Diamonds that truly are out of this world

THE hunt for diamonds might be about to switch to space.

Scientists have discoverered that priceless gems are sinking through the slushy interiors of planets Neptune and Uranus.

Researchers in laboratories have recreated this ‘diamond rain’, formed over thousands of years as carbon atoms are squeezed together under extreme pressure.

The hydrocarbons drift down and gather around the planets’ cores to form diamonds. Experts in Germany simulated these extreme conditions using a highpowered laser which created shock waves in polystyrene, says a report in Nature Astronomy.

The diamonds forming on Neptune and Uranus could be millions of carats in weight.

Jewels here on Earth pale in comparison — our much admired Great Star of Africa, part of the Crown Jewels, weighs a mere 530.2 carats.