The Hope Diamond, owned by Elizabeth Taylor and admired by this little girl, is a sapphire-blue gemstone from India that is one of the largest blue diamonds known. The diamond's history begins in 1666 when French merchant Jean-Baptiste Tavernier purchased the diamond in India in uncut form. He cut the stone and renamed it "the French Blue" (Le bleu de France) before selling it to King Louis XIV of France in 1668. In 1673, the stone was recut into a 67-carat heart, but disappeared after the crown-jewel robbery of 1792. In 1830, London banker Thomas Hope purchased the diamond, which became known as the Hope Diamond.