Menu
Visit Our Store
Halloween is supposed to be a scary time of year but this year, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s likely going to be a lot less scary and very, very different.
People might still be getting dressed up in their Halloween outfits but whether or not you can go trick or treating is dependent entirely upon your local lockdown restrictions. If your area is currently in tier 1 or tier 2 lockdown, you’re in luck. However, if you’re like us here in Lancashire and find yourself in tier 3, it’ll be a strictly no trick or treating Halloween.
So, to try and bring you something a bit different, we’ve written this post all about historic, haunted jewellery.
If you’re in the market for some new jewellery that is almost certainly not haunted but is absolutely affordable and as beautiful of some of the following pieces, then check out our 10% off offer on all Elements Gold jewellery.
Anyway, without further ado, let’s dive into some of most cursed jewellery items in the world…
The Koh-i-Noor Diamond
In Persian, this diamond’s name means “mountain of light”, but light isn’t something it brought to the lives of those males who owned it. In fact, the stone carried with it a curse and a 750-year history of murder and bloodshed.
According to folklore, a Hindu description of the Koh-i-Noor’s first appearance in 1306 warns that “he who owns this diamond will own the world but will also know all of its misfortunes. Only God or woman can wear it with impunity.”
The first to fall victim to the curse of the Koh-i-Noor was the son of the first Mughal emperor, Babur, who was driven from his kingdom and into exile.
Later, Mughal ruler, Shah Jahan, who built the Taj Mahal, had the diamond placed into the famous Peacock Throne of the dynasty but spend his final days looking at its reflection through a barred window after being imprisoned by his son.
To read more about the Koh-i-Noor, its curse, how it ended up in British hands and why the British won’t give it back, click here.
Patek Philippe Graves Supercomplication
Strictly speaking this isn’t an item of jewellery but, that is probably more down to personal preference as opposed to whether or not a watch is strictly considered jewellery.
Anyway, the Patek Philippe Graves Supercomplication is a USD $24 million watch, and it is known as the most elaborate watch in the world and was commissioned by American businessman, Henry Graves, in 1925.
The watch is believed to be cursed because shortly after Graves he received the timepiece, his best friend died but worse was to come to the banker as his youngest son was then killed in a car crash in California.
After Henry’s death in 1953, the watch was passed down through generations of his family before it was bought in 1999 by Sheikh Said bin Muhammed Al Thani of the Qatari Royal Family. The curse struck again in 2012, though. The High Court in London froze some of the Sheikh’s assets in a legal dispute and he was forced to sell the watch at auction in order to pay off his debts.
However, just 48 hours before the watch was eventually sold at auction, the Sheikh died unexpectedly at his home in London.
The Black Orlov
This diamond is believed to have originated from India in the early 19th century. It is named for Princess Nadia Vygin-Orlov, the last owner of the stone who died tragically.
There at least three different, tragic, suicides that are linked to the Black Orlov diamond and as with many other haunted gemstones, this stone’s life can be traced back to an Indian temple where it was allegedly one of the eyes of a statue of Hindu god of creation, Brahma.
In the early 1930s, a gem dealer named J.W. Paris acquired the stone and went to New York looking for a buyer for the incredible gem. However, within a week of selling the stone, he had taken his life after leaping from a skyscraper in Manhattan and became the first victim of the diamond.
By the end of 1947, the stone had ‘claimed’ two others. Two Russian princesses, Leonila Galitsine-Bariatinsky and the aforementioned Nadia Vygin-Orlov both leapt to their deaths within a month of each other. In an effort to break the curse, the diamond was eventually re-cut into three separate stones which have since been in possession of a succession of private owners and since, there appears to have been no more trouble associated with the Black Orlov in over half a century.
Contact Nettletons Today
As we mentioned at the start, we have many different items available on the website from diamond rings and earrings of all colours to mens and ladies watches of all different shapes, sizes and brands. You can view our entire watch collection here.
We have been operating from our base here in Clitheroe since way back in 1978 and in that time, we’ve come to learn a thing or two when it comes to jewellery.
