Elizabeth Taylor aside, perhaps the most famous diamond in the world is the Hope Diamond. The "Hope" came from India and weighed 112 3/16 carats. It was acquired around 1642 by French merchant Jean Batiste and sold to the King of France, Louis XIV. Louis may be "credited" with having the "Hope" re-cut for the first time . . . down to 67 1/8 carats. At various times in its history, the diamond was owned by French and British royalty, the well known jeweler Pierre Cartier, and United States socialites.

In 1949, jeweler Harry Winston purchased the stone along with the 94.8 carat Star of the East. In 1958, he donated the diamond to the Smithsonian Institution, so that "everyone" could see it. The "Hope" was reset and re-cut several times over years, leaving it finally at 45.52.carats, 40% of its original size. In its current incarnation is it set in a pendant surrounded by sixteen white diamonds and always draws crowds at the Smithsonian.