The founder of a cryptocurrency company purchased the stone and will rename it the “Hex.com” diamond.
The 555-carat black diamond initially dubbed “The Enigma” just sold for $4.3 million at auction.
Richard Heart, founder of cryptocurrency company Hex, tweeted Wednesday [February 9] that he’s the one who purchased the diamond. He said he will rename the stone the “Hex.com” diamond.
Unsurprisingly, he used cryptocurrency to buy it, the auction house confirmed in a tweet of its own.
Sotheby’s offered the diamond in a one-lot sale that ran from Feb. 3-9, selling it without reserve, meaning there was no minimum bid required.
The final hammer price fell at the low end of the auction house’s pre-sale estimated range of £3 million-£5 million ($4.1 million-$6.8 million).
The largest faceted diamond of any kind to appear at auction, reports from both the Gemological Institute of America and Gübelin identify the stone as a free-form faceted natural fancy black diamond.
The hamsa, the palm-shaped symbol that is a sign of protection, inspired its shape. The hamsa is associated with the number five, aligning with the diamond’s 555.55 carats as well as its 55 facets.
In 2004, GIA issued a grading report for The Enigma, stating it was “the largest fancy black, natural color and largest diamond” it had graded to date.
The 2006 Guinness Book of World Records also listed it as the largest cut diamond in the world.
