Monday Marvels: The Cursed Black Orlov

Jewelry can inspire a range of emotions in people, from bittersweet nostalgia to burgeoning love. There are rumors, however, that some jewelry can inspire more than just feelings…they can bring about death.

The Black Orlov, also knows the Eye of Brahma Diamond, is a black diamond weighing in at 67.5 carats. Discovered in India in the early 19^th Century, it was allegedly stolen from a statue of the Hindu god Brahma by a monk. This theft, apparently, was what brought on the dreadful curse in the first place.

Consider these facts:

• In 1932, a diamond dealer named J.W. Paris committed suicide after bringing the diamond to the United States.
• In the 1940s, two Russian princesses who once owned the diamond jumped to their deaths.

Finally, a man named Charles Winson cut the diamond down into three pieces in an attempt to break the curse. Since then, it appears the curse may have been broken.

Even still, would you want to own a piece of jewelry once purported to cause suicidal tendencies?