Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you festive songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, we celebrate the holiday season with a contemporary take on Eartha Kitt’s 1953 classic, "Santa Baby," performed by pop phenomenon Sabrina Carpenter and best-selling country artist Shania Twain. A song that echoes the sentiments of 1949’s “Diamonds Are …
Lucara Reveals Names of Two Epic Diamonds Recovered in August & September
The second- and seventh-largest rough diamonds ever recovered finally have official names, according to Lucara Diamond Corp., which sponsored a two-week Legacy National Diamond Naming Competition and received more than 39,000 entries from the citizens of Botswana. The winning name for the epic 2,488-carat diamond unearthed at its famous Karowe Mine in August 2024 is "Motswedi," which in Setswana, the …
Book Explores True Narrative Behind the History of Diamond Engagement Rings
In her new book titled The History of Diamond Engagement Rings: A True Romance, author and historian Marion Fasel explores the true narrative behind the origin of one of the most universally accepted symbols of love and marriage. Within the 128 illustrated pages, Fasel exposes several misconceptions, such as the notion that diamond engagement rings only became popular after the …
Diamond Batteries Powered by Carbon-14 Could Last Thousands of Years
Scientists and engineers from the University of Bristol and the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) have successfully created the world’s first carbon-14 diamond battery with the potential to power devices for thousands of years. Several game-changing applications are possible. Bio-compatible diamond batteries can be used in medical devices, such as ocular implants, hearing aids and pacemakers, minimizing the need for …
Selena Gomez’s New Marquise Diamond Is a Nod to Her 2015 Song, ‘Good for You’
Exactly one year after their relationship became Instagram official, record producer Benny Blanco proposed to songstress Selena Gomez with a marquise-cut diamond in a yellow gold diamond pavé band. An excited Gomez turned to Instagram last Wednesday to share a close-up look at the ring with her 423 million followers. She posted four pics with the simple caption, "forever begins …
Music Friday: Let’s Celebrate 60th Anniversary of Shirley Bassey’s ‘Goldfinger’
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you classic songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title. Today, we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the release of “Goldfinger,” the title song of one of the all-time great James Bond thrillers. Many music critics recognize Dame Shirley Bassey's brass-infused, big band rendition of the John Barry-Leslie Bricuss-Anthony …
Perth Mint’s 3D ‘Jewelled’ Coin Features Turtle Adorned With 112 Pink Diamonds
An 18-karat white and rose gold turtle pavé set with 112 exceptionally rare Argyle Pink Diamonds, 52 natural white diamonds and two emeralds seems to crawl across the face of The Perth Mint’s latest 3D “Jewelled” solid gold coin. Priced at $171,220 (AUD $269,000), The Jewelled Turtle of 2024 represents the seventh in a series of highly collectible coins that …
Birthstone Feature: Zoisite’s Famous Blue-Violet Variety Was Discovered in 1967
While zoisite has been known to gemologists since 1805, its most famous blue-violet variety was discovered in 1967 along the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania by a Maasai tribesman named Jumanne Ngoma. Ngoma revealed his find to a prospector named Manuel d’Souza, who had the sapphire-like specimens analyzed by the Gemological Institute of America. The results revealed the intense, …
Pantone Chooses Comforting ‘Mocha Mousse’ as 2025’s Color of the Year
On Thursday, The Pantone Color Institute selected a warm brown hue to be its 2025 Color of the Year. The institute said "Mocha Mousse" nurtures with its suggestion of the delectable quality of cacao, chocolate and coffee, appealing to our desire for comfort. The fashion community was surprised by the subdued selection, which is less a color and more a …
Ruby Slippers Sell for $32.5MM, Smashing Auction Record for Movie Memorabilia
One of four surviving pairs of Ruby Slippers worn by Judy Garland in 1939’s The Wizard of Oz just sold at Heritage Auctions for $32.5 million, establishing a new record for the most valuable movie memorabilia ever sold at auction and decimating the previous record holder — the billowing white dress worn by Marilyn Monroe over a subway grate in …