The Mystery of the Dresden Green

This 41-carat diamond is naturally green, a color caused by exposure to radioactive rocks underground. It is one of the world's rarest gems because its color grew deep into the stone rather than just on the surface.

Most colored diamonds get their hue from chemical impurities, but the Dresden Green is a rare Type IIa gem that owes its color to millions of years of natural radiation exposure. Originating from the legendary mines of India, it remains one of the largest and finest green diamonds ever discovered. Even today, experts marvel at its clarity and the intense, uniform emerald shade that makes it truly one of a kind. Its history is just as vivid, having been a prized possession of European royalty for centuries.