The world’s largest known cut diamond will soon be on the market, and it’s out of this world.
Auction house Sotheby’s Dubai presented “The Engima,” a 555.55-carat black diamond, on Monday, which is believed to have been created when a meteorite or an asteroid hit the Earth more than 2.6 billion years ago.
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“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,” said Sophie Stevens, a jewelry specialist at Sotheby’s Dubai, the Associated Press reported.
The rare gem is scheduled to be auctioned off in London in February, where it is expected to be sold for at least 5 million British pounds or approximately $6.8 million.
In Arabic, Khamsa means five, which also bears significance to the diamond, which has 55 facets, Stevens told the Associated Press.
Natural black diamonds are rare and found in Brazil and the Central African Republic, according to the International Gem Society.
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“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,” Stevens told the Associated Press.
