Joseph Gregory is the grand grandson of Evalyn Walsh McLean. Originally from Louisville, KY, he was educated at Belmont University in Nashville and is president and founder of Hope Diamond Collection Inc., which has created its flagship fragrance, Fable, inspired by his great grandmother. Gregory travels around the world to speak about the Hope Diamond and how its legend has colored his life and the lives of his family. He lives and works in Nashville and New York.
He is the author of "Queen of Diamonds: The Fabled Legacy of Evalyn Walsh McLean" ISBN 157736192X
He launched Fable, a perfume and body care line in 1999.
Joseph C. Gregory is the President and Founder of Fable Fragrance, the fragrance company that launched its first scent, Fable, based on the Hope Diamond, in April 1999 after more than five years of research and development.
As the great-grandson of Evalyn Walsh McLean, the mining heiress who owned the Hope Diamond until her death in 1947, he had grown up hearing about the legendary 45.52 carat diamond, which is the largest blue stone of its kind in the world, now valued at $250 million. He was intrigued by the tales of tragedy that it was said to have brought upon previous owners including Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, and eventually upon Evalyn as well, after she purchased it for a mere $180,000 in 1911.
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An autographed collectors limited edition
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Gregory's plunge into the high-end fragrance world was prompted by a visit to the rare deep-blue Hope Diamond at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History nine years ago, where it resides in a case of high-tech security glass. The scene at the museum greatly impressed Gregory when he realized how people were attracted to this fabled gem. It amazed him to see how visitors lined up for hours just to catch a glimpse of this magnificent stone. Through this experience, Joseph saw the opportunity and the marketing possibilities of a product based on his family history, and set out to accomplish his dream.
Joseph used his twelve years of experience in the retail fragrance business with Dillard's, Mercantile, and Parfums Boucheron, to create Fable, a woody-floral-oriental scent, composed by Claude Dir of Quest International. His goal - to translate the glory and grandeur of the great "Blue Diamond" into the perfect fragrance - was realized.
Joseph is dedicated to the continuation of his great-grandmother, Evalyn Walsh McLean's legacy by providing the public with the opportunity to experience Fable, and the intrigue, allure, and splendor of this truly remarkable gem.
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