Hope Diamond Ownership and Subsequent Family Misfortunes
On January 28, 1911, in a deal made in the offices of The Washington Post, McLean purchased the Hope Diamond for US$180,000 from Pierre Cartier of Cartier Jewelers on Fifth Avenue in New York City. A clause in the sale agreement for the diamond, which was widely believed to have brought death and disaster to its owners, stated that "Should any fatality occur to the family of Edward B. McLean within six months, the said Hope diamond is agreed to be exchanged for jewelry of equal vale". By March, the diamond had not been paid for in accordance with the terms in the sale agreement. Cartier hired a lawyer to sue McLean for payment. McLean responded by saying that the diamond was on loan for inspection. On February 2, 1912 The New York Times reported, "Wealthy Purchasers of Famous Stone to Retain It Despite Sinister Reputation."
Read more about this topic: Edward Beale McLean
Famous quotes containing the words hope, diamond, ownership, subsequent, family and/or misfortunes:
“Our destiny, our being’s heart and home,
Is with infinitude, and only there;
With hope it is, hope that can never die,”
—William Wordsworth (1770–1850)
“pulling off the fat diamond engagement ring,
pulling off the elopement wedding ring,
and holding them, clicking them
in thumb and forefinger,
the indent of twenty-five years,
like a tiny rip leaving its mark....”
—Anne Sexton (1928–1974)
“They had their fortunes to make, everything to gain and nothing to lose. They were schooled in and anxious for debates; forcible in argument; reckless and brilliant. For them it was but a short and natural step from swaying juries in courtroom battles over the ownership of land to swaying constituents in contests for office. For the lawyer, oratory was the escalator that could lift a political candidate to higher ground.”
—Federal Writers’ Project Of The Wor, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)
“And he smiled a kind of sickly smile, and curled up on the floor,
And the subsequent proceedings interested him no more.”
—Francis Bret Harte (1836–1902)
“The family is on its way out; couples go next; then no more keeping cats or parrots.”
—Mason Cooley (b. 1927)
“For a tear is quickly dried, especially when shed for the misfortunes of others.”
—Marcus Tullius Cicero (106–43 B.C.)