The latest chapter in the Star Wars movie series — The Last Jedi — racked up a whopping $450 million in worldwide ticket sales over the weekend. And while Lucasfilm is successfully introducing a whole new generation to the fantastical 40-year-old franchise, a fan site is reporting that the working title for Star Wars: Episode IX is “Black Diamond.” FanthaTracks.com …

Swiss luxury jeweler de Grisogono has sent the 813-carat “Constellation” rough diamond to Israel to undergo the first stages of a cutting process that is expected to yield a 350-carat D-flawless polished stone — a gem that would rank as the fourth-largest faceted diamond in the world. When he first purchased the rights to cut and polish the $63 million …

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you great songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. In the 1983 holiday release, “2000 Miles,” Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders paints a picture of a diamond-embellished winter scene while lamenting the fact that she’s far away from the one she loves at Christmastime. She sings, “In these …

Tanzanite, one of December’s three official birthstones, is celebrating its golden anniversary. Fifty years ago, Maasai tribesmen discovered dazzling bluish-violet gems in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. Originally thought to be sapphires, the mesmerizing stones were identified by the Gemological Institute of America as a never-before-seen variation of zoisite. The unusual mineral caught the attention of Tiffany & …

A blackened wedding ring recovered from the ashes of their lost home symbolizes a new beginning for Southern California wildfire survivors Julie and Don Myers. The Ventura County couple was forced to flee their home when the fast-moving, wind-whipped fires tore through their neighborhood. When fire officials allowed them to return to their property, Julie and Don found their home …

On Saturday, visitors to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles were the first to view an elite collection of ultra-rare green diamonds. Called “Green Diamonds: Natural Radiance,” the exhibit includes 60 gems on loan from New York-based Optimum Diamonds, a company that has amassed the largest collection of natural green diamonds in the world. The gems displayed among eight …

“Ultra Violet” is Pantone’s 2018 Color of the Year and we’re excited by the possibilities. While Pantone says the vibrant color communicates originality, ingenuity and visionary thinking, we see the Color Institute’s pick as a great reason to shine the spotlight on some of our favorite gemstones, including amethyst, tanzanite, iolite, spinel and violet sapphire. We’re expecting jewelry designers to …

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you festive songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, Ashanti tells jolly old St. Nick what she wants for Christmas in her 2003 holiday tune, “Hey Santa.” In the first verse, she asks for “something sweet,” such as chocolate Kisses or candy canes. Then, Ashanti steps up …

Beatles superfan Saya and boyfriend Martin saw their dreams come true Saturday night when music legend Paul McCartney invited them onstage in the Land Down Under for a very special marriage proposal. More than 24,000 fans at the sold-out “nib Stadium” in Perth, Australia, shared the love as McCartney interrupted his encore to focus on the young couple and the …

A 5.69-carat fancy vivid blue diamond fetched $15.1 million at Sotheby’s New York yesterday, making it the top lot of the day and advancing the narrative that aficionados are eager to pay top dollar for blue diamonds that carry the ultra-rare “fancy vivid” classification. The hammer price, which is equivalent to $2.66 million per carat, came in slightly above the …