It has 55 facets and a weight of 555.55 carats (111.11 grams). One of the largest natural black diamonds in the world, named ‘The Enigma’, sold on Wednesday in London for 3.16 million pounds (4.3 million dollars or 3.8 million euros), announced the Sotheby’s auction house.
According to Sotheby’s, it is “not only one of the largest natural black diamonds in the world”, but also “the largest cut diamond ever put up for auction”.
Unlike conventional diamonds, which are mined from the bowels of the earth, black diamonds are found more on the surface, suggesting “a possible extraterrestrial origin”stressed the auction house.
“This type of black diamond is believed to come either from meteorite impacts that produce a chemical vapor deposit or from extraterrestrial origin, from supernova explosions that form diamond-bearing asteroids that end up colliding with Earth,” he added.
Today they meet exclusively in Brazil and the Central African Republic.
Their structure makes these diamonds among the hardest, making them nearly impossible to cut and polish.
‘The Enigma’ was acquired in the late 1990s and weighed over 800 carats in its raw state. It took more than three years to be carved into its current 55-facet form.
Its shape is inspired by the Hamsa, a hand-shaped amulet that protects against the evil eye in the Middle East.
The record price for a diamond sold at auction is held by the Pink Star diamond, which it sold for $71.2 million at an auction held by Sotheby’s in Hong Kong in 2017. (I)
Source: Eluniverso
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
