Diamond Worth Crores Unveiled in Dubai, Thought To Be From Outer Space

The world’s largest known cut diamond that’s literally from out of this world was unveiled for the first time in Dubai on Monday. Auction house Sotheby’s calls the 555.55-carat black diamond believed to have come from outer space “The Enigma.” The rare gem was shown off on Monday to journalists as part of a tour in Dubai and Los Angeles before it is due to be auctioned off in February in London. Sotheby’s expects the diamond to be sold for at least 5 million British pounds ($6.8 million). The auction house plans to accept cryptocurrency as a possible payment as well.

Sophie Stevens, a jewelry specialist at Sotheby’s Dubai, told The Associated Press that the number five bears an importance significance to the diamond, which has 55 facets as well.

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The diamond is believed to have been created when a meteorite or an asteroid hit the Earth more than 2.6 billion years ago, according to Stevens.

“With the carbonado diamonds, we believe that they were formed through extraterrestrial origins, with meteorites colliding with the Earth and either forming chemical vapor disposition or indeed coming from the meteorites themselves,” she said. Black diamonds, also known as carbonado, are extremely rare, and are found naturally only in Brazil and Central Africa. The cosmic origin theory is based on their carbon isotopes and high hydrogen content.

“To have a natural faceted black diamond of this size is an extremely rare occurrence and its origins are shrouded in mystery – thought to have been created either from a meteoric impact or having actually emerged from a diamond-bearing asteroid that collided with Earth,” Sotheby’s also said in a statement.