T he Enigma is an exquisite and extremely rare carbonado type black diamond, weighing a staggering 555.55 carats. It far surpasses the weight of both the Great Star of Africa, 530.2 carats, and the Golden Jubilee, 545.67 carats, making it not only one of the largest fancy black natural-colour diamonds in the world, but also the largest faceted diamond to ever appear on the auction market.
What makes carbonado diamond such a unique stone? Unlike most diamonds formed deep within the Earth, carbonados are found in alluvial, sedimentary deposits, close to or on the Earth’s surface. This, and their specific mineral make up suggest possible extra-terrestrial origins, either from meteoric impacts producing natural chemical vapor deposition or from diamond-bearing asteroids colliding with the Earth.
The Enigma’s 55 facets form a design imbued with significance, as a sign of protection and a tool of deflection against the evil eye, it also represents blessings, power and strength. In addition, black diamonds have come to be seen as the ‘stone of reconciliation’, a restorer of peace.
In recent years several natural and sizable black diamonds such as the Black Orlov, the Amsterdam Diamond, and of course, the Enigma have gained notoriety as part of the growing trend leading natural black diamonds to become highly desirable and sought after on the current market. Historically, diamonds were prized for their high degree of transparency and absence of colour, black diamonds, along with other none transparent stones, have come back to the prominence owed by their incredible rarity and are now featured in the most preeminent pieces from the top designers in the jewellery world. Indeed, most gem-quality black diamonds used in contemporary jewellery design are treated to produce their black colour, so to have a natural faceted black diamond of this size is an extremely rare occurrence.
This sale of the Enigma is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire one of the rarest, billion-year-old wonders known to humankind.
