Bought in 1690 by King William III for his wife, Queen Mary II, the blue-green diamond is the most valuable jewel of the Dutch Royal House. Queen Beatrix never wore it, but Queen Máxima brought him back into the spotlight at a royal banquet in London.

(Staff: Nederland / History & Royal Jewelry)

In the well-guarded vault of the Dutch royal family is a treasure that jewelry specialists from all over the world only dream about. Is about Stuart Diamond, a precious stone of almost 40 carats, with a history spanning more than three centuries and an almost mythical aura. Although one of the queens of the Netherlands has kept her away from the eyes of the world for four decades, another has brought her back to the fore with pride and grace. .

A 17th-century royal gift

The story of this diamond begins in the year 1690, when the king-stadtholder Willem III of the Netherlands, who was also King of England, bought it as a gift for his wife, Queen Mary II Stuart. The price paid at the time was 90,000 guilders, a huge sum for those times.

The crude stone was later processed into a pear shape, with a pink cut (rose-cut), resulting in a diamond 39.75 carats. Its color is extremely rare: a pale blue with a greenish tint that gives it a unique shine. .

After the death of Queen Mary in 1694 and then of King Willem in 1702, the jewels returned to the House of Orange-Nassau, coming into the possession of the Prince Johan Willem Friso. .

Queen Wilhelmina’s tiara

Almost two centuries later, in 1897, the jeweler Eduard Schürmann & co He received a special order: to create a tiara using the famous Stuart diamond, along with other diamonds from Queen Emma’s collection. This tiara was intended for the coronation of the queen Wilhelmina in 1898. However, Wilhelmina only wore it sporadically, at her 1901 wedding and in an official portrait. .

Juliana, the great lover of diamond

His daughter, the queen Juliana, however, he had a completely different relationship with this jewel. She was a great admirer of hers and wore it frequently, including at her coronation in 1948 and at numerous royal events throughout the 60s and 70s. .

Beatrix and the 40 years of silence

Instead, the queen Beatrix He never wore the Stuart diamond during his entire reign, which lasted from 1980 to 2013. The stone remained hidden in the safe for more than four decades. Specialists and royal jewelry enthusiasts have begun to wonder if the diamond still exists or if it has been taken out of circulation.

The Spectacular Return of Queen Máxima

The answer came in a grandiose setting: in October 2018during a state banquet at Buckingham Palace From London, Queen Máxima appeared wearing the Stuart diamond tiara. It was the first time that the jewel was seen in public after 1972. .

Máxima later explained that the choice was a symbolic one, made to emphasize the historical ties between the Netherlands and Great Britain, given that the diamond was bought by a Dutch king who was also king of England. .

A jewel of impressive size

With a weight of 39.75 carats (about 8 grams) and dimensions of 30 by 25 millimeters, the Stuart diamond is a jewel of inestimable value. Its pale blue color with a greenish tint and its unique cut make it one of the most valuable diamonds in the world.

Conclusion

The Stuart diamond remains the most precious jewel of the Dutch crown, a jewel with a fascinating history that has passed through the hands of five queens. After decades of oblivion, Queen Máxima brought him back into the spotlight, proving that some treasures are too precious to remain forever hidden.