It is deep blue, weighs 45.52 carats, and is rumoured to bestow a curse on anyone brave enough to wear it. No wonder the world-famous Hope diamond is kept behind alarmed glass at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC.
Its very public domain, however, may have brought certain advantages for its 5m annual visitors, far beyond those of enhanced accessibility. In August, a redesign of the setting was due in honour of the 50th anniversary of the donation of the diamond to the museum by the jeweller Harry Winston, and it was up to the public to decide.
