Since this story was first published, The National has been informed that due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, this auction has been cancelled indefinitely.
Fancy gifting a diamond with your photo imprinted indelibly inside? Or how about with a video embedded for all eternity? Well, now you can thanks to Alrosa, one of the world's largest diamond producers.
Called nanomarking, Alrosa’s groundbreaking technology was first revealed in July 2021, as a way to guarantee the provenance of its stones. Using non-invasive lasers, rough and polished stones are marked with detailed information on a scale so tiny that it involves imprinting on the internal crystal lattice of the diamond, on its very atomic structure. The results are invisible to the naked eye and can only be seen via a scanner.
Invented in conjunction with Russian Academy of Sciences and the Yakutniproalmaz Institute, this new technology allows each stone to be traced with 100 per cent accuracy, and unlike conventional etching, cannot simply be polished away. Thanks to the miniature scale of the markings, the Gemological Institute of America, the industry’s biggest certification centre, has certified the process does not affect the quality of the diamond.
Each nanomark takes the form of a three dimensional code, that in turn links to Alrosa’s provenance platform. There, viewers will find detailed information about the stone, including a unique identification code, photographs and even videos on precisely how the stone has been cut.
Able to embed a large amount of data, inevitably, some of that space is being set aside so people can add a personalised message to the stones they purchase. Using the same nanomarking technology, buyers can embed a voicenote, photographs and even a video that scanning the stone will reveal. Should a buyer so wish, they can add music too.
For the first time, one of these nanomarked diamonds is being brought to auction in Dubai. Able to mark a significant event, the personalised diamond could include wedding videos, photographs of a newborn child or a graduation ceremony.
Held online, the bidding will take place between Monday, March 21 and Sunday, April 3.
In 2021, Alrosa, which is part owned by the Russian government, brought one of its largest uncut gemstones to auction in Dubai, as part of its 100th anniversary celebration. At 242-carats, the size of a small hen’s egg, it was one of the largest found by the company this century. The auction price started at $2 million.
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See rare 555-carat black diamond unveiled in Dubai thought to be billions of years old:
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The Enigma is a 555.55-carat black diamond. All photos: Ruel Pableo for The National -
It is the world’s largest Fancy Black Natural Colour diamond, as reported by Gubelin and the GIA. -
The stone has 55 facets and is believed to have extraterrestrial origins. -
The gemstone is on view at the Sotheby's showroom in the DIFC. -
The Enigma will remain in Dubai until January 20. -
The stone will be auctioned via a single-lot online sale. -
Sotheby's is accepting cryptocurrency for this sale. -
The Enigma was acquired by its current owner in the 1990s and was previously unseen on the market. -
Carbonado diamonds are believed to be 2.6 to 3.8 billion years old. -
Carbonado diamonds are only found in Brazil and the Central African Republic. -
They are believed to have been formed when a meteorite collided with the Earth billions of years ago.
