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 Green
diamonds of any size are truly rare. The Dresden Green, which probably weighed
over 100 (old) carats in its rough form, is unique among world famous diamonds.
The color is usually caused by the crystal's coming into contact with a
radioactive source at some point during its million year creation. The Dresden
Green gets its name from the capitol of Saxony where it has been on display
for more than 200 years. The earliest known reference to its existence occurs
in The Post Boy, a London new-sheet of the 1700's. The issue dated October
25th - 27th, 1722 included this article:
From 1756 to 1763 during the continued hostilities of the Seven Years War, the contents of the Green Vault were removed for safety to the fortress of Königstein, located in southeast Dresden by the Elba River. Several years after the war, which saw the defeat of Saxony, Pallard's Golden Fleece ornament was also broken up. In 1768 another jeweler, Diessbach, worked the green diamond into a hat clasp along with two other white brilliants, weighing almost 40 carats total, and a number of smaller diamonds. The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) examined the stone in 1988. The Dresden Green Diamond proved to be VS1 in clarity with the potential of being internally flawless. The Dresden Green remained at the Smithsonian until January of 2001, when it returned the Albertinium Museum in Dresden, where it remains to this day. Sources: The Harry Winston website, Famous Diamonds by Ian Balfour, The Nature of Diamonds by George E. Harlow, the Gemstone Forecaster, and various sites scattered around the internet.
Copyright 2004 - House of Windsor Group |
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Jewelry,
British Crown Jewels Collection, Universal Studios Collection, Diamond
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