Patty Shales lost her home and nearly all her possessions in a brutal wildfire that swept through her Brentwood, Calif., neighborhood last week. Yet, despite the tragedy, Shales told reporters Tuesday that she still feels blessed, and the reason focuses squarely on a cherished piece of diamond jewelry that somehow survived the devastation. Shales and her family had barely escaped …

Couples are leaving very little to chance when it comes to choosing engagement rings, according to The Knot's 2019 Jewelry and Engagement Study, which synthesized the buying habits of more than 21,000 engaged or recently married couples. In the study, 7 of 10 "proposees" admit they were "somewhat involved" in selecting or purchasing their engagement ring, and nearly a quarter …

The demand for diamond jewelry in the U.S. rose 5% in 2018 to $36 billion, representing slightly less than half of worldwide sales for that category. But, beyond the strong sales gains, new research conducted by De Beers reveals that the demand for diamond jewelry as a gift to mark special occasions — including female self-gifting — now outweighs demand …

Researchers exploring an ancient cave in Spain have found what they believe is “the last necklace made by the Neanderthals.” The carved eagle talon was dated to 39,000 years ago, which is about the time when Neanderthals crossed paths with Homo sapiens and then became extinct. In the journal Science Advances, researcher Juan Ignacio Morales contends that the custom of …

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring your awesome tunes with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, we honor one of November’s two official birthstones by sharing the little-known backstory of the B-52s’ 1989 release, “Topaz.” Appearing as the ninth track on its blockbuster album, Cosmic Thing, “Topaz” is a breezy song about a fanciful …

A Tampa man successfully dug through 10 tons of rotting trash to rescue his wife's engagement ring that had been accidentally thrown away and carted off to the city landfill on Monday morning. Sara E. Petro took to Facebook to praise the efforts of her husband, Fadi, and a bunch of helpers from the city's Waste Management – Southeast Landfill …

When the newly crowned Rose Queen, Camille Kennedy, leads the 131st edition of the Tournament of Roses Parade on New Year’s Day in Pasadena, Calif., she will be wearing a special headpiece adorned with 600 Japanese Akoya cultured pearls, 10 Australian South Sea cultured pearls and six carats of diamonds. Designed by Mikimoto, the crown took about a year to …

After many years of searching, 65-year-old Pat Choate finally captured her "Illusive Dream" last Tuesday at the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Ark. The 3.29-carat brandy-colored gem is the third-largest diamond discovered this year at the 37½-acre search field, which is actually the eroded surface of an ancient diamond-bearing kimberlite pipe. Amateur miners get to keep what they …

The 55.08-carat, champagne-colored "Kimberley Diamond" is the newest member of the National Gem Collection. The emerald-cut gem was donated to the Smithsonian by philanthropist Bruce Stuart and went on display at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., this past Friday. The Kimberley Diamond has been a rock star throughout its history. The Smithsonian noted that the Kimberley …

Welcome to Music Friday when we like to bring you throwback songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, crooner Dean Martin sings about a little band of gold in his cover of “Wedding Bells,” a song first made famous by country legend Hank Williams exactly 70 years ago. In the song, Martin portrays a …