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.
Democratic Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney of New York who co-sponsored the universal background check bill in February slammed President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for the lack of movement on gun reform.
Nearly a thousand Twitter accounts were blocked and several Facebook pages taken down on Monday in a coordinated effort by the social media platforms to curb misinformation campaigns spread by the Chinese government against protesters in Hong Kong.
Startup Kino Institute will be providing the tech for Steven Spielberg's upcoming interactive horror project.
Joe Jonas celebrated his 30th birthday with a James Bond-themed party in New York City. Cheddar's Kim Murstein and Nora Ali talk about the exciting way the Jonas Brothers celebrated both on and off the stage.
Outlier is a new for-profit venture from Aaron Rasmussen that aims to replace universities' introductory-level courses with highly-produced educational online content.
Disney fourth installment of the “Toy Story” franchise hit over $1 billion in global box office sales, the company announced this week, joining flicks like "Avengers: Endgame" and "The Lion King."
Christopher Meloni may not be saving lives on-screen with 'Law and Order: SVU' anymore, but he's working to save the lives of shelter animals. Cheddar's Alyssa Julya Smith caught up with the actor and activist to learn more about his mission and what's next for him.
Canopy executives said weak cannabis oil and soft gel demand was partially to blame for slowing domestic sales, as consumers instead opted to buy lower-priced cannabis flower products.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Thursday, Aug. 15, 2019.
An unofficial coalition of far-right extremist groups are set to descend on Portland, Oregon this weekend and the city’s mayor has a clear message for them: you are not welcome.
