Russian mining giant Alrosa has named a 100-carat diamond after Russia’s “Sputnik V” COVID-19 vaccine – “the world’s first registered vaccine”, according to a press release. The vaccine itself was named “Sputnik V” after the first Soviet space satellite.
The pale yellow 100.53-carat rough diamond is in a flattened octahedron shape, and it was mined from Yakutia’s alluvial deposits.
Sergey Ivanov, CEO of Alrosa, commented: “Rough diamonds of this size and color are true natural wonders. Therefore, we decided to name this outstanding crystal after the first Russian coronavirus vaccine, which is also a miracle created by our scientists. The vaccine itself and the fact that it was developed so fast are both exceptional. This gives us hope getting back to life as usual in the foreseeable future”.
