Black Diamond 'Enigma' auction: Dates, venue, potential sale price, and more about the 'outer space' gemstone

Sotheby's Dubai has recently unveiled a diamond, also known as Enigma, and it is currently gaining the public and media's attention.

It is a rare gem and the largest faceted fancy black diamond sold at an auction. Sotheby's said that it is one of the first diamonds people can purchase by paying with cryptocurrency.

The auction house has sold a 101.38-carat pear-shaped diamond in Hong Kong, called The Key 10138, for more than $12 million in cryptocurrency.

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Everything to know about Enigma

Enigma is said to be a unique and different kind of black diamond. It is expected to go for sale at $7 million or more, and Sotheby’s Dubai says it may have come from outer space.

The diamond has been cut to weigh 555.55 carats and 55 facets, making it the most significant cut for any black diamond in the world. While speaking to the Associated Press, jewellery specialist Sophie Stevens 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.”

Enigma is unveiled at Sotheby's Dubai on January 17, 2022, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (Image via Neville Hopwood/Getty Images)

The gem was on display earlier this week before travelling to Los Angeles and then London for an online auction in February 2022. According to Sotheby’s, the diamond might be sold at around 5 million British pounds, about $6.8 million because of its unique colour, shape, and weight.

The diamond will be available for online bidding from February 3 to February 9. As mentioned earlier, Sotheby’s will accept Isabelle Jani-Friend confirmed cryptocurrency payments and the same from CNN.

Another quality that would lead to this black diamond’s sale is its supposed cosmic origin. A press release from the auction house says that the diamond is created from a meteoric impact or a diamond-bearing asteroid collided with Earth.

However, a few diamond experts believe that the gem did not come from outer space and was instead created on Earth. Black diamonds’ spooky hue comes from minerals like graphite surrounding the stone.

Enigma could be a black diamond known as a carbonado diamond that looks darker than others because of the light-absorbing structure. Previous carbonado diamonds were discovered in Brazil and the Central African Republic, although how and where they were formed is unknown.