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Petra Diamonds Invests $289MM to Extend Life of Two Prolific South African Mines

by Howard Cohen on Feb 28 2022
Petra Diamonds announced that it will be investing $289 million to extend the productive lives of its Cullinan and Finsch mines in South Africa. The mines will be turning out high-value rough gems until 2030 and beyond, according to the mining company. The Cullinan Diamond Mine, which has been operating continuously since 1902, is responsible... The post Petra Diamonds Invests $289MM to Extend Life of Two Prolific South African Mines appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Music Friday: Carly Simon Fights for Mom’s Pearls in the Deeply Personal ‘Like a River’

by Howard Cohen on Feb 25 2022
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you wonderful songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title. Today, we feature a little-known treasure from Carly Simon’s extensive catalog called “Like a River.” It’s a heartfelt, deeply personal and hauntingly beautiful love letter to her mother, Andrea Simon, written just after her... The post Music Friday: Carly Simon Fights for Mom’s Pearls in the Deeply Personal ‘Like a River’ appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Scientists Say It’s Raining Liquid Rubies and Sapphires on the Exoplanet WASP-121b

by Howard Cohen on Feb 24 2022
Liquid rubies and sapphires rain down from metal clouds on an enormous "hot Jupiter" exoplanet located 855 light years from Earth, according to an international group of astronomers from the Munich-based Max Planck Institute for Astronomy. The team's findings were recently published in the journal Nature Astronomy. Located in the constellation Puppis, the exoplanet WASP-121b... The post Scientists Say It’s Raining Liquid Rubies and Sapphires on the Exoplanet WASP-121b appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Texas Collector Scoops Up 11,800-Carat Opal for $144K at Alaska Auction

by Howard Cohen on Feb 23 2022
An 11,800-carat, gem-quality opal believed to be one of the top-five largest in the world was scooped up by a private Texas-based collector for $143,750 at Sunday's live-stream sale hosted by Alaska Premier Auctions & Appraisals. Auction coordinator and appraisal specialist Nick Cline told The Jeweler Blog that the opal's new owner, who requested to... The post Texas Collector Scoops Up 11,800-Carat Opal for $144K at Alaska Auction appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Sotheby’s Unveils 15.10-Carat Flawless, Step-Cut, Fancy Vivid Blue Diamond

by Howard Cohen on Feb 22 2022
Back in July of 2021, we introduced you to an exceptional 39.34-carat blue rough diamond unearthed at South Africa’s iconic Cullinan Mine. The extraordinarily rare stone had the industry buzzing because it was remarkably similar to a record-breaking blue diamond discovered at the same mine in 2014. That 29.6-carat rough stone was subsequently transformed into... The post Sotheby’s Unveils 15.10-Carat Flawless, Step-Cut, Fancy Vivid Blue Diamond appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Simone Biles Says Her New Engagement Ring ‘Definitely Beats a Gold Medal’

by Howard Cohen on Feb 21 2022
Despite owning four Olympic gold medals and 19 World Championship gold medals, elite gymnast Simone Biles told the audience of The Today Show on Friday that her new 3-carat oval-cut diamond engagement ring from fiancé Jonathan Owens beats them all. In a remote Zoom-style interview between The Today Show hosts in New York and the... The post Simone Biles Says Her New Engagement Ring ‘Definitely Beats a Gold Medal’ appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Music Friday: Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift Sing About Diamond Rings in Nostalgic Remix

by Howard Cohen on Feb 18 2022
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you awesome songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, Taylor Swift joins Ed Sheeran in the newly released remix of "The Joker and the Queen," a self-deprecating love song in which the awkward and freckle-faced Sheeran wonders why the beautiful and confident... The post Music Friday: Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift Sing About Diamond Rings in Nostalgic Remix appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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NFL Pro Jonathan Owens Picks 3-Carat Oval Diamond for Star Gymnast Simone Biles

by Howard Cohen on Feb 17 2022
Olympic gymnast Simone Biles says she's "on cloud nine," "in complete shock" and "over the moon" since receiving her 3-carat oval-cut diamond engagement ring on Valentine's Day from Houston Texans free safety Jonathan Owens. On Tuesday, the seven-time Olympic medal winner announced the big news on her Instagram account with a series of proposal photos... The post NFL Pro Jonathan Owens Picks 3-Carat Oval Diamond for Star Gymnast Simone Biles appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Jeremejevite Is So Rare That Few Professional Jewelers Will Ever Encounter One

by Howard Cohen on Feb 16 2022
Imagine a gemstone so rare that few professional jewelers will ever encounter one. Such is the case with the beautiful, yet elusive, blue jeremejevite. This oval-cut specimen — which weighs 11.3 carats and was sourced in the remote Erongo Mountains of Namibia — has been part of the Smithsonian's National Gem Collection since 2012. A... The post Jeremejevite Is So Rare That Few Professional Jewelers Will Ever Encounter One appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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On-Field Proposal: Two Rings in One Night for LA Rams Safety Taylor Rapp

by Howard Cohen on Feb 15 2022
LA Rams safety Taylor Rapp just enjoyed his best day ever. Moments after earning a Super Bowl ring on Sunday night, the 24-year-old surprised his long-time girlfriend, Dani Johnson, with an on-field marriage proposal at California's SoFi stadium in front of a crowd of cheering teammates and fans. < A short video posted to the... The post On-Field Proposal: Two Rings in One Night for LA Rams Safety Taylor Rapp appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Lombardi Trophy’s Sleek Lines Were Sketched on a Cocktail Napkin 56 Years Ago

by Howard Cohen on Feb 14 2022
When LA Rams head coach Sean McVay raised the Vince Lombardi Trophy to the sky after last night’s 23-20 triumph over the Cincinnati Bengals in Inglewood, CA, he was celebrating with one of the most recognizable and coveted awards in all of professional sports. The 6.7-pound sterling silver icon stands 20.75 inches tall and depicts... The post Lombardi Trophy’s Sleek Lines Were Sketched on a Cocktail Napkin 56 Years Ago appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Music Friday: Tom Petty Sings, ‘Some Days Are Diamonds, Some Days Are Rocks’

by Howard Cohen on Feb 11 2022
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you awesome songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. In the memorable opening lines of his 1996 hit, “Walls,” rock legend Tom Petty defines the essence of everyday life with this brilliant, yet simple, phrase: “Some days are diamonds / Some days are... The post Music Friday: Tom Petty Sings, ‘Some Days Are Diamonds, Some Days Are Rocks’ appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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‘The Enigma’ Fetches $4.29MM, Thanks to 9-Minute Overtime Bidding Session

by Howard Cohen on Feb 10 2022
As the countdown timer clicked down to 0:00, it appeared as if the 555.55-carat black carbonado diamond known as "The Enigma" would be sold at Sotheby's online auction yesterday for the rock-bottom price of £1.5 million ($2.03 million). Pre-sale estimates were as high as £5 million and Sotheby's London was offering the stone with "no... The post ‘The Enigma’ Fetches $4.29MM, Thanks to 9-Minute Overtime Bidding Session appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Blast From the Past: Acrostic Jewelry Spells Out Secret Sentiments Using Gemstones

by Howard Cohen on Feb 09 2022
During the 100 years that spanned from the early 1800s to the early 1900s, young suitors expressed their intentions with "acrostic" rings that spelled out a secret sentiment using the first letter of each gemstone in the piece. For example, to convey the word "dearest," the ring would feature seven gems in this order: (D)iamond,... The post Blast From the Past: Acrostic Jewelry Spells Out Secret Sentiments Using Gemstones appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Americans to Spend a Record $6.2B on Jewelry Gifts for Valentine’s Day

by Howard Cohen on Feb 08 2022
Americans are set to spend a record $6.2 billion on jewelry gifts for Valentine's Day, an amazing increase of 51.2% compared to 2021 and the highest tally ever, according to a survey just released by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Prosper Insights & Analytics. The NRF stats reveal that Valentine shoppers will be spending... The post Americans to Spend a Record $6.2B on Jewelry Gifts for Valentine’s Day appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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K-Pop Stars HyunA and DAWN Exchange Opal-and-Diamond Engagement Rings

by Howard Cohen on Feb 07 2022
On Thursday night, K-pop idols HyunA and DAWN turned to Instagram to surprise their millions of fans with the news of their engagement and close-up views of their matching opal-and-diamond rings. On his Instagram page, the 27-year-old DAWN (Kim Kyo-jong) shared a short video of the couple modeling their new rings. The caption read, “MARRY... The post K-Pop Stars HyunA and DAWN Exchange Opal-and-Diamond Engagement Rings appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Music Friday: Robert Frost Poem Provides Inspiration for First Aid Kit’s ‘Stay Gold’

by Howard Cohen on Feb 04 2022
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring your great songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title. Today, we present the hypnotic harmonies of First Aid Kit's Klara and Johanna Söderberg performing “Stay Gold,” a song that uses the precious metal as a metaphor for the vitality of youth — when... The post Music Friday: Robert Frost Poem Provides Inspiration for First Aid Kit’s ‘Stay Gold’ appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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56-Carat Deep Purple Amethyst Highlights This Art Nouveau Smithsonian Stunner

by Howard Cohen on Feb 03 2022
One of the world’s most remarkable examples of February’s birthstone is the 56-carat deep purple gem at the center of the Tiffany Amethyst Necklace — an impressive work that resides at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC. The square cushion-cut amethyst is delicately framed by 18-karat vines, leaves and grapes in... The post 56-Carat Deep Purple Amethyst Highlights This Art Nouveau Smithsonian Stunner appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Las Vegas Collector Sells America’s Most Coveted Silver Dollar for $12MM

by Howard Cohen on Feb 02 2022
A 1794 coin believed to be the first silver dollar ever struck by the U.S. Mint recently fetched a record-breaking $12 million in a private transaction between Las Vegas collector Bruce Morelan and Irvine, CA-based GreatCollections Coin Auctions. Dubbed the “Flowing Hair Silver Dollar,” the coin is a national numismatic treasure because it symbolized the... The post Las Vegas Collector Sells America’s Most Coveted Silver Dollar for $12MM appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Music Friday: Creed’s Scott Stapp Dreams of ‘Golden Streets’ in 1999’s ‘Higher’

by Howard Cohen on Jan 28 2022
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you great songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title. Today, we feature Creed performing “Higher,” a song in which frontman/songwriter Scott Stapp dreams of a utopia, where the streets are paved with gold and love replaces hate. Stapp sings, “Can you take me... The post Music Friday: Creed’s Scott Stapp Dreams of ‘Golden Streets’ in 1999’s ‘Higher’ appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.