The Enigma
is the largest
polished black diamond in the world. Containing 55 facets and weighing in at 555.55
carats (111.11 grams), the Enigma was commissioned and inspired by
Ran Gorenstein (Belgium) and completed in June 2004 after several years of cutting and faceting. The repetitive use of the number five in the design of the gem is intentional deriving from the
hamsa, a palm-shaped amulet popular among Muslims and Jews in the Middle East and North Africa.
The Enigma is a semi-transparent carbonado with a dark brown color. These are typically referred to as black diamonds and are often reserved for industrial uses with larger specimens considered as collectors’ stones, and in fact most gem-quality stones used in contemporary jewelry design have been treated to produce the black color. A natural black diamond of this size is an extremely rare occurrence.
The origin of the diamond is uncertain, but it is believed to either be the result of a meteoric impact or part of an asteroid that crashed on Earth.
In February 2022, the diamond was sold for £3.16 million by
Sotheby's to an undisclosed buyer, but cryptocurrency founder
Richard Heart revealed that he was the buyer.
In July 2023 the
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission charged Heart with fraud and illegally raising more than $1 billion in unregistered
cryptocurrency
A cryptocurrency, crypto-currency, or crypto is a digital currency designed to work as a medium of exchange through a computer network that is not reliant on any central authority, such as a government or bank, to uphold or maintain it. It i ...
to finance luxury goods purchases, including The Enigma
for $4.3 million in cryptocurrency.
Upon taking ownership, in August 2023, Heart planned to rename the gem "HEX.com diamond".
See also
*
List of diamonds
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Enigma, The
Black diamonds