[imagesource: AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili]

On Monday, auction house Sotheby’s Dubai unveiled the “The Enigma”, a  555,55-carat black diamond made with stuff that is likely from out of this world.

Never mind that rare 39,34-carat type IIb blue diamond found in South Africa, because this mystical, record-breaking black hunk is the new deal.

The otherworldly black gem with a penchant for the number five was shown off to journalists as part of a tour in Dubai and Los Angeles before it will be open for bidding in February in London, NPR reported.

Image: Kamran Jebreili/AP

Besides being a well-rounded 555,55 carats, the diamond has 55 facets as well.

Sophie Stevens, a jewellery specialist at Sotheby’s Dubai, explained why the number five is significant to the diamond:

“The shape of the diamond is based on the Middle-Eastern palm symbol of the Khamsa, which stands for strength and it stands for protection [from the “evil eye”],” she said. Khamsa in Arabic means five.

“So there’s a nice theme of the number five running throughout the diamond,” she added.

The wow factor was ramped up with Stevens mentioning that the black diamond is likely from outer space:

“With the carbonado diamonds [another name for the rare black diamond], 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.

Arab News added that this meant the gem likely originates from about 2,6 to 3,8 billion years ago.

It contains traces of nitrogen and hydrogen, which is abundant in space, as well as osbornite, a mineral uniquely present in meteors.

As for where it was found, all that we know is that it could have come from either Brazil or Central Africa, where carbonado diamonds are found naturally.

With a Guinness World Record-breaking size, a creation story from billions of years back involving space matter, and mystical numerical significance, the diamond is likely to fetch £5 million (roughly R105 million).

More fives!

One can also purchase the diamond with cryptocurrency if they so wish, which is a first in the UAE.

[source:npr]