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.
"Vice," the upcoming Dick Cheney biopic, and "The Assassination of Gianni Versace," the true-crime series, led the Golden Globe nominations with six and four, respectively. The nominations were announced in Los Angeles Thursday morning. "Vice," which is slated for release on Christmas Day and has benefited from strong buzz despite reviews still under embargo, was followed by "A Star Is Born," "Green Book," and "The Favourite" with five nominations a piece.
New York is now the first city in the country to set a minimum pay rate for drivers working for ride-hailing apps like Uber and Lyft, following a vote on Tuesday by the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission. Under the new policy, those drivers will make $17.22 per hour. But Aziz Bah, steward of the Independent Drivers Guild, told Cheddar Wednesday it's only the beginning.
The markets rebounded from session lows after news broke the Federal Reserve is considering a new approach to interest rates that could translate to fewer rate hikes in the coming year. The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday the Fed is considering a "wait-and-see" mentality for monetary policy, after the anticipated December hike that is by and large already priced into the markets.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018.
StoreMe wants to solve travelers' "schlepping problem." The on-demand app allows travelers to search a location, input the number of bags they have, and make a reservation. That way, as travelers are passing through cities, they can enjoy the sights sans luggage. "This service is convenient, on-demand, and it's totally affordable," Peter Korbel told Cheddar Wednesday.
Medical marijuana is now legal in Utah, but not exactly in the form voters intended. Shortly after the medical marijuana initiative, Proposition 2, was scheduled to go into effect, the Utah state House and Senate swooped in and replaced it with a new law. Wayne Niederhauser, a Republican senator for Utah's 9th district, defended the move in an interview on Cheddar Wednesday.
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Care to watch the original "Star Wars" trilogy? Don't assume Disney's forthcoming streaming service Disney+ will have it. And while AT&T owns "Friends," it won't be streaming it exclusively on its own OTT platform when it launches in 2019 ー viewers will still be able to binge the series on Netflix. "Star Wars" and "Friends" are just a couple of the confusing licensing arrangements viewers should expect as more media companies push to debut their own streaming services to rival Netflix and Hulu.
Not too long ago the annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show was a major television event, and its corporate parent L Brands had a $100 stock. But the once-hot brand's appeal has suffered amid a rise in new lingerie brands that present a more inclusive and size-diverse view of female beauty. Can the mall staple get woke and win back millennial shoppers?
Thor Björnsson may hold the title of "World's Strongest Man," but even he struggled with filming the final season of HBO's smash hit "Game of Thrones." "This was the hardest season that I've filmed with 'Game of Thrones'," Bjornsson told Cheddar Wednesday.
