The Misfortunes of Friendship

The Hope Diamond today, as seen at the Smithsonian.

 The legendary Hope Diamond rotates slowly behind a thick wall of bullet-proof glass, reflecting the halogen lighting in flashes of brilliance as it moves. It is the most popular exhibit in the Smithsonian’s Natural History Museum for three reasons: its magnificence, its value and the famous curse. The gem is said to bring misfortune and death to anyone who owns it.