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Israeli Teenagers Unearth Hoard of 425 Gold Coins Dating Back 1,100 Years

on Aug 27 2020

Israeli teenagers unearthed a hoard of 425 ancient gold coins while volunteering at an archeological site during their summer vacations. The two youths were helping the Israel Antiquities Authority with an excavation in the central part of the country when they noticed something shimmering in the ground. “It was amazing,” said Oz Cohen. “I dug... The post Israeli Teenagers Unearth Hoard of 425 Gold Coins Dating Back 1,100 Years appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Gal Gadot Becomes the 4th Woman to Ever Wear the 128-Carat ‘Tiffany Diamond’

on Aug 26 2020

Actress Gal Gadot gets to wear the 128.54-carat "Tiffany Diamond" in the soon-to-be-released big screen adaptation of Agatha Christie's Death on the Nile. The famous — but rarely worn — gem dangles from a platinum necklace featuring an openwork motif of sun rays glistening with 481 diamonds totaling more than 100 carats. A Tiffany representative... The post Gal Gadot Becomes the 4th Woman to Ever Wear the 128-Carat ‘Tiffany Diamond’ appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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‘Aussie Gold Hunters’ Find a Pair of Gold Nuggets Weighing a Combined 7.7 Pounds

on Aug 25 2020

Within the span of just a few hours, a family of gold prospectors pulled two huge gold nuggets from the ground near Tarnagulla in the Australian state of Victoria. The dramatic scene played out during Thursday’s episode of Aussie Gold Hunters on the Discovery Channel. The nuggets weigh a combined 3.5 kilograms (7.7 pounds) and... The post ‘Aussie Gold Hunters’ Find a Pair of Gold Nuggets Weighing a Combined 7.7 Pounds appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Lesotho’s Latest Colossal Gem-Quality Diamond Weighs in at 442 Carats

on Aug 24 2020

The Letšeng mine in the tiny southern African kingdom of Lesotho has produced another colossal gem-quality diamond. The 442-carat, Type IIa stone could be worth as much as $18 million. The still-unnamed rough gem is the fifth-largest gem-quality diamond ever unearthed at Letšeng, a mine that is recognized as the highest dollar-per-carat kimberlite mine in... The post Lesotho’s Latest Colossal Gem-Quality Diamond Weighs in at 442 Carats appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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$1.5 Million Diamond-Studded Protective Mask Is the Most Expensive in the World

on Aug 19 2020

Hustling to meet a billionaire's December 31 deadline, Israeli luxury brand Yvel has assembled a team of 25 jewelers and diamond setters to fabricate a COVID-19 protective mask decorated with 3,608 black and white diamonds. The team will be working in shifts to complete the bespoke mask, which is valued at $1.5 million and is... The post $1.5 Million Diamond-Studded Protective Mask Is the Most Expensive in the World appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Miner Surprised to Learn Its Fancy Yellow Diamonds Display Purple Fluorescence

on Aug 18 2020

Officials at Aussie mining company IBDH (India Bore Diamond Holdings) were surprised to learn that many of its signature "Ellendale" fancy yellow diamonds are displaying an extremely rare purple fluorescence when placed under ultraviolet light. This is extremely unusual because violet or purple fluorescence is normally associated with blue diamonds. The anomaly came to light... The post Miner Surprised to Learn Its Fancy Yellow Diamonds Display Purple Fluorescence appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Philly Woman Reunited With Cherished Rings, Thanks to the Power of Social Media

on Aug 17 2020

After finding a diamond engagement ring and wedding band on the sidewalk in Philadelphia's Center City, Ian Buchannon was able to locate the rightful owner in a matter of minutes — thanks to the power of social media. Buchannon happened upon the rings at Spruce and 16th after fumbling his pen. He bent over to... The post Philly Woman Reunited With Cherished Rings, Thanks to the Power of Social Media appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Music Friday: Tomorrow Brings a Diamond Ring in Traveling Wilburys’ ‘End of the Line’

on Aug 14 2020

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you classic songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title. Today we feature 1989’s “End of the Line” by the Traveling Wilburys, a supergroup composed of Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty. The hopeful, upbeat song about how everything... The post Music Friday: Tomorrow Brings a Diamond Ring in Traveling Wilburys’ ‘End of the Line’ appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Next Stop on the Gem Gallery Virtual Tour Is the ‘Victoria-Transvaal Diamond’

on Aug 13 2020

Cut from a 240-carat rough stone found in 1951 at the Premier Mine in Transvaal, South Africa, the "Victoria-Transvaal Diamond" is one of the most prized possessions in the Smithsonian’s National Gem Collection. Today’s virtual tour of the Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems, and Minerals takes you right to the case where the... The post Next Stop on the Gem Gallery Virtual Tour Is the ‘Victoria-Transvaal Diamond’ appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Alrosa Unveils Massive 236-Carat Fancy Intense Yellow-Brown Diamond

on Aug 12 2020

Russian mining giant Alrosa recently unearthed a massive 236-carat fancy intense yellow-brown diamond at its Ebelyakh mine in Yakutia. It's the largest natural color rough diamond ever found in Russia. The beautiful specimen, which seems to display a surreal inner glow, measures 47mm x 24mm x 22mm (slightly wider than a golf ball). Its "fancy... The post Alrosa Unveils Massive 236-Carat Fancy Intense Yellow-Brown Diamond appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Emerald-Cut Diamond Engagement Ring Exposes World-Class Brawler’s Sensitive Side

on Aug 11 2020

Conor McGregor, one of the most feared mixed martial artists in UFC history, revealed his sensitive side Saturday when he and his longtime girlfriend, Dee Devlin, announced their engagement on McGregor’s Instagram page. In a photo captioned, “What a birthday, my future wife,” McGregor and Devlin are seen smiling ear-to-ear as the bride-to-be rests her... The post Emerald-Cut Diamond Engagement Ring Exposes World-Class Brawler’s Sensitive Side appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Metal Detectorist Reunites LI Man With Locket Containing His Brother’s Ashes

on Aug 10 2020

A young Long Island man got the best birthday gift he could have ever asked for when a thumbprint locket containing his brother's ashes was returned to him by a Good Samaritan with a metal detector. Fiction writer and avid metal detectorist Danny McAleese discovered the precious keepsake at Smith Point County Park beach in... The post Metal Detectorist Reunites LI Man With Locket Containing His Brother’s Ashes appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Music Friday: Jake Owen’s ‘Days of Gold’ Celebrates a Sensational Southern Summer

on Aug 07 2020

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you fun songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title. Today, country star Jake Owen celebrates a sensational Southern summer in his 2013 release, “Days of Gold.” Owen reminisces about the days of yesteryear when he could hang out with good friends, drive his... The post Music Friday: Jake Owen’s ‘Days of Gold’ Celebrates a Sensational Southern Summer appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Gem Lovers Rejoiced When Spinel Became an Official August Birthstone in 2016

on Aug 06 2020

Gemstone lovers rejoiced in the summer of 2016 when two leading jewelry-industry associations recognized spinel as an official birthstone for August. Best known for its vivid red color — but also available in brilliant shades of pink, purple, green and blue — spinel has been called “the great imposter” because of the prevalence of “regal... The post Gem Lovers Rejoiced When Spinel Became an Official August Birthstone in 2016 appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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HGTV Star Tarek El Moussa Thrills Heather Rae Young With Lucky 8-Carat Diamond

on Aug 05 2020

Heather Rae Young told her 932,000 Instagram followers that she is “absolutely obsessed” with her new 8.08-carat emerald-cut diamond and that she can’t stop staring at it. The 32-year-old former model and Selling Sunset reality TV star received the gorgeous ring during a romantic beachfront proposal orchestrated by Tarek El Moussa, who is best known... The post HGTV Star Tarek El Moussa Thrills Heather Rae Young With Lucky 8-Carat Diamond appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Gemfields’ 4th Short Film Describes How Rubies Are Born Deep Within the Earth

on Aug 04 2020

The dramatic fourth and final installment in Gemfields’ short-film series paints a vivid picture of how rubies — “the rarest of all colored gemstones” — are born deep within the Earth. The 78-second film opens with the narrator describing an ominous place, where atoms become minerals under intense heat and pressure. We learn that when... The post Gemfields’ 4th Short Film Describes How Rubies Are Born Deep Within the Earth appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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World’s Largest Faceted Peridot and the Brooklyn Bridge Have This in Common

on Aug 03 2020

Here's a birthstone riddle for the month of August: What do the world's largest faceted peridot and the Brooklyn Bridge have in common? If you're stumped, a little background may help… About the Peridot The 311-carat faceted peridot (shown in the grouping, above) is currently part of the Smithsonian's National Gem Collection in Washington, DC,... The post World’s Largest Faceted Peridot and the Brooklyn Bridge Have This in Common appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Music Friday: Country Star Cody Johnson’s Got a Diamond in His Pocket

on Jul 31 2020

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you fun songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, country star Cody Johnson’s hands are shaking like a canebrake rattler as he pops the question in his 2011 release, “Diamond In My Pocket.” In the song, Johnson portrays a young man who... The post Music Friday: Country Star Cody Johnson’s Got a Diamond in His Pocket appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Gem Gallery Virtual Tour: Check Out the Stunning 23-Carat ‘Carmen Lúcia Ruby’

on Jul 30 2020

Today's virtual tour of the Smithsonian’s National Gem Collection delivers an up-close-and-personal look at the incomparable “Carmen Lúcia Ruby.” The 23.10-carat specimen has the distinction of being the largest faceted ruby in the collection and one of the finest Burmese rubies ever known. Exhibiting a richly saturated red color known as “pigeon’s blood,” the Carmen... The post Gem Gallery Virtual Tour: Check Out the Stunning 23-Carat ‘Carmen Lúcia Ruby’ appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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GIA and IBM Join Forces to Introduce Artificial Intelligence to Diamond Clarity Grading

on Jul 29 2020

In a move that promises to fundamentally change the way diamonds are graded for clarity, the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) has joined forces with tech giant IBM to add artificial intelligence (AI) to the process. GIA, the world’s leading independent diamond identification and grading authority, and IBM Research, one of the world’s largest and... The post GIA and IBM Join Forces to Introduce Artificial Intelligence to Diamond Clarity Grading appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.