The Enigma (diamond)

Common card · No. 467345

The Enigma is one of the world's largest cut diamonds, containing 55 facets and weighing 555.55 carats (111.11 grams). It is a semi-transparent carbonado with a dark brown/black color. Carbonados are often reserved for industrial uses. Larger specimens become collectors' stones; 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 extremely rare. The diamond's origin is uncertain. Sotheby's claims—that it may originate from a meteor or an asteroid that struck Earth—are disputed. Its cutting was commissioned by and designed with input from Belgian gem expert Ran Gorenstein, president of the international fintech company Diamond Data Derivatives, and completed in June 2004 after several years of cutting and faceting. The repetitive use of the number five in the gem's design is derived from the hamsa, a palm-shaped amulet popular in the Middle East and North Africa. Cryptocurrency promoter Richard...

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