Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you awesome songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. When The Chainsmokers and Coldplay released “Something Just Like This” in 2017, the lyric video set a YouTube record with more than 9 million views in 24 hours. To date, that video has been seen an astonishing 2.2 billion times.
“Something Just Like This” uses a precious metal reference to tell the story of a young man who discovers that he doesn’t have to possess superhuman qualities to get a shot at true love.
In the first verse, Coldplay’s frontman Chris Martin compares himself to legendary heroes and faces the harsh reality that he doesn’t stack up.
He sings, “I’ve been reading books of old / The legends and the myths / Achilles and his gold / Hercules and his gifts / Spiderman’s control / And Batman with his fists / And clearly I don’t see myself upon that list.”
His level-headed girlfriend is far more realistic about what is really important in a relationship.
Martin sings her response: “I’m not looking for somebody / With some superhuman gifts / Some superhero / Some fairytale bliss / Just something I can turn to / Somebody I can kiss / I want something just like this.”
Written by members of both The Chainsmokers and Coldplay, “Something Just Like This” became an international sensation when it hit the airwaves in February of 2017. The song charted in 39 countries, and topped out at #3 spot on both the US Billboard Hot 100 and the Canadian Hot 100 lists and #2 on the UK Singles Chart. The song was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards in 2018.
Andrew Taggart of The Chainsmokers told New Musical Express (NME) how the song came together during a studio session.
“We found some chords that everyone loved and then Chris plugged a mic into the PA in the studio and free-styled for an hour. This song was the result,” Taggart said. “We’ve never seen a song written in such a stream of conscious. It’s hard to maintain your identity when working with such an established artist, but we feel this song is a great balance between both us and Coldplay.”
The song was released by both bands. It was the second single from The Chainsmokers’ debut album Memories… Do Not Open. A live version, recorded in Tokyo, appeared as the first single from Coldplay’s Kaleidoscope EP.
The Chainsmokers and Coldplay dazzled the audience of the 2017 BRIT Awards with a remarkable live rendition of “Something Just Like This.” The video of that performance has earned more than 120 million views on YouTube and can be seen below. Here are the lyrics if you’d like to sing along…
“Something Just Like This”
Written by Andrew Taggart, Guy Berryman, Chris Martin, Jonny Buckland and Will Champion. Performed by The Chainsmokers & Coldplay.
I’ve been reading books of old
The legends and the myths
Achilles and his gold
Hercules and his gifts
Spiderman’s control
And Batman with his fists
And clearly I don’t see myself upon that list
But she said, where’d you wanna go?
How much you wanna risk?
I’m not looking for somebody
With some superhuman gifts
Some superhero
Some fairytale bliss
Just something I can turn to
Somebody I can kiss
I want something just like this
Doo-doo-doo, doo-doo-doo
Doo-doo-doo
Oh, I want something just like this
Doo-doo-doo, doo-doo
Doo-doo-doo
Oh, I want something just like this
I want something just like this
I’ve been reading books of old
The legends and the myths
The testaments they told
The moon and its eclipse
And Superman unrolls
A suit before he lifts
But I’m not the kind of person that it fits
She said, where’d you wanna go?
How much you wanna risk?
I’m not looking for somebody
With some superhuman gifts
Some superhero
Some fairytale bliss
Just something I can turn to
Somebody I can miss
I want something just like this
I want something just like this
Oh, I want something just like this
Doo-doo-doo, doo-doo-doo
Doo-doo-doo,
Oh, I want something just like this
Doo-doo-doo, doo-doo
Doo-doo-doo
Where’d you wanna go?
How much you wanna risk?
I’m not looking for somebody
With some superhuman gifts
Some superhero
Some fairytale bliss
Just something I can turn to
Somebody I can kiss
I want something just like this
Oh, I want something just like this
Oh, I want something just like this
Oh, I want something just like this
Credit: Screen capture via YouTube / The Chainsmokers.
Denver Broncos quarterback Zach Wilson proposed to his model/influencer girlfriend Nicolette Dellanno on Italy's picturesque Amalfi Coast this past weekend. On Sunday, the pair turned to Instagram to share pics of their incomparable megawatt smiles and closeups of Dellanno's oval-cut diamond engagement ring.
The diamond appears to be prong-set on a delicate yellow gold band.
On her Instagram page, the 21-year-old Dellanno wrote, "Zach, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me. Everyday I admire your strength and I’m so incredibly proud of you. I’m so in love with you and can’t wait to spend the rest of our lives together, I love you." She punctuated the last sentence with a white heart emoji.
Wilson, 24, stepped out of his social media comfort zone (his previous post on Instagram was 102 weeks ago) by writing, "To the love of my life, I never truly understood what love was until I met you. You’re not just my partner, but my best friend and my everything. I can’t wait to make a lifetime of memories with you, Nic I love you." Wilson's emoji of choice was a red heart.
In pics shared to both of their Instagram pages, Dellanno is beaming as she proudly shows off her new bling. In another stunning photo, the couple poses on a terrace against the backdrop of the Amalfi Coast at night.
According to the New York Post, Wilson and Dellanno have been linked since 2022, when they were seen at a New York Yankees game in the Bronx. At the time, Wilson was playing for the New York Jets. The 2021 first-round pick in the NFL draft was traded to Denver in April of this year.
Wilson is reportedly "in the mix" to become the Broncos' starter this season.
Even though Wilson has, until recently, offered few glimpses of his personal life on his own social media, he has made numerous appearances on his fiancée's page. A few months ago, she shared posts of the couple enjoying a vacation on Lake Powell along the Utah/Arizona border.
Credits: Images via Instagram / nicolettedellanno.
Welcome to Music Friday when we often bring you inspirational songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, Christian hip-hop recording artist TobyMac collaborates with American Idol star Hollyn on “Lights Shine Bright,” an uplifting tune about making "this third rock glow" by magnifying God’s light with the brilliance and intensity that only a perfectly cut diamond could achieve.
He sings, “I wanna magnify Your light / I wanna reflect the sun / Cut like precious diamonds / With the colors by the millions.”
Written by David Garcia, Truett McKeehan and Solomon Olds, “Lights Shine Bright” appeared as the fourth track on TobyMac’s 2015 release, This Is Not a Test. The album topped out at #4 on the Billboard 200 and scored a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album in 2016.
TobyMac explained on his website that the songs on the album provide an essential reminder that “we only have one shot at life.”
“What hits me now more than ever is that you really don’t get a practice run at life,” he noted. “This is it. In my friendships, raising my children, loving my wife, loving people, performing with my band and stepping on stage at arenas, I want to make every moment count.”
“Lights Shine Bright” features the vocal stylings of Hollyn, who is best known for her successful run on American Idol during Season 12. A native of Waverly, OH, the 27-year-old, whose birth name is Holly Marie Miller, released an album in November of 2023 called Christmas Morning Magic.
Born Kevin Michael McKeehan in Fairfax, VA, in 1964, TobyMac has sold more than 16 million records and has earned seven Grammy Awards out of 18 nominations. He first came onto the Christian music scene in 1987 as a member of the vocal trio DC Talk. In 2000, the group announced a hiatus and TobyMac embarked on what has been a successful solo career during which he released nine studio albums and five remixed albums.
He is currently touring with appearances set for Wisconsin, Minnesota, Indiana, Tennessee, Washington and North Carolina.
Please check out the official video of “Lights Shine Bright.” The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…
“Lights Shine Bright”
Written by David Garcia, McKeehan, Truett McKeehan and Solomon Olds. Performed by TobyMac, featuring Hollyn.
Lights shine bright everywhere we go
Music for the people to illuminate the soul
Lights shine bright everywhere we go
Music for the people, makin’ music for the people
I wanna magnify Your light
I wanna reflect the sun
Cut like precious diamonds
With the colors by the millions
This is the only world we know
And for now this rental’s our home
If we gonna be a reflection
Gotta make this third rock glow
(Just so you know…)
Lights shine bright everywhere we go
Music for the people to illuminate the soul
Lights shine bright everywhere we go
Music for the people, makin’ music for the people
Lights shine bright everywhere we go
Music for the people to illuminate the soul
Lights shine bright everywhere we go
Music for the people
Jesus music for the people
Everywhere we go
Lights shine bright, lights shine bright
Everywhere we go
Lights shine bright, lights shine bright
Lights in the city might be more than pretty, pretty
That freaky shine might be more than meets the eye
Anytime you see that sparkle in the dark you might look deeper, deeper
It might be more than simply theatre
Yo, that smile might be joy that’s connected to the spirit
The spirit might be contagious if you dare, you dare come near it
I remember, can’t forget, peace that you can’t second guess
Sparkle as the light reflects we writin’ pay it forward checks
Lights shine bright everywhere we go
Music for the people to illuminate the soul
Lights shine bright everywhere we go
Music for the people, makin’ music for the people
Lights shine bright everywhere we go
Music for the people to illuminate the soul
Lights shine bright everywhere we go
Music for the people
Jesus music for the people
Everywhere we go
Lights shine bright, lights shine bright
Everywhere we go
Lights shine bright, lights shine bright
The lights in the city shine bright
The lights in the city shine bright
So let your heart light shine tonight
Lights shine bright everywhere we go
Music for the people to illuminate the soul
Lights shine bright everywhere we go
Music for the people, makin’ music for the people
Lights shine bright everywhere we go
Music for the people to illuminate the soul
Lights shine bright everywhere we go
Music for the people
Jesus music for the people
Everywhere we go
Lights shine bright, lights shine bright
Everywhere we go
Lights shine bright, lights shine bright…
Credit: Photo by Luke Jones, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
In her iconic role as Dorothy Gale in 1939's The Wizard of Oz, teen actress Judy Garland famously clicked the heels of her Ruby Slippers three times while repeating, "There's no place like home."
Now, the Judy Garland Museum and Minnesota lawmakers are making an aggressive play to bring the Technicolor treasures back home to Grand Rapids by winning them at auction in December. The Minnesota legislature has already allocated $100,000 in Legacy funds, but the state will need much more, say $3.5 million, to be competitive.
The wild story behind this pair of Ruby Slippers — one of only four known to exist — could be the subject of its own feature film.
Fans of the Ruby Slippers may remember they were stolen from the Judy Garland Museum in August of 2005 during a brazen after-hours smash-and-grab robbery. Collector Michael Shaw had loaned them to the museum for what was supposed to be a 10-week exhibition.
Someone had slipped into the museum after hours, shattered the plexiglass case holding the slippers and stole them, leaving behind only a single red sequin.
In July 2018, the FBI and Grand Rapids Police Department finally recovered the pair during a sting operation.
In May 2023, a federal grand jury indicted Terry Martin for stealing “an object of cultural heritage.” He told the court he’d stolen the shoes because he thought they were adorned with genuine rubies. He sadly learned the shoes were were covered in thousands of red sequins and a few bugle beads.
Unable to sell the Ruby Slippers on the black market, Martin said he ditched them with the person who had recruited him for the job. Martin’s accomplice was charged with theft of a major artwork and witness tampering.
In March of this year, Shaw was finally reunited with his beloved Ruby Slippers in a private ceremony at the scene of the crime, which is actually the site of Garland’s restored birthplace home.
During the event, Shaw turned over the slippers to Heritage Auctions, which will spotlight them during an international tour — in Beverly Hills, New York, London and Tokyo — and then auction them on December 7.
Heritage Auctions' executive vice president Joe Maddalena told Minnesota Public Radio, "They could sell for $1 million. They could sell for $10 million. They’re priceless.”
The FBI put their value at $3.5 million.
“You cannot overstate the importance of Dorothy’s ruby slippers," Maddalena commented earlier this year. "They are the most important prop in Hollywood history.”
The Minnesota legislature put aside $100,000 for the purchase, hoping that the seed money would encourage benefactors to step up to the plate. Fundraising took place at the annual Judy Garland Festival, which ran from June 20-23. A new exhibit and guided tour focused on the ruby slipper theft.
“It would be a Hollywood happy ending to this ruby slippers saga,” Janie Heitz, executive director of the Judy Garland Museum, told The New York Times. “This would be a good final home for them, which is what Dorothy was searching for in The Wizard of Oz, so it’s a full-circle story for the slippers.”
Minnesota governor Tim Walz shared on social media that if the shoes could be won at auction, local officials would "make sure they remain safe at home in Grand Rapids – on display for all to enjoy – under 24/7, Ocean’s Eleven-proof security.”
Credit: Photo courtesy of Heritage Auctions / HA.com.
Back in January, researchers at Sun Yat-sen University in Zhuhai, China, theorized that Mercury, the tiniest planet in the solar system and the one that orbits closest to the Sun, could be littered with an untold wealth of diamonds.
They argued that the pockmarked surface of Mercury is evidence of the planet being pummeled by asteroids over billions of years. Since Mercury's surface is covered in carbon-rich graphite, the impact pressure from those events would have produced enough energy to transform the surface carbon into “shock diamonds.”
Now, a new study published by researchers at China’s Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research in Shanghai floats the idea that there's a thick layer of diamonds hidden hundreds of kilometers below Mercury's surface.
Yes, Mercury may be flush with diamonds — inside and out.
NASA’s Messenger was the first spacecraft to orbit the planet back in 2011. It took nearly seven years for the probe to complete its 224-million-mile trip, and one of the important takeaways from the mission was that Mercury’s dark grey surface contained a lot of graphite.
The Shanghai researchers recognized that where there's a lot of graphite, there's a lot of carbon. And where there's a lot of carbon, there could be — under the right pressure and heat — a lot of diamonds.
It was previously believed that Mercury's relatively weak gravitational field and modest pressure within its ancient magma ocean would have been insufficient to generate diamonds.
But, according to iflscience.com, the Chinese researchers generated new models of Mercury’s gravity field that called this into question.
The new data encouraged the team led by Yongjiang Xu to expose samples of the elements that were likely present during Mercury's formation to 7 gigapascals of pressure at almost 2,000°C (3,600°F).
They concluded that there were at least two scenarios where diamonds could have been formed on Mercury.
The first theory is that diamonds formed within a magma ocean, but this would have been possible only if great quantities of sulfur were present at the time.
The second, more likely, theory is that diamonds were squeezed out of the core as the magma ocean crystallized.
The study was recently published in the journal Nature Communications.
If diamonds do exist in massive quantities on Mercury, it's unlikely that the economics of mining them would ever make for a viable business plan. What's more, its inhospitable daytime temperatures can reach 800°F, higher than the temperature inside a commercial pizza oven.
The BepiColombo mission launched in October 2018 will descend into Mercury's orbit in 2025. A joint effort of the European and Japanese space agencies, BepiColombo is equipped with high-resolution cameras that could provide conclusive evidence of diamonds on that planet’s surface.
Credit: Image courtesy of NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution Of Washington.
Just minutes after Lilly King qualified for the 200-meter breaststroke during the US Olympic Team Trials in Indianapolis on Thursday, longtime boyfriend, James Wells, surprised her backstage with a heartfelt marriage proposal and a diamond engagement ring. And best of all, the moment was captured live during NBC's coverage of the event.
"Getting to watch you over the last four years, both in and out of the pool, and just to see you grow has been so awesome," Wells told King, who was still in her swimsuit and dripping wet.
"I don't regret for a minute dropping my job and moving halfway across the country for us to move in together," he continued. "It has been awesome, and I am very excited to see where this is going. So, dear, I was wondering, Lilly Camille King, will you marry me?"
The three-time Olympian answered, "Yes, yes, yes."
The couple kissed and embraced. Wells slipped the ring on King's finger and she commented that it fit perfectly. Then, she excitedly flashed it at the NBC cameras.
Earlier in the week, the 27-year-old King won the 100-meter breaststroke, so she will be representing the US at the Paris Olympic Games in two events. This accomplishment makes King the first US swimmer to compete in both the 100 and 200-meter breaststroke at three consecutive Olympic Games.
On Friday morning, the couple was invited to elaborate on their love story in a segment called "Hoda's Morning Boost" on NBC's TODAY show.
Wells told the TODAY show panel that he had originally intended to propose in England after the Paris Games, but changed his mind because of the Indianapolis venue for the Olympic Team Trials.
"Just seeing Lilly with all of her friends here… in this stadium in our home state, I was like, 'I think this would be a really special moment that she can share with everyone,'" he said. "So I called up a few of my friends that are working here and they got me behind the scenes and kind of set all of this stuff up and it was really awesome."
Both King and Wells swam for Indiana University in nearby Bloomington.
King said that she anticipated a marriage proposal some time after the Paris Games.
"Last night I was not expecting it at all," she said. "I was honestly just so confused why he was on deck. After that, I was like, ‘Why are you wearing your nice clothes, like what’s going on?’ Then I realized, 'Oh I know what’s going on.'"
The couple told the TODAY show panel that they intended to celebrate King's fabulous week by simply going home and hanging out with their pets.
Credits: Screen captures via YouTube / NBC Sports, nbcnews.com.
One June 11, celebrity news website TMZ shook up the internet with a video of reality star Courtney Stodden clearing out an unwanted possession in a very unusual way.
“Just doing a little last-minute spring cleaning before summer,” Stodden says as she pulls a 5-carat diamond engagement ring out of a clear plastic jewelry box in her bathroom. “I guess diamonds aren't always a girl's best friend after all."
Stodden focuses on the ring, sighs loudly, and drops the ring into the toilet. As she flushes it down, she waves goodbye, "Toodaloo. Onto the next chapter."
What we learned late last week was that the 29-year-old Stodden was making emotional room for the new engagement ring she received on June 11 from Emmy-award winning producer Jared Safier.
Safier, 41, popped the question at Beverly Hills' five-star Beverly Wilshire Hotel, which happened to be the exact location of their first kiss one year earlier.
People magazine reported that the ring features a 5-carat, radiant-cut center stone of VVS clarity surrounded by a double halo of accent diamonds.
According to TMZ, Stodden spotted the ring in the lobby of the same hotel in February after an Academy Awards party and Safier was quick to take a mental note.
The ring that ended up in California's waste stream was from 44-year-old director Chris Sheng. The couple had been engaged since May 2021, but called off the relationship in February of 2023.
Stodden told TMZ that the flushing episode was inspired by the pivotal scene in 1997's Titanic, where Old Rose, played by the late Gloria Stuart, drops the blue diamond "Heart of The Ocean" necklace into the sea.
"Like the little old lady who dropped it into the ocean in the end, I needed to rid myself of any remnants from the past that no longer had any hold on me," she said. "Rose’s character taught me something special — what a woman does with her diamonds is her prerogative."
Stodden was famously married to character actor Doug Hutchison from 2011 to 2020. At the time of their nuptials, Stodden was 16 and Hutchison was 51.
Today, Stodden is a media personality, model and singer. She appeared on Celebrity Big Brother and is preparing for a role in a project to be directed by her new fiancé.
Stodden told people.com that she adores Safier's creative mind.
Credits: Images via Instagram / jaredsafier.
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you awesome songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title. Today, Mark Knopfler unearths a “beautiful find” in his 2006 release, “I Dug Up a Diamond.”
When taken literally, the song written by Knopfler is about a diamond miner who makes a life-changing discovery. Metaphorically, “I Dug Up a Diamond” is about a man who’s been on a seemingly fruitless search for the love of his life — and then finally finds her.
He sings, “I dug up a diamond / Rare and fine / I dug up a diamond / In a deep dark mine / If only I could cling to / My beautiful find / I dug up a diamond / In a deep dark mine / My gem is special / Beyond all worth / As strong as any metal / Or stone in the earth.”
Providing the smooth harmonies for “I Dug Up a Diamond” is country legend Emmylou Harris. The pair had been friends since the late 1980s and decided to collaborate on an album, which they titled All the Roadrunning. Their work earned critical acclaim as the album peaked at #17 on the US Billboard 200 chart.
The 74-year-old Knopfler, who is best known as the frontman for Dire Straits, was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and grew up in Northumberland, England. Both are coal mining regions, so it is likely he drew his “I Dug Up a Diamond” lyrical inspiration from first-hand experiences.
A four-time Grammy Award winner, Knopfler is ranked 27th on Rolling Stone‘s list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. Knopfler and Dire Straits have sold more than 120 million records.
Born in Birmingham, AL, the 77-year-old Harris is a 14-time Grammy winner and a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame. She’s collaborated with some of the music industry’s biggest names, including Bob Dylan, Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton, Roy Orbison, Willie Nelson and Neil Young. She will be touring this summer with dates planned in Denver and Steamboat Springs, CO; St. John's, Canada; Charlestown, RI; Durham, NC; and Hiawassee, GA.
Please check out the video of Knopfler and Harris performing “I Dug Up A Diamond.” The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…
“I Dug Up A Diamond”
Written by Mark Knopfler. Performed by Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris.
I dug up a diamond
Rare and fine
I dug up a diamond
In a deep dark mine
If only I could cling to
My beautiful find
I dug up a diamond
In a deep dark mine
My gem is special
Beyond all worth
As strong as any metal
Or stone in the earth
Sharp as any razor
Or blade you can buy
Bright as any laser
Or any star in the sky
Maybe once in a lifetime
You’ll hold one in your hand
Once in a lifetime
In this land
Where the journey ends
In a worthless claim
Time and again
In the mining game
I dug up a diamond
Rare and fine
I dug up a diamond
In a deep dark mine
Down in the darkness
In the dirt and the grime
I dug up a diamond
In a deep dark mine
Credit: Photo by Ckuhl, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
In the time it takes to make a hard-boiled egg, South Korean researchers are creating synthetic micro-diamonds from a brew of graphene, silicon, gallium, iron and nickel.
For decades, scientists have grown synthetic diamonds by replicating in a lab the high temperatures and intense pressure that transform carbon into diamond deep within the Earth's mantle. The natural process is believed to take place over a billion years at a temperature of 2,700 degrees Fahrenheit (1,500 degrees Celsius) and 50,000 atmospheres of pressure.
A breakthrough technique, developed by physical chemist Rodney Ruoff and his team at the Institute for Basic Science in South Korea, turns that diamond-growing strategy on its head.
With the new lab process, diamond formation starts within 10 to 15 minutes. The process takes place in a small chamber at normal atmospheric pressure and requires no "starter" gem.
“For over a decade, I’ve been thinking of new ways to grow diamonds, believing it could be done in unexpected ways compared to conventional thinking," Ruoff told livescience.com. "In about a year or two, the world might have a clearer picture of the potential commercial impact.”
So far, the diamonds produced by Ruoff and his team are thousands of times smaller than an engagement diamond. Still, these tiny diamonds could be used for industrial purposes and further breakthroughs could eventually impact the jewelry industry.
Ruoff and his team passed super-hot carbon-rich methane gas through the special chamber, where it met up with a crucible containing a mixture of gallium, nickel, iron and a touch of silicon.
The scientists explained that gallium is a metal that catalyzes the formation of graphene from methane. Graphene, like diamond, is made of pure carbon atoms. Graphene's chemical structure is flat and straight in a hexagonal lattice, while a diamond's structure is in the 3D shape of a tetrahedron.
In less than 15 minutes, a film of micro-diamonds started forming on the crucible’s base. The researchers believe a temperature drop within the chamber concentrates carbon, causing it to crystallize into diamonds.
“This pioneering breakthrough was the result of human ingenuity, unremitting efforts, and the concerted cooperation of many collaborators,” Ruoff said in a statement.
The breakthrough process was detailed in the scientific journal Nature.
Credit: Image by Igor Stratichuk, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Billed as the most significant round brilliant internally flawless fancy intense pink diamond to be offered at auction since 2012, the 10.20-carat "Eden Rose” lived up to its pre-sale fanfare last week when it was sold to an anonymous buyer for $13.3 million at Christie's New York. The winning bid surpassed the auction house's pre-sale high estimate by $1.3 million.
In the lead-up to the sale, Christie's had noted that the round brilliant-cut diamond stood out due to the purity of its pink hue and complete absence of any secondary color. The gem also boasted a Type IIa classification, the highest for chemical purity and optical transparency.
Christie's International Head of Jewelry Rahul Kadakia noted in a press release that The Eden Rose "surpassed all expectations" and that collectors paid "strong prices for rare colored gemstones and natural pearls in particular.” It was the first time The Eden Rose was ever offered for sale at auction.
The pink diamond was presented at auction set in a white and rose gold ring, accented with eight pear brilliant-cut diamonds ranging in size from 0.73 to 3.11 carats and two marquise brilliant-cut diamonds weighing 1.02 and 2.24 carats.
Overall, the sale achieved a total of $44.4 million, with 90% of the 144 lots sold. The auction featured a dazzling array of colored diamonds, colored gemstones and natural pearls, as well as a stunning assemblage of jewelry from the world's most important design houses.
The auction saw strong global participation, with 51% of the bids representing the Americas, 24% Europe and 26% from Asia Pacific and Middle East.
Other top performers included a pendant necklace highlighted by an 84.05-carat fancy intense yellow cushion modified brilliant-cut diamond. The platinum and yellow gold necklace carried a pre-sale high estimate of $2 million and eventually sold for $2.17 million. The piece included round, pear and marquise brilliant-cut accent diamonds ranging in size from 0.70 carats to 1.02 carats.
The third-highest-ticket item at the New York sale was a multi-colored diamond ring, featuring a fancy vivid blue heart modified brilliant-cut diamond of 2.28 carats, bordered by smaller round yellow and white diamonds, set in platinum. The blue diamond has a VVS1 clarity and is potentially flawless. The ring sold for $2.11 million, right in the middle of its pre-sale estimated price range of $1.6 million to $2.6 million.
Credits: Images courtesy of Christie's.