Who will buy the biggest black diamond (from space) in the world?

The rare Enigma black diamond, at 555 carats, the largest cut diamond in the world, will go under the hammer next month.

A rare cosmic wonder, the black diamond at Sotheby’s auction house is called Enigma. According to Guinness World Records, the gem is not only the largest black diamond in the world, it is also the largest cut diamond in the world. And as if that didn’t make Enigma special enough, it stands out in another way, according to the auction house. The gem could have an extraterrestrial origin. Enigma will soon be under the hammer.

Read also :

Five

The riddle is a special gem. The black diamond, a so-called carbonado, is cut in such a way that it has 55 facets (read: sides), and weighs exactly 555.55 carats (111 grams). This focus on five comes from the “hand of Fatima” (five-fingered), or Khasma (Arabic for “five”), a Middle Eastern symbol of strength and protection.

Extraterrestrial?

In addition to the particular color, weight and shape of the gemstone, the possible origin of Enigma also makes the stone special. The British auction house, for example, writes that it could have been created by a meteor impact or perhaps it came from a diamond-rich asteroid that hit Earth a long time ago.

But whether this is really the case remains to be seen. Although scientists in the past have found carbonados formed by a glowing meteorite impact, these diamonds are usually very small. And let Enigma sit at the exact other extreme. Also, the idea that the black diamond came from a diamond-filled space rock seems unlikely, geologists and diamond experts say. Live Science.

Extraterrestrial or simply created on Earth, those interested will have to dip into their pockets to get their hands on Enigma. Sotheby’s expects the gem to fetch $6.8 million on February 9.

Sources: Sotheby’s, Live Science

Picture: Sotheby’s