RIVANSHI RAKHRAI
Delhi Purple Sapphire, which, despite its name, is not a sapphire but an amethyst. This particular gem has a dark and enigmatic past, involving theft, deceit, and calamity
Delhi Purple Sapphire, also known as 'The Gem of Sorrow,' shares a common narrative with famous diamonds, having been stolen from a Hindu temple during the tumultuous 1857 rebellion against the British in Cawnpore (Kanpur), Uttar Pradesh
Colonel W. Ferris, a Bengal cavalryman, transported the stolen stone to England, where misfortune plagued him in health and finances. Passing the cursed gem to his son only perpetuated the streak of ill luck and poverty
Edward Heron-Allen, a polymath, acquired the cursed amethyst in 1890, experiencing constant misfortune despite attempts to gift it away
Heron-Allen's daughter inherited the gem after his death in 1943 and donated it to the Museum of Natural History in London
The museum stored the amethyst cautiously due to its alleged curse, revealing it for public display only in 1972
A young curator, Peter Tandy, rediscovered the gem's mysterious history in a typed note, sparking renewed interest in its origins
Despite its cursed reputation, Tandy tested the stone by taking it home, experiencing only a minor headache and restless sleep
The Delhi Purple Sapphire challenges perceptions, being misunderstood as both cursed and ordinary, reflecting human tendencies to attribute meaning to seemingly insignificant objects