A 555.55-carat black diamond believed to come from space is going on sale
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The rare gem, which Sotheby's has dubbed "The Enigma," is believed to have come from outer space -- either created from a meteoric impact or from a "diamond-bearing" asteroid that collided with Earth.
A natural faceted black diamond of this size is an "extremely rare occurrence," according to Sotheby's, which expected it to sell for as much as £5 million (US$6.8 million) when it went under the hammer in February in London, after being exhibited in Dubai and Los Angeles.
Black diamonds, also known as Carbonado diamonds, can be dated to between 2.6 to 3.8 billion years ago and have trace amounts of nitrogen and hydrogen -- elements found in interstellar space. They also contain osbornite, a mineral present in meteorites.
Nikita Binani, a jewelry specialist at Sotheby's in London, called the diamond "a true natural phenomenon."
