|
Do you have your own blog
or website?
Link to us, sell our gemstones and gemstone jewelry and earn big
$$$.Lifetime
comissions.
Website Powered by Site Build It, Montreal Canada.
What is Site Build It?
|
Origin of name
The Dresden White diamond derives its name partly from
Dresden, the capital city of Saxony, in East Germany, and partly from the
color of the diamond. The diamond was one of a magnificent collection of
jewels and jewelry put together by Frederick Augustus I, also known as
Augustus the Strong, the King of Poland and elector of Saxony who ruled
between 1694 and 1733, who was noted for his extravagant and luxurious
tastes.
Characteristics of the
diamond
The Dresden White diamond is a 49.71-carat, colorless,
cushion-cut diamond with an unknown clarity grade, but going by the
description of the diamond should be exceptional. Augustus the Strong was so
captivated by the diamond that he is reported to have paid around a million
dollars to acquire it. Thus the diamond undoubtedly was of the "finest
water" or "purest water", descriptive terms used in the past to refer to
absolutely colorless, D-color diamonds.
Being a D-color diamond, the Dresden White is a Type IIa
diamond free of nitrogen and other impurities, and having a perfectly formed
crystal structure. Impurities and distortions in the crystal structure are two of the
main factors that cause color in diamonds. In the absence of such factors
these diamonds are absolutely colorless and are known as D-color diamonds in
the GIA color grading system. However, they constitute only 1-2 % of all
naturally occurring diamonds. These diamonds are said to be chemically pure
and structurally perfect diamonds.
History
The diamond being a late 17th century or early 18th
century stone, is undoubtedly of Indian origin, and possibly
originated in the famous Golconda mines of Southern India, noted for
producing diamonds of the "purest water", sometimes referred to as "whiter
than white" diamonds.
When the diamond was shown to Frederick Augustus I, the
King of Poland and elector of Saxony, he was so taken up by the cut,
clarity and color of the diamond, that he decided to acquire the diamond
at any cost. Eventually he is reported to have paid between $ 750,000 and
$ 1,000,000 for the diamond, perhaps a record price per carat paid
for a colorless diamond at that time. The diamond came to be known as the
Dresden White or Saxon White diamond, and was only second in importance to
the celebrated Dresden Green diamond, among the valuable collection of
jewels in the Green Vault, in Dresden.
Frederick Augustus I (1694-1733) was a monarch of
extravagant and luxurious tastes. He contributed a great deal to develop
the Saxon industry and trade. But his greatest achievement was the
modernization of the city of Dresden in the Baroque and Rococo styles,
which eventually developed into one of the most beautiful cities of the
world. Frederick Augustus I was also a great connoisseur and collector of
artworks such as paintings, sculptures and other art objects. He was also
a collector and connoisseur of jewels and jewelry, and put together an
extravagant collection of these items. His collection of paintings
included important renaissance and baroque works by Italian, Dutch, and
Flemish masters. Raphael's "Cistine Madonna" was prominent among this
collection. In order to house his enormous collection of paintings,
sculptures, jewels and other treasures he set up a "Green Vault" in
Dresden Castle. Today the contents of the "Green Vault" are housed in the
Albertinium Museum, built on the same site as the Dresden Castle, that was
destroyed by the massive allied bombings of World War II.
Frederick Augustus I was succeeded by his son Frederick
Augustus II (1733-1763) who continued with his father's modernization
program for the city of Dresden. He too was a notable patron of the arts,
and a collector of jewels. He purchased the famous Dresden Green diamond
at the Leipzig Fair held in 1741, for a sum of 400,000 thalers. In the
year 1746, Frederick Augstus II commissioned the jewelry designer and
goldsmith Pallard of Vienna, to design a golden fleece that incorporates
both the Dresden White and Dresden Green diamonds. Pallard's golden fleece
ornament was made up of three sections. The 49.71-carat Dresden White
diamond was incorporated as the centerpiece of the top most section,
surrounded by several smaller white diamonds. The more famous 40.70-carat,
pear-shaped, Dresden Green diamond was set as the centerpiece of the
middle section of the fleece, also surrounded by smaller white diamonds.
The lowermost section which carried the golden fleece had another unnamed
cushion-shaped white diamond as its centerpiece.
Safeguarding the
treasures of the Green Vault during the Seven Years War
During the hostilities of the seven years war from 1756
to 1763 - that involved Saxony on the side of Austria, France,
Russia, and Sweden against Prussia, Great Britain and Hanover, sparked off
by attempts by Austrian Hapsburgs to win back the rich province of
Silesia, captured previously by Frederick II the Great of Prussia during
the war of Austrian succession (1740-48) - the valuable treasures of the
"Green Vault" were transferred to the safety of the fortress of Konigstein
in southeast Dresden by the Elba river. The war ended with defeat for
Saxony, and the treasures were moved back to the "Green Vault." Pallard's
golden fleece was dismantled several years after this war in 1768.
However, the upper and the middle sections of the fleece containing the
Dresden White diamond and the Dresden Green diamond have been preserved up
to this day though in a different setting, as hat pin ornaments. See
picture below.
The kingdom of Saxony
Frederick Augustus II was succeeded by his son
Frederick Augustus III (1763-1827), who became a loyal ally of Napoleon,
after he captured Saxony in 1806 and made it a kingdom. Frederick Augustus
III was made the King of Saxony by Napoleon. The kingdom of Saxony lasted
until the end of World War I, when the monarchy was abolished and a
republican constitution adopted.
Display of the
treasures of the Green Vault
The invaluable treasures of the "Green Vault" was put
on public display after World War I and remained so until the beginning of
World War II. At the height of the war in 1942, the treasures were moved
again to the safety of the Konigstein fortress, and thus escaped the
shattering aerial bombardment by the allied forces on the night of
February 13th and 14th, 1945, in which more than 800 aircraft of the
Anglo-American forces took part. The bombardment completely destroyed the
city of Dresden, one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and killed
between 35,000 and 135,000 people, but achieved little militarily.
The treasures of the
Green Vault are taken to Moscow
The Soviet Trophies Commission which was in the city at
that time of the devastating bombing raid of 1945, took the contents of
the "Green Vault" to Moscow, but returned them safely in 1958. The
contents are now on display in the Albertinium Museum in Dresden, which
was built on the same site as the former Dresden Castle.
Please submit
your contributions ,comments and questions (See below)
-When you submit a question/comment we will build a
page exclusively for you. You can add more contributions, or let visitors
add comments and ratings
-The idea is Ask one or Answer one!
This way, you save yourself and others the trouble of asking the same
questions on famous diamonds, famous gemstones etc. or become my co-expert on this subject by
rating and submitting comments. I'd appreciate a
little help here! Absolutely!!!
|
Sign up
for our news letter and get a chance of
winning US$2000
worth of gemstone jewelry every month.
|
