Hope Diamond mailed in plain brown package for $145 in 1958

In 1958, the famed <b>Hope Diamond</b> was shipped in a plain brown package to the Smithsonian via registered mail for a modest $145. The gem, originally mined in India, carries a royal legacy. American jeweller <b>Harry Winston</b> donated it to the museum after acquiring it from Evalyn Walsh McLean’s estate in 1949. The shipment highlights the gem’s enduring allure and the Smithsonian’s role in safeguarding priceless cultural artifacts for public education. This event remains a notable chapter in the museum’s storied collection.