The man known as the Count of Saint-Germain or le Comte de Saint-Germain as he is more commonly known (also known as "der Wundermann", meaning the wonder man in German) is a figure of mystery whose legend has grown in the last 200 years since his death, or supposed death according to some. There are several conflicting versions of his early life one being, that he was born in 1710 in Portugal, a Sephardic Jew. Another account said his name was Francis Ragoczy and that he was a prince from Transylvania who made a living from the trade of jewels. What is known for certain is that Saint-Germain spoke all European languages fluently, had a complete knowledge of history, was a composer of music and was able to play the violin very well. He was most famous for his amazing skills in medicine and alchemy, especially for transmuting metals into gold and having a secret technique for removing flaws from diamonds. He was also said to be the inventor of Masonry (since he claimed to be thousands of years old) as well as a skilled Cabalist (see Kabbalah), rarely ate in public and always dressed in black and white.
