Alrosa will name a large gem-quality rough diamond after Russia’s “Sputnik V” Covid-19 vaccine. The company noted that “Sputnik V” was the world’s first registered vaccine based on the well-studied human adenoviral vector-based platform.
The 100.53-carat light yellow rough diamond was mined from Yakutia’s alluvial deposits, and measures 27, 15х28, 81х29, 56 mm with a flattened octahedron shape.
Sergey Ivanov, CEO of Alrosa, said, “Rough diamonds of this size and colour 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.”
Named after the first Soviet space satellite, Sputnik, the Gam-COVID-Vac combined vector vaccine was registered by the Russian Ministry of Health in August 2020.