The Hope Diamond is a 45.52 carat dazzling blue diamond. The diamond was owned by the French royal family until it was stolen during the French Revolution in 1792. The curse is said to have struck Louis XIV and Marie Antoinette, who were both executed. Any piece of jewelry made from the stone will be destroyed if the jewel ever leaves the owner's possession. The story of the curse has been told through history many times over. It first appeared in a book written by Abraham Hyer in 1872. According to the story, when the French king Louis XIV ordered the construction of the palace where he lived out his final years, he had a part of his own crown removed and placed into the foundation of the new building. He believed that this would make the building impossible to destroy. However, there are some historians that say this isn't true and believe that Louis simply wanted a monument that could never be taken away from him. In any case, the story goes on to say that the king's wife, Marie Antoinette, ordered a similar piece of jewelry constructed for herself. But instead of putting their names on the foundations, servants put their names there instead. It is said that if the queen ever let her finger brush against the stone, she would be forced to commit suicide. There are several stories about how she died, but they all involve drowning or burning alive.