They auction black diamond that they believe originated with a meteoric impact 0:59
(CNN) --
Dubai's Sotheby's auction house has unveiled a 555.55-carat black diamond that is truly otherworldly.
The rare gem, which Sotheby's has dubbed "The Enigma," is believed to come from outer space, either created from a meteor strike or a "diamond-bearing" asteroid colliding with Earth. Earth.
According to Sotheby's, a natural faceted black diamond of this size is an "extremely rare occurrence" and is expected to fetch up to 5 million pounds ($6.8 million) when it is put up for auction in London in February, after having been exhibited in Dubai and Los Angeles.
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Black diamonds, also known as "carbonate" diamonds, can be dated to between 2.6 and 3.8 billion years ago and have trace amounts of nitrogen and hydrogen, elements found in interstellar space.
They also contain osbornite, a mineral found in meteorites.
Nikita Binani, a jewelry specialist at Sotheby's in London, called the diamond a "true natural phenomenon."
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"Its sale represents a unique opportunity to acquire one of the rarest, billion-year-old cosmic wonders known to mankind," he said in a press release on Monday.
Black diamond is believed to come from interstellar space.
Credit: Sotheby's
The diamond shape is inspired by the Middle Eastern palm symbol, the Hamsa, a sign of protection, meaning five in Arabic.
The theme of five is present throughout the stone, according to the auctioneer.
In addition to its 555.55 carats, it also has exactly 55 facets, or faces.
Faceted black diamonds have sold in the past for prices exceeding 10,000 pounds sterling ($13,600) per carat, Sotheby's told CNN.
The auction house will hear bids for the diamond online from February 3 to 9, and will accept cryptocurrencies as payment.
The move follows the sale of a 101-carat diamond, dubbed "The Key 10138," which became the most expensive jewel ever purchased with crypto when it was sold last year, according to Sotheby's.
This huge diamond is among the largest in the world 1:09
The pear-shaped gemstone sold for the equivalent of $12.3 million, after the auction house announced that it was accepting bids in bitcoin and ethereum, in addition to traditional forms of payment.
Sotheby's did not want to reveal which of the two cryptocurrencies had been used to make the purchase.
Several auction houses have begun to welcome cryptocurrencies for high-value items, including paintings and NFTs, the blockchain-backed tokens that are increasingly used to transfer ownership of digital works of art and collectibles.
Sotheby's CEO Charles Stewart told CNN's Julia Chatterley last April that he believed NFTs and cryptocurrencies were opening up the art market.
CNN's Megan C. Hills contributed to this report.
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