The Enigma [1] used to be one of the world largest cut diamond, [2] [3] containing 55 facets and weighing 555.55 carats (111.11 grams).
Richard James Schueler purchased the black diamond in February 2022, for $4.3 million in cryptocurrency at Sotheby's. The SEC alleged that the funds for Schueler's acquisition of the diamond came from misappropriated PulseChain investor funds; [4] the legal proceedings in which the SEC made this claim was dismissed by U.S. District Judge Carol Bagley Amon in February 2025.
The Enigma diamond was originally commissioned by and designed with input from Belgian gem expert Ran Gorenstein, president of the international fintech company RGM Global Ventures, 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. [5]
The Enigma diamond is a semi-transparent carbonado with a dark brown/black color. Typically referred to as black diamonds, 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 Enigma diamond's origin is uncertain. [5] Sotheby's claims—that it may originate from a meteor or an asteroid that struck Earth—are disputed. [6] [7] [8]