Auction house Sotheby’s Dubai has unveiled a diamond that’s literally from out of this world.

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.

“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,” she said. Khamsa in Arabic means five.

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

Stevens also said the black diamond is likely from outer space.

“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.

Share:
More In Culture
Between Bells: January 31, 2018
Stormy Daniels stopped by "Jimmy Kimmel Live" after President Donald Trump's first State of the Union address. Spotify is testing a new app in Australia that's similar to Pandora. The Young Turks CEO Cenk Uygur joins Cheddar to discuss his network's new partnership with Dan Rather. Plus, we talk to stars from "Total Divas" about the reality show's milestone 100th episode.
"Queer Eye" Gets a Reboot
In today's episode sponsored by T-Mobile, Tim Stenovec sits down with the new cast of "Queer Eye" to discuss the magic behind the makeover. The reboot airs on Netflix February 7th.
All Eyes on "Queer Eye"
"Queer Eye" fans rejoice! The reboot makeover show is coming to Netflix February 7th. Tim Stenovec sat down with the entire cast and got some insight on how they approached each makeover and the social issues that came along with them.
Gender Equality Is the "Great Cause" of France's President
The first-ever Women in Corporate Leadership Initiative took place at the NYSE Wednesday. Marlene Schiappa, France's Secretary of State for Gender Equality, joined us to talk about what steps the country's government is taking to close the pay gap and stop sexual harassment.
Opening Bell: January 31, 2018
The stock market is recovering from a volatile few days, but will the surge last or will we see another downward spiral? We fact-check President Trump's State of the Union address. The war between AMC Theaters and MoviePass is heating up. Plus, it's our weekly Your Cheddar show, bringing you the best financial tips.
AMC Theaters' War With MoviePass Heats Up Again
Sean O'Connell, managing editor for CinemaBlend, breaks down the war between AMC Theaters and MoviePass, the app that allows users to go to one movie a day for just $10 a month. MoviePass recently removed 10 AMC theaters from its app.
Celebrating World Read Aloud Day
LitWorld founder Pam Allyn discusses World Read Aloud Day and the importance of reading every single day to promote literacy. World Read Aloud Day is partnering with Harry Potter Book Night this year.
The Moon Hits a Rare Trifecta
Hanneke Weitering, staff writer for Space.com, explains what makes the super moon so special. Wednesday's super moon was also an eclipse moon, a blood moon, and a blue moon, the first of its kind in North America since 1866.
Load More