Welcome to Music Friday when we often bring you uplifting songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, Canadian recording artist Kelita performs “Tears,” an inspirational song about inner healing and overcoming adversity. In this song, Kelita compares herself to a sparrow with broken wings. But, instead of accepting her fate of never being able …
Smithsonian’s 75-Carat Hooker Emerald Was Once Mounted Into a Sultan’s Belt Buckle
One of the world’s most spectacular examples of May’s official birthstone is the 75.47-carat Hooker Emerald, an historic gem that was once mounted into the belt buckle of an Ottoman sultan. Today, it is beautifully displayed in a platinum brooch adorned with 109 brilliant-cut diamonds weighing approximately 13 carats. When Janet Annenberg Hooker donated the piece in 1977 to the Smithsonian …
‘Impossibly Rare’ Violet Diamond Could Fetch $5 Million or More
Described as “impossibly rare” and “a complete fluke of nature,” the largest violet diamond ever found at Australia’s Argyle mine could sell for $5 million or more. The 2.83-carat polished oval-shaped diamond, known as The Argyle Violet, will headline the 2016 Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender, the annual showcase of the rarest diamonds from the Argyle mine in Western Australia. The …
Jewelry Remains the Top Gift-Giving Category for Mother’s Day; Spending to Exceed $4.2 Billion
Americans will be spending more than $4.2 billion on jewelry gifts for their moms this Mother’s Day, according to survey results just released by the National Retail Federation. That dollar amount places “jewelry” at the top of all gift categories — a place it has occupied for four of the past five years. The survey revealed that 35.4% of adults …
40 Contestants Pounce on 800-Pound Wedding Cake to Find the $2K Diamond Engagement Ring Baked Inside
Decked out in their “Star 98 Diamond Dive” T-shirts, 40 wildly enthusiastic contestants pounced on a 6-foot-tall, 800-pound wedding cake to try to find a $2,000 diamond engagement ring that was baked inside. They destroyed the cake in a matter of seconds as onlookers at the Grand Teton Mall in Idaho Falls, Idaho, this past Saturday watched in amazement. A …
Music Friday Flashback: Lynn Anderson Nearly Let ‘Rose Garden’ Slip Away Because of the Diamond Ring Reference in the Lyrics
It’s a little known fact that country music singer Lynn Anderson was nearly dissuaded from recording her signature song, “Rose Garden,” in 1970 because of the diamond ring reference in the lyrics. Although Anderson really liked the tune penned by Joe South, her producer (and husband) Glenn Sutton felt it was a “man’s song” because of the following line: “I …
Woman Loses Engagement Ring in Hawaiian Surf; Snorkeler Spots It By Chance Two Days Later
A New Englander’s Hawaiian vacation went from glorious to disastrous — and then back to glorious — when a diamond engagement ring lost in the surf and presumed gone forever was miraculously spotted by another snorkeler only two days later. The hero of our story, Mike “Shay” Smith, said the brilliance of the gemstone made all the difference. While searching underwater …
Mass. Woman Digs Through 5 Tons of Trash to Retrieve Her Precious Diamond Keepsakes
A Massachusetts woman, who accidentally threw away three valuable diamond keepsakes, is breathing a giant sigh of relief after donning protective gear and rooting out her family heirlooms at the bottom of a 5-ton mound of smelly trash. How the jewelry ended up in the trash is an all-too-familiar scenario. Cecilia Callahan of Norwell, Mass., had been cleaning her best jewelry in preparation for a …
15.99-Carat ‘Jubilee Ruby’ Sets U.S. Record for the Most Expensive Colored Gemstone Ever Sold at Auction
The 15.99-carat “Jubilee Ruby” lived up to its pre-sale hype last Wednesday when it smashed a record for the most expensive colored gemstone ever sold at a U.S. auction. The fiery top lot of Christie’s Magnificent Jewels sale in New York fetched an impressive $14.16 million. Billed as the most important ruby to appear at a U.S. auction in 25 years, …
Music Friday: Twenty One Pilots’ Frontman Tyler Joseph Dedicates ‘House of Gold’ to His Mom
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you fun songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, Twenty One Pilots’ frontman Tyler Joseph delivers an uplifting tribute to his mom in the 2013 release, “House of Gold.” In this song about the fear of aging, Joseph’s mom asks her singer/songwriter son if he’ll take care …