JMG – heir to the Hope Diamond Legacy

Evalyn Walsh McLean

Purchased the “Hope” for $180,000 in 1911 when she was only twenty-four.
Spent more than $200,000 on a fabulous honeymoon and ended up in a Paris hotel with insufficient funds to pay the bill.
Wandered the gloomy rooms in her home one night, imagining reptiles crawling on the walls while trying to overcome her morphine addiction.
Paid over $100,000 to ransom the kidnapped Lindbergh baby nearly losing her own life in the process.
Stood powerless in the rain wearing a fur coat and clutching the Hope Diamond as her beloved Washington Post was auctioned off.
Reputedly died wearing her famous jewels surrounded by friends and family who then became confused about what to do with the jewels.
Stay a moment — her story changes.
Evalyn Walsh McLean Evalyn Walsh McLean signature

Once Upon a Time…

Centuries ago in faraway India, deep beneath the surface of the earth, a very special stone was formed. What made it so extraordinary was its color…a deep indigo blue. It was a diamond of gigantic proportions, and it was destined to become a legendary gem.

When discovered, it was believed to have great mystical powers, and was reputedly used to adorn the statue of a Hindu idol. Word of its power and beauty spread throughout the land until, suddenly, the great blue diamond disappeared.

Over the course of the next few centuries, the fable grew. According to legend, the diamond was in the possession of sultans, King Louis XIV, English royalty, an actress, jewelers, and thieves. It is believed that the diamond brought tragedy to each of its owners. At the turn of the century the diamond was purchased by a young American heiress named Evalyn Walsh McLean.

Evalyn led anything but a normal life. She grew up a poor girl in a tough Colorado mining town where her Irish immigrant father, Thomas Francis Walsh, discovered one of the largest gold mines in the United States. The newly wealthy family relocated to Washington, D.C., where she met and married Ned McLean, who inherited the renowned Washington Post and the Cincinnati Enquirer. With the combined influence of the Walsh and McLean families, Evalyn developed friendships with the politically prominent in the nation’s capitol and became the city’s favorite hostess. Notorious for giving magnificent parties, she counted the Tafts, the Hardings, the Coolidges, Alice Roosevelt, J. Edgar Hoover, and Ethel Barrymore among her many personal friends.

The McLeans purchased the Hope Diamond when Evalyn was only twenty-four. Wagging tongues and the diamond’s supposed curse did not, however, prevent her from wearing it. She lost the diamond a few times… once by putting it around her Great Dane’s neck. Evalyn sported the incredible gem everywhere. She realized that the true power of this coveted jewel came from the joy and awe which filled the faces of those who gazed upon it. While Evalyn loved her diamonds, she loved her children, pets, and life more. When she passed away the Hope Diamond was worth $2 million dollars…it is valued at more than $225 million dollars today.

Currently the diamond resides in its permanent home at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. where it can be appreciated by millions of admirers who marvel at its splendor.

The fable has become a legend.

About the Hope Diamond

SIZE
The official weight now is 45.52 carats.
COLOR
Traces of boron contribute to the stone’s deep blue color.
SETTING
16 white diamonds encircle the blue stone, plus 45 in the chain.
The Hope Diamond in its setting
The Hope Diamond under UV light
The Hope Diamond Under UV Light
Queen of Diamonds: The Fabled Legacy of Evalyn Walsh McLean

Queen of Diamonds: The Fabled Legacy of Evalyn Walsh McLean

The last and longest private owner of the Hope Diamond, Evalyn Walsh McLean led anything but an ordinary life. Evalyn grew up a poor girl in a rough Colorado mining town where her father discovered one of the largest gold mines in the United States. The newly wealthy family relocated to Washington, D.C., where she met and married Ned McLean, who inherited the renowned Washington Post and the Cincinnati Enquirer. With the combined influence of the Walsh and McLean families, Evalyn developed friendships with the politically prominent in the nation’s capital and became the city’s favorite hostess. Notorious for giving magnificent parties, she counted the Tafts, the Hardings, the Coolidges, Alice Roosevelt, J. Edgar Hoover, and Ethel Barrymore among her many personal friends.

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The Hope Diamond book

The Hope Diamond: Evalyn Walsh McLean and the Captivating Mystery of the World's Most Alluring Jewel

Much has been written about this most fascinating blue diamond to which myth, mystery, and intrigue have become inextricably linked the Hope diamond. Nearly four hundred years of remarkable history is encapsulated within it, one of the world s most stunning and storied treasures. This fascinating tale is beautifully presented here in this visually enticing book, Evalyn Walsh McLean and the Captivating Mystery of the World s Most Alluring Jewel. With great focus concentrated on the years the diamond spent under the ownership of Evalyn Walsh McLeanthe Hope's longest owner each part of the Hope s extraordinary journey holds its own story and has been faithfully retold in this new gift book. Some stories never grow old. That is certainly true with the Hope diamond, an exquisite legend that has never lost its sparkle and continues to capture the attention of millions each and every year.

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Meet Joseph McLean Gregory

Joseph McLean Gregory

Joseph McLean Gregory is the great-grandson of Evalyn Walsh McLean. Originally from Louisville, Kentucky, he was educated at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, and is the president and founder of Hope Diamond Collection. A noted author and historian, Joseph has received rave reviews for his books, Queen of Diamonds and his latest book, The Hope Diamond: Evalyn Walsh McLean and the Captivating Mystery of the World’s Most Alluring Jewel. This book explores the remarkable journey of the enchanting blue diamond and the rich legacy of Gregory’s great-grandmother, Evalyn Walsh McLean, who purchased the gem in 1911. The book sheds new light on the myth, mystery, and magnificence on the McLean legacy. Although much has been written about the storied gem, Gregory offers an in-depth look behind the intrigue, fascination, and misfortune of those who dared to possess it.

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IN THE NEWS

Did the Hope Diamond Curse a Washington, D.C. Family?

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View the full story at wetaplus.org

Mansion 2020 and The Hope Diamond

Liz Smith - Gossip Column from the NEW YORK POST

Liz Smith - Gossip Column from
the NEW YORK POST
July 2000

I WENT down to Nashville this week, where it was 103 degrees. But nobody in Tennessee cares about hot weather; everybody there stays strictly inside. Nashville is air-conditioned to the max, and the great honeymoon tourist attraction hotel, Opryland, has been created as a living green jungle inside a huge glassed-in shell. In this cocoon, there are cafes and shops to beat the band, balcony rooms with views, rivers, waterfalls and flower beds of blooming gardenias. It's great!
 

Read more: Liz Smith - Gossip Column from the NEW YORK POST

Another Layer of Socialite History For This Georgetown Home

Last year this home went on the market with a few brags about the boxwood bushes that were a gift from Jackie Kennedy. But it turns out that isn't the only connection it has to Georgetown's elite socializing circles. The home was previously owned by the last person to privately own the Hope Diamond—a woman by the name of Evalyn Walsh McLean. Glancing through the photos it seems a fitting place for one of DC's most prominent former socialites to have hung out with all her jewels (besides owning the 45-carat Hope Diamond, she also owned the 94-carat Star of the East). The house is modest, by socialite standards, with 2,663 square feet and 3 bedrooms, 3 baths. It didn't find a buyer at its previous price of $1,795,000 so now the ask has dropped down to $1,695,000.