I HOPE You Never Ask This PRICELESS Question

This summer, I had the privilege of spending three weeks in Washington, D.C. I had visited before, but being older, I was able to take from it a greater appreciation. It’s almost surreal being in Washington; imagining that the most powerful people in the country work within a 10-mile radius. One of the most interesting experiences that I had in Washington occurred within the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.

Within the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, the Hope Diamond rests in its own case. When I walked into the room that hosted the Hope Diamond, I couldn’t see it because of all the people. After much work, I squeezed myself into the group of people surrounding the casing. It truly did surprise me how different the Hope Diamond was from how I imagined it; I always thought it would be this shiny clear rock comparable to the size of a fist. In reality, it was about the size of a gumball and wasn’t clear, but purple!?

My curiosity began to kick in. As I’m looking at this rock encased in about three inches of bullet proof glass, I start to wonder exactly what the value of the diamond is. I look around and see a guard standing against a wall.

I approach the guard and ask, “How much is the Hope Diamond worth?” He says, “It’s priceless.” I obviously didn’t think was a reasonable answer, so I asked again in a sort of different way, “How much money is the Hope Diamond worth?” Again, I hear the reply, “It’s priceless.”

Seeing that I’m not going to get an answer out of this guy, I thank him for his time, and then search for someone else to answer my question. On the other side of the room, there stood another guard. I casually walked up and asked the same question: “How much money is the Hope Diamond worth?” He responded, “Your life.” This time, however, I took the hint and moved on.

For the record, Diamond Cutters value the price of the Hope Diamond at $250,000,000.