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A 555.55-carat black diamond that was listed in the Guinness World Records as one of the largest and toughest diamonds in existence will be offered at a single-lot auction at Sotheby’s early next month.

The online sale, running from Feb. 3-9, will be without reserve, meaning the highest bidder will become the new owner no matter the price. Cryptocurrency will be accepted as a way of payment, Sotheby’s said.

Named “The Enigma,” the diamond will be unveiled at the Dubai Diamond Exchange on Tuesday,  then travel to Los Angeles from Jan 24-26, and London from Feb. 2-9. 

Black diamonds, also known as carbonados, are formed either from a meteoric impact or having actually emerged from a diamond-bearing asteroid that collided with Earth, according to Sotheby’s. 

The one offered for sale not only weighs 555.55 carats, but also is cut with exactly 55 facets, “a technical feat for one of the toughest diamonds in existence,” Sotheby’s said.

The diamond is ranked as one of the largest diamonds by the House of Gübelin in Switzerland and the Gemological Institute of America. It was listed in the Guinness World Records in 2016, Sotheby’s said.

“‘The Enigma’ is a marvel of rarity and size, and its brilliance and high polish are a testament to the delicate and highly skilled undertaking of diamond cutting,”
Nikita Binani,
a jewelry specialist and head of sale at Sotheby’s London, said in a news release.

According to Binani, the diamond has belonged to the anonymous consignor for more than two decades. This is the first time it is exhibited publicly and offered on the open market.

It was not clear when and where the diamond was discovered and cut.

“Its sale represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire one of the rarest, billion-year-old cosmic wonders known to humankind,” she said. 

In a similar format, Sotheby’s sold a rare 101.38-carat diamond in Hong Kong for US$12.3 million, making it the most valuable jewelry purchased with cryptocurrency.