Issue No. 23: Of Adamants & Antoinette
A history of the Hope Diamond, gems belonging to the infamous French queen, and Her Majesty's adopted daughter.
Welcome back, my friends! In this week’s issue, you’ll learn about the history of the Hope Diamond, a gem with an alleged curse. I’ll also share about some diamond earrings associated with Marie Antoinette and a book review about a lesser-known member of the French royal family: an adopted daughter named Ernestine.
Also, you may wonder how the Hope Diamond, a book, and a piece of jewelry all connect, but it does, I promise!
The Curse of the Hope Diamond
A Brief History of the Diamond
In the 17th century, miners unearthed a most spectacular gem in the Kollur Mine in Guntur, India. Sapphire-blue in color, it came into the possession of the explorer Jean-Baptiste Tavernier alongside many other gemological specimens. In turn, Tavernier showed his collection of diamonds to the French king Louis XIV, also known as the “Sun King”.
King Louis purchased the lot of fourteen diamonds and other smaller gems in 1668 and elevated Tavernier to the nobility. Jean Pittman the Younger, one of the king’s jewelers, supervised the blue diamond’s cutting into a more fashionable European style, emphasizing its beauty, brilliance, and symmetry.1 Jewelers cut the diamond into a 68-carat heart-shaped rock, and it became part of the French royal jewels, earning the name of the “Blue Diamond of the Crown” or the “French Blue”.
Possession of the Tavernier diamond passed through the French monarchs through the reign of Louis XVI (r. 1774-1792) and his wife Marie Antoinette. After Louis’s overthrow in September 1792, thieves stole the crown jewels, including the famous blue diamond. According to the Smithsonian, it’s not believed that Marie Antoinette or other French royalty wore the diamond as it served more as a symbol of state rather than an adornment to be worn.2
In the 19th century, the Tavernier diamond traveled across the Channel to England, passing through a series of owners including a diamond merchant, possibly King George IV, and finally, Henry Philip Hope, after whom the diamond gained its current designation. Between 1792 and 1839 - when a similar diamond appears in a published catalog of Hope’s gem collection - the Tavernier gem underwent some recutting into the beauty we know today. Hope’s catalog waxes poetic about the diamond:
A most magnificent and rare brilliant, of a deep sapphire blue, of the greatest purity, and most beautifully cut…This matchless gem combines the beautiful colour of the sapphire with the prismatic fire and brilliancy of the diamond, and, on account of its extraordinary colour, great size, and other fine qualities, it certainly may be called unique…3
The Hope Diamond was then passed down through the Hope family until it came into the possession of diamond dealer Simon Frankel in 1901. After a couple more owners, the famous jeweler Pierre Cartier purchased it and then resold it to the American socialite Evalyn Walsh McLean and her husband in 1911. Upon her death in 1947, the trustees of her property sold off her jewelry collection to cover debt. Diamond merchant Harry Winston purchased the entire collection, including the Hope Diamond, in 1949.
Finally, Winston donated the Hope Diamond to the Smithsonian Institution on November 10, 1958. The brilliant and storied gem has remained in the custody of the museum since then.
The Curse
Like King Tut, the storied past of the Hope Diamond has sparked rumors of a curse. People associated with the diamond supposedly met disasters or unfortunate ends. Writing in Western Folklore, Herbert Halpert identifies a few:
The first owner…is believed to have been killed by a pack of dogs. Next came a princess [Marie Thérèse Louise of Savoy, Princesse de Lamballe] who was beaten to death by a French mob. Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette possessed the Hope, and they expired on the guillotine. Another French family came by the diamond…[and] were wiped out in a fall over a cliff.4
Halpert continues in the same vein through the rest of his musings, illuminating the ends faced by the Hope family, the McLean family, even the postman who delivered the Hope Diamond to the Smithsonian. But where did the “curse” legend even come from?
Spurious rumors entwined with the Hope Diamond’s actual history in the early 20th century. According to the Smithsonian, some owners may have met sad demises, but others, such as Pierre Cartier, may have spread and embellished the tales for their motivations.5
One of the owners, May Yohé, provided some examples of the alleged curse:
Jean Baptiste Tavernier - Torn to pieces by wild dogs.
Madame de Montespan - Deserted by the King and ruined.
Lord Hope (First) - Misfortunes, ending with the death of favorite son.
Simon Frankel - Financial reverses (1901).
Lorens Ladue - Killed by her lover.
Keeper of its vault - Strangled.
Selim Habib - Drowned off Singapore, 1909.6
The Hope Diamond curse is quite a fascinating phenomenon. And yet, it’s reflective of the spread of sensational journalism in the early 20th century. Regardless, you can see this lovely gem for yourself at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History!
Book of the Week: Ernestine by Michiel Korte
(Note: this text is taken from my review on this book! ~AT)
Ernestine recounts the inner workings and downfall of the French royal family during the French Revolution. Author Michiel Korte tells the tale from the perspective of their adopted daughter Marie-Philippine Lambriquet, otherwise known as Ernestine (1778-1813). Born at the Palace of Versailles, Marie-Philippine lived with her parents in the Grand Commun, a dwelling designated for servants and secondary officers. Her father served the brother of Louis XVI, and her mother worked as a chambermaid in the Palace.
Queen Marie Antoinette selected Marie-Philippine as a playmate and friend to her young daughter Marie-Thérèse Charlotte. Many noted the physical resemblance between the pair, and the queen hoped the young girl would ground the spirited princess.7 Eventually, Charlotte called Marie Philippine “Ernestine” after a character in a novel by Marie Jeanne Riccoboni.
After the death of her mother, the royal family formally adopted Ernestine on November 9, 1788. She lived the same lifestyle as Charlotte and grew very attached to the royals. Her divided loyalties between her biological and adopted families forms one of Ernestine’s personal conflicts and opportunities for her character development. Ultimately, Ernestine’s decision will determine her fate.
Set during the Reign of Terror, Ernestine presents a side to the story not often written about – that of a non-royal close to the monarchy. History often overlooks the commonfolk. As a result, Ernestine serves to up-end French royalist fiction through the sympathetic portrayal of an intelligent protagonist.
Ernestine shows the naiveté of youth, but this is tempered by her growth and character development. Throughout the novel, Ernestine must contend with her loyalties to both her family and her adopted family. Additionally, she constantly wonders about her place in society and if she will lose Charlotte’s friendship due to their extraordinary circumstances. Her struggles come to define her, but Ernestine slowly but surely overcomes them.
Overall, Korte combines meticulous research and excellent storytelling to write a refreshing and highly readable historical novel.
Artifact of the Week: Marie Antoinette’s Diamond Earrings
This magnificent pair of earrings contains two diamonds that supposedly belonged to Queen Marie Antoinette. The provenance is a bit sketchy, but they came into the possession of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History as a gift from Mrs. Eleanor Barzin in 1964. They are now on display alongside other magnificent gems!
Artifact Description
Title: Marie Antoinette Diamond Earrings
Carats: Two diamonds, 14.25 carats and 20.34 carats
Date: c. 18th century
Material: Diamond and platinum
Collection: The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
Thank you for joining me this week! Have a great weekend!
Cheers,
Featured image: Portrait of Marie Antoinette, Jean-Baptiste André Gautier-Dagoty, c. 1775 (Musée Antoine-Lécuyer)
The Smithsonian Institution, “History of the Hope Diamond,” https://naturalhistory.si.edu/explore/collections/hope-diamond-history, accessed June 28, 2024.
Ibid.
Henry Philip Hope, A Catalogue of the Collection of Pearls and Precious Stones Formed by Henry Philip Hope, Esq. (London: William Clowes and Suns, 1839), 25.
Herbert Halpert, “Hope Diamond,” Western Folklore 20, no. 3 (1961), 203-204, https://www.jstor.org/stable/1496870.
The Smithsonian, “Hope Diamond.”
Ibid.
Susan Nagel writes in her biography on Marie-Thérèse that rumors persisted in the French court that Ernestine was actually the king’s illegitimate daughter due to these similarities.
Thanks, Amy, for this glimpse into a topic I knew little about. I have purchased Ernestine. It is always interesting to read a book from a completely different perspective.