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.
As the #MeToo movement sweeps Hollywood, some wonder when it will take hold of Silicon Valley. Patty McCord, Former Netflix Chief Talent Officer and author of "POWERFUL: Building a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility," joins The Hive to discuss gender inequality in Silicon Valley.
Babe.net's piece accusing Aziz Ansari of sexual misconduct is igniting a national conversation about consent and journalistic integrity. The Cut's Anna Silman and Latina Magazine's Taiia Young join Cheddar to discuss the future of the #MeToo movement in light of Ansari's story.
CEO and Founder of Studio Jason Baptiste and his new Director of Content and Programming Lisa Niren discuss their app and why it stands out from the crowd. They also explain why it's a better value than Peloton and other exercise apps.
Lyron Bentovim, CEO and President of The Glimpse Group, discusses how augmented reality will change the way people dine out. The Glimpse Group is designed to cultivate entrepreneurs in the virtual reality and augmented reality industry.
Carter Reum, author of "Shortcut Your Startup," talks his new book and his own experiences climbing the business ladder. Reum and his brother were early investors in companies such as Lyft, Pinterest, SpaceX, and more.
Dana Wollman, Executive Editor at Engadget, discusses Apple's announcement this week that it would invest $350 billion into the U.S. economy over the next five years. Plus, Amazon released its short list of candidates for the highly anticipated HQ2.
Greg Zeman, Associate Editor of Cannabis Now, explores the chances of a legal weed shortage in California. A breakdown in the approval of dispensary licenses might be to blame.
Bonnie Fuller, editor-in-chief of Hollywood Life, discusses the recent allegations of sexual assault against actor and comedian Aziz Ansari.
Bonnie Fuller, Editor-in-Chief of Hollywood Life, says that the comedian's response was the adequate approach to the accusations, and it should bear no impact on his career. Unless...more surfaces.
Facebook, Twitter and Youtube testify on Capitol Hill about combating terror. 21 states challenge the Net Neutrality repeal. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies continue to fall. Steve Bannon faces two subpoenas over the Russia investigation. Elon Musk announces his new $5 million initiative to bring healthy food and gardens to city kids. Karamo Brown stars as the ‘culture guy' of the Fab 5 in the Netflix reboot, “Queer Eye." Online sharing community Imgur is on a mission to provide an uplifting user experience, and differentiate itself from other social platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
