Scientists in the far eastern Amur River region of Russia are building a facility that can extract gold from ordinary coal. The announcement brings to mind the alchemists of ancient times, who sought to turn lead into gold. While the alchemists never found a way to transform base metals into precious metals, Russian scientists are reporting that after 15 years of research they finally …

A grade-school suitor named Tommy and his sweetheart, Millie, became social media stars this week when the video recounting their playground proposal — and remarkable engagement ring — went viral. While the idea of a little boy proposing to his crush is adorable, Tommy’s choice of ring is what made him an Internet star. You see, instead of surprising Millie with a candy …

Imperfect diamonds could hold the key to the future of long-term, high-density data storage, according to a team of physicists from The City College of New York. Researchers claim that a diamond half as long as a grain of rice and thinner than a sheet of paper can hold 100 times more information than a DVD. In the future, a single …

Last Monday, Long Island resident Colleen Dyckman woke up with a sickening feeling in her stomach that caused her heart to race. She couldn’t find her diamond engagement and wedding rings and realized that she had accidentally tossed them into the kitchen trash bin while tidying up after the family’s dinner the night before. The Dyckman’s trash had just been picked …

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you fabulous songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, 18-year-old Darby Walker — a self-styled hippy songstress — delivers an emotional, throwback interpretation of The Rolling Stones’ classic hit, “Ruby Tuesday.” The song is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Walker, who is a Season 11 contestant on The …

“The Sky Blue Diamond” — the highly touted headliner of Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels sale — fetched $17.1 million in Geneva yesterday. The hammer price was in the lower range of the pre-sale estimate of $15 million to $25 million. At $2.13 million per carat, the performance of the square-cut, 8.01-carat Sky Blue Diamond was lukewarm compared to …

North America’s largest known uncut, gem-quality diamond — The Foxfire — begins a three-month engagement this Thursday at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. The diamond weighs more than 187 carats and will be presented alongside the renowned Hope Diamond in the Harry Winston Gallery. The Foxfire was unearthed in August 2015 at Rio Tinto’s Diavik …

Only one week removed from his startling Election Day triumph, President-elect Donald J. Trump already has been immortalized in sapphire. London-based Vip Art Ltd., which is known for its extraordinary dimensional gemstone portraits, just released a likeness of Trump carved into a dark blue sapphire weighing 698 grams, or 3,490 carats. Despite the singular dark blue hue of the sapphire, the carving …

Israeli high-tech company Sarine Technologies unveiled a revolutionary device that automatically grades the color and clarity of polished diamonds. The Ramat Gan-based company believes the new system will fundamentally change the grading and sorting process, bringing objective, measurable standards to a process that has been susceptible to human error and the subjectivity of appraisers. “Once again, Sarine introduces groundbreaking technological …

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you awesome songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, New York City dance-pop band Cobra Starship gives a nod to the Beatles in its 2009 release, “Living in the Sky With Diamonds.” In this disco-influenced song about a high-living lady obsessed with the club scene, Cobra Starship’s lead …