THAT WOULD BE ONE OF THOSE
THINGS YOU WOULD SAY THEY DID
WHAT?
>> A PIECE OF REGISTERED MAIL
DATED 1948, POSTED $2.44.
INSURANCE OVER $140.
WHAT WAS INSIDE?
WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT HERE?
>> WE’RE LOOKING AT THE WRAPPER
THAT ENCLOSED THE BOX IN WHICH
HARRY WINSTON MAILED THE HOPE
DIAMOND TO THE INSTITUTION BACK
IN 1958.
>> THE HOPE DIAMOND.
FOR CENTURIES TREASURED BY
ROYALS AND HEIRESSES AND SOME
SAY BOW SET BY A CURSE.
>> NEITHER RAIN NOR SLEET --
>> CURSE OF THE AGES.
>> RIGHT.
THE MAIL MUST GO THROUGH.
PUBLICITY WAS PUTTY IN HARRY
WINSTON’S HANDS.
HE SUMMONED A FORMER POLICEMAN
TO KURP
TO CURRY THE STONE WRAPPED IN
THAT PAPER THROUGH THE STREETS
OF NEW YORK, EVEN THE SUBWAY AND
THEN ON TO THE POST OFFICE.
>> YOU CAN SEE ONE RIGHT BELOW
THE MOST MARK "FRAGILE."
DIAMONDS ARE THE HARDEST
SUBSTANCE ON THE UNIVERSE.
>> IT’S PICKED UP BY MAILMAN
JAMES TODD, WHO DELIVERED THE
JEWEL TO THE POSTMASTER GENERAL
AND THE SECRETARY OF THE
SMITHSONIAN.
>> SO WHERE’S THE HOPE DIAMOND
NOW?
>> WELL, TODAY YOU CAN SEE WHAT
WAS INSIDE THIS PACKAGE AT OUR
SISTER MUSEUM, THE NATURAL
MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY UP ON
THE MALL.
>> WE WENT TO SEE IT, THE
WORLD’S MOST FAMOUS ROCK.
IT TOOK US BY SURPRISE.
>> SO THAT’S IT.
THAT IS THE HOPE DIAMOND.
AND WE HAVE TAKEN OUT OF THE
PUBLIC VAULT THE HOPE DIAMOND
FOR THIS MORNING JUST TO GIVE
YOU A CHANCE TO TAKE A CLOSER
LOOK.
>> I DIDN’T REALLY KNOW WHAT MY
REACTION WAS GOING TO BE WHEN I
SAW IT.
>> WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION?
>> IT IS AN O’WOW.
>> IT IS.
IT’S THE LARGEST DARK BLUE
DIAMOND EVER FOUND.
>> ITS HISTORY EVEN MORE
FASCINATING.
IT BECAME PART OF THE FRENCH
CROWELL JEWELS.
PIERRE CARTIER EVENTUALLY SNAPS
IT UP.
AND SOLD THE DIAMOND TO ELLEN
McCLEAN IN 1911.
>> WOULD IT BE FAIR TO SAY SHE
WAS A BIT ECCENTRIC?
>> SHE WAS ECCENTRIC.
PEOPLE HOPED THE HOPE DIAMOND
MIGHT BE PASSED AROUND.
HER DOG MIGHT BE WEARING IT THAT
EVENING.
>> McCLEAN SOLD IT TO HARRY
WINSTON WHO DECIDED TO DONATE IT
TO THE SMITHSONIAN.
>> HE SAID OTHER COUNTRIES HAVE
THEIR CROWN JULES.EWELS, WE DON’
HAVE A KING AND QUEEN BUT WE
SHOULD HAVE A CROWN JEWEL.
>> THE ELEMENT ITSELF SUPER
RARE.
AND LUCKY US, WATCH THIS.
>> SO NOW WE’RE GOING TO TURN
OFF THE LIGHTS, FIVE, FOUR,
THREE, TWO, ONE.
GO.
AND YOU SEE THERE’S AN ORANGE
GLOW TO THE HOPE DIAMOND.
>> WHAT IS THAT ABOUT?
>> OKAY.
THAT’S THE BORON COMING BACK AT
YOU.
FOR PEOPLE WHO LIKE CURSES, THE
IDEA THAT IT GLOWS, THIS RED
COLOR IS EVEN MORE WONDERFUL.
>> IT MAKES IT BETTER.
>> MAKES IT BETTER.
>> THE CURATOR JEFFREY POST DOES
NOT BELIEVE IN THE CURSE BUT
WHAT OF THE POSTMAN, JAMES TODD,
WHO DELIVERED THE DIAMOND TO THE
SMITHSONIAN
SMITHSONIAN?
>> WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT GUY?
>> TURNS OUT HE DELIVERED IT AND
THE NEXT YEAR HE WAS INVOLVED IN
A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT AND HAS A
BROKEN LEG --
>> AND?
>> AND HOUSE BURNS DOWN, THAT’S
TRUE.
BUT THEN --
>> YOU DON’T LIKE THIS.
>> THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER
PEOPLE THAT HAVE HAD LONG
ASSOCIATIONS WITH THIS DIAMOND
THAT HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT GREAT
SUCCESS.
>> LOOK AT YOU.
>> YEAH, I’M LOOKING GOOD FOR A
GUY WHO’S 40 YEARS OLD, RIGHT?
DIAMOND HASN’T HURT ME A BIT.
>> THE HOPE DIAMOND ALWAYS DRAWS
A CROWD, A MUST SEE FOR MILLIONS
OF D.C. TOURISTS AND YET ACROSS
TOWN AT THE POSTAL MUSEUM, THE
PLAIN BROWN WRAPPER IS JUST AS
VALUED.
>> THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM
CAN HAVE THE DIAMOND, I WANT THE
BOX IT CAME IN.
I THINK WE GOT THE BETTER END OF
THE DEAL.
>> AND NEEDLESS TO SAY THIS WAS
ALL SHOT PREPANDEMIC.
THE SMITHSONIAN AND GREAT
MUSEUMS ARE STILL CLOSED BECAUSE
OF THAT.
WE CAN’T WAIT UNTIL IT’S
POST-PANDEMIC AND WE CAN DO MORE
EXPLORING.
>> YOU HAVE TOLD SO MANY AMAZING
STORIES.
THIS MIGHT BE MY FAVORITE,
THOUGH.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
IS THE CURSE REAL?
>> THAT WAS WHEN WAS SO COOL,
THEY PUT ON THE LIGHT AND PUT ON
THE ULTRA HISTORY LET LIKE NEXT
TO THE DIAMOND.
CARBON AND BORON ARE RIGHT NEXT
TO EACH OTHER ON THE PERIODIC
TABLE.
BORON COMES FROM EXPLOSIONS.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE
ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT HITS THOSE
BORON ATOMS INSIDE, THEY JUST
START DANCING.
THAT’S WHERE ALL THAT COLOR
COMES FROM.
IT WAS A PRETTY COOL EXPERIENCE.
>> AND THE BOX WAS COOL BUT I’D
RATHER HAVE THE DIAMOND.
>> I’M WITH YOU.
A BILLION YEARS OLD.
>> THANK YOU, HARRY.