Rare 555.55-carat black diamond, 'The Enigma', to be auctioned

An employee of Sotheby's Dubai presents a 555.55 Carat Black Diamond "The Enigma". Photo/Kamran Jebreili, AP

If you have always dreamed of owning the largest cut diamond in the world then pull out your chequebook.

For the first time ever, "The Enigma", an exquisitely rare 555.55-carat black diamond, will head to public auction through Sotheby's next month.

The gigantic diamond is believed to have been formed in space by a meteoric impact or a diamond-bearing asteroid that hit Earth.

"The Enigma" is a 555.55 carat diamond graded Fancy Black by GIA. Believed to have come from outer space, this stone is going up for auction at @Sothebys. At GIA, we are trusted by top auction houses to grade nature’s finest treasures. Learn more: https://t.co/ZnMy7x5zRR pic.twitter.com/1QCBypd8eR

— GIA (@GIAnews) January 18, 2022

"This diamond has been treasured for over two decades by the owner, and the diamond itself has never been exhibited publicly or offered on the open market, so we are thrilled to have the opportunity to tell its story to the world," said Sotheby's Jewellery Specialist & Head of Sale, Nikita Binani.

"Its sale represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire one of the rarest, billion-year-old cosmic wonders known to humankind."

"The Enigma" is a carbonado (a black diamond) and the largest cut diamond in the world. As one of the hardest known materials, cutting and polishing the diamond took over three years.

Clocking in at 555.55-carats the diamond surpasses both the Great Star of Africa, 530.2 carats, and the Golden Jubilee, 545.67 carats.

Uncut, Sotheby's estimates the diamond originally weighed over 800 carats when it was first bought in the late 1990s.

The dark black gem doesn't just look mystical but also has been cut according to symbolic measurements.

It weighs 555.55-carats, has exactly 55 facets and mimics the shape of the Hamsa, a Middle Eastern palm symbol that represents strength and protection and is often associated with the number 5.

The ability to cut a diamond in such a way is "almost inconceivable" wrote Sotheby's. " it is a testament to the exceptional technical talent and extraordinary creativity required to cut and finish a carbonado diamond."

After a brief display in Los Angeles last month, the diamond is now travelling to London, where it will be on show from February 2 to 9. Bidding will commence online from February 3 to 9.

Dated as far back as 3.8 billion years, carbonados are exclusively found in Brazil or the Central African Republic.