Black diamond from space 'Enigma' expected to fetch $6.8 Mn at London auctions: Reports

A 555.55-carat black diamond, which is believed to have emerged from an asteroid colliding with Earth has been put up for sale by auction house Sotheby’s Dubai. Dubbed as a treasure from interstellar space, the diamond is named "The Enigma" for which bidding will start from February 3 till February 9. According to Sotheby's, this black diamond was listed in the 2006 Guinness Book of World Records as the largest cut diamond in the world. Expected to fetch at least  5 million British pounds ($6.8 million), Sophie Stevens, a jewellery specialist at Sotheby’s Dubai asserted that the number five holds a special significance. In an interview with The Associated Press (AP), Steven said-

The shape of the diamond is based on the Middle-Eastern palm symbol of the Khamsa, which stands for strength and it stands for protection. So there’s a nice theme of the number five running throughout the diamond.

Where did the diamond come from?

While Sotheby's say that Enigma's origin is shrouded in mystery, it revealed that the diamond might have resulted either from a meteoric impact or from a diamond-bearing asteroid that collided with Earth in the past. "With the carbonado diamonds, we believe that they were formed through extraterrestrial origins, with meteorites colliding with the Earth and either forming chemical vapour disposition or indeed coming from the meteorites themselves", Steven told AP.

Such black diamonds fall in the class of carbonado, which are said to be extremely rare and can be found only in Brazil and Central Africa. Carbon isotopes and high hydrogen content are theories upon which its origin is based, as per AP. As for the diamond sale, the auction house is open to receiving payments in cryptocurrencies as it claims that cryptocurrencies are making their mark in the world of physical art and objects. The auction house revealed that The Key 10138 diamond, which was another rare treasure, according to the company was bought for a record price through cryptocurrency. 

Image: AP