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.
A new documentary about campaign finance is coming to PBS on Monday. "Dark Money" explores the relationship between corporate spending and politics and how the laws have changed to allow more influence in the political arena. Kimberly Reed, the director and producer of the film, said that it is crucial to American democracy for its citizens to know who is trying to influence politics.
Robert Gaafar is one of the survivors of the Las Vegas shooting a year ago, and he is now partnering with Everytown to help launch a new election initiative. Gaafar said the progress on gun control in state and local races is heartening, even if the federal government remains unable or unwilling to do anything.
With Facebook racing to contain the damage from its latest -- and largest ever -- security breach, Michael Nuñez, the deputy tech editor for Mashable, said that users are starting to get smarter about what kind of data they share with the company.
Verizon launched its first 5G network in four U.S. cities Monday. One possible use for the technology will be in rolling out self-driving vehicles. Hans Vestberg, CEO of Verizon Communications, said that while it will take some time for fully-autonomous cars to be deployed, 5G will help in solving connectivity and latency issues.
Hans Vestberg, CEO of Verizon Communications, said that the newest 5G network that Verizon is launching in four new cities, is the answer for cord-cutters. The network is the fastest on the market, and Vestberg said it's "a new way to get TV into your home."
Dang Foods, the health food company with a focus on protein bars and other high-protein snacks, has launched new bars with no added sugar and a keto certification. Vincent Kitirattragarn, CEO and founder of Dang Foods, said the goal of the company is to keep customer churn low via its subscription service.
Rafat Ali, the CEO of Skift, took his employees to Puerto Rico to see the destruction from Hurricane Maria firsthand, which became the inspiration for the Skift Foundation. He said the foundation supports destinations and small businesses in the hospitality and travel sector that need additional resources.
Shares of the social media giant dropped sharply after the company said it found hackers were able to gain control of as many as 50 million user accounts. Facebook's Product Management VP Guy Rosenberg said the attack affected the "View As" feature, which lets people see what their own profile looks like to someone else.
Sophia Amoruso, founder and former CEO of Nasty Gal, sat down with Cheddar and talked about her approach to business and how she wants to empower other women to take risks in their professional lives. Her newest venture, Girlboss, curates information and resources for women about careers, money, and wellness.
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