Based on true events, No Stone Unturned: The Hunt for African Gems offers a rare glimpse into the world of colored gemstones, as told by author Richa Goyal Sikri.
Commissioned by mining giant Gemfields, the book is laced with humor and cultural insights that demystify the fast-paced, colorful world of African gem mining and lets the reader in on its secrets.
According to the author, her four-year labor of love is a collection of 24 short adventure stories and is based on real-life experiences of actual people from the colored gem and mining community.
"The first story begins in 1968, and its nonstop, uncensored action will take you on a roller coaster ride through the length and breadth of Africa and beyond," Sikri wrote in an Instagram post.
As the operator and 75% owner of both the Kagem emerald mine in Zambia (believed to be the world’s single largest producing emerald mine) and the Montepuez ruby mine in Mozambique (one of the most significant recently discovered ruby deposits in the world), Gemfields believes that those who mine gemstones should do so with transparency, legitimacy and integrity.
And a big part of that effort is to celebrate the stories that make the gemstone industry truly unique.
In October of 2021, Gemfields released the third installment in a series of coffee-table books dedicated to the “big three” gemstones. Titled Sapphire: A Celebration of Color, the lavishly illustrated, 328-page book by Joanna Hardy took the reader on a journey from early trade along the Silk Route to the jewelry collections of the great royal houses of Europe and the finest contemporary designers. Hardy also authored Emerald: Twenty-One Centuries of Jeweled Opulence (2014) and Ruby: The King of Gems (2017).
In No Stone Unturned, Sikri seeks to transport her readers into a vibrant world, where they’ll learn, laugh, fall in love and, like the author, never want to leave.
"Richa has diligently captured countless hours of stories and injected her energetic writing style to create a first-of-a-kind work that inspires and intrigues readers,” Gemfields' CEO Sean Gilbertson told diamondworld.net.
Published by Austin Macauley, the book is now available on various online retail platforms, such as Amazon, Kinokuniya, Barnes & Noble, Waterstones, Browns Books, Bookshop.org and Austin Macauley.
Credit: Image courtesy of Gemfields.
In a private ceremony on Thursday, the Kansas City Chiefs' players, coaches, ownership and staff received their hand-crafted Super Bowl LVIII rings, each gleaming with 529 diamonds and 38 rubies totaling approximately 14.80 carats.
The ring celebrates the team's back-to-back championships and its fourth Super Bowl appearance in the past five seasons. With the team's thrilling 25-22 overtime victory against the San Francisco 49ers on February 11, the Chiefs became the first team to "repeat" in 19 years.
Like last year's ring that had a hidden element (a twist-off top that doubled as a pendant), this year's design by Jostens features a hidden hinge mechanism that allows the ring top to swing open. Inside the ring top is a hand-written diagram of the last play called by coach Andy Reid — the "Tom & Jerry" — which resulted in Patrick Mahomes throwing a 3-yard touchdown pass to Mecole Hardman with 3 seconds left in overtime.
The Super Bowl LVIII rings seem to carry a double-dose of gemstone symbolism.
For instance, the ring top features the Chiefs' interlocking arrowhead logo crafted from 16 custom-cut rubies, symbolic of the 16 division titles in franchise history.
The arrowhead is framed in 10-karat yellow gold and set with 50 diamonds. These 50 diamonds are a nod to the Chiefs' dominance at Arrowhead Stadium where they outscored opponents by 50 points during the regular season.
The logo sits atop four Lombardi Trophies. Each trophy is set with a single marquise diamond representing the Chiefs' four Super Bowl titles. The bases of the trophies are comprised of 19 baguette diamonds, marking the first team in 19 years to win back-to-back Super Bowl titles.
An additional 58 diamonds are set in the ring top as a tribute to Super Bowl LVIII.
Accenting both the top and bottom edges of the ring top are 11 custom-cut rubies, representing the Chiefs' 11 regular season wins in 2023.
Adorning the left and right sides of the ring top in yellow gold and diamonds is the title, WORLD CHAMPIONS. WORLD is set with 39 diamonds, marking the 39 total touchdowns scored by the Chiefs in the 2023 season. The word CHAMPIONS features 70 diamonds, symbolizing the 70 points the Chiefs scored in the three playoff games leading up to Super Bowl LVIII.
Exactly 22 diamonds are set along the left and right side of the ring top, symbolic of the 22 points scored in the second half and overtime of Super Bowl LVIII that led to the Chiefs win over the 49ers.
Each corner of the ring top edge includes seven diamonds for a total of 28. These are symbolic of the Chiefs' staunch defense that held every opponent under 28 points throughout the 2023 season.
While the hinged mechanism shows the "Tom & Jerry" play on the left, the right side features a red-and-silver miniature football field set with Lombardi Trophies in the center. Each recipient's ring shows one to four trophies depending on the person's time with the Chiefs organization.
The field is encased by a thin piece of glass. Floating behind the glass are 17 gold confetti leaves in the shape of Lombardi trophies. These are reminiscent of the on-field celebration and also commemorate the 17 points scored in the AFC Championship Game to secure the team's fourth Lamar Hunt Trophy in five seasons.
Above the football field is a Super Bowl LVIII logo designed to emulate the iconic “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign — a nod to the host city. Underneath the field, is a custom area that shows the championship year-dates the recipient has been part of the organization.
The left side of the ring features the player’s name created in contrasting yellow gold. Celebrating their individual contribution to the team’s success, players' jersey numbers are rendered in white gold and set with diamonds.
The franchise’s championship year-dates are featured on a banner on each side of the jersey number. GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium is rendered in detail and includes the 142.2 decibel rating and LOUD on each scoreboard. Completing the left side is CHIEFS KINGDOM.
The right side of the ring displays the words BACK-TO-BACK crafted in yellow gold. Below is the official Super Bowl LVIII logo in white gold set with 19 round diamonds and one marquise diamond. The 19 diamonds commemorate the team's 11th consecutive winning season in addition to its eighth consecutive AFC West title. The logo is flanked on the sides by the team abbreviations KC and SF. The right side is completed with the word OVERTIME above the final score of Super Bowl LVIII, 25-22.
The interior of the ring shows the Chiefs' logo above its 2023 team motto, UNITED, which is created from red ceramic. As a tribute to one of the most intense playoff runs in NFL history, the city abbreviations, scores and seed of the teams the Chiefs defeated in the postseason are featured.
Football fanatics were quick to point out that this section seems to have a typo. The Miami Dolphins carried the sixth seed going into the playoffs against the Chiefs. The ring shows them as the seventh seed. Oops.
Below the scores is the player's unique signature.
Credits: Images courtesy of Jostens.
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you awesome songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, an unlucky-in-love Maia Sharp asks the rhetorical question, “How much gold can you find if you never go mining?” in her 2015 release “Underneath.”
Sharp uses the gold mining analogy to illustrate her passive approach to romance. She admits that she has no one but herself to blame for her loneliness, but she’s hopeful it will all work out in the end.
She sings, “How much gold can you find if you never go mining / They say the wine gets better if you let it breathe / Oh, the deeper the digging, the sweeter the finding / I want to know what’s underneath / Oh, I want to know what’s underneath.”
“Underneath” appears as the third track on Sharp’s sixth studio album The Dash Between The Dates, which was released in 2015. Providing the harmonies on the track is singer-songwriter Gabe Dixon.
In describing the album, Sharp noted, “I was trying to look at things with a wider-angle lens and bring more breadth to the songs without sacrificing the intimacy.”
Interestingly, the artist admitted that she worked on the album during a period of extreme writer’s block. Critics countered that it was her best work to date.
Born in California’s Central Valley in 1971 to a singer-songwriter dad and a college professor mom, Sharp wrote her first song at the age of five. By the time she was a teenager, she had already shown proficiency with a number of instruments, including keyboards, guitar, oboe and saxophone.
She studied music theory at California State University and honed her songwriting skills. As a 22-year-old, Sharp began performing her own music in Los Angeles clubs.
A few years later, she was discovered by music executive Miles Copeland, who managed The Police. Sharp has written and produced songs for some of the music industry’s top artists, including Bonnie Raitt, Cher, Kim Richey, Amanda Marshall, Paul Carrack, Edwin McCain, The Chicks, Trisha Yearwood and Kathy Mattea.
In 2023, she released her ninth solo album, titled Reckless Thoughts, a work that reflects her move from Los Angeles to Nashville.
“I never thought I would leave California,” she said. “Once I did, I had a feeling it would be easier to build a community in Nashville, but I had no idea how much easier it would be. It’s really tapped into something I didn’t know I needed so badly.”
In its review of Reckless Thoughts, American Songwriter noted, "Sharp has a way of conveying evocative emotions in ways that reflect shared sentiment that nearly everyone can relate to."
Please check out the audio track of Sharp performing “Underneath.” The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…
“Underneath”
Written by Maia Sharp. Performed by Maia Sharp with Gabe Dixon.
No one but myself to blame
If I ain’t got a love to call my own
Maybe it takes some chippin’ away
Before you get down to the cornerstone
How much gold can you find if you never go mining?
They say the wine gets better if you let it breathe
Oh, the deeper the digging, the sweeter the finding
I want to know what’s underneath
Oh, I want to know what’s underneath
When the new ran out, I ran out
I took off one time, took off the shine
I never could shake my shadow of doubt
And the only heart I ever really broke was mine
How much gold can you find if you never go mining?
They say the wine gets better if you let it breathe
Oh, the deeper the digging, the sweeter the finding
I want to know what’s underneath
Oh, I want to know what’s underneath
Underneath these
Underneath what’s shown
Past the shallow waters
To uncharted undiscovered unknown
How much gold can you find if you never go mining?
The wine gets better if you let it breathe
Oh, the deeper the digging, the sweeter the finding
And I want to know what’s underneath
Oh, I want to know what’s underneath
I want to know what’s underneath
Credits: Screen capture via YouTube.com / Maia Sharp.
Exactly 100 years ago, pearl diving provided the lifeblood of the Farasan Islands' economy and society. Each year in early May, ship captains and skilled divers would leave their families to embark on a dangerous four-month quest to find natural pearls off the coast of Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea.
To reach the oyster beds, divers would use weights on their feet to descend more than 12 meters (39 feet). A lifeline would connect them to their surface support who helped them ascend. In return for hauling the divers back up, these assistants would receive a share (known as “dangeel”) of the collected oysters. Pearl divers were able to hold their breath underwater for up to five minutes.
The divers' work day would start just after sunrise, with mollusk gathering continuing until noon. That was followed by a rest period. During the afternoons, divers would take on the laborious task of prying open oysters (the “fulq” process) in search of elusive natural pearls.
According to the Saudi Press Agency, diving tasks were divided into five-day cycles. The first four days' haul belonged to the diver, while the fifth day's bounty went to the ship owner.
Seven copper sieves, each with progressively smaller holes, were used to sort the pearls by size. The most elusive prize was the “Al-Dana” pearl, characterized by its large size, bright luster and absence of flaws. This type of pearl was so coveted that it spawned its own form of folk music. The melancholic genre, born from the depths of the sea, served as an outlet for the sailors' longing for home and loved ones.
Natural pearls are exceedingly rare because they are created by mollusks randomly, without human intervention. When a grain of sand or similar irritant gets between the mollusk’s shell and its mantle tissue, the process begins. To protect itself, the mollusk instinctually secretes multiple layers of nacre, an iridescent material that eventually becomes a pearl.
Cultured pearls, by contrast, are created with human intervention — when a bead is embedded inside the body of the mollusk to stimulate nacre secretion.
The Farasan pearl-diving industry thrived a century ago, as evidenced by the construction of the Najdi Mosque and stunning homes financed by successful pearl traders of the 1920s. Some of these are tourist destinations today.
At the end of April and early-May each year, the Farasan Islands’ Hareed Festival pays tribute to the local fishing and pearl diving heritage. While still an important part of the Farasan story, natural pearl harvesting has since faded as an economic factor with the advent of cultured and simulated pearls.
Credits: Images courtesy of Saudi Press Agency.
Jet-lagged and utterly exhausted after multiple days of overseas touring with two young children, Dannah McMichael, a travel blogger and wife of retired NFL tight end Randy McMichael, prepared for bed in a Thai hotel room.
Before stepping into the shower, McMichael slid off her wedding ring and grabbed a handful of vitamins.
"Without looking, I threw everything in my mouth and washed it down with water," McMichael wrote in an Instagram post that has earned more than 115,000 Likes. "When I started choking on the pills and noticed my ring was missing, I knew something was wrong."
At first, the McMichaels tried to find the ring by tearing through their room and luggage. When that failed, it became ever more apparent that Dannah had swallowed the ring with the pills.
It took the couple two days to locate a clinic that had the proper imaging equipment, but when they did, the resulting X-ray showed the intertwined band as clear as day.
On Instagram, Dannah shared a nine-second video captioned, "YUP THATS MY WEDDING RING."
The McMichaels hoped the ring would pass naturally, which it did two days later.
Dannah posted a followup video showing the cleaned-up ring sitting at the bottom of a hotel water glass. On Instagram, she used a split-screen effect, with the original X-ray video on the top and the second video of the recovered ring at the bottom. The caption read, "Got my ring back. Wait I never lost it. It was always with me."
In a response to one of the numerous Instagram comments, she wrote, "UPDATE: I gained new followers from this reel, so I just want to let you all know: I’m not swallowing anything else. Don't expect any more x-ray content!" She punctuated the post with laughing emojis.
Dannah later explained to Newsweek how her family had traveled from Atlanta to Los Angeles to the Philippines and then Thailand.
"I didn't have the opportunity to catch up on my sleep since I was traveling with an 11-year-old and a 2-year-old, and I was beyond jet-lagged," McMichael told the publication.
After a long day of sightseeing in Thailand, she finally got a chance to chill out, but that's when all the drama started.
At the clinic, the mood turned comical.
"At first, everyone was concerned about my health and how I was going to get the ring out," McMichael told Newsweek. "However, after a while, they all joined in on the laugh with me. One person said the best thing: 'Who would've thought your ring would have a crazier trip than you?'"
Credits: Screen captures via Instagram / double_d1022.
The top prize winner at the 2010 International Pearl Design Competition and now a resident of the Smithsonian in Washington, DC, the "South Sea Glow Necklace" provides beautiful examples of June's birthstone.
The piece, which features three golden South Sea cultured pearls and two white Akoya cultured pearls (ranging in size from 4.5mm to 11.5mm), was hand fabricated by designer Adam Neeley utilizing special gold alloy that transitions gradually from pure 24-karat yellow gold at the bottom into a cool white gold at the top. The gold to white precious-metal transition aligns neatly with the designer's choice of pearl hues.
The South Sea Glow Necklace won the President's Trophy (the top honor) at the Cultured Pearl Association of America's annual contest in 2010 and was subsequently donated by the designer to the Smithsonian National Gem Collection in 2012.
One of June’s three official gemstones, the pearl is unique among all of the gems because it is the only one formed entirely within a living creature.
Natural pearls occur when an irritant enters the oyster’s shell. To protect itself from the foreign body, the mollusk secretes layers of nacre, which, over time, become a lustrous pearl. To make a cultured pearl, a shell bead is surgically implanted into the mollusk to induce nacre production.
South Sea pearls and Akoya pearls are similar in that both varieties are cultivated in salt water.
Akoya pearls come mostly from Japan and range in size from 2 mm to 10.5 mm. They are usually white or cream in color and round in shape.
South Sea pearls originate in Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines, and can range in size from 9 mm to 20 mm. They can be white, cream or golden in color.
According to the American Gem Society, Tahitian pearls are interestingly not exclusively from Tahiti – they’re grown throughout several of the islands of French Polynesia, including Tahiti.
The greenish-black varieties of Tahitian pearls (known as peacock green) are the most coveted, but colors can include varying shades of gray, blue, green and purple. Tahitian pearls range in size from 8 mm to 16 mm.
The other birthstones for the month of June are moonstone and alexandrite.
Credit: Photo courtesy of Adam Neeley.
Strategically located halfway between China and the Mediterranean along the first Silk Road, the ancient Kangju state prospered as a trading center in what is now southern Kazakhstan for nearly 1,000 years between the 5th century BCE and the 4th century CE.
Kangju is back in the news, as a team of researchers from Ozbekali Zhanibekov University, along with local government archaeologists, recently unearthed beautifully crafted gold jewelry and valuable household items at a burial site in the rural Karaaspan district of Kazakhstan. The finds illuminate the wealth and cosmopolitan nature of the Kangju society.
The researchers discovered three tombs, two which had been looted in ancient times. But the third tomb and its treasures had remained intact.
Believed to date from the first century BCE, the matching gold earrings are fabricated from a colorful alloy known as "polychromatic" gold. The earrings are inlaid with turquoise and rubies in a crescent shape that pays homage to the moon. The lower portion of the earrings is decorated with a grape motif that reflects sunlight in multiple directions.
Also found in the tomb was an ornate bronze mirror believed to have been made in China during the Han dynasty, which ruled from 206 BCE until 220 CE. The circular mirror displays a unique eight-arch design that is distinctively Chinese in origin.
The researchers believe the precious earrings and highly prized mirror almost certainly indicate the tomb belonged to a citizen of great wealth and nobility.
According to archaeologist Aleksandr Podushkin, who led the study, the Kangju state was populated by a federation of diverse peoples, including nomadic groups of Sarmatians (from the Urals, Caucasus and the Black Sea), Xiongnu (from northern China) and Saki (originally from Iran, and then from Central Asia and Siberia).
The researchers described Kangju as a multi-cultural melting pot that would have been an important stop on the first Silk Road, the 4,000-mile caravan track that linked the Han capital of Xi’an with Rome.
A statement from the press service of the governor of Turkestan region noted that Rome, Byzantium, Kushan and the Chinese Empire had equal diplomatic relations with the Kangyu state, which flourished as a trading hub on the Great Silk Road.
Podushkin noted that the recently recovered artifacts will now go on display in the National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the city of Astana.
Credits: Images courtesy of Turkistan regional administration of Republic of Kazakhstan. Map by Google Maps.
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you uplifting songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, singer-songwriter Marc Scibilia celebrates the upcoming season of sun, surf and wanderlust in a catchy singalong that inspires us to “sparkle just like diamonds.”
“On the Way” got a big boost when Jeep used the song to promote its "Summer of Jeep" in August of 2017. The 30-second commercial accumulated 2,300 national airings and was viewed on YouTube nearly two million times.
Scibilia sings, "Journey where this path may lead / And live as big as giants / Summer sun and feeling free / Sparkle just like diamonds."
The 37-year-old repeats the hook, “Let your summer guide you, on the way, on the way,” while encouraging the listener to be fearless when discovering new roads.
Scibilia explained in a "Backstage With Jeep" YouTube video that the song is about embracing life's journey — no matter where it takes you.
"We have these ideas in our head about what life is going to be like. This is where I'm going to go, this is how I'm going to get there," he said. "You know, you really don't get to the destination… in a straight path. There's twists, turns, bends, whatever. That song is really about living in the moment."
The destination may not look like what you originally imagined, he explained, but the journey is going to be amazing.
Born in Buffalo, NY, to a musical family, Scibilia moved to Nashville to become a songwriter just a month after graduating from high school. According to his official bio, the young Scibilia got the idea to head south from a sarcastic guidance counselor who was frustrated with Scibilia’s reluctance to pursue a “conventional” career path.
“What are you going to do? Go to Nashville and write songs?” she taunted.
And that's exactly what he did.
Scibilia flourished in Nashville and took in all that it had to offer. He experimented with every genre of music, writing songs for other artists and touring as the opening act for James Bay and the Zac Brown Band, among others. In 2010, Scibilia landed a publishing deal with Sony/ATV.
Scibilia gained some valuable exposure when "How Bad We Need Each Other" from his 2012 self-titled EP was featured on the hit television series Bones.
The artist got an even bigger break when his cover of the Woody Guthrie song “This Land Is Your Land,” appeared in Jeep’s “Beautiful Lands” Super Bowl commercial — the most Shazam-ed commercial of Super Bowl 2015.
Two years later, Scibilia’s “On the Way” was once again catapulted by the popularity of a Jeep commercial.
Scibilia has tour dates scheduled for New York City, Chicago and Nashville during October and November.
Please check out the audio track of Scibilia performing "One the Way." The lyrics are below if you'd like to sing along…
“On the Way”
Written and performed by Marc Scibilia.
Journey where this path may lead
And live as big as giants
Summer sun and feeling free
Sparkle just like diamonds
Golden hearts never afraid
Discover roads brightly shining
Wanderlust runs through our veins
Be fearless, tall as lions
Let your summer guide you
On the way, on the way
Let your summer guide you
On the way, on the way
Let your summer guide you
On the way, on the way
Trust your bones where they take you
Adventure awaits
Here we go it’s all brand new
You won’t hesitate
Let your summer guide you
On the way, on the way
Let your summer guide you
On the way, on the way
Let your summer guide you
On the way, on the way
Let your summer guide you
On the way, on the way
Let your summer guide you
On the way, on the way
Let your summer guide you
On the way, on the way
Let your summer guide you
On the way, on the way
Let your summer guide you
Credit: Image capture via YouTube / Marc Scibilia.
Model and skincare entrepreneur Hailey Bieber is rockin' a new diamond engagement ring from her pop star husband, Justin. The couple has had a lot to celebrate recently, and the amped-up 18-carat ring commemorates both the renewal of their wedding vows after five years of marriage and the announcement that they are expecting their first child later this year.
Under the caption, "little cherry blossoms on my nails little cherry blossom in my belly," Hailey Bieber, 27, shared a 10-slide carousel on Instagram, which offered a glimpse of the new ring — subtlety and barely in frame — on the final slide.
The photo shows her sipping a beverage while the new dazzler nestles against her diamond wedding band on the ring finger of her left hand.
Interestingly, her previous diamond engagement ring — said to weigh between 6 and 10 carats — has found a new home on the pinky of her right hand.
Jewelry-industry pundits placed the value of the original engagement ring at $500,000 and the upgraded version in the range of $1 million to $1.5 million. Both diamonds are ovals set in yellow gold.
Vogue.com reported that the new ring was designed by celebrity jeweler Lorraine Schwartz. The original ring was designed by Solow & Co.
Hailey and Justin Bieber, 30, commemorated their five-year anniversary by renewing their vows in Hawaii on May 9. Hailey's due date has not been formally announced, but fans believe the baby will arrive this fall.
Credit: Image via Instagram / haileybieber.
Two incredible lab-grown diamonds — the 75.33-carat "Celebration of India" and the all-diamond 30.69-carat "Infinity Ring" — drew a four-day stream of fascinated onlookers at the recent JCK Show in Las Vegas.
Grown by Mumbai-based Ethereal Green Diamond, the "Celebration of India" is billed as the largest faceted lab-grown diamond to date. According to a company spokesperson, the finished square emerald-cut gem was crafted from a 190-carat rough stone. It took about 270 days to grow the rough diamond and about 30 days to cut and polish it.
Show attendees and members of the press were offered the chance to handle the record-breaking stone, which is estimated to be worth $5,000 per carat, or about $375,000.
International Gemological Institute (IGI) graded the stone as Type IIa with excellent polish and symmetry. Type IIa diamonds are chemically pure and are often colorless or near-colorless.
Sharing a display case with the "Celebration of India" diamond was the "Infinity Ring," a fascinating all-diamond eternity ring crafted from a single crystal with no metal support.
"This unique ring was carved out from a 98.88-carats rough," according to Ethereal Green director Hirav Virani. "The Infinity Ring took about 146 days to grow and 90 days to take on its 'freeform modified shape'."
"The Infinity Ring" remained in its case throughout the jewelry show due to its delicate nature. One of the company's representatives shared that the process of cutting the finger hole through the crystal can easily cause to the whole piece to fracture. The company overcame two failed attempts at its state-of-the-art facility in Surat, India, before achieving success, he said.
The all-diamond ring, which was also graded as a Type IIa stone with excellent polish and symmetry, has a value of $500,000.
"These achievements are striking examples of Ethereal Green's dedication to innovation and ingenuity in consistently breaking their own records," stated Tehmasp Printer, CEO of IGI. "We congratulate their team in developing these extraordinary creations which showcase limitless possibilities with advanced tech in the lab-grown diamond sector."
A full-wall booth display illustrated the company's most recent milestones.
Credits: Diamond and ring images courtesy of Ethereal Green Diamond. Booth display photo by The Jeweler Blog.