An employee of Sotheby's Dubai presents a 555.55 Carat Black Diamond "The Enigma" to be auctioned at Sotheby's Dubai gallery, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Monday, Jan. 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)
Auction house Sotheby’s Dubai has unveiled a diamond that’s literally from out of this world.
Sotheby’s calls the 555.55-carat black diamond — believed to have come from outer space — “The Enigma.” The rare gem was shown off on Monday to journalists as part of a tour in Dubai and Los Angeles before it is due to be auctioned off in February in London.
Sotheby’s expects the diamond to be sold for at least 5 million British pounds ($6.8 million). The auction house plans to accept cryptocurrency as a possible payment as well.
Sophie Stevens, a jewelry specialist at Sotheby’s Dubai, told The Associated Press that the number five bears an importance significance to the diamond, which has 55 facets as well.
“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,” she said. Khamsa in Arabic means five.
“So there’s a nice theme of the number five running throughout the diamond," she added.
Stevens also said the black diamond is likely from outer space.
“With the carbonado diamonds, 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,” she said.
Black diamonds, also known as carbonado, are extremely rare, and are found naturally only in Brazil and Central Africa. The cosmic origin theory is based on their carbon isotopes and high hydrogen content.
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In a thrilling overtime finish, 23-year old NASCAR driver Austin Cindric clinched the 64th annual Daytona 500 win. Narrowly beating out legendary race car driver Bubba Wallace, Cindric earned his very first NASCAR cup series victory, and became the second youngest driver to win The Great American Race. Daytona 500 Champ Austin Cindric joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss his historic victory.
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To combat slumping ratings, the Academy Awards are undergoing a radical slimming down, with eight awards to be presented off-air during next month’s telecast.
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A just-released Harris Poll revealed that there are some differences of opinion among workers on returning to the office. The survey showed that 52 percent of women would still prefer to work from home versus 41 percent of men. The report also showed that 52 percent of black workers and 50 percent of women see it as being better when it comes to career advancement. Dr. Laura Morgan Roberts, professor of practice at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, joined Cheddar News to explain the report. "The first set of observations are about infrastructure and flexibility. The second are about inclusion," she said. "And so what we've learned from many non-white workers are that they appreciate the opportunity to focus more on their tasks and to be buffered in a sense from some of the hostilities and the exclusive environment and practice that they had to navigate for many years in their in-person offices."
