全球第二大钻石将拍卖 预计可拍出7000万美元

AS IT IS 2016-05-15 Large Diamond Could Be Sold for $70 Million 全球第二大钻石将拍卖 预计可拍出7000万美元

One of the world’s largest brokers² of fine arts and jewelry³ is preparing to sell the largest gem-quality diamond found in more than a century.

Sotheby’s auction⁴ house showed off the diamond last weekend at the company’s New York City headquarters. The term gem-quality means it can be made into jewelry.

The diamond is believed to be about three-billion years old. It was discovered at a mine in Botswana last November. The mine is owned by a Canadian company.

The diamond is about the size of a tennis ball. It measures 65 millimeters by 56 millimeters by 40 millimeters. Experts say the diamond has 1,109 carats.

Sotheby’s will be accepting offers for the diamond at an auction in London at the end of June. Experts believe someone will pay at least $70 million for it.

David Bennett is the head of Sotheby’s jewelry division.

“And it’s a simply dramatically beautiful stone. I mean it’s unbelievable. Just look at it. It’s an extraordinary thing. The sheer size is difficult to comprehend.”

The diamond has been named “Lesedi la Rona.” That means “our light” in the national language of Botswana.

To the untrained eye, the lovely big jewel looks like something you might show off. The diamond is of the very highest quality, and light can shine through it. Experts praise rough diamonds such as this one for their natural beauty. Yet it could become the largest top-quality diamond ever to be cut and polished.

“This stone is just amazing. You can imagine the extraordinary stones that can be cut of out it.”

The Lesedi la Rona is not the biggest gem-quality diamond ever found. The Cullinan diamond, discovered in South Africa in 1905, was 3,106 carats -- almost three times larger. It was cut into nine pieces. The largest piece is part of Britain’s crown jewels.

Words in This Story

broker¹ – n. a person or company that helps other people to reach agreements, to make deals or to buy and sell property

gem-quality – adj. able to be used for jewelry

carat – n. a unit for measuring the weight of jewels (such as diamonds) that is equal to 200 milligrams

sheer – n. when used before a noun: used to emphasize the large amount, size or degree of something

comprehend – n. somewhat formal to understand (something, such as a difficult or complex subject)

rough – adj. having a surface that is not even; in an unfinished or rough state

polished – adj. made smooth and shiny by polishing

crown jewels – n. the crown, scepter and other jeweled objects that a king or queen uses on formal occasions

1 broker   

n.中间人，经纪人；v.作为中间人来安排

参考例句：

• He baited the broker by promises of higher commissions.他答应给更高的佣金来引诱那位经纪人。
• I'm a real estate broker.我是不动产经纪人。

2 brokers   

n.（股票、外币等）经纪人( broker的名词复数 )；中间人；代理商；（订合同的）中人v.做掮客（或中人等）( broker的第三人称单数 )；作为权力经纪人进行谈判；以中间人等身份安排…

参考例句：

• The firm in question was Alsbery & Co., whiskey brokers. 那家公司叫阿尔斯伯里公司，经销威士忌。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• From time to time a telephone would ring in the brokers' offices. 那两排经纪人房间里不时响着叮令的电话。 来自子夜部分

3 jewelry   

n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝

参考例句：

• The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
• Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。

4 auction   

n.拍卖；拍卖会；vt.拍卖

参考例句：

• They've put the contents of their house up for auction.他们把房子里的东西全都拿去拍卖了。
• They bought a new minibus with the proceeds from the auction.他们用拍卖得来的钱买了一辆新面包车。