The Hope diamond phosphoresces a strong red color, which will last for several seconds after exposure to short wave ultra-violet light.
It is unclear who had initially owned the gemstone, whether it had been found, by whom, and in what condition.
But the first historical records suggest that a French merchant-traveler named Jean-Baptiste Tavernier obtained the stone, possibly by purchase or by theft, and he brought a large uncut stone to Paris which was the first known precursor to the Hope Diamond.
This large stone became known as the Tavernier Blue diamond. It was a crudely cut triangular shaped stone of 115 carats (23 g).
