The Hope Diamond Barbie® doll is a breathtaking doll, worthy of any collector's display case. Her stunning dress and jewelry took my breath away ever since the first time I saw her. I knew deep within my heart, she had to be part of my collection.

This doll was designed by the amazing talent of Robert Best.

The release date for sale of this doll was on February 16th, 2012.

The production of this doll was limited to no more than 6500 units worldwide.

She was inspired by the famous jewel, which bares her name, and which is now part of America's crown jewels. She wears a shiny charmeuse mermaid-style gown in dark blue, and long white gloves made from similar shiny fabric. 

Her jewelry accessories, the bracelet and earrings, compliment one another beautifully without shadowing the beauty of the main piece; the miniature Hope Diamond replica she wears so elegantly.

Her vibrant red hair, gives a lovely contrast to the colors of her outfit, and the box she comes displayed in. Her shoes are in a similar tone to her dress, matching perfectly and delicately. This is truly a fabulous doll to collect in my personal opinion.

She comes in a Black box with a blue interior. The doll includes a stand, and her certificate of authenticity.

There was also another version of this doll made with white hair, which was an exclusive for the Italian Doll Convention 2012.

What I Liked:

I liked the detail in her jewelry, and how beautiful her necklace glimmers. I loved her gown design, which flows gently without outshining the main piece. Her makeup is very lovely, and I loved the tone of her hair. I also enjoyed the design for her shoes, which I feel goes very well with the dress and the rest of the outfit. My favorite part was the beauty mark that gives her that special uniqueness to her expression.

Areas I think could be improved:

It is very hard for collectors to make the decision to open a box and display the doll outside the box. However we are always very curious to see what is beyond. I really wanted to see her shoes and the dress was stretched with a string to look as if it fell naturally. The problem is that as a collector I wanted to keep everything intact, but I also wanted to see the type of shoes that were designed for her. I think that if there was a way to pack and arrange these beautiful dolls in a way in which we didn't have to remove the strings or anything from the packing and we could still manage to see the whole doll, that would be one of the most pleasing things ever. When I buy a doll, I really prefer to leave her in the box, and only remove the plastic cover to take photos to avoid the reflection, but I do not really like to mess with the displayed arrangement, so that would be something I would appreciate a lot for future doll packaging. I also didn't care much for the glitter in her makeup, and feel she didn't need it at all as part of her makeup. I feel that the jewels gave her enough shimmering to have to add it to her makeup as well. She still looks gorgeous.

Her original price was: $79.95 when sold by BarbieCollector.com, however, she is no longer available from them. To find her, you have to search the web for auctions, and other collectible retailers to see if she is available for purchase.

I got lucky and found her in this website (LINK). Therefore, though the doll was sold during 2012, it is still possible to buy her. You just have to be patient when looking. I waited over two years, and got her last May, 2015.