Hope Diamond

Of all the well-known diamonds the most infamous is the Hope Diamond, a beautiful blue colored beauty that was dubbed "The Killing Stone."

According to the legend, a curse befell this large, blue diamond when it was plucked (i.e. stolen) from an idol in India - a curse that foretold bad luck and death not only for the owner of the diamond but for all who touched it.

The legend says that the hope was placed in front of a Buddha statue when it was stolen by a warrior, Tavernier. For this transgression, according to the legend, Tavernier was torn apart by wild dogs on a trip to Russia (after he had sold the diamond). This was the first horrible death attributed to the curse.

Read here for more on the hope diamond curse.