45.52 carats
The Hope Diamond--the world's largest deep blue diamond--is more than a billion
years old. It formed deep within the Earth and was carried by a volcanic eruption
to the surface in what is now India. Since the Hope Diamond was found in the
early 1600s, it has crossed oceans and continents and passed from kings to commoners.
It has been stolen and recovered, sold and resold, cut and recut. Through it
all, the diamond's value increased. In 1958, Harry Winston donated the Hope
Diamond to the Museum, and it now belongs to the people of the United States.
Visit the Museum to learn more about the dramatic interactions between people
and this diamond, and about its natural history. Visit the Janet Annenberg Hooker
Hall of Geology, Gems, and Minerals which opened in September, 1997.
