Sotheby's, a British-founded American multinational auction house, is putting on sale another rare diamond that can be bought with cryptocurrency. According to an announcement, the auction house is planning to sale a 555.55-carat black diamond that was listed as the largest cut diamond in the world in the 2006 Guinness Book of World Records.
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Sotheby's claims that "The Enigma" diamond is an extremely rare precious stone given its origins have been created either from a meteoric impact or having actually emerged from a diamond-bearing asteroid that collided with Earth.
Sotheby's says the cryptocurrency payment option is reflecting the fact that the asset has started to "make its mark in the world of physical art and objects." Despite the significance of the sale, this will not be the first time the auction house is selling a diamond with an option to be paid in cryptocurrencies.
In 2021, Sotheby's sold 101.38-carat pear-shaped D Flawless diamond for $12.3 million in a cryptocurrency. It was the second largest pear-shaped diamond ever to appear on the public market, Sotheby's noted. Wenhao Yu, Deputy Chairman of Sotheby’s in Asia, said the auction house was thrilled to witness a "historical moment," when one of the earth’s oldest treasures was purchased with cryptocurrency. However, it remains unclear whether the diamond was purchased with bitcoin (EXANTE: Bitcoin) or ether (ETH).
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