The French Blue, The Hope Diamond, and How 1791 Diamonds got its name

The French Blue Diamond

In 1668, King Louis the Fourteenth of France bought the 115 carat Tavernier blue diamond and had it cut in the French Blue.

The French Blue was originally used for various royal ceremonies, but later was given to Marie Antoinette to wear by King Louis the Sixteenth.

in 1791, the French Blue was handed over to the government when the Louis and Marie attempted to flee the coming French Revolution. They were imprisoned and later beheaded.

The Hope Diamond

The French Blue was stolen during the revolution, and disappeared. Years afterwards, a magnificent blue diamond of unknown provenance appeared in the possession of a London diamond merchant. Rumours abounded that this treasure had been cut from the stolen French Blue.

Curse of the Hope Diamond

A Times article in 1909 fanned the flames of controversy, claiming all manner of disasters had befallen the diamond's past owners, much of which was fanciful and some of which was outrageously fictitious.

The full list of supposedly cursed owners of the hope diamond can be found in Wikipedia.

French Blue Mystery Solved

In 1949, the Hope Diamond was bought by Harry Winston, who in 1958, donated the gem to the Smithsonian Institute. It is now part of the National Gem Collection in the Smithsonian Institution where it is on display to the public.

Two hundred and thirteen years after it was stolen from France, it was finally established by those diligent scientists at the Smithsonian what had happened to that beautiful looted diamond and where the Hope Diamond had come from.

In 2005, researchers using computer analysis were able to show that the Hope Diamond could indeed fit inside the French Blue, and they demonstrated precisely how the Hope Diamond was cut from the French Blue. Finally, the mystery was solved.

1791 Diamonds Pty Ltd

The name "1791 Diamonds" is in fact derived from the story of the Hope Diamond. The founders created the company to sell jewellery of elegant design and exquisite craftsmanship to the public via the internet. Centuries ago, such jewellery was the preserve of nobility and the key date of 1791 is when the French Blue diamond was passed over to the government, eventually being re-cut into the Hope Diamond, and is now the preserve of the public.