If your birthday falls in November, you can delight in the fact that the much loved — but often misunderstood — topaz is one of your official birthstones. Revered for more than 2,000 years, topaz was referenced in the texts of Roman scholar Pliny the Elder and appeared five times in the King James Bible. Interestingly, the yellow stones mentioned …

For the first time in its 81-year history, the Namibian town of Oranjemund, which lies in a diamond-rich region called the Sperrgebiet (“prohibited area” in German), is open to the public. The town was established in 1936, following the discovery by Hans Merensky of gem-quality alluvial diamonds on the north bank of the Orange River. For more than eight decades, …

When Apple employee Steven Simon started looking for an engagement ring for his soon-to-be fiancé, Andrea, his online research proved to be more than frustrating. He called it “painful.” Sites, such as Pinterest, had a great selection of engagement photos, but no details. Was he looking at a 1-carat cushion cut or a 1.5-carat round? How would a diamond of …

Thousands of astronomers from around the globe joined together on Monday to confirm the first-ever sighting of two neutron stars colliding in space. In just one second, the “kilonova” generated the equivalent of 50 Earth masses of silver, 100 Earth masses of gold and 500 Earth masses of platinum. The gold alone is estimated to be worth more than $100 …

New York City bride-to-be Ashlee Palacio is a creature of habit. Every night, she follows the same bedtime routine and places her beloved three-carat emerald-cut diamond engagement ring in a special tray on her nightstand. But, last Monday, Palacio broke her routine and fell asleep on the opposite side of her bed — with her engagement ring still on her finger. …

All eyes will be on the “Raj Pink,” the world’s largest known fancy intense pink diamond, when it hits the auction block at Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels sale in Geneva on November 15. The exceptional 37.30-carat, cushion-modified, brilliant-cut gem is estimated to fetch between $20 million and $30 million — but could yield much more. The current record …

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you classic songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, Styx lead singer Dennis DeYoung searches for a pot of gold in the classic 1977 hit, “Come Sail Away.” An inspirational song about following one’s dreams no matter how challenging the journey may be, “Come Sail Away” starts …

Back in March, we recounted the amazing story of pastor and part-time miner Emmanuel Momoh, who extracted a 706-carat diamond from the sediment of a Sierra Leone riverbed using his bare hands and a sieve. The shimmering yellowish specimen, which is slightly smaller than a hockey puck, is considered to be one of the 20 largest rough diamonds ever recorded. As …

The practice of using gemstones to vitalize water dates back to ancient Greece. The energy emitted from opals, garnets, emeralds, amethysts, quartz or even diamond slivers can boost water’s alkalinity and oxygenation, and some believe the gems have the ability to infuse H2O with their own unique properties and characteristics.  Because of the impractical nature of dropping loose stones into …

Carrying an asking price of $5 million, the recently revealed “Star of Jolie” weighs 888.88 carats and is said to be the largest gem-quality star sapphire in the world. The pear-shaped, double-cabochon black star sapphire, which is named for actress and humanitarian Angelina Jolie, made its debut last week when jewelry designer Robert Procop unveiled it at a press event …