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.
"Kids are exposed to a virtual cocktail of chemicals everyday," says Stonyfield Organic co-founder Gary Hirshberg. For the dairy company's 35th anniversary, is is helping 35 communities across the country turn their parks and fields organic.
Reporters at the New York Times and the New Yorker magazine shared the prize for public service journalism for their reporting on Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, which ultimately sparked the #MeToo movement.
The actress in the upcoming "The House of Tomorrow" says she learned a lot about the business from her parents, producer Judd Apatow and actress Leslie Mann.
The artist, who married into Israel's richest family, is hosting her first New York exhibition this month, "The Freedom to Let Go." She told Cheddar Monday that she has been painting all her life but "was afraid to be exposed, because of my family name."
The singer believes streaming actually turns people into more loyal fans who turn up to concerts. "I think it's great," he told Cheddar's Jon Steinberg.
The Grammy-nominated DJ says streaming makes music easily accessible, which is crucial for the industry today. "You give away the music, you circulate it, the music itself will sell itself," he told Cheddar's Jon Steinberg.
Tony Simmons, President and CEO of the company that produces the hot sauce, says it can be a great ice cream topping.
The 150-year-old hot sauce company sells more to the restaurant industry than through grocery stores because of the large number of chefs that use it in their cooking, says Tony Simmons, President and CEO of McIlhenny Company.
The 17-year-old Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast tells Cheddar she worries about limiting herself. The athlete is launching a new clothing line with JCPenney for tweens and teens and a children's book inspired by her Olympic journey.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg returns to Capitol Hill for a second day of questioning. Today, Zuckerberg testifies before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. Ahead of the hearing, we spoke to Congressman Debbie Dingell (D-MI) about what she wants to hear from the Facebook CEO. Dingell is concerned about the privacy of Americans who use the social networking site and speculates about what a regulated Facebook would look like.
In other Washington news, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) announced today that he will not seek re-election this November. Ryan held a press conference to elaborate on his decision. He said he thinks he's done his part and looks forward to spending more time with his family.
Also, Joanna Coles stops by to talk about her new book, "Love Rules." She says her book can help readers find real love in the age of Tinder and Bumble. Coales, who sits on the board of directors for Snap, discusses what it's like to be a woman on the board of a Silicon Valley tech giant.
