in centuries of strange misfortune, tragedy, and eerie coincidences.
Whether you believe in curses or not, the stories surrounding these jewels are fascinating, chilling, and oddly captivating. Let’s dive in.
💎 The Hope Diamond
Arguably the most famous of all “cursed” gems, the Hope Diamond is a striking blue diamond weighing in at 45.52 carats. It began its known journey in 1668 when a French merchant, Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, acquired a large blue diamond in India. He sold it to King Louis XIV of France, and it remained with the French royals until 1792, when revolutionaries looted the crown jewels during the chaos of the French Revolution.
After that, the stone vanished for years—only to reappear in London in 1812, recut and renamed. The Smithsonian Institution now believes this gem to be the very same “French Blue,” reborn as the Hope Diamond.
The diamond passed through a string of wealthy owners—King George IV, London banker Henry Philip Hope (from whom it got its name), and eventually the famed jeweller Pierre Cartier. He sold it to American heiress Evalyn Walsh McLean, who was determined to defy the curse.
She threw parties where guests played “Find the Hope” on her estate, hunting for the diamond like it was a harmless game. But her life soon took a dark turn: her son died in a car crash, her husband left her, the family newspaper (The Washington Post) went bankrupt, her daughter died, and not long after, Evalyn passed away too. Her estate was sold to cover her debts.
Today, the Hope Diamond rests in the Smithsonian Museum. Since arriving there, its dark streak seems to have calmed... for now.
💎 The Koh-I-Noor Diamond
This gleaming white diamond, currently set into the British Queen Mother’s crown, carries a legend just as heavy as its 105.6 carats.
The Koh-I-Noor (which means "Mountain of Light") was mined in India, and possibly once adorned a statue of a Hindu goddess. It was later seized by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, who built the Taj Mahal. After being passed from ruler to ruler—many of whom met violent or tragic ends—it finally landed in the hands of the British Empire in 1849, after the annexation of Punjab.
Even the diamond’s journey to England wasn’t smooth. There were storms, an outbreak of cholera, local protests at a port stop in Mauritius, and at one point the stone was almost lost—tucked away and forgotten in a waistcoat pocket.
Its legend comes with a chilling warning: Only women may wear the Koh-I-Noor safely. Men who possess or wear it are said to suffer ruin. Perhaps this is why, to this day, no British king has ever worn the diamond.
It now sits on display in the Tower of London, glittering under glass, but many believe it still holds the weight of centuries-old turmoil.
💎 The Delhi Sapphire (That Isn’t a Sapphire)
Despite the name, the Delhi Sapphire is actually an amethyst—and a magnet for misfortune.
The story begins in 1857, when Colonel W. Ferris, a Bengal cavalry officer, looted the gemstone from a sacred temple of Indra in India. Upon returning to England, both he and his son fell into financial and physical ruin.
Decades later, the gem passed to Edward Heron-Allen, a scientist and writer. He was plagued by bad luck while owning it. In desperation, he gave it away—twice. Both recipients suffered misfortunes of their own and returned the stone in fear.
Heron-Allen finally threw the gem into London’s Regent’s Canal, hoping to be rid of it forever. But it came back, dredged up by a canal worker and returned to him by a jeweller who recognized the stone.
Eventually, Heron-Allen sealed it inside seven nested boxes, surrounded by protective charms, and left it with a bank alongside a stern warning. He instructed that the gem not be opened until 33 years after his death. His daughter, however, sent it to the Natural History Museum sooner, where it sits to this day.
Even now, it’s said to cause strange occurrences. Museum curator John Whittaker took it to a symposium dedicated to Heron-Allen’s legacy—and was caught in a violent thunderstorm on the way home. Before the next symposium, he was struck down with severe food poisoning. Before the third, he suffered a painful kidney stone. Coincidence? Maybe. Or maybe the gem isn’t quite done making its mark.
Final Thoughts
It’s easy to laugh off tales of cursed jewels as nothing more than legend. But there’s something about these stories—the strange chain of misfortunes, the way these stones seem to carry sorrow like a memory—that makes you wonder.
So today, on this famously unlucky Friday the 13th, maybe don’t tempt fate.
