World’s Largest Black Diamond Sells for Over $4 Million

A picture taken on January 17, 2022 shows The Enigma, a 555.55 carat black diamond, at Sotheby's in Dubai, UAE. (AFP)
A picture taken on January 17, 2022 shows The Enigma, a 555.55 carat black diamond, at Sotheby's in Dubai, UAE. (AFP)
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World’s Largest Black Diamond Sells for Over $4 Million

A picture taken on January 17, 2022 shows The Enigma, a 555.55 carat black diamond, at Sotheby's in Dubai, UAE. (AFP)
A picture taken on January 17, 2022 shows The Enigma, a 555.55 carat black diamond, at Sotheby's in Dubai, UAE. (AFP)

The rare black diamond known as ‘Enigma’ went under the hammer in London for £3.16 million ($4.3 million). According to Agence France Press (AFP), it’s believed to be the world's largest cut diamond.

The 555.55 carat, 55-faced diamond was sold at an online auction that concluded on Wednesday. The stone is registered as the largest natural diamond in the world as of 2004 by diamond experts GIA and Gubelin, and the largest cut diamond in the world as of 2006 by the Guinness World Record book.

Unlike classic diamonds that are usually unearthed from deep undergrounds, black diamonds are often close to or on the Earth’s surface, which may possibly suggest extraterrestrial origins, stated Sotheby’s auction house.

“It is thought that this specific type of black diamond was created either from meteoric impacts producing natural chemical vapor deposition or an extraterrestrial origin - from supernovae explosions that formed diamond-bearing asteroids which ultimately collided with the Earth,” added Sotheby’s statement.

Today, these diamonds are found exclusively in Brazil or the Central African Republic. Their aggregated structure is the toughest in existence, making them nearly impossible to cut and polish. Enigma was bought in the late 1990s and would have weighed over 800 carats in the rough form. It took over three years to produce this uniquely shaped faceted specimen.

Its shape is inspired by the Middle Eastern palm symbol, a sign of protection and a tool of deflection against the evil eye. However, the highest price of an auctioned diamond remains with the Pink Star diamond, which was sold for $ 71.2 million at a 2017 auction also organized by Sotheby’s, in Hong Kong.



Countries Agree 10% Increase for UN Climate Budget

Simon Stiell, Secretary of UN Climate Change (UNFCCC), speaks during an event with the newly announced COP30 President Ambassador Andre Correa do Lago, in Brasilia, Brazil February 6, 2025. (Reuters)
Simon Stiell, Secretary of UN Climate Change (UNFCCC), speaks during an event with the newly announced COP30 President Ambassador Andre Correa do Lago, in Brasilia, Brazil February 6, 2025. (Reuters)
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Countries Agree 10% Increase for UN Climate Budget

Simon Stiell, Secretary of UN Climate Change (UNFCCC), speaks during an event with the newly announced COP30 President Ambassador Andre Correa do Lago, in Brasilia, Brazil February 6, 2025. (Reuters)
Simon Stiell, Secretary of UN Climate Change (UNFCCC), speaks during an event with the newly announced COP30 President Ambassador Andre Correa do Lago, in Brasilia, Brazil February 6, 2025. (Reuters)

Countries agreed on Thursday to increase the UN climate body's budget by 10% for the next two years, a move the body welcomed as a commitment by governments to work together to address on climate change, with China's contribution rising.

The deal, agreed by nearly 200 countries - from Japan to Saudi Arabia, to small island nations like Fiji - at UN climate negotiations in Bonn, comes despite major funding cuts at other UN agencies, triggered in part by the US slashing its contributions, and political pushback on ambitious climate policies in European countries.

Countries agreed to a core budget of 81.5 million euros for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) over 2026-2027, up 10% from 2024-2025. The core budget is funded by government contributions.

The deal includes an increase in China's contribution, reflecting the country's economic growth. China, the world's second-biggest economy, would cover 20% of the new budget, up from 15% previously.

Only the United States, the world's biggest economy, was allocated a bigger share, of 22%. However, President Donald Trump quit the UN Paris climate agreement and halted international climate funding. Bloomberg Philanthropies has pledged to cover the US contribution to the UNFCCC budget.

The US did not attend the UN climate talks this week in Bonn, Germany where the budget was approved.

UN climate chief Simon Stiell welcomed the increase as "a clear signal that governments continue to see UN-convened climate cooperation as essential, even in difficult times."

The UNFCCC runs annual climate negotiations among countries and helps implement deals that are made, including the 2015 Paris Agreement, which commits nearly all nations to limit global warming.

The body has faced a severe budget shortfall in recent years, as major donors including China and the US had not paid on time, prompting the body to cut costs including by cancelling some events.

The UNFCC's running costs and headcount - its core budget funded 181 staff in 2025 - are smaller than some other UN bodies facing sharp funding cuts, such as the UN trade and development agency's roughly 400 staff.

Meanwhile, the UN Secretariat, the global body's executive arm, is preparing to slash its $3.7 billion budget by 20%, according to an internal memo.