The massive 1,758-carat diamond recovered in April at the Karowe mine in Botswana will soon have a name thanks to a competition hosted by Lucara Diamond Corp. The mining company is promising a $3,000 cash prize and a tour of the mine to the Botswana citizen who comes up with the best name for a grey-black gem that has the …
‘Inkalamu,’ a 5,655-Carat Emerald Crystal, Makes High-Profile Debut in Delhi
Nearly six months after winning the 5,655-carat "Inkalamu" emerald at a Gemfields auction last November, luxury jeweler Diacolor finally revealed the Zambian-sourced crystal to the public last week at the company's flagship store in Delhi, India. Inkalamu, which means the “Lion Emerald” in Zambia's regional Bemba language, was discovered at the Kagem mine on October 2 and offered for sale …
June’s Birthstone: This Smithsonian ‘Treasure’ Features 339 Natural Pearls
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 terms of size, shape, color …
Patriots’ Super Bowl LIII Championship Ring Is the Largest Ever Created
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. Billed as the largest ring …
Music Friday: The Trews Believe There Is No Finer Thing Than ‘The Pearl’
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 as “the pearl” and likens …
Antwerp Diamond Industry Celebrates 100th Anniversary of Tolkowsky’s ‘Brilliant Cut’
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 ceremonial diamond cutting to honor …
Men’s Apparel Company Finds Engagement Ring in Pocket of Returned Jeans
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 jeans that had been sent …
Flawless ‘Bubble Gum Pink’ Diamond Fetches $7.5 Million at Christie’s Hong Kong
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 fancy vivid purplish-pink diamond is …
‘We’re Closer Than Ever to Finding the Mother Lode’ at Lulo Mine: Lucapa Chairman
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 well within reach. “There are …
Gold-Loving Fungus Is the Latest in a Series of Low-Impact Exploration Tools
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 Fusarium oxysporum, is that it …