logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2018
27m 18s

The Curse of the Hope Diamond

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
About this episode

The Hope Diamond is one of the most iconic items in the Smithsonian's collections, but this glittering gem is rumored to have a dark side. French monarchs, an heiress, and at least one unlucky postman have met misfortune after possessing it—though does that really constitute a curse? This time on Sidedoor, we track the lore of this notorious gem through the centuries, from southern India, through the French Revolution, and across the Atlantic Ocean to its current home at the National Museum of Natural History, to find out for ourselves.

Up next
Oct 1
Monkey Mystery: The Case of the Capuchin Kidnappers
Why are capuchin monkeys kidnapping howler monkey babies in Panama? We investigate this bizarre case of primate abduction with researchers working with the Smithsonian to get to the bottom of this bizarre behavior. We'll talk about their discoveries, the social dynamics between c ... Show More
23m 14s
Sep 17
The Music of Jeopardy! From a Lullaby to $100,000,000
It’s the most recognizable TV theme in America. But Jeopardy’s “Think Music” wasn’t originally written for a game show… It was written for a toddler. In this episode, we trace the unlikely journey of the Jeopardy theme, from Merv Griffin’s living room to over 10,000 episodes acro ... Show More
23m 40s
Sep 3
Extreme Botany
Ana María Bedoya's work takes her to some unlikely places: steep cliffs, river rapids, and tumbling waterfalls— all in search of vulnerable aquatic plants. Through lively stories and conversations with scientists, gardeners, artists, and experts, join the New York Botanical Garde ... Show More
34m 19s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2023
Episode 37: The Hope Diamond
Diamonds are a girl’s best friend. Marilyn Monroe and Madonna told me so! That is… unless those diamonds are cursed! This episode is a deep-dive into the Hope Diamond, a 45.52 carat blue diamond in the collection of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. Come for an almost to ... Show More
1h 13m
Mar 2024
Diamonds are a Gaul's Best Friend: The Affair of the Diamond Necklace
As Orson Welles would say, "Ah, the French." Here, in a lead up to the French Revolution, we consider the tale of one randy Cardinal, one social climbing almost-noble, one doomed queen, and one hideous diamond necklace. C'est ridicule (especially Elizabeth butchering all French p ... Show More
49m 21s
Mar 2012
Legacy
In this Diamond Jubilee year, BBC Arts Editor Will Gompertz has been selecting some of the most revealing objects from the Royal Collection to see what they tell us about the monarchs who acquired them. It is one of the most wide-ranging collections of art and artefacts in the wo ... Show More
27m 56s
May 2019
Marie Antoinette and the Diamond Necklace Hoax
Queen Marie Antoinette's reputation was already tarnished by gossip in 1784, but was completely ruined by the implication that she defrauded the crown jewelers, conning them out of a dazzling, expensive diamond necklace. That's the short summary -- but the story itself is a start ... Show More
43m 48s
Aug 2022
OFH Throwback- Episode #96- What is America's Weirdest Secret Society?
In this "throwback episode" we look back at episode #96. In the 1930’s a famous California history professor thought he had discovered a long lost historical treasure. It was a brass plate apparently inscribed by the famous English adventurer Sir. Francis Drake. The plate was her ... Show More
1h 2m
Jan 2024
Delphine Lalaurie, la tortionnaire de la Nouvelle Orléans
Au XIXème en Louisiane, Madame Lalaurie est une figure mondaine très célèbre et ses réceptions comptent parmi les plus somptueuses et les plus raffinées. Femme belle, riche et influente, elle symbolise à elle seule le Old South, littéralement le Vieux Sud, avec ses traditions, se ... Show More
33m 22s
Jul 2022
L’affaire du collier de la Reine, la pire escroquerie de l’Histoire de France
C'est l’une des plus grandes affaires d’escroquerie du XVIIIème siècle. Celle d’un bijou d’une valeur exorbitante qui a terni pour de bon la réputation de Marie-Antoinette et a précipité la Révolution française. Diamants, fausses lettres, rendez-vous galant et manipulation… Autan ... Show More
16 m
Aug 2022
OFH Throwback- Episode #96- What is America's Weirdest Secret Society?
In this "throwback episode" we look back at episode #96. In the 1930’s a famous California history professor thought he had discovered a long lost historical treasure. It was a brass plate apparently inscribed by the famous English adventurer Sir. Francis Drake. The plate was her ... Show More
1h 2m
Sep 2022
8. The Koh-i-Noor Diamond
A single stone has been fought over for at least 250 years by four different empires, and now sits in the Queen Consort's crown as part of the British royal family's Crown Jewels. William and Anita trace the murky history of one of the world's most famous diamonds. Learn more abo ... Show More
53m 58s
Oct 2022
Golden Canary Diamond to be auctioned in New York
The Golden Canary Diamond, weighing a colossal 303.10 carats, is one of the largest polished diamonds in the world and the largest flawless diamond ever graded. The historic diamond is set to highlight Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels auction in New York. Gerry Appleby from Appleby J ... Show More
8m 43s