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June’s Birthstone: This Smithsonian ‘Treasure’ Features 339 Natural Pearls

on Jun 11 2019
Natural pearls are among the rarest of all gemstones. In fact, experts believe the odds of opening a random oyster in the wild and finding a natural pearl is 1 in 100,000. What's more, if someone was lucky enough to amass a small collection of natural pearls, there's hardly a chance that they'd match in... The post June’s Birthstone: This Smithsonian ‘Treasure’ Features 339 Natural Pearls appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Patriots’ Super Bowl LIII Championship Ring Is the Largest Ever Created

on Jun 10 2019
Two years ago, we marveled at the size and opulence of the New England Patriots' fifth Super Bowl ring — a ring set with 283 diamonds weighing 5.1 carats. As expected, the team's sixth edition is even more over the top — with 422 diamonds weighing 8.25 carats and 20 blue sapphires totaling 1.60 carats.... The post Patriots’ Super Bowl LIII Championship Ring Is the Largest Ever Created appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Music Friday: The Trews Believe There Is No Finer Thing Than ‘The Pearl’

on Jun 07 2019
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, in honor of June’s official birthstone, we feature Canadian rock band The Trews singing their 2005 tune, “The Pearl (More Than Everything).” In the song, lead singer Colin MacDonald refers to his love interest... The post Music Friday: The Trews Believe There Is No Finer Thing Than ‘The Pearl’ appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Antwerp Diamond Industry Celebrates 100th Anniversary of Tolkowsky’s ‘Brilliant Cut’

on Jun 06 2019
Exactly 100 years ago, a 19-year-old Antwerp engineer named Marcel Tolkowsky perfected a mathematical formula for the 57-facet "brilliant-cut" diamond. Tolkowsky's accomplishment prevails as the most iconic and successful cut in history due to its ability to maximize a diamond's fire, brilliance and sparkle. The Antwerp World Diamond Centre recently held a street fair and... The post Antwerp Diamond Industry Celebrates 100th Anniversary of Tolkowsky’s ‘Brilliant Cut’ appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Men’s Apparel Company Finds Engagement Ring in Pocket of Returned Jeans

on Jun 05 2019
An engagement ring that was thought to be lost forever was returned to a Hueytown, Ala., woman by honest employees at a Kentucky distribution center of rugged men's apparel. Jacky Crick, a receiver for Carhartt's return center in Hopkinsville, Ky., found the black and white diamond engagement ring in the pocket of a pair of... The post Men’s Apparel Company Finds Engagement Ring in Pocket of Returned Jeans appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Flawless ‘Bubble Gum Pink’ Diamond Fetches $7.5 Million at Christie’s Hong Kong

on May 30 2019
An internally flawless bubble gum pink diamond weighing 3.44 carats was the colorful star of Christie's Hong Kong auction on Tuesday as it sold for $7.5 million, or $2.2 million per carat. The cushion modified brilliant-cut diamond — aptly dubbed "The Bubble Gum Pink" — is set in a ring by luxury jeweler Moussaieff. The... The post Flawless ‘Bubble Gum Pink’ Diamond Fetches $7.5 Million at Christie’s Hong Kong appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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‘We’re Closer Than Ever to Finding the Mother Lode’ at Lulo Mine: Lucapa Chairman

on May 29 2019
The chairman of Lucapa Diamond Company told stockholders Monday that his exploration team is closer than ever to striking the mother lode at the flagship Lulo site in Angola. While Lulo already has a reputation for turning out large, high-quality diamonds at its alluvial deposit, chairman Miles Kennedy believes the prospect of "huge wealth" is... The post ‘We’re Closer Than Ever to Finding the Mother Lode’ at Lulo Mine: Lucapa Chairman appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Gold-Loving Fungus Is the Latest in a Series of Low-Impact Exploration Tools

on May 28 2019
A fluffy pink fungus that thrives on gold is the latest in a series of low-impact exploration tools available to Australian miners. Geologists from Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, reported that a thread-like fungus found 130 km southeast of Perth, has the ability to draw gold from the soil. What’s special about the fungus, called... The post Gold-Loving Fungus Is the Latest in a Series of Low-Impact Exploration Tools appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Music Friday: YouTube Sensation Vidya Vox Is All About Diamonds and Gold

on May 24 2019
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you fun songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, Youtube sensation Vidya Vox merges Indian classical music with Western pop, hip-hop and electronica in her 2017 release, “Diamonds.” This high-energy track opens with the description of a bedazzled Indian dancer. Vox sings,... The post Music Friday: YouTube Sensation Vidya Vox Is All About Diamonds and Gold appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Former Reporter Uses Sleuthing Skills to Solve the Mystery of the ‘Airbag Diamond’

on May 23 2019
Eileen Korey, a former reporter, used her sleuthing skills to solve the mystery of a diamond engagement ring that unexpectedly appeared in the tray of her Subaru after a technician replaced the car’s airbag. “I literally got in the car and there was this tiny little diamond ring sitting on the tray by the cupholders,”... The post Former Reporter Uses Sleuthing Skills to Solve the Mystery of the ‘Airbag Diamond’ appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Swiss Lab Employs Cutting-Edge Science to Affirm Age, Provenance of Historic Pearl

on May 22 2019
A Swiss gem lab used radiocarbon age-dating to affirm the 16th century origins of a 30.24-carat natural saltwater pearl once owned by a Spanish princess. It was the first time such a procedure had been conducted on a natural pearl. The Swiss Gemmological Institute (SSEF) used the cutting-edge science to date the historic "Ana Maria... The post Swiss Lab Employs Cutting-Edge Science to Affirm Age, Provenance of Historic Pearl appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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De Beers, Namibia to Partner on New $468 Million Diamond-Recovery Vessel

on May 21 2019
Debmarine announced it will be investing $468 million on the world's first-ever custom-built diamond recovery vessel. When it joins the Debmarine fleet in 2022, the new ship will have the capacity to extract 500,000 carats annually from the coastal waters off Namibia — boosting the country's annual diamond output by 35%. Debmarine is a 50/50... The post De Beers, Namibia to Partner on New $468 Million Diamond-Recovery Vessel appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Music Friday: ‘If Pressure Makes Diamonds, Our Love Is a Diamond by Now’

on May 17 2019
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you fun tunes with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, country star Don Williams sings about how marital stress can be a good thing in his 1983 tune, “Pressure Makes Diamonds.” In the song, Williams admits that he and his wife have endured... The post Music Friday: ‘If Pressure Makes Diamonds, Our Love Is a Diamond by Now’ appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Petra Sells 425-Carat ‘Legacy of the Cullinan Diamond Mine’ for $15 Million

on May 16 2019
The massive 425-carat gem-quality diamond discovered in March at the Cullinan mine in South Africa has a new name and new owners. Petra Diamonds announced that it sold the D-color rough stone to Dubai-based Stargems Group and Belgium-based Choron for just under $15 million. Before it was sold, Petra named the gem “Legacy of the... The post Petra Sells 425-Carat ‘Legacy of the Cullinan Diamond Mine’ for $15 Million appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Socialite’s Emerald Necklace, 36-Carat Diamond Share Spotlight at Sotheby’s Geneva

on May 15 2019
An art deco-style emerald necklace from the collection of American socialite Helene Beaumont and a 36.57-carat near-flawless diamond shared the spotlight at Sotheby's Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels sale in Geneva yesterday. These top two items sold for $3.6 million and $5 million, respectively, accounting for more than 20% of the auction's total sales of... The post Socialite’s Emerald Necklace, 36-Carat Diamond Share Spotlight at Sotheby’s Geneva appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Hilary Duff Shows Off Her New Cushion-Cut Diamond Engagement Ring on Instagram

on May 14 2019
Actress Hilary Duff earned 1.9 million likes after revealing her stunning cushion-cut diamond engagement ring on Instagram this past Thursday. The 31-year-old star of the TV Land series Younger had just accepted a marriage proposal from singer-songwriter Matthew Koma and decided to broadcast the big news with a pair of sweet snaps for her 12... The post Hilary Duff Shows Off Her New Cushion-Cut Diamond Engagement Ring on Instagram appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Golden Spike Symbolized Completion of Transcontinental Railroad 150 Years Ago

on May 13 2019
This past Friday marked the 150th anniversary of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad, an epic project that spanned six years and 1,800 miles, with the Central Pacific Railroad working from west to east and the Union Pacific Railroad from east to west. When the two railroad lines met at Promontory Summit, Utah, on May... The post Golden Spike Symbolized Completion of Transcontinental Railroad 150 Years Ago appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Music Friday: Insecure Charley Pride Asks His Wife, ‘Does My Ring Hurt Your Finger?’

on May 10 2019
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you throwback songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title. Today, music legend Charley Pride portrays a troubled and insecure husband in his amusing 1967 country hit, “Does My Ring Hurt Your Finger?” Pride’s character tells his wife that he feels so proud when... The post Music Friday: Insecure Charley Pride Asks His Wife, ‘Does My Ring Hurt Your Finger?’ appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Tokyo 2020 Organizers Collect Enough Recycled Metal to Create 5,000 Olympic Medals

on May 09 2019
It took less than two years for the organizers of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo to collect enough recycled precious metals to create 5,000 gold, silver and bronze Olympic and Paralympic medals. Among the 47,488 tons of donated material were five million cell phones. Launched in April of 2017, the Tokyo 2020 Medal Project... The post Tokyo 2020 Organizers Collect Enough Recycled Metal to Create 5,000 Olympic Medals appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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75.61-Carat Emerald Once Worn by Catherine the Great Is Up for Sale at Christie’s

on May 07 2019
A 75.61-carat emerald worn more than 220 years ago by Russian Empress Catherine the Great will be hitting the auction block at Christie's Geneva a week from Wednesday. The spectacular verdant gem, which was daringly smuggled to England by a James Bond-like character during the Russian Revolution, carries a pre-sale estimate of $2.3 million to... The post 75.61-Carat Emerald Once Worn by Catherine the Great Is Up for Sale at Christie’s appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.