Looking for Hope in all the Wrong Places

It’s a National Treasure on display in the Museum of Natural History. Its name stirred my curiosity as much as the color and light dazzled my eyes. I imagined that this magnificent Hope Diamond had earned its inspiring name by bringing hope and light to the heart of some desperate person. So my curiosity took me on  search of its history.

The Hope Diamond photographed by David Bjorgen
The Hope Diamond photographed by David Bjorgen

 

At one time India was the only place in the world that produced diamonds.The Hope Diamond was a huge alluvial (washed loose) diamond mined from the Kollur Mine in 1653. Alluvial diamonds are washed from mountains and volcanos into rivers and streams. Thousands of workers dug and sifted through the silt and sludge for long, labor intensive hours to to find very few diamonds.

The people of India believed that the diamond contained power and energy. Since bigger was better, they only cut away any imperfections found in the diamond. And this jewel was a whopping 112 carats.

Jean Baptiste Tavernier, a diamond merchant acquired and then sold his big blue to Louis XIV for the equivalent of 1.8 million dollars. It was called the “Tavernier Violet.” Violet at that time in French meant “intense blue.”

The Renaissance in Europe brought the understanding of geometry which led to delicate glass cutting, and to the intricate diamond cutting that enabled a diamond to dazzle and sparkle as it reflected the light.

Louis XIV called himself the Sun King and seemed to have an extravagant appetite for BLING. Maybe we could call him the Bling King? He had the Tavernier Blue recut to emit its most spectacular sparkle and shine. French Blue was the new name for this dazzling 67 carat diamond. Although almost half it’s size, the new, brilliant diamond doubled in value.

looking for hope in all the wrong places
Wouldn’t you love for these hands to be yours?

The story of this ageless beauty continued for hundreds of years.

Flaunted by kings.

Stolen.

Hidden.

Sold.

Coveted by world leaders. Including Napoleon!

Recut.

I couldn’t find a single trace of hope. So why is it called the Hope Diamond?

Henry Philip Hope, purchased the diamond from George IV in a secret sale necessitated by his significant debt. Mr. Hope catalogued it simply as “Number One.” However when inherited by his nephew and displayed in the London Exposition at the Crystal Palace, it was designated as “Mister Hope’s Blue Diamond.” It seems time has a way of shortening names first “Hope’s Blue Diamond,” then shorter still to it’s current name “Hope Diamond,”

 

Just a Name, No Hope.

I trekked through the pages of history to discover a glimmer of hope radiating from this big blue, but it just didn’t happen.

I saw mystery,

greed,

pride,

loss,

as I viewed the story of the hands that held this magnificent beauty,

but no hope.

Were my expectations too great? Can a stone offer hope?

Or are we looking for hope in all the wrong places?

I think we are. Let’s turn our attention to another stone.

Isaiah describes this stone for us.

A precious stone- absolutely, the most precious of all.

Like the diamond, a hard, durable or reliable stone.

Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: “Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem, a firm and tested stone. It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on. Whoever believes need never be shaken. Isaiah 28:16 NLT
A foundation stone– where you can build your life.
Firm, I like that word.
stable
reliable
trustworthy
unshakable foundation…
if you believe?
But it was prophesied in Psalm 118:22 that this stone would be rejected by builders, yet chosen as the cornerstone
the mainspring,
the backbone,
the core,
the heart
the most important stone in the entire building.
And Jesus announced the fulfillment of the prophesy. “Didn’t you ever read this in the Scriptures? ‘The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.” Mark 12:10 NLT

Jesus is the stone, the essential cornerstone Acts 4:11

of our faith,
our access to God,
our hope.
 1 Peter 2:4-8 gives us a glimpse of this stone through the lens of two groups of people
Believers
He is precious
…even more precious than the Hope Diamond
the cornerstone of our faith
Unbelievers
He is a stumbling stone
we stub our toe…painfully
we fall down
we just don’t get it…
As the Scriptures say, “I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem, chosen for great honor, and anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” 1 Peter 2:7 
Yes, there is a fabulous hope Diamond. His name is Jesus.
It isn’t locked in a case.
Anyone can receive it by faith.
And the heart that holds it, God’s Amazing Hope Diamond, is filled with hope
and peace
and love
and joy.
And that’s not a glitzy promise…it’s a facet of God’s glorious cornerstone-Jesus.
Resources for this article
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hope_Diamond.jpg
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