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Brilliant Starburst From Miley Cyrus’ New Wedding Ring Catches Jimmy Fallon’s Eye

by Howard Cohen on Feb 11 2019

It was a starburst seen from coast to coast on Wednesday night's edition of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The burst emanating from Miley Cyrus' new wedding ring was so big and so bright that new spouse Liam Hemsworth joked that the visual effect might have been a product of CGI (computer-generated imagery). But first,... The post Brilliant Starburst From Miley Cyrus’ New Wedding Ring Catches Jimmy Fallon’s Eye appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Music Friday: Swedish Pop Group Ace of Base Will Turn Your Tears Into Pearls

by Howard Cohen on Feb 08 2019

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you popular tunes with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, Swedish pop group Ace of Base sings about turning tears into pearls in the 1995 love song, “Experience Pearls.” In this song about mending a broken heart, vocalists Linn and Jenny Berggren tell... The post Music Friday: Swedish Pop Group Ace of Base Will Turn Your Tears Into Pearls appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Two of the Season’s Most Popular Days for Popping the Question Are Still on the Board

by Howard Cohen on Feb 07 2019

Even though the calendar shows we're just a week from the end of "engagement season" — the magical time of the year when nearly 40% of all marriage proposals take place — a pair of Top-10 pop-the-question days remains on the board. For those of you keeping score, the 10th-most-popular day to deliver a marriage... The post Two of the Season’s Most Popular Days for Popping the Question Are Still on the Board appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Survey: Shoppers to Spend More on Jewelry Than Any Other Valentine’s Day Gift Category

by Howard Cohen on Feb 06 2019

For the third consecutive year, U.S. consumers are expected to spend more on jewelry than any other Valentine’s Day gift category, according to an annual report released by the National Retail Federation. Spending for jewelry-related Valentine's Day gifts is likely to reach $3.9 billion, outpacing "an evening out" ($3.5 billion, given by 34%), clothing ($2.1... The post Survey: Shoppers to Spend More on Jewelry Than Any Other Valentine’s Day Gift Category appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Birthstone Feature: Stunning 78.3-Carat Gem Is Smithsonian’s First Amethyst From Rwanda

by Howard Cohen on Feb 05 2019

Billed as the first amethyst from Rwanda to join the National Gem Collection, this stunning 78.3-carat Super Trillion™ Cut was faceted by award-winning cutter John Dyer and is a first-rate example of February’s birthstone. Dyer told us yesterday that the original rough amethyst, which weighed 465.5 carats, yielded four finished stones, the largest of which... The post Birthstone Feature: Stunning 78.3-Carat Gem Is Smithsonian’s First Amethyst From Rwanda appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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North America’s Largest Rough Diamond Makes Final Public Appearance — And We Were There

by Howard Cohen on Feb 04 2019

The largest rough diamond ever mined in North America — the fancy yellow "552" — made its final public appearance at Phillips auction house in New York City on Sunday. And we were there. Exhibiting a frosty surface and distinctive bi-color transition from intense yellow to nearly white, the 552-carat diamond seemed surreal in its... The post North America’s Largest Rough Diamond Makes Final Public Appearance — And We Were There appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Music Friday: February’s Birthstone Makes Curious Appearance in Wang Chung’s ‘Dance Hall Days’

by Howard Cohen on Feb 01 2019

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you fun songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. In 1984, British band Wang Chung helped define a generation with its international hit “Dance Hall Days.” The song put a New Wave timestamp on a slew of popular movies and is memorable for... The post Music Friday: February’s Birthstone Makes Curious Appearance in Wang Chung’s ‘Dance Hall Days’ appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Limited-Edition Super Bowl LIII Caps Are Embellished With Rubies and Sapphires

by Howard Cohen on Jan 31 2019

When the New England Patriots take on the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII this Sunday, at least a handful of fans will be wearing a limited-edition, gemstone-adorned cap that might be worth thousands more than their ticket to the game. Carrying a price tag of $5,300, the New Era x Swarovski 9TWENTY hats feature... The post Limited-Edition Super Bowl LIII Caps Are Embellished With Rubies and Sapphires appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Ice Ice Baby! Frosty Gem Is the 54th 200+ Carat Diamond Discovered at Karowe Mine

by Howard Cohen on Jan 30 2019

Ice ice baby! No, we're not referring to the 1990 song or the mammoth Arctic blast that's breaking wind-chill records from the Dakotas to Long Island. What's got our attention is this 240-carat frosty white gem-quality diamond that was just unearthed at the red-hot Karowe mine in Botswana, where the mercury topped out at 91 degrees... The post Ice Ice Baby! Frosty Gem Is the 54th 200+ Carat Diamond Discovered at Karowe Mine appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Wow! GIA Gemologist Finds Fossilized Insect Trapped Within Indonesian Opal

by Howard Cohen on Jan 29 2019

On a trip to Indonesia last year, GIA Graduate Gemologist Brian Berger purchased an unusually striking opal originating from the island of Java. Boasting an exciting “play of color” throughout the stone ranging from pale yellow to dark blue, the gemstone was remarkable on its own. But now it has become a potentially significant scientific... The post Wow! GIA Gemologist Finds Fossilized Insect Trapped Within Indonesian Opal appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Music Friday: ‘I’d Make You a Chain Out of Diamonds and Pearls,’ Sings Jim Croce

by Howard Cohen on Jan 25 2019

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you classic songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, music legend Jim Croce tells his sad and lonely wife how things are going to change in the 1972 classic, “Tomorrow’s Gonna Be A Brighter Day.” He’d love to give her diamonds and... The post Music Friday: ‘I’d Make You a Chain Out of Diamonds and Pearls,’ Sings Jim Croce appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Blue Cabochon Gem Still Shines in 2,000-Year-Old Ring Unearthed at City of David Site

by Howard Cohen on Jan 24 2019

A blue gemstone ring that was lost in a ritual bath 2,000 years ago was recently unearthed by archaeologists at the City of David National Park in Jerusalem. The site is believed to be the original urban core of the ancient city. The wonderfully preserved, but still unidentified solitaire stone, appears to be an aquamarine,... The post Blue Cabochon Gem Still Shines in 2,000-Year-Old Ring Unearthed at City of David Site appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Canadian High Schooler Discovers Kinder, Gentler Way of Liberating Diamonds From Rock

by Howard Cohen on Jan 23 2019

A 17-year-old Canadian high school student participating in a research program at the University of Alberta surprised her mentors by discovering a new high-yield, less destructive way of electronically separating diamonds from rock. Using the new SELFRAG lab system, Hamdi Ali learned that pulsing diamond-rich ore with 200,000 volts of electricity effectively destroyed the rock... The post Canadian High Schooler Discovers Kinder, Gentler Way of Liberating Diamonds From Rock appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Tom Brady and the Pats Look to Test Boundaries of How Big a Super Bowl Ring Can Be

by Howard Cohen on Jan 22 2019

The New England Patriots have their eyes on a sixth Super Bowl ring after beating the Kansas City Chiefs in a thrilling AFC Championship game on Sunday. If quarterback Tom Brady and the favored Pats prevail against the powerful Los Angeles Rams at Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta on February 3, you can bet the... The post Tom Brady and the Pats Look to Test Boundaries of How Big a Super Bowl Ring Can Be appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Israel’s ‘Carmel Sapphire’ Contains Inclusions of Newly Recognized Mineral ‘Carmeltazite’

by Howard Cohen on Jan 21 2019

Israeli mining company Shefa Yamim has identified a remarkable new mineral trapped within the inclusions of the sapphires it recovers near Mount Carmel in northern Israel. The new material was named "carmeltazite" to honor the place of its discovery and its unique mix of chemical components — titanium, aluminum and zirconium (TAZ). Carmeltazite was officially... The post Israel’s ‘Carmel Sapphire’ Contains Inclusions of Newly Recognized Mineral ‘Carmeltazite’ appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Music Friday: Anita Baker’s Darlin’ Is ‘Like a Precious Jewel’ in 1988’s ‘Priceless’

by Howard Cohen on Jan 18 2019

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you fabulous songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, seven-time Grammy winner Anita Baker compares her darlin’ to a precious jewel in the dreamy 1988 ballad, “Priceless.” Released as the first track from her blockbuster album, Giving You the Best That I... The post Music Friday: Anita Baker’s Darlin’ Is ‘Like a Precious Jewel’ in 1988’s ‘Priceless’ appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Emerald Ring That Survived the Sinking of the Titanic Is Featured on BBC’s ‘Antiques Roadshow’

by Howard Cohen on Jan 17 2019

An emerald engagement ring that survived the fateful final voyage of the Titanic in 1912 made a surprise appearance on BBC's Antiques Roadshow this past Sunday. The ring, which features an emerald center stone flanked by smaller emeralds and diamonds in a platinum setting, was owned by the guest's grandmother, who was newly married and... The post Emerald Ring That Survived the Sinking of the Titanic Is Featured on BBC’s ‘Antiques Roadshow’ appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Officer Earns Bowl of Meatballs, High Praise for Finding Crossing Guard’s Engagement Diamond

by Howard Cohen on Jan 16 2019

An eagle-eyed New Jersey police officer earned a bowl of meatballs and high praise for finding a diamond that had popped out of a crossing guard's engagement ring at a Tenafly intersection. What made the find even more remarkable was that the diamond was mixed in with broken glass, gravel, ice and other reflective debris.... The post Officer Earns Bowl of Meatballs, High Praise for Finding Crossing Guard’s Engagement Diamond appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Lapis Lazuli Found in the Teeth of Medieval Nun Suggests She Was a Manuscript Painter

by Howard Cohen on Jan 15 2019

Archaeologists studying the skull of a nun who lived in a German monastery nearly 1,000 years ago were initially baffled by the presence of vivid blue flecks embedded in her teeth. Using X-ray spectroscopy, they were finally able to identify the blue pigment as the gemstone lapis lazuli. Why would a nun living in the... The post Lapis Lazuli Found in the Teeth of Medieval Nun Suggests She Was a Manuscript Painter appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Tim Tebow to 2017’s Miss Universe: ‘This Ring Is Internally Flawless… Just Like You’

by Howard Cohen on Jan 14 2019

Sports star Tim Tebow popped the question to 2017 Miss Universe Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters with a 7.25-carat diamond solitaire ring at his family's farm in Jacksonville, Fla., this past Wednesday. He reportedly got down on one knee and declared, "This ring is internally flawless… just like you." According to People magazine, the 31-year-old former NFL quarterback... The post Tim Tebow to 2017’s Miss Universe: ‘This Ring Is Internally Flawless… Just Like You’ appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.