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Here's a list of Jewelry That's Jinxed, Cursed, Maybe
Even Lethal -- Infamous Jewelry with Really Bad Vibes...
This jewelry is said to be
mysterious, destructive, notorious -- take
a look at some of the bonechilling superstitions about these haunted
trinkets of death and mayhem...and beware.
Many centuries of superstition have been associated with gemstones.
They're
spectacular, but could they be lethal?
Diamonds and rubies and pearls and
sapphires…these precious stones hold more than just glitter
and gleam and prestige; they have been said to also trigger mystery, sorrow and misfortune.
While hoping
to draw good fortune and luck, or ward off an evil eye, believers over the
millennia
have felt that gems could have both positive and negative properties, and that
gems also possessed
the power to protect, inspire, heal, attract love, money and success, and
much more (see my list of
Gemstone Metaphysical Properties for more info on legends, healing and
magical properties, powers,
benefits and energies of gems, crystals and minerals.)
Admittedly,
several superstitions have pointed to some really bad-news bling. Cursed, infamous,
haunted jewelry has been believed to cause misery, to ruin careers, deliver misfortune, bring marital
hell,
madness, bankruptcy, bad health, looming debts, possibly even induce death. Tales of death,
destruction, ruined fortunes, and more have been linked with famous sparklers over the centuries.
Some of
these infamous gems were said to incite bloody ancient battles, cause members of
royalty to
suffer agonizing deaths, prompt leapers to propel themselves from rooftops, and other tales of horror,
suffering, mysterious maladies, and death.
So for all
their shimmer and gleam, some jewelry was believed to be jinxed, to
trigger unspeakable misery.
Even though
it's said that some of these horrifying, bad-bling histories of famous jewels
were probably
fabrications, or maybe embellished over the decades, it really might seem
like some gems did give off
some really bad vibes to their owners ...
Here are a
few of the most notorious haunted accessories that have either brought
death to their owners,
or drove them mad as a hatter --
at least that's the stuff of legends.
* * * * * * * *
PLEASE
NOTE: Another serious warning - The threat from dangerous, toxic jewelry
is
still very real with cadmium infused into imported fashion/costume jewelry. The
toxic
jewelry contamination was tested and reported by the Center for Environmental
Health which says, "If you're the person that buys and is wearing that jewelry, you
don't really care whether it's a common problem or a rare problem," said Caroline Cox,
senior scientist at the CEH.
"You have a problem."
Full
Associated Press report and other crucial media coverage of contaminated
fashion/
costume jewelry at bottom of this
page for your safety.
* * * * * * * *
But first,
in keeping with our immediate subject, we begin with the oldest example
of lethal
gems...
●
The curse of
Tutankhamun...
in an inscription near the
door of his tomb read: "Death shall come on swift wings to him who disturbs the
peace of the King.” After the boy king's
unprecedented jewels and treasures in his burial chamber were
discovered, the death of excavators and visitors promptly followed,
beginning in February 1923.
The prime
example was the sponsor of the tomb's dig, Lord Carnarvon, who
happened to be bitten on the
cheek by a mosquito. Then when he was shaving, he then made the bite worse, which infected his
wound.
That resulting in him dying in a delirious fever. Now this is creepy - it's said that when an autopsy
was
performed on the young pharaoh's body, a similar lesion was found on King Tut's cheek. Plus, rumor has
it, (and this is really creepy) that when Lord Carnarvon died, his entire
house went dark -- for no reason.
What adds to
the intrigue here is that the media then reported that a snake had
eaten Lord Carnarvon's
pet bird, and that allegedly, Lord Carnarvon's dog back in England died at almost
the same time that his
master passed away in Egypt.
The media continued having a field day, and
also reported
that a rich American died of pneumonia after
having visited King Tut's tomb. Plus, one of Carter's tomb
excavation crew died from what was thought
to be arsenic poisoning.
It's said
the total tally here includes at least five more victims of Tutankhamun's curse, who died
very
shortly back then after they came in contact with either King Tut's mummified remains, or some
of the
tomb artifacts.
Here's another nail biter: Howard Carter had made gift of a mummified hand paperweight
to a friend. It
had an
inscribed bracelet which read:
“Cursed be he who moves my body. To him shall come fire, water
and pestilence." Interestingly, shortly after Carter's friend received this gift, his house burned down.
And after he rebuilt the house,
it was whacked by a flood.
With a fast
forward from the 1920s to the 1970s, a major Cairo museum official is
said to have died the
very night after he sorted King Tut's artifacts which were being shipped to the
British Museum for
exhibition. And imagine this, the story goes that three of the aircraft personnel who
had flown King Tut's
treasures and antiquities to England for display had heart attacks soon after. Cursed bling, for sure.
Stay
tuned right here for some more trinkets of death.
* * * * * * * *
●
Here's a
horrifying heirloom tale -- the
Koh-I-Noor Diamond.
The
Koh-I-Noor Diamond came with this terrifying curse which predicted that:
"“He who owns this
diamond will own the world, but also know its misfortunes. Only God or a woman can
wear it with
impunity.” Well, the 186-carat stone's curse promised to bring sickness and death to any
man who
wore it -- confirming that only women and gods could flaunt this bling of
the damned.
Throughout
history, this incredible gem traded hands among various Hindu, Mongolian,
Persian,
Afghan and Sikh rulers, who each fought bitter and bloody battles to own the
prized Koh-I-Noor
Diamond (Persian for "Mountain of Light”).
For a time,
it had served as the eye of an idol of a Hindu goddess (or so the story goes)
and the
diamond was closely held by various Indian dynasties until it came into the possession of the founder
of the Mughal Empire, Babur.
Next, it was
Shah Jahan, the emperor who built the magnificent Taj Mahal, who possessed
the
diamond and had it incorporated into his Peacock Throne. But then his son had him imprisoned
after a coup.
The saga
continues with Sher Shah Suri, who is said to have died in a canon explosion shortly after
becoming the owner of the
Koh-I-Noor Diamond.
Then some years later, his son was murdered by his own brother-in-law, and it is rumored that the
son was clutching the Koh-I-Noor Diamond
when he was killed.
The
notorious diamond was owned various local rulers, many of whom met bloody ends.
Then, in
1849, when a treaty was signed as part of the British annexation of the Punjab, it included
the
transfer of the diamond to Queen Victoria.
So the
Koh-I-Noor Diamond was then placed in an iron safe for shipment from India to
England, but
the voyage wasn't one for the travel brochures: it is said there was an outbreak of cholera on board
that actually prompted local folks in Mauritius to threaten to begin
firing at the boat if it didn't leave
their port.
There's more misery -- a storm raged against the vessel for at least 12
hours. The
Koh-I-Noor
Diamond was almost lost for good. How it survived the cholera outbreak and
ocean turbulence was
amazing -- it was found in a waistcoat pocket some 6 months later, and only survived the
crossing
to England because a servant thought it was made of glass and had placed it in his pocket.)
Was
that a bit of good luck for a change?!?
So, where is it
now? Having been cut down to 109 carats -- from close to 800 carats -- by
a totally
inept Venetian gem cutter, it finally became a possession of the British royal family, via
that signed
1849 treaty.
The diamond is currently set into the Crown of Queen Elizabeth and is displayed at the Tower
of London along with all other British crown jewels. No more curses or horrific events
have
been reported.
* * * * * * * *
●
So
spectacular, but mysteriously lethal -- the Hope Diamond.
Rumored to
have been stolen from a Hindu idol, it's said to be a cursed gem. This
infamous diamond's
history goes way back to around 1668 or so, when a French merchant called
Jean-Baptiste Tavernier
bought this shimmering blue stone in India and then sold it to King Louis XIV of
France.
This
extraordinary gemstone was subsequently enjoyed by other French royalty, until it
disappeared
during the tumultuous French Revolution, when it was stolen along with other
crown jewels. It is quite
notorious because it's said that at least five of its prior owners died
quite unfortunate, violent
deaths.
Though
thought to be gone forever, in the early 1800s, a London merchant was
reputed to own a
deep blue diamond similar to the Hope Diamond, or "French Blue". The stone was purchased by
England's King George IV, but after his death it was sold to pay off his enormous debts.
Then, get
this -- it was then sold to Henry Philip Hope (that's how it got its
name), then passed down
and held by his family until they had to sell off the diamond because their --
yes -- huge debts.
Wait for it
-- this incredible blue diamond was sold to a New York City jeweler, and
after the firm held
on to it for as long as they could, they were forced to sell it to pay their
-- no surprise -- looming debts.
You won't
believe this - Pierre Cartier bought the Hope Diamond in 1909. It was then
sold
to an
American socialite and heiress, Mrs. Evalyn McLean. Intrigued by the diamond's lethal
history,
Mrs. McLean bragged that she had the power to reverse any curse. Unfortunately, she was wrong.
History reveals
that Mrs. McLean’s
first-born son was killed in a car crash. Her husband left her
for another woman. Then
the family's newspaper -- The Washington Post -- went bankrupt. Then
her daughter died of an
overdose. A year later,
after Mrs. McLean died, her jewelry was sold to pay
-- you guessed it -- the estate's debts.
There's a
happy ending - after Harry Winston bought Mrs. McLeans jewelry in 1958, it
was all
donated to the Smithsonian Institution, including the infamous Hope Diamond. Worth
about a
quarter of a billion dollars, the Smithsonian reports that it now appears to be "curse-free."
* * * * * * * *
●
The Precious
La Peregrina Pearl - One of the Largest Pearls in the World
The
spectacular La Peregrina Pearl was found in the Gulf of Panama during the
Sixteenth Century.
The tale
gets quite interesting because it's said that in 1554, King Philip II of Spain
gave this pearl to
Queen Mary I of England before their marriage. History sadly recounts that Philip
left her, and she
subsequently passed away with no heir, in 1558.
Blame it on the pearl?
Her nickname
-- “Bloody Mary” -- was earned after her death because she had ordered the
execution
of hundreds of Protestants during her 5-year reign. After she passed
away, the precious La Peregrina
Pearl was returned to King Philip II of Spain. Philip then proposed to Elizabeth I, who was
the younger
half-sister of Bloody Mary.
La Peregrina
remained in the hands of Spanish royalty until Napoleon Bonaparte's
invasion in the
19th century, when he seized the Spanish crown and also the renowned pearl. It
remained in France and
was
passed down to members of the Bonaparte family, until purchased by Lord James Hamilton in 1873.
Then in
1969, La Peregrina was sold at a Sotheby’s auction to Richard Burton,
who chose Valentine's
Day to give the pearl to his wife, Elizabeth Taylor. It's public knowledge
that the couple married and
divorced twice — their second marriage having lasted only 9 months.
The La
Peregrina Pearl was one of Elizabeth Taylor's most beloved gems. At 50.6
carats, it has reigned
as one of the largest pearls found on the planet. Elizabeth Taylor held on
to this precious pearl. She was
married a total of eight times.
Can we blame this on bad pearl karma?
* * * * * * * *
●
The Black
Orlov Diamond (Eye of Brahma)
Suspected of
having been removed from a Hindu idol in India, the cursed Black Orlov
diamond -- which
is really less true black, but actually more of a gun metal color -- has had a
somewhat nasty history.
Which includes at least 3 suicides.
Currently
weighing in at over 67 carats, this diamond goes back to the 19th century
when a monk
allegedly stole the gemstone from a Hundu idol. Since then it has been shrouded in
mystery and some
unknown circumstances of several deaths.
For
instance, JW Paris, the diamond dealer who brought the stone to America,
jumped from one of
New York's tallest buildings in 1932, shortly after he sold the Black
Orlov.
He leaped from the top of
a Manhattan skyscraper, and was thought to be the first victim of the
diamond's curse.
In November,
1947, the Russian Princess Leonila Viktorovna-Bariatinsky jumped to her
death, in what
was believed a suicide. Her fatal jump was also thought to be a Black Orlov
curse, because prior to her
suicidal jump, she had owned the Diamond.
Barely one
month later, another member of Russian royalty did the same. Princess
Nadia Vygin-Orlov
(the source of this black diamond's name) had been living in Rome and
jumped to her death in what was
also believed to be a suicide.
Then in the
1950s, the diamond's owner, Charles F. Wilson, wanted to break the
diamond's curse, so it
was re-cut -- which took 2 years. Having originally been an uncut 195 carat
diamond, the extraordinary
67.50 carat Black Orlov is now set in a 108-diamond brooch, which hangs
from an exquisite 124-diamond
necklace. It's been owned by several diamond dealers, none of whom have
suffered any ill effects of
the curse. The famous diamond's demons seem to have been scared off. Like
the Hope Diamond, this
one seems to be currently be "curse-free."
* * * * * * * *
URGENT JEWELRY WARNING -- Some "fashion (costume) jewelry can contain
as much as 90% of toxic cadmium" (confirmed cancer cause)". Know your source,
be safe...
October 11, 2018, 7:25 AM - You do need this information if you or anyone you know buys or recently
bought fashion jewelry at national retailers including Ross, Nordstrom Rack and Papaya. An Associated
Press Exclusive Report, covered by national and local news media -- here's
an example:
https://abc7.com/business/toxic-metal-found-in-jewelry-from-ross-nordstrom-rack-papaya/4461723/
* * * * * *
But wait, not long ago, a CBS News investigative piece reported "Costume jewelry found to have high
levels of toxins and carcinogens, tests show." And, "Although low-cost jewelry might be saving you a
buck, it might come at the cost of your - or your children's - health."
Almost 100 pieces of jewelry were tested from stores such as Target, Walmart, Kohl's, Forever 21,
Ming 99 City, Burlington Coat Factory, Big Lots, Claire's, Glitter, H&M, Meijers, Justice, Icing and
Hot Topic retail stores. Over half of the jewelry tested had "high levels of toxic chemicals." Michelle
Castillo, CBS News (3/15/2012) -- https://www.cbsnews.com/news/costume-jewelry-found-to-have-high-
levels-of-toxins-and-carcinogens-tests-show/
* * * * * *
The scientific evidence strongly implicates cadmium as a major human toxicant. If you're a parent, young
adult, someone who cares about their health and wellbeing, this very thorough coverage of the cadmium
threat from the National Institutes of Health is worth looking at:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3002210/
* * * * * *
Two years ago, Chemistry World cited the facts - Cadmium and lead in costume jewelry prompt
concern: https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/cadmium-and-lead-in-costume-jewellery-prompt-
concern/9610.article
* * * * * *
Way back in 2010, alarm bells were ringing in the US and Canada, about a toxic carcinogen - cadmium
- being added to jewelry. Here's what happened - when toxic lead was banned in Chinese jewelry,
cadmium - which is even more toxic -- was substituted and toxic cadmium used in both children's and
adults' imported jewelry. Facts here:
https://www.cleveland.com/world/index.ssf/2010/01/perfectly_legal_toxic_cadmium.html
* * * * * *
A few years ago, many media outlets carried the story of "Baby's Lead Poisoning Caused by
'Homeopathic Magnetic' Bracelet". A heartbreaking story about a bracelet bought from an artisan
at a local fair. The bracelet has "extremely high levels of lead." It was a teething bracelet for
a 9-month old. Exposure to lead - a toxic heavy metal - can affect every part of the body. According
to the US Consumer Product Safety Commision, there are no lead limits that apply to products
not intended for children. That applies to costume and fashion jewelry.
Parents and guardians need
to be vigilant.Toxic Metal Cadmium Found in Chain-Store Jewelry -- cadmium has been used in
imported fashion costume jewelry for a number of years. This most recent (10/11/18) AP news
about tainted, toxic costume jewelry was detected in popular chain stores and reported by the
Center for Environmental Health.
* * * * * * * *
Please note that this cursed and
jinxed jewelry information is intended purely for entertainment
and informational purposes only. Be
sure to check out my Jewelry Blog links below, including
Dawn of the Bling - the History of Jewelry, Birthstones List, How-To Tips
to Care Clean Protect
Your Jewelry, and more. Thank you for visiting and tell
your friends!
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2021 FavoriteBlings.com All rights reserved.
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