What Does the Curse of the Hope Diamond Do

According to the legend, a curse befell the large, blue diamond when it was plucked (i.e. stolen) from an idol in India — a curse that foretold bad luck and death not only for the owner of the diamond but for all who touched it. Whether or not you believe in the curse, the Hope diamond has intrigued people for centuries. Its perfect quality, its large size, and its rare color make it strikingly unique and beautiful. Add to this a varied history which includes being owned by King Louis XIV, stolen during the French Revolution, sold to earn money for gambling, worn to raise money for charity, and then finally donated to the Smithsonian Institution. The Hope diamond is truly unique. Is there really a curse? Where has the Hope diamond been? Why was such a valuable gem donated to the Smithsonian? Taken From the Forehead of an Idol The legend is said to begin with a theft. 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. How much of this is true? 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, 26  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 44  large diamonds and 1,122 smaller diamonds. Tavernier was made a noble and died at the age 84 in Russia (it is not known how he died).1 According to Susanne Patch, author of Blue Mystery: The Story of the Hope Diamond, the shape of the diamond was unlikely to have been an eye (or on the forehead) of an idol.2 Worn by Kings In 1673, King Louis XIV decided to re-cut the diamond to enhance its brilliance (the previous cut had been to enhance size and not brilliance). The newly cut gem was 67 1/8 carats. Louis XIV officially named it the Blue Diamond of the Crown and would often wear the diamond on a long ribbon around his neck. In 1749, Louis XIVs great-grandson, Louis XV, was king and ordered the crown jeweler to make a decoration for the Order of the Golden Fleece, using the blue diamond and the Cote de Bretagne (a large red spinel thought at the time to be a ruby).3 The resulting decoration was extremely ornate and large. The Hope Diamond Was Stolen 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 diamonds curse. Considering that King Louis XIV and King Louis XV had both owned and worn the blue diamond a number of times and have not been set down in legend as tormented by the curse, it is difficult to say that all those who owned or touched the gem would suffer an ill fate. Though it is true that Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI were beheaded, it seems that it had much more to do with their extravagance and the French Revolution than a curse on the diamond. Plus, these two royals were certainly not the only ones beheaded during the Reign of Terror. During the French Revolution, the crown jewels (including the blue diamond) were taken from the royal couple after they attempted to flee France in 1791. The jewels were placed in the Garde-Meuble but were not well guarded. From September 12 to September 16, 1791, the Garde-Meuble was repeatedly robbed, without notice from officials until September 17. Though most of the crown jewels were soon recovered, the blue diamond was not. The Blue Diamond Resurfaces There is some evidence that the blue diamond resurfaced in London by 1813 and was owned by jeweler Daniel Eliason by 1823.4 No one is sure that the blue diamond in London was the same one stolen from the Garde-Meuble because the one in London was of a different cut. Yet, most people feel the rarity and perfectness of the French blue diamond and the blue diamond that appeared in London makes it likely that someone re-cut the French blue diamond in the hopes of hiding its origin. The blue diamond that surfaced in London was estimated at 44 carats. There is some evidence that shows King George IV of England bought the blue diamond from Daniel Eliason and upon King Georges death, the diamond was sold to pay off debts. Why Is It Called the Hope Diamond? By 1939, possibly earlier, the blue diamond was in the possession of Henry Philip Hope, from whom the Hope diamond has taken its name. The Hope family is said to have been tainted with the diamonds curse. According to the legend, the once-rich Hopes went bankrupt because of the Hope diamond. Is this true? Henry Philip Hope was one of the heirs of the banking firm Hope Co. which was sold in 1813. Henry Philip Hope became a collector of fine art and gems, thus he acquired the large blue diamond that was soon to carry his familys name. Since he had never married, Henry Philip Hope left his estate to his three nephews when he died in 1839. The Hope diamond went to the oldest of the nephews, Henry Thomas Hope. Henry Thomas Hope married and had one daughter; his daughter soon grew up, married and had five children. When Henry Thomas Hope died in 1862 at the age of 54, the Hope diamond stayed in the possession of Hopes widow. But when Henry Thomas Hopes widow died, she passed the Hope diamond on to her grandson, the second oldest son, Lord Francis Hope (he took the name Hope in 1887). Because of gambling and high spending, Francis Hope requested from the court in 1898 for him to sell the Hope diamond (Francis was only given access to the life interest on his grandmothers estate). His request was denied. In 1899, an appeal case was heard and again his request was denied. In both cases, Francis Hopes siblings opposed selling the diamond. In 1901, on an appeal to the House of Lords, Francis Hope was finally granted permission to sell the diamond. As for the curse, three generations of Hopes went untainted by the curse and it was most likely Francis Hopes gambling, rather than the curse, that caused his bankruptcy. The Hope Diamond as a Good Luck Charm It was Simon Frankel, an American jeweler, who bought the Hope diamond in 1901 and who brought the diamond to the United States. The diamond changed hands several times during the next several years, ending with Pierre Cartier. Pierre Cartier believed he had found a buyer in the rich Evalyn Walsh McLean. Evalyn first saw the Hope diamond in 1910 while visiting Paris with her husband. Since Mrs. McLean had previously told Pierre Cartier that objects usually considered bad luck turned into good luck for her, Cartier made sure to emphasize the Hope diamonds negative history. However, since Mrs. McLean did not like the diamond in its current mounting, she did not buy it. A few months later, Pierre Cartier arrived in the U.S. and asked Mrs. McLean to keep the Hope diamond for the weekend. Having reset the Hope diamond into a new mounting, Carter hoped she would grow attached to it over the weekend. He was right and Evalyn McLean bought the Hope diamond. Susanne Patch, in her book on the Hope diamond, wonders if perhaps Pierre Cartier didnt start the concept of a curse. According to Patchs research, the legend and concept of a curse attached to the diamond did not appear in print until the 20th  century.5 The Curse Hits Evalyn McLean Evalyn McLean wore the diamond all the time. According to one story, it took a lot of persuading by Mrs. McLeans doctor to get her to take off the necklace even for a goiter operation.6 Though Evalyn McLean wore the Hope diamond as a good luck charm, others saw the curse strike her too. McLeans firstborn son, Vinson, died in a car crash when he was only nine. McLean suffered another major loss when her daughter committed suicide at age 25. In addition to all this, Evalyn McLeans husband was declared insane and confined to a mental institution until his death in 1941. Whether this was part of a curse is hard to say, though it does seem like a lot for one person to suffer. Though Evalyn McLean had wanted her jewelry to go to her grandchildren when they were older, her jewelry was put on sale in 1949, two years after her death, in order to settle debts from her estate. The Hope Diamond Is Donated When the Hope diamond went on sale in 1949, it was bought by Harry Winston, a  New York  jeweler. Winston offered the diamond, on numerous occasions, to be worn at balls to raise money for charity. Though some believe that Winston donated the Hope diamond to rid himself of the curse, Winston donated the diamond because he had long believed in creating a national jewel collection. Winston donated the Hope diamond to the Smithsonian Institution in 1958 to be the focal point of a newly established gem collection as well as to inspire others to donate. On November 10, 1958, the Hope diamond traveled in a plain brown box, by registered mail, and was met by a large group of people at the Smithsonian who celebrated its arrival. The Hope diamond is currently on display as part of the National Gem and Mineral Collection in the  National Museum of Natural History  for all to see. Notes 1. Susanne Steinem Patch,  Blue Mystery: The Story of the Hope Diamond  (Washington D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1976) 55.2. Patch,  Blue Mystery  55, 44.3. Patch,  Blue Mystery  46.4. Patch,  Blue Mystery  18.5. Patch,  Blue Mystery  58.6. Patch,  Blue Mystery  30.

A Social Norm Transformations, Hybridizations And...

Introduction: Hijra is a term which refers distinct professions such as ritualized blessing during weddings and childbirth; traditionally they dress like women to represent famine physic and may undergo penectomy and castration (orchiectomy) but also usually designate themselves as an individual whom is separate from men and women (Reddy 205:134; Nanda 1990). According to Nanda, Hijra remove their penis and testicles for the mother goddess And the blood is allow to flow freely with the belief that it drains away the â€Å"the heat† which is a source of maleness and sexual desire. Therefore they become turn to be a â€Å"Sannayasi† or a saint who embodies the strength of the goddess and is able to convey it to others in the form of blessing (Roscoe: 1996; P 210). Because of the public pressure, many of the hijra forgo their penis as it’s like a social norm, hijra does not have rights to have a penis. Transformations, hybridizations and adaptation creates a rubric identity of h ijra in Bangladeshi society. Identity transformations of hijra occurred through three collective mechanisms: body performativity, Social and institutional discursive practice and intra communal hierarchical patron-client relation. Contextualize the Research Field The transformation of transgender identity in ancient India is not academically recognized yet therefore the prehistoric epic and mythological character of Hindu religion is very significant to discuss. Consequently the discursive practice of HijraShow MoreRelatedWhat s Taking Place Around The World? Essay1631 Words   |  7 Pagesto a culture different from theirs? Globalization, as defined by Wan Shun Eva Lam, is what s taking place around the world concerning integration, migration of labor, growth of media and the rise of communication, and culture transformation that challenge traditional social structure (Wan Shun Eva Lam. 214) This position paper focuses on the issue of culture in globalization and education, and how culture has a huge influence on people around the world and their education. Some people tend to placeRead MoreGlobalization Strategy Of The Korean Pop Music9775 Words   |  40 Pagesapps on mobile phones like Facebook, YouTube, Shazam, Spotify and many other social networking, music discovering and streaming apps. According to the IFPI, â€Å"the music industry is continuing its transformation into a global digital business, expanding into new markets and extending new access models to more territories across all continents.† (IFPI, 2014) Undoubtedly, the internet is the ideal method to achieve transformation into global digital business because it is never limited by space or timeRead MoreGlobalization and It Effects on Cultural Integration: the Case of the Czech Republic.27217 Words   |  109 Pagesintegration in the Czech Republic. Other objectives are to examine the effects of globalization on the economic, political and socio-cultural domains in the Czech Republic in general. To determine how globalization has contributed to the transformation of the national sovereignty to global sovereignty. It is also to examine the current rate of integration and the characteristics of the people in the cultural integration process. Furthermore, the study is intended to identify and describeRead MoreContemporary Issues in Management Accounting211377 Words   |  846 Pagesreshape the nature of management accounting. In the recent past, management accounting has not only seen changes within existing domains of the Weld but has also witnessed extensions outside its established realms of activity. Wider systemic transformations including changes in political regimes, novel conceptions of management controls, the impact of globalizing forces on commercial aVairs, shifts in notions of eVective knowledge management, governance, and ethics, and technological advances, including

Fundamental Characteristics of the Italian Renaissance Essay Example For Students

Fundamental Characteristics of the Italian Renaissance Essay Machiavelli, Miranda, and Castigation were all humanist teachers. In Monorails book Oration on the Dignity of Man he says Once we have been born into this condition of being what we choose to be that we ought to be sure above all else Later he continues that God had created man higher than angels because man chooses to be good whereas angels are created to be good. This is an example of the worth and capabilities of humans in Monorails perspective. In Machiavellian perspective though, humans are untrustworthy and will deceive you the moment they have the chance to gain profit as he explains in his kook The Prince. Individualism is the belief in the primary importance of the individual. In Monorails Oration on the Dignity of Man he explains how Renaissance men are exceptional because they are depicted in the image of God. He stated that after God had created all creatures, he had the desire for another but every slot in the chain had been filled from angels to worms. He then created man so that he had no specific slot, instead men were capable of learning. When man philosophizes, he moves up in the chain. But when he doesnt he vegetates. Miranda made no mistake in adding that Renaissance scholars were very high in the chain because of their superior intellect. Some Renaissance authors also made their literature very exclusive to other scholars because the style and vocabulary was very difficult to read for common citizens. The reason they would do this is to show off how their intellect was superior to everyone else. Secularism is a view that religious opinions should be excluded from government institutions. Castigations The Book of the Courtier was secular because it allowed many different social classes of people to read about how a courtier is supposed to be courteous and what abilities he should practice. Some people who read this book werent courtiers but it still showed how one should be courteous. Not only was The Book of the Courtier available to different social classes, it was also available to people of different languages and religions. The final characteristic of the Italian Renaissance is a fascination with antiquity. During the Renaissance, scholars and artists were quite fascinated in studying the Greek and Latin Era. Many works of art such as the Statue of David were fashioned after Greek art. Machiavelli even described his nightly retreats into his library: At the door I take off my muddy everyday clothes. I dress myself as though I were about to appear before a royal court as a Florentine envoy. Then decently attired I enter the antique courts of the nourishment which alone is mine and for which I was born. Without false shame I elk with them and ask them the causes of the actions; and their humanity is so great they answer me. For four long and happy hours I lose myself in them. I forget all my troubles; I am not afraid of poverty or death. I transform myself entirely in their likeness. To conclude, the literature of Machiavelli, Miranda, and Castigation all made great attributions to the Italian Renaissance and thoroughly illustrated the fundamental characteristics of humanism, individualism, secularism, and a fascination with antiquity.

Ten World Flatteners an Example of the Topic Economics Essays by

Ten World Flatteners by Expert Prof J.F | 27 Dec 2016 Essay told about the ten things that make the world flat are the following: the new age of creativity (Berlin Wall); the new age of connectivity; the work flow software; open-sourcing; outsourcing; offshoring; supply-chaining; in-sourcing; in-forming; and steroids. These world flatteners arise from innovations, political events and companies which created a flattening effect to the world (CapitolReader, 2005). Need essay sample on "Ten World Flatteners" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed A flat world is defined as a global, web-enabled platform that has various forms for knowledge and work sharing irrespective of time, distance, geography andlanguage (AIAA Career Enhancement Workshop, 2007). Having a flat world can sometimes be advantageous, as Friedman believes that the ten flatteners evens out and equalizes the playing powers of the world (Lynn, 2007). The New Age of Creativity (1989). This is Friedmans first world flattener. The new age of creativity, which started in 1989, would refer to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the rise of the Windows PC. When the Berlin Wall came down, the balance of power in the world shifted to free markets (AIAA Career Enhancement Workshop, 2007). It also signaled a ripple effect, along with global thinking and knowledge exchange between countries (University of California, Berkeley, 2005). People Very Often Tell Us: I'm not in the mood to write my paper online. I want to spend time with my family Essay writer professionals suggest: Writing Essay Papers Is Easier With Us Essay Help Services College Papers Online Affordable Papers Review Top Essay Writing Company Additionally, this first flattener indicates the outbreak of freedom stimulating another outbreak (AIAA Career Enhancement Workshop, 2007). This process, according to Friedman, flattens societies. The Windows PC, on the other hand, enabled the sharing of content between countries. Internet has given people further reach and scale. Reach refers to the creation of content in many ways while scale refers to how people can share content with others (Lynn, 2007). The New Age of Connectivity (Netscape 1995). This flattener is all about connection and flow of information (University of California, Berkeley, 2005). The emergence of the Netscape signaled the dot com arrival and government and private institutions investments in fiber optic cable to connect them to the world. This flattener, which was considered the first commercial browser, encouraged more users to use the Internet (AIAA Career Enhancement Workshop, 2007). Netscape has signaled the widespread sharing of information, and impacted sharing and imagination. As a result the web became indispensable for the millions of users, leading to the high demands for digital things. This flattener has started the Internet boom (CapitolReader, 2005). Work Flow Software. With the vast possibilities that Internet offered to people to be able to connect with anyone across the world, people have wanted to create, shape and design, sell and purchase things. This need led to the programming functions so that sales, shipping and storage could be possible. It started with Microsoft, which enabled people to work off the same screen and toolbar (CapitolReader, 2005). This flattener has further improved the software and standards, thus enabling people to work together. Additionally, work flow software led to a global platform which made collaboration possible between people and countries (AIAA Career Enhancement Workshop, 2007). Programmers still improve their standards so that more software could be created to maximize the computers efficiency. This then would result to people working with digitized data, words, music, and pictures, and shaped them into products (Friedman, 2005, cited in Lynn, 2007). The advantage of this is that people and companies can easily send emails and documents and information with having to worry. The principle is that if everyone is connected to other people without worries, then information can be easily sent to others in a faster and more convenient way. Friedman stated that information can be sent to the four corners of the world as never before (Friedman, 2005, cited in Lynn, 2007). Open-sourcing. With the advent of the Internet, source codes have become available to people. Knowing these enabled them to write anything from their software to dictionaries (CapitolReader, 2005). The free codes became available to almost anyone because inpiduals tend to openly share data with other people (AIAA Career Enhancement Workshop, 2007). This enabled many people to post anything on the Internet. This led to problems associated with the content of their postings. This has also resulted to the ethics debate. Additionally, this flattener brought attention to socialism versus capitalism (University of California, Berkeley, 2005). Outsourcing (Y2K). This fifth flattener has led to the possibility of sourcing globally any service, business support operation, call center and knowledge work that can be easily digitized. Out-sourcing brought opportunities for people to find the smartest, most efficient, and cheapest providers. Additionally, our-sourcing was a result from the Y2K (year 2000) computer date crisis stemming from India (AIAA Career Enhancement Workshop, 2007). The computer date crisis began as the demand for the Y2K thrown America and India into a business relationship (CapitolReader, 2005). Friedman has illustrated the outsourcing companies during the Y2K. These companies wanted their computers fixed as quickly as possible but at the lowest price. Outsourcing has enabled companies to become more profitable (Lynn, 2007). Offshoring (China). Offshoring gave birth to the notion that all must run (University of California, Berkeley, 2005). This started in 2001 when China joined the World Trade Organization (WTO). This notion then stimulated offshoring. This process indicates that a small portion of a company can be run from another location. This was to take advantage of the cheap labor associated with this process. Aside from the cheap labor, running a portion or function of a company from another place is more efficient and is associated with lower taxes, thus enabling companies to be more competitive in the global market. Offshoring is not just about Americas moving to other locations. For instance, a plant worth $600 million was expanded in Alabama (CapitolReader, 2005). Supply-chain (WalMart). Supply-chain is the seventh flattener according to Friedman. This indicates the worldwide collaboration between suppliers, retailers and customers. Friedman believes that this flattened the world because it adopted common standards, thus lowering border functions (CapitolReader, 2005). WalMart was the pionner in the global supply chain efficiency. Friedman stated that people prefer to buy from supply chains because they deliver goods that have lower prices and tailored to the needs of the customers (Friedman, 2005, cited in Lynn, 2007). WalMarts supply chain functions include delivering goods and products to different stores, and picking up products from the manufacturers on their way back to distribution center (AIAA Career Enhancement Workshop, 2007). In-sourcing. This is the eighth flattener which is about synchronizing world (University of California, Berkeley, 2005). In-sourcing has enabled companies to compete (CapitolReader, 2005). Moreover, customer supply chains were controlled by logistics giants, such as the United Parcel Service. UPS has provided companies with internal logistics support. For instance, Toshiba laptops are sent to UPS wherein an employee repairs the laptop. The UPS then sends the laptop to the customer (AIAA Career Enhancement Workshop, 2007). In-forming. The demand for an easy access to information led to the creation of search engines such as Yahoo, Google, and MSN (CapitolReader, 2005; AIAA Career Enhancement Workshop, 2007). These search engines have made it so easy to search for information about anything in different languages. This then led to the creation of global communities that were otherwise not imagined before (CapitolReader, 2005). Steroids. This tenth flattener refers to mobile, digital, and virtual innovations. These include cell phones, lap tops, VOIP and other wireless handheld devices which enabled connection at high speed (CapitolReader, 2005). These steroids have made possible the acquisition of information from anywhere and anytime (Lynn, 2007). References AIAA Career Enhancement Workshop. (2007). Succeeding in a flat world. Retrieved February 20, 2009. CapitolReader. (2005). Adaptation of the world is flat. Appalachian State University. Retrieved February 20, 2009. University of California Berkeley. (2005). Thomas Friedman, the World is Flat (2005). Retrieved February 20, 2009.