The Idol’s Eye is a legendary blue diamond shrouded in myth and intrigue. Weighing 70.21 carats, it is approximately 25 carats larger than the Hope Diamond, making it one of the largest known blue diamonds in the world — despite the common misconception that the Hope holds that title.

Its first authenticated appearance was at a Christie’s auction in 1865, but its origins stretch much further back. It was likely mined in the famed Golconda region of India in the early 1600s, the source of many of history’s great diamonds. Like many such stones, the Idol’s Eye is steeped in legend: one popular tale claims it was stolen from the eye of a statue in a sacred temple — a story as dramatic as it is unverified, and not uncommon among famous diamonds.

After emerging in Europe in the 1700s, the Idol’s Eye passed through various hands, both known and rumored. The last confirmed public owner was Harry Levinson, a jeweler based in Chicago. Since then, the diamond has reportedly entered private ownership, with strong indications that it now resides somewhere in the Middle or Far East.

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has graded the Idol’s Eye as a natural blue diamond, placing it within the same rarefied category as the Hope. However, unlike the Hope’s cushion shape, the Idol’s Eye is cut in a modified triangular brilliant (sometimes described as a tabular shape), which gives it a unique appearance among large diamonds.