Even though the calendar shows we're just a week from the end of "engagement season" — the magical time of the year when nearly 40% of all marriage proposals take place — a pair of Top-10 pop-the-question days remains on the board. For those of you keeping score, the 10th-most-popular day to deliver a marriage proposal takes place this weekend, …

For the third consecutive year, U.S. consumers are expected to spend more on jewelry than any other Valentine’s Day gift category, according to an annual report released by the National Retail Federation. Spending for jewelry-related Valentine's Day gifts is likely to reach $3.9 billion, outpacing "an evening out" ($3.5 billion, given by 34%), clothing ($2.1 billion, 18%), flowers ($1.9 billion, …

Billed as the first amethyst from Rwanda to join the National Gem Collection, this stunning 78.3-carat Super Trillion™ Cut was faceted by award-winning cutter John Dyer and is a first-rate example of February's birthstone. Dyer told us yesterday that the original rough amethyst, which weighed 465.5 carats, yielded four finished stones, the largest of which was purchased by the Smithsonian …

The largest rough diamond ever mined in North America — the fancy yellow "552" — made its final public appearance at Phillips auction house in New York City on Sunday. And we were there. Exhibiting a frosty surface and distinctive bi-color transition from intense yellow to nearly white, the 552-carat diamond seemed surreal in its glass case at the street-level …

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you fun songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. In 1984, British band Wang Chung helped define a generation with its international hit “Dance Hall Days.” The song put a New Wave timestamp on a slew of popular movies and is memorable for lead singer/composer Jack Hues’ “hallucinogenic” …

When the New England Patriots take on the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII this Sunday, at least a handful of fans will be wearing a limited-edition, gemstone-adorned cap that might be worth thousands more than their ticket to the game. Carrying a price tag of $5,300, the New Era x Swarovski 9TWENTY hats feature an NFL shield logo embellished …

Ice ice baby! No, we're not referring to the 1990 song or the mammoth Arctic blast that's breaking wind-chill records from the Dakotas to Long Island. What's got our attention is this 240-carat frosty white gem-quality diamond that was just unearthed at the red-hot Karowe mine in Botswana, where the mercury topped out at 91 degrees yesterday. Yes, Lucara's diamond mine …

On a trip to Indonesia last year, GIA Graduate Gemologist Brian Berger purchased an unusually striking opal originating from the island of Java. Boasting an exciting “play of color” throughout the stone ranging from pale yellow to dark blue, the gemstone was remarkable on its own. But now it has become a potentially significant scientific discovery. Fully encased within the …

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you classic songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, music legend Jim Croce tells his sad and lonely wife how things are going to change in the 1972 classic, “Tomorrow’s Gonna Be A Brighter Day.” He’d love to give her diamonds and pearls to express how much …

A blue gemstone ring that was lost in a ritual bath 2,000 years ago was recently unearthed by archaeologists at the City of David National Park in Jerusalem. The site is believed to be the original urban core of the ancient city. The wonderfully preserved, but still unidentified solitaire stone, appears to be an aquamarine, turquoise or beryl. The Israel …