<P> The jewel is believed to have originated in India , where the original ( larger ) stone was purchased in 1666 by French gem merchant Jean - Baptiste Tavernier as the Tavernier Blue . The Tavernier Blue was cut and yielded the French Blue ( Le bleu de France ) , which Tavernier sold to King Louis XIV in 1668 . Stolen in 1791 , it was recut , with the largest section acquiring its `` Hope '' name when it appeared in the catalogue of a gem collection owned by a London banking family called Hope in 1839 . After going through numerous owners , it was sold to Washington socialite Evalyn Walsh McLean who was often seen wearing it . It was purchased in 1949 by New York gem merchant Harry Winston , who toured it for a number of years before giving it to Washington 's National Museum of Natural History in 1958 , where it has since remained on permanent exhibition . </P>
<P> The jewel is believed to have originated in India , where the original ( larger ) stone was purchased in 1666 by French gem merchant Jean - Baptiste Tavernier as the Tavernier Blue . The Tavernier Blue was cut and yielded the French Blue ( Le bleu de France ) , which Tavernier sold to King Louis XIV in 1668 . Stolen in 1791 , it was recut , with the largest section acquiring its `` Hope '' name when it appeared in the catalogue of a gem collection owned by a London banking family called Hope in 1839 . After going through numerous owners , it was sold to Washington socialite Evalyn Walsh McLean who was often seen wearing it . It was purchased in 1949 by New York gem merchant Harry Winston , who toured it for a number of years before giving it to Washington 's National Museum of Natural History in 1958 , where it has since remained on permanent exhibition . </P>
where did the hope diamond get its name
where did the hope diamond get its name
a London banking family called Hope
a London banking family called Hope