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Diamonds phone home
Looking for a diamond that's simply out of this world? Well, New York diamond dealer Nilesh Sheth, president of Nice Diamonds, might have just what you need. Some time ago, Sheth purchased two strange stones from a rough diamond dealer...
Looking for a diamond that's simply out of this world?
Well, New York diamond dealer Nilesh Sheth, president of Nice Diamonds, might have just what you need.
Some time ago, Sheth purchased two strange stones from a rough diamond dealer here in the United States.
After purchasing the stones, Sheth, who admits to having a keen interest in the science behind diamonds, submitted them as a scientific experiment of sorts to the Gemological Institute of America (GIA).
Even though the stones, to me, look like the ones my dad used to spread around our shrubs at home, the GIA determined that they were actually carbonado, an aggregate of small, polycrystalline diamonds that have a porous structure and are opaque.
The exact origin of carbonado is unknown, but one of the theories is that it is formed with "extraterrestrial" materials.
That's right--there's a chance Sheth's "diamonds" came from outer space, just like the diamonds described in this recent story from The Associated Press. (Don't quit reading until you get to the part about engagement rings for bacteria.)
At this point, the stones' future seems just as cloudy as their past.
Sheth said he bought the stones as a curiosity, a "collector's item" if you will.
"It's something different and unusual," he said.
And though he won't disclose how much he paid for the two large rocks, he's not ruling out selling the stones if he finds the right buyer.
Anyone with interest in seeing these stones can drop by Nice Diamond's booth at the upcoming jewelry shows in Las Vegas. Or check out more about Sheth's company here.
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