Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Hat ornament with the "Dresden Green" from the Diamond Garniture
Franz Diespach German
modified by Christian August Globig German
Not on view
This ornament features the largest natural green diamond in the world, the only one of its type ever found. Elector of Saxony Frederick Augustus II bought the 41-carat gemstone in 1742. It was used in several royal jewels, including a pendant of the Order of the Golden Fleece, before his grandson, Frederick Augustus III, had it incorporated—together with two round white diamonds of 6.3 and 19.3 carats, and over four hundred smaller diamonds—into this piece, which has remained untouched since 1769.
Formed deep in the earth under immense pressure, diamonds were perhaps the most mythologized gemstone, thought to protect the wearer from poison, madness, and evil dreams. This diamond’s captivating, evenly distributed green color resulted from a rare type of ionizing radiation underground. The cutter departed from common eighteenth-century practice to fashion a modified pear-shaped brilliant gem, precisely faceted to enhance its sparkle.
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