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Named After a Perfume, 1,000-Carat ‘Most Precious’ Aquamarine Resides at the Smithsonian
by Tori Staniewicz on Mar 09 2017
“Most Precious” is one of the world’s most beautiful examples of March’s official birthstone. Presented as part of the National Gem and Mineral collection at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., the rectangular-cut aquamarine from Brazil weighs a startling 1,000-carats and evokes the clear blue hue of a tranquil sea. A gift of...
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Arkansas-Sourced ‘Esperanza’ Diamond Heads to the Auction Block March 21
by Tori Staniewicz on Mar 08 2017
Here’s your chance to own a piece of Americana. The 4.64-carat D-flawless “Esperanza” diamond, which was found by Bobbie Oskarson in 2015 at Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Ark., will be offered for sale at Skinner’s fine jewelry auction in Boston on March 21. Esperanza carries a pre-sale estimate of $100,000 to $150,000...
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NASA Captures Image of Giant ‘Ice Diamond’ Floating in Caspian Sea
by Tori Staniewicz on Mar 07 2017
NASA’s Landsat 8 satellite spotted a glistening diamond-shaped ice jewel while orbiting above the cold, 600-mile northern region of the Caspian Sea — the world’s largest inland body of water — stretching from Kazakhstan to Iran. The image of Ice Diamond was captured on February 4 by NASA’s Operational Land Imager (OLI), a high-tech camera...
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UK Treasure Hunters Unearth Four Golden Torcs Dating Back 2,500 Years
by Tori Staniewicz on Mar 02 2017
Two buddies with a passion for treasure hunting unearthed four 2,500-year-old golden torcs within the parish of Leekfrith (pop. 363) in the English countryside. The items, which include three neck torcs and one bracelet weighing between 1 ounce and 8 ounces, may date back to 400 BC and represent the earliest Iron Age gold work...
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Jewelry Collection of Celebrated Author Jackie Collins to Hit the Auction Block at Bonhams
by Tori Staniewicz on Mar 01 2017
One thousand lots from the estate of celebrated author Jackie Collins — including a 6.04-carat pear-shaped diamond — will hit the auction block on May 17 and 18 at Bonhams in Los Angeles. The star and socialite, who wrote 31 novels which together sold more than 500 million copies in 40 countries worldwide, passed away...
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McMatch Made in Heaven: Man Pops the Question With Ring Hidden in Box of Chicken McNuggets
by Tori Staniewicz on Feb 28 2017
When Lincoln, Ill., native Kristian Helton was plotting the perfect way to propose to girlfriend Karsyn Long on Valentine’s Day, he knew that McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets had to be the focus of the plan. You see, Long absolutely loves, loves, loves the crispy batter-dipped morsels. “She has devoted her life to chicken nuggets,” Helton told...
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‘Real Is Rare. Real Is a Diamond’ Commercial Shares Limelight During Last Night’s Academy Awards
by Tori Staniewicz on Feb 27 2017
More than 30 million viewers tuning into the 89th annual Academy Awards last night got their first glimpse of “Runaways,” the second in a series of “Real is Rare. Real is a Diamond” commercials produced by the Diamond Producers Association (DPA). It’s been 10 years since the diamond category has shared the limelight of the Oscars —...
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by Tori Staniewicz on Feb 24 2017
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you wonderful songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, Ed Sheeran carves a heart pendant for his girlfriend in the 2011 love song, “Wake Me Up.” “Wake Me Up” is essentially a musical love letter to Sheeran’s girlfriend, where the English singer/songwriter...
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Minnesota Twins Pitcher Phil Hughes Has 24-Karat Aspirations for His Surgically Removed Rib
by Tori Staniewicz on Feb 23 2017
Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Phil Hughes shook up the internet last week when he hinted that he’s seriously considering transforming his surgically removed rib into a piece of jewelry. Hughes underwent surgery last July to correct a condition called thoracic outlet syndrome. During the surgery, a small rib in the upper chest was removed to alleviate pain caused...
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Museum-Quality Collection of North Carolina-Sourced Star Rubies to Hit the Auction Block in June
by Tori Staniewicz on Feb 22 2017
Sourced in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina, four museum-quality star rubies weighing a total of 342 carats will hit the auction block at Guernsey’s in New York City this June. The Mountain Star Ruby Collection will be sold together as one lot and could yield an eight-figure windfall for the family of Jarvis Wayne...
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Average Bridal Couple Spent $6,163 on Engagement Ring in 2016, Reports The Knot
by Tori Staniewicz on Feb 21 2017
The average bridal couple in the U.S. spent $6,163 on the engagement ring in 2016 — an increase of 5% compared to 2015, according to The Knot’s 10th annual Real Weddings Study. The engagement ring remains the second-highest-priced item on the list of wedding expenses. The reception venue easily claimed the top spot at $16,107,...
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by Tori Staniewicz on Feb 20 2017
Upstate New York resident Erin Tobin just had her best day ever. She achieved instant fame when she banked in a half-court shot at a Siena College men’s basketball game on Thursday night, not only earning a $500 Dunkin’ Donuts gift card, but also a surprise marriage proposal from her boyfriend disguised as a larger-than-life...
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Music Friday: ‘Bad, Bad Leroy Brown’ Shows Off His Diamond Rings in Jim Croce’s 1973 Chart Topper
by Tori Staniewicz on Feb 17 2017
Welcome to Music Friday when we celebrate classic songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today the late, great Jim Croce sings about a giant man with an affection for diamond jewelry in his 1973 chart topper, “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown.” In this song inspired by a friend he met while...
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Lulo Mine’s Spanking New Large-Diamond Recovery System Nets 227-Carat Gem-Quality Sparkler
by Tori Staniewicz on Feb 16 2017
Lucapa Diamond Company’s $3.5 million investment in a state-of-the-art XRT large-diamond recovery system is already paying big dividends at the Lulo Diamond Project in Angola. The mine just yielded a 227-carat, Type IIa, D-color gem that’s expected to sell for an amount far more than the cost of the technology upgrade. The extraordinarily pure diamond is...
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Domino’s in the UK Just Gave Away a 22K Pizza-Slice Engagement Ring Topped with Diamond Pepperoni
by Tori Staniewicz on Feb 15 2017
Domino’s in the UK just celebrated Valentine’s Day by giving away a one-of-kind, 22-karat pizza-slice engagement ring topped with diamond pepperoni. The fast-food chain delivered nearly a half-million pizzas throughout the UK yesterday, and the company was certain that a significant portion of those dining in would be proposing to their significant others on the...
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by Tori Staniewicz on Feb 14 2017
On February 27, cadets from West Point’s Class of 2018 will honor the families of U.S. Military Academy graduates dating back to 1924 as part of a symbolic and solemn ceremony called the “Ring Melt.” During the event at Pease & Curren’s headquarters in Warwick, R.I., the donated class rings of 41 West Point graduates — many of...
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Showing Your Love by Literally ‘Giving Her the Moon’ May Be a Reality Sooner Than You Think
by Tori Staniewicz on Feb 13 2017
Moon Express, a private company charged with unlocking the immense potential of the moon’s valuable resources, has gotten approval from the U.S. government to begin lunar exploration before the end of this year. The company will be looking to mine gold, platinum, moon rocks and other materials with an estimated potential value of $16 quadrillion....
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Music Friday: Glen Hansard Wonders If a Little Band of Gold Can Keep Her Love From Going Cold
by Tori Staniewicz on Feb 10 2017
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you great songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, Oscar-winning Irish singer-songwriter-actor-musician Glen Hansard wonders if a simple wedding band has the power to save his marriage in the 2015 folk song “Wedding Ring.” Written by Hansard, “Wedding Ring” is about a...
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by Tori Staniewicz on Feb 09 2017
Jewelry is expected to be the strongest Valentine’s Day gift-giving category in 2017, with romantic consumers set to spend $4.3 billion on necklaces, rings, earrings, pendants and other jewels for their loved ones. The survey by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Prosper Insights & Analytics shows the jewelry category taking the top slot from 2016’s frontrunner...
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by Tori Staniewicz on Feb 08 2017
On Monday, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her 65th year on the British throne. Buckingham Palace commemorated the sapphire anniversary by re-releasing a portrait of the 90-year-old Queen bedecked in a suite of glittering sapphire jewelry her father, King George VI, gave her as a wedding day gift nearly 70 years ago. Snapped by British photographer...
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