Dubai: An extremely rare 555.55-carat diamond, believed to have been created in space, is headed to be auctioned off in February in London.
“The Enigma,” a massive black diamond is going to auction through Sotheby’s and is believed to be created either from a meteoric impact or from a diamond-bearing asteroid that collided with Earth.
According to reports, bidding opens on February 3 at 6 am PST (1400 GMT) and closes on February 9.
Sotheby’s expects the diamond to be sold for at least 5 million British pounds (USD 6.8 million). The auction house plans to accept cryptocurrency as a possible payment as well.
“The Enigma” is both the largest Fancy Black Natural Colour diamond in the world and the largest cut diamond in the world.
Carbonado, or black diamonds, are believed to date back from 2.6 to 3.8 billion years ago, according to Sotheby’s. They are one of the hardest materials known to man and extremely difficult to cut and polish, thus making this diamond even more unique.