| The Hope Diamond | |
|---|---|
| |
| Relieved of ownership from the Smithsonian Museum. | |
|
Origin |
Unknown |
|
Type |
Diamond |
|
Effects |
If it feels somebody's want for happiness it will lead them to success and popularity |
|
Downsides |
Death |
|
Activation |
If it feels somebody's want for happiness. |
|
Collected by |
Artie Nielson and Dylan Striver |
|
Section |
|
|
Aisle |
Podium 12 |
|
Date of Collection |
2-5-2013 |
| [Source] | |
Origin[]
Several centuries ago, a man named Tavernier made a trip to India. While there, he stole a large blue diamond from the forehead (or eye) of a statue of the Hindu goddess Sita. For this transgression, according to the legend, Tavernier was torn apart by wild dogs on a trip to Russia (after he had sold the diamond). This was the first horrible death attributed to the curse. In 1642 a man by the name of Jean Baptiste Tavernier, a French jeweler who traveled extensively, visited India and bought a 112 3/16 carat blue diamond. (This diamond was much larger than the present weight of the Hope diamond because the Hope has been cut down at least twice in the past three centuries.) The diamond is believed to have come from the Kollur mine in Golconda, India.
Tavernier continued to travel and arrived back in France in 1668, twenty-six years after he bought the large, blue diamond. French King Louis XIV, the "Sun King," ordered Tavernier presented at court. From Tavernier, Louis XIV bought the large, blue diamond as well as forty-four large diamonds and 1,122 smaller diamonds. Tavernier was made a noble and died at he age 84 in Russia (it is not known how he died). When Louis XV died, his grandson, Louis XVI, became king with Marie Antoinette as his queen. According to the legend, Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI were beheaded during the French Revolution because of the blue diamond's curse. It was recently taken from the Smithsonian after a very bad incident.
It was one of the 'specialty artifacts' listed on the Warehouse 13 Agent Creation app.
Effects[]
The gem absorbed the diamond cutter's greed and sin at the beginning of its creation. If it feels somebody's want for happiness, it will lead them to success and popularity. But after it gets tired of a that person or they try to abuse it, the Diamond will kill them in any way that it can. Various ways it has used to cause deaths include affecting the aggression of animals, inciting drastic revolutions and, most recently, causing a fast acting infection. It sits on a pedestal under a glass case in the Dark Vault.
Agents have noted that if they walk by it while wishing for happiness, the Diamond glows lightly in an alluring manner.
Storage and Handling[]
The Hope Diamond was initially stored in the Dark Vault due to an incident that had occurred within The Display Case. After the incident was fixed and preventive measures were in place, the Hope Diamond was moved into The Display Case area.
Neutralizer gloves and goggles are mandatory. It is highly recommended that only agents who are able to contain their emotions handle the artifact to prevent accidental activation.