10 Royal Jewels That Are Thought To Be Cursed

The truth remains a mystery whether a cursed opal truly brought a series of unfortunate events, but the pristine opal mounted in a gold ring of the Comtesse de Castiglione of Italy was eerily present in several Spanish court deaths, according to Gem Select. 

Legend — shared in the Chicago Tribune on October 9, 1898 (via The Court Jeweller) — has it that the jewel played a role in a love triangle involving the Comtesse, who took a liking to King Alfonso XII and gifted him the fated opal. But alas, their union was not to be since he married his cousin. Dazzled with the ring, the king slipped it onto the finger of his beautiful wife, who later died. 

Upon her death, the ring was bestowed to his grandmother, who was originally reported to have also died soon after (though that was later proven false). The following two wearers of the ring, Alfonso's sister and Mercedes' sister, also died after taking the ring into their possession. However, Gem Select notes potential tuberculosis as a cause. In the end, Alfonso put the ring on himself and died shortly after from organ failure. Possibly a blessing in disguise, Queen Maria Cristina hung the opal around the neck of a statue, and it was lost forever. Whether indeed cursed, it does seem eerie that a gift from a forlorn lover plagued the Spanish court.