The pear-shaped, 40.70 carat, Dresden Green is the largest and finest natural green diamond ever discovered. The GIA examined the stone in 1988, and found it to be of exceptional quality, and assigned a clarity grade of VS-1, with a potential of reaching the maximum grade IF (internally flawless). This means that if the stone was slightly re-cut, it would eliminate superficial inclusions, upgrading the stone to IF clarity. Symmetry and polish are graded as very good which is testament to the 18th century cutters of this diamond. Another outstanding feature of the stone is that the green color is almost uniformly distributed throughout the diamond. This is truly rare.
It is believed the Dresden Green emanated from India in the early 18th century. It was purchased cut and polished in India by famous London diamond merchant, Mr. Marcus Moses, who intended selling it to His Majesty King George I (1714-27) for £10,000. The stone was eventually purchased by Duke Frederick Augustus II (1733 -1763) at the Leipzig Fair in 1741 for 400,000 Thaler. Following two earlier settings, in 1768 the Dresden Green on a hat clasp, its current setting.
The Dresden Green diamond is named after Dresden, the capital city of Saxony in Germany. Other than a period after World War II, the Dresden Green always remained in the Albertinium Museum in Dresden.