Out of this world: 555.55-carat black diamond lands in Dubai

[left-of-center2012]

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 $6.8 million.

Sophie Stevens, a jewelry specialist at Sotheby’s Dubai, told The Associated Press 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.

https://apnews.com/article/science-middle-east-arts-and-entertainment-dubai-united-arab-emirates-ae17c561ce95112b8f60e64b220dabed

[viva la]

1. Kinda looks like a big piece of coal...

I guess that's what it was a million years ago.

[left-of-center2012]

2. I grew up in coal country (western Pa)

That doesn't look like coal.

[OAITW r.2.0]

4. I wonder what a cut and polished coal rock would look like?

Could you even polish coal?

[left-of-center2012]

5. The coal I knew as a kid would probably crumble

I once had a lump about the size of my fist.

I painted it with "Hard as Nails" fingernail protector which gave it a shiny gloss
and kept it on the shelf as a reminder of my childhood.

It got lost somewhere along the way over the years.

[Marthe48]

16. Google vintage coal sculpture

Figurines were popular in the 70's and 80's, mainly from WV. Some are pretty nicely done. I'm sure I have 1 or 2, picked up at yard sales.

[TheRealNorth]

7. Well if you put the coal under enough pressure and high temperatures....

You may get some sort of diamond.

[left-of-center2012]

8. I've read you can do that with human cremains

Turn your loved ones ashes into a diamond.

None of which has anything to do with the OP.

[El Supremo]

3. Where the hell was it found?

Nothing on the internets.

[left-of-center2012]

6. More info in the linked article

But it only says found in Brazil and central Africa

[electric_blue68]

11. Back then it's possible that Central Africa and Brazil were still...

"locked" together as part of Pangea the Super Continent. When Africa and South America separated...

[Backseat Driver]

9. Noble shungite, has this sparkle but is not of high-pressure crystalline carbon form

It is indeed carbon, yet not anthracite or bitumen coal, yet still of high organic origins and has a lot of folklore of uses and benefits from filtering water to healing, especially of the skin. CTs also exist that it may absorb EMF transmissions, LOL! Noble shungite is non-crystalline carbon while the greatest portion has a dull surface like coal or more similar to graphite; noble shungite, OTOH, is said to be structured with/by fullerenes, "bucky balls" structures and has water pollution filtering properties, and is named after the American architect, designer, author, and sci-fi futurist, R. Buckminster Fuller. Note that the largest deposit of this mineraloid form of the carbon element lies in Karelia, Russia, once an independent republic, but also sometimes within the eastern Finnish border regions until traded back to Russian and then under USSR control until its failure when it again became Russia. Much smaller specimen has been located at other sites on other continents.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shungite

[electric_blue68]

12. Coal ...I've never any photos of any coal that had way transluncency that ...

this beautiful back "diamond" does.

[niyad]

13. Beautiful. Looks a bit like smoky quartz.

[left-of-center2012]

14. Yes, I think so too

[Marthe48]

15. so pretty!

I love reading about geology, always something new to learn about