The Dresden Green Diamond gets its name from the capitol of Saxony where it has been on display for more than 200 years.  It is a 41 carat (8.2 g), internally flawless, natural green diamond, which probably originated in the Kollur mine in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India.

 

In 1768, the diamond was used as a centre of an extremely valuable hat ornament, surrounded by two large and 411 medium-sized and small diamonds. This is the setting that the Dresden Green still appears in today.  The diamond is on display, together with other precious Saxon regalia, in the restored Green Vault at Dresden Castle, Germany.

 

Coloured diamonds are mysterious creatures, each tone and undertone of colour represents the presence of a mineral, a temperature, a chemical reaction, natural irradiation (unlike modern coloured diamonds which are often artificially heat treated to alter the colour); and each combination is specific to that particular stone. Green diamonds of any size are incredibly rare but one of 41 carats, of natural colour and internally flawless is a virtual unicorn in the gemology world. 

 

The Dresden Green diamond probably weighed over 100 (old) carats (as opposed to new, metric carats) when it was mined in its rough form.  The conversion from rough to faceted stone is generally 2: 1 - you lose about 50 percent of the rough weight in the cutting process. Its rough gem was in all probability originally an elongated unbroken stone since greenish diamonds rarely occur as cleavages.

 

Due to its rarity and beauty, the stone that became to be known as the 'Dresden Green' had a rocky start in the gem world, no doubt due to its exorbitant price.  

 

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:"On Tuesday last, in the afternoon, one Mr. Marcus Moses (Marcus Moses was an important diamond merchant in London during the early 18th century - he had been involved with the Regent Diamond), lately arrived from India, had the honor to wait on his Majesty [King George I (ruled 1714-27)] with his large diamond, which is of a fine emerald green colour, and was with his Majesty near an hour. His Majesty was very much pleased with the sight thereof. It is said there never was seen the like in Europe before, being free from any defect in the world; and he has shown his Majesty several other fine large diamonds, the like of which 'tis said were never brought from India before. He was also, the 25th, to wait on their Royal Highnesses with his large diamond; and they were surprised to see one of such largeness, and of such a fine emerald color without the help of a foil under it. We hear the gentlemen values it at £10,000."  Although clearly beguiled, George declined to purchase the beauty.  

 

Marcus then tried his luck in Germany hoping to sell the stone to the Saxon ruler, Frederick Augustus I.  As witnessed  in a letter dated from 1726, from Baron Gautier, the "assessor" at the Geheimes Rath's Collegium in Dresden, to the Polish ambassador in London, which speaks of the green diamond being being offered to Frederick Augustus I (1694-1753) by a London merchant for £30,000.

 

Known as Augustus the Strong, he was responsible for the construction of some great buildings in Dresden, which he duly filled with great collections of rare treasures.  In particular, he set aside a group of rooms in Dresden Castle to house his collection of jewels, his regalia on being elected to the throne of Poland (1697), and other royal masterpieces of the goldsmith's art. He named the rooms the "Green Vault", and entrusted their interior decoration to Persian decoraters.  The final result was considered to be one of the finest examples of Baroque interior design and decoration; sadly, this jewel of baroque architecture was largely destroyed during a WWII bombing raid.  More on the Green Vault later.

 

In the end, it was the son of Frederick Augustus I who purchased the green diamond;  Frederick Augustus II (1733-1763) became its first royal owner. He bought the Dresden Green from a Dutch merchant named Delles, at the Leipzig Fair in 1741.  The purchase price was staggering:   In a letter to Frederick the Great, King of Prussia (1712-1786), which states that "For the seige of Brünn the King of Poland was asked for heavy artillery. He refused due to the scarcity of money; he had just spent 400,000 thaler (a labourer made  30 thaler a year) for a large green diamond."

 

Frederick Augustus II, entrusted the court jeweller, Dinglinger, to set the diamond in the Decoration of the Golden Fleece (see illustration to the left), but this setting lasted only four years and for unknown reasons was broken up in 1746. The diverse components were reused in other pieces of royal jewelry, and the green diamond was mounted into its current hat ornament as shown at the top of the page.