After nearly four years of dating, actor Michael Trevino and Dutch model Bregje Heinen are engaged. The Vampire Diaries star popped the question on Christmas Eve with an oval-cut solitaire diamond set on a whisper-thin yellow gold band.

The couple turned to Instagram this past Saturday to share the news with a carousel of photos that revealed that the proposal took place against the backdrop of Amsterdam's picturesque canals. The joint Instagram post was simply captioned "12 . 24 . 23," The couple punctuated the date with a white heart and engagement ring emoji.

On Sunday, the 30-year-old print and runway model was back on Instagram sharing another carousel of post-engagement photos, including throwback, black-and-white photo booth shots of her canoodling with Trevino, as well as a closeup of her ring-adorned finger taken as she enjoyed a cup of cappuccino.

Trevino, 38, is best known for his recurring role as Tyler Lockwood on The CW drama The Vampire Diaries. More recently, he's starred as Kyle Valenti on the CW sci-fi series Roswell, New Mexico.

Heinen has modeled for top brands, such as Guess, DKNY, Prada and Versace, and walked the runway for designers Alexander McQueen, Donna Karan, Zac Posen, Fendi, Balenciaga, Stella McCartney and Karl Lagerfeld. She's also appeared in the international editions of Elle, Harper's Bazaar and Vogue.

Some of the actor’s costars from The Vampire Diaries shared their best wishes. Candice King, who played Caroline Forbes, commented, “YESSSS!!!!. Congratulations you guys!!!!!” She added a red heart emoji for good measure.

Nina Dobrev, who portrayed Elena Gilbert on the show, posted a series of six smiling heart emojis followed with the comment, “…so happy for you both!”

The couple had been dating since January of 2020, but have kept the details of their romance largely under wraps. Heinen and Trevino hinted that the relationship was advancing to the next level when they posted sweet Instagram messages on the occasion of their first anniversary together.

She wrote, “Couldn’t wish for a better partner! Life is more fun with you. Happy anniversary baby.”

He wrote, "It’s been a year of adventures. Thanks for keeping up with me. Happy Anniversary @bregjeheinen."

Credits: Images via Instagram / bregji heinen.

Imbued with the hues of a summer sunset, spessartine garnets are the fiery orange variety of garnet, January's official birthstone. The wonderfully versatile garnet comes in a wide array of natural colors, including red, yellow, pink, purple, violet, green, black and brown.

The 19.77-carat spessartine garnet shown, above, is part of the Smithsonian's National Gem Collection and is housed in the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC. A gift from Edward W. Boehm in 2008, the specimen was sourced in Zambia and ranks as the finest spessartine in the collection.

Spessartine's orange color is attributed to its particularly high manganese content. The purest and most intensely orange varieties are often referred to as "mandarin garnets" and are mined primarily in Madagascar.

According to the International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA), the first mandarin garnets were discovered along the hilly border between Namibia and Angola back in 1991. Until then, spessartines had been found in other countries, but were favored by collectors and hardly used in jewelry. This is because specimens of excellent color and clarity were extremely rare.

But the crystals found in Namibia were, indeed, jewelry worthy. ICA states that the raw crystals quickly found their way into the cutting centers and onto the market. Within a short time, however, the mine was exhausted and production ground to a halt.

According to the Smithsonian, gem-quality spessartine comes mainly from Sri Lanka and Brazil, while other important localities include Australia, Burma, India, Israel, Madagascar, Zambia, Nigeria, Namibia and the US.

In addition to today’s featured spessartine garnets, other varieties often seen in jewelry include almandine, andradite, demantoid, grossularite, hessonite, rhodolite, tsavorite and uvarovite.

Garnets get their name from the Latin word “granatum,” meaning pomegranate seed. The beautifully red seeds of a pomegranate closely resemble rhodolite garnet.

Credits: Cabochon spessartine by Ken Larsen / Smithsonian. Spessartine crystals by Géry PARENT, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

If you're one of the more than eight million viewers who tune into Wheel of Fortune every night, you witnessed in real time what might be the worst blunder of the syndicated show's 41 seasons. If you did not see the December 22 episode, here's what went down — and, yes, there is a jewelry connection.

During Pat Sajak's introduction of contestant Gwen Hardy, we learned that the US Navy flight surgeon from Yuma, AZ, had recently accepted her now-fiancé's marriage proposal on top of a mountain during a 100-mile hike through the Alps.

Then, moments later, with all the vowels bought up and only three letters remaining in a puzzle that read, “SURPRISE _ARRIA_E PROPOSA_”, Hardy confidently told Sajak that she was ready to solve. Slam dunk? Right?

Without hesitation, she blurted out "Surprise Carriage Proposal."

Sajak was silent, the buzzer sounded, the studio audience groaned and Hardy hung her head in shame, realizing her epic mistake. The correct answer would have earned her $8,250.

“I know," Sajak finally interjected. "Sometimes you get excited and your mouth doesn’t say what your brain intended. I’m sorry.”

Instead, Ron Panner, a therapist and amateur magician from Shorewood, IL, guessed "Surprise Marriage Proposal" and won the round.

Later, Sajak tried to lighten the load of Hardy's emotional trauma on national TV, stating, “Well, you know, you watch the show, and stuff happens like that sometimes. But here’s the rule, and you know this, Gwen, as a flight surgeon, put that behind you. That’s done, nothing you can do.”

Fans of the show weren't as empathetic as the popular host, expressing on X (formerly Twitter) that Hardy's goof-up was one for the ages.

One user commented, “Can anybody recommend a good carriage counselor?” while another wrote, “Can’t wait for my partner to surprise me with a carriage proposal!”

Despite her cringeworthy mistake, Hardy still took home a very respectable $11,150 in winnings.

Host Sajak, 77, is finishing out his final season on Wheel of Fortune, where he's shared the spotlight with letter-turner Vanna White since 1982. White will be working with the new host, Ryan Seacrest.

Credits: Screen captures via YouTube.

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you fantastic songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title. Today, Edwin McCain employs a key "emerald" reference in his timeless hit, "I’ll Be" — a tune that was selected by one-million-plus Dr. Phil viewers in 2005 as the best wedding song ever written.

The romantic gemstone metaphor is in the very first verse of the memorable 1998 tune: “The strands in your eyes that color them wonderful / Stop me and steal my breath / And emeralds from mountains thrust towards the sky / Never revealing their depth.”

Emeralds, in this case, embody the characteristics of his girlfriend: precious, beautiful, majestic, mysterious and sublime.

While most listeners would bet the farm that McCain intended “I’ll Be” to be a heartwarming love song, the 53-year-old singer-songwriter revealed that it was actually written as a prayer in a moment of personal and professional desperation. He was going through a rough breakup with his girlfriend while struggling with the unwieldy demands of his record label.

“It was kind of a Hail Mary prayer for me, personally,” he told songfacts.com. “The idea was that maybe if I write my future, it’ll come true.” He told the music website that, despite the misinterpretation of “I’ll Be,” he is very pleased that his song has become a favorite wedding song and he’s always proud to play it in concert.

“I’m not associated with the ’90s,” he said. “I’m associated with weddings. So it never ends. It’s timeless.”

McCain also revealed his inspiration for the song's repeating phrase, "cryin’ shoulder," and its final line, "The greatest fan of your life."

He explained to hudsonandemily.com, “There was a girl I dated who was on her way to being an actress and it was one of those things where it was never going to last, but I remember I used to always tell her I’d be her greatest fan."

He continued, "That and I overheard a drunk guy at a bar fumble over his words about being a 'shoulder to cry on' or 'crying shoulder' and I remember writing it down on a bar napkin because that phrase sort of hit me the right way, and I went home and wrote it all down, and there you go.”

“I’ll Be,” which was released as the first single from McCain’s second album, Misguided Roses, rose to #5 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and stands as McCain’s biggest hit.

Born in Charleston, SC, McCain toured with Hootie and the Blowfish in the early 1990s and eventually signed with his tourmates' label, Atlantic Records. McCain has released 11 albums and continues to perform live, with dates already scheduled through September 2024.

Check out the official video of McCain singing “I’ll Be.” The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…

“I’ll Be”
Written and performed by Edwin McCain.

The strands in your eyes that color them wonderful
Stop me and steal my breath
And emeralds from mountains thrust towards the sky
Never revealing their depth

And tell me that we belong together
Dress it up with the trappings of love
I’ll be captivated, I’ll hang from your lips
Instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above

And I’ll be your cryin’ shoulder
I’ll be love suicide
And I’ll be better when I’m older
I’ll be the greatest fan of your life

And rain falls angry on the tin roof
As we lie awake in my bed
And you’re my survival, you’re my living proof
My love is alive, and not dead

And tell me that we belong together
Dress it up with the trappings of love
I’ll be captivated, I’ll hang from your lips
Instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above

And I’ll be your cryin’ shoulder
I’ll be love suicide
And I’ll be better when I’m older
I’ll be the greatest fan of your life.

And I dropped out, I burned up, I fought my way back from the dead
I tuned in, I turned on, remembered the thing that you said

And I’ll be your cryin’ shoulder
I’ll be love suicide
And I’ll be better when I’m older
I’ll be the greatest fan of your life

And I’ll be your cryin’ shoulder
I’ll be love suicide
And I’ll be better when I’m older
I’ll be the greatest fan of your life
The greatest fan of your life.

Credit: Screen capture via Youtube.com.

Actor Patrick Schwarzenegger proposed to model Abby Champion over the extended holiday weekend with a unique "toi et moi" ring, featuring two bezel-set diamonds of different shapes.

The ring is front and center in the first photo of the couple's joint Instagram carousel of December 26, titled "FOREVER AND EVER." When zoomed in, we can see what appears to be round- and pear-shaped diamonds side by side on a yellow gold band. Jewelers call the setting a "tube bezel," which allows the diamond to be admired from the top-down, but not from the sides.

The romantic "toi et moi" ring represents two souls becoming one. (The French phrase “toi et moi” means “you and me” in English.)

The concept is attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte, who, in 1796, was an up-and-coming, 26-year-old officer and still eight years removed from the French throne when he presented a "toi et moi" ring to his beloved Josephine on the occasion of their marriage. The bypass-style ring featured two pear-shaped gemstones, one diamond and one sapphire, set in opposite directions.

Dressed for cool weather, the 30-year-old Schwarzenegger popped the question to Champion, 26, against the backdrop of an oversized heart-shaped wreath decorated with red roses. The carousel of Instagram pics show the couple embracing on a sandy beach strewn with rose petals.

Schwarzenegger, who has starred in HBO’s true crime mini-series,The Staircase, and Prime Video’s Gen V, is the son of actor Arnold Schwarzenegger and journalist Maria Shriver. Champion is one of the world's top runway and print models.

The younger Schwarzenegger and Champion made their relationship Instagram official in February of 2016, according to People magazine.

On the occasion of Champion's 24th birthday in February of 2021, Schwarzenegger turned to Instagram to wax nostalgic about their first date.

“I knew we would hit it off from the moment we had our first date & you ordered off the kids menu!!” he wrote.

The attractive couple has collaborated on a handful of modeling gigs, including a Fall 2019 campaign for Calvin Klein Jeans and a fashion shoot for Vogue in November of 2022.

Credits: Images via Instagram / patrickschwarzenegger.

Singer-songwriter-actress Demi Lovato and her new fiancé Jordan “Jutes” Lutes have been sharing social media pics of their holiday-season engagement, and Lovato's stunning new pear-shaped diamond engagement ring has become a news story in itself.

While some "experts" have estimated the carat weight of the diamond at 4.5 to 5 carats, with a value of $150,000 to $200,000, others believe it's as large as 8 or 9 carats with a price tag of up to $760,000.

Nevertheless, what we do know for sure is that the natural diamond ring is set with five prongs in a cathedral solitaire setting on an unadorned yellow gold band. This design draws all of the attention to the large center stone.

The 32-year-old Lutes, who is a Toronto-based singer-songwriter, popped the question privately in Los Angeles a week ago Saturday and reportedly celebrated the engagement with members of both families the next day at Craig's, one of their favorite West Hollywood eateries.

“I’m still speechless," the "Confident" singer, 31, captioned a series of engagement pics on Instagram. "…last night was the best night of my life and I can’t believe I get to marry the love of my life @jutesmusic.”

The next day, Lovato shared an intimate closeup of her hand caressing the shoulder of her napping boyfriend while the impressive ring glistens in the foreground. Her caption read, "4 candles for forever," a reference to the four Sundays of Advent and the symbols of hope, peace, joy and love.

On Christmas Day, Lutes shared multiple photos of his first American Christmas, which included an adorable pic of the couple in matching hooded pajamas.

Commenting on the post, Lovato joked, "I’m still not over your uno championship reign. I’ll let you have it because it’s Christmas. Jkjk I loooooooove you and this was the best Christmas ever… getting to spend it with you has been a dream come true. Now can we pleeeease watch some love island together?"

Pagesix.com reported that the ring design was the result of a collaboration between the couple and Teresa Panico of the Material Good boutique, located in the Soho district of New York City. Lovato and Lutes reportedly "fell in love" with the pear-shaped diamond and the design came to life two weeks later.

In addition to collaborating on the ring design, Lovato and Lutes also co-wrote the former Disney star's song, "Substance," back in January of 2022. That was when they met, and they subsequently worked professionally and became good friends before taking the relationship to the next level in August of 2022.

“He was just so focused on the music,” Lovato said during a LadyGang podcast. “So we were friends for a while and then told each other how we felt.”

Credits: Ring photo via Instagram / ddlovato. Couple photo via Instagram / jutesmusic.

With the help of artificial intelligence (AI), holiday travelers who have lost their jewelry at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and 11 other major air hubs across the US have a much better chance of getting it back.

During an average year at DFW, for example, more than 18,000 items are reported lost by travelers. But, thanks to newly installed artificial intelligence software, about 90% of the items are successfully returned to their owners.

Shimaa Fadul, who runs daily operations at the DFW lost and found, told CBS News that her team of specialists have collected 587 rings and 414 watches, including seven Rolexes, so far in 2023.

As she opened a secured cabinet to show CBS News reporter Omar Villafranca the magnitude of the collection, all he could say was "Wow" as he viewed the labeled plastic containers brimming with watches, bracelets, necklaces, rings and miscellaneous jewelry, as well as keys, sunglasses and cell phones.

When the airport's team finds an item, it is immediately photographed and entered into a database. The team does its best to described the item in great detail. When travelers inquire about items, they, too, will provide descriptive information and photos, if available.

Lost and Found software, which is operated by Hallmark Aviation Services, uses AI and image recognition to automatically match found items with inquiries. Once the match is confirmed, the items can be quickly returned to their rightful owners.

Fadul noted that distinguishing marks, such as stickers or serial numbers, help the process along. In the case of jewelry, we're assuming that detailed gem configurations, hallmarks and inscriptions will be equally valuable in making a match.

She explained how her team came to the rescue of a woman who recently misplaced her wedding dress at DFW. Fadul's team found the dress and, with the help of AI, matched it to the bride-to-be and overnighted it to her barely 24 hours before she was set to walk down the aisle.

Check out the CBS News report here…

Credits: Screen captures via cbsnews.com.

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you spectacular songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. In the 1983 holiday release, “2000 Miles,” rock legend Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders paints a picture of a diamond-embellished winter scene while lamenting the fact that she’s far away from the one she loves at Christmastime.

She sings, “In these frozen and silent nights / Sometimes in a dream… you appear / Outside under the purple sky / Diamonds in the snow… sparkle / Our hearts were singing / It felt like Christmastime."

While many people see “2000 Miles” as a sweet Christmas song about a young woman yearning to be closer to her lover during the holidays, the tune is actually Hynde’s tribute to guitarist and founding band member James Honeyman-Scott, who died of a cocaine overdose in 1982 at the age of 25.

“2000 Miles” was released as a single in December of 1983 and appeared as the 10th track of The Pretenders’ Learning to Crawl album. The single was popular in the UK, where it peaked at #15 on the UK Singles Chart. Learning to Crawl earned the #5 spot on the US Billboard 200 albums chart.

While discussing the song in a 1990 interview with Select magazine, Hynde praised the excellent guitar work of former band member Robbie McIntosh while roasting herself as a vocalist and lyricist, stating, "… McIntosh plays beautifully on '2000 Miles'. Anything to avoid listening to my voice and my stupid words."

In 2014, while finishing up her album Stockholm, Hynde collaborated with Swede Bjorn Yttling on an updated version of “2000 Miles." It was released as a Christmas single in the UK that December.

She told Classic Rock Magazine, “I think it captures the mood of the season perfectly as it gets cold in Sweden, reindeer wander the streets freely and the snow was coming down! Happy Christmas!”

Coldplay (2003), The Mighty Mighty Bosstones (2010), Natalie Imbruglia (2010), Mark Kozelek (2014), Kylie Minogue (2015), Train (2015) and Tom Chaplic (2017) have all covered “2000 Miles” for their holiday albums.

Born in Akron, OH, in 1951, Hynde formed The Pretenders in Hereford, England, in 1978. The band has sold more than 130 million albums worldwide and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005. They have been touring on and off for the past 45 years.

Please check out the live performance video of Hynde and The Pretenders performing “2000 Miles” in 1995. The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…

“2000 Miles”
Written by Christine Hynde. Performed by The Pretenders.

He’s gone 2000 miles
It’s very far
The snow is falling down
Gets colder day by day
I miss you

The children will sing
He’ll be back at Christmastime

In these frozen and silent nights
Sometimes in a dream… you appear
Outside under the purple sky
Diamonds in the snow… sparkle

Our hearts were singing
It felt like Christmastime

2000 miles
Is very far through the snow
I’ll think of you
Wherever you go

He’s gone 2000 miles
It’s very far
The snow is falling down
Gets colder day by day
I miss you

I can hear people singing
It must be Christmastime

I can hear people singing
It must be Christmastime

Credit: Image by Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

An Arkansas man said he was "tickled to death" upon hearing the news that the clear "piece of glass" that he casually pocketed during a trip to Crater of Diamonds State Park earlier this year was actually a 4.87-carat diamond.

Jerry Evans of Lepanto, AR, and his girlfriend had made the 280-mile drive to the park in Murfreesboro this past spring to enjoy a day at the only diamond site in the world that’s open to the general public. After only 10 minutes of searching, Evans plucked a pyramid-shaped stone the size of a jellybean from the top of a plowed ridge.

"I thought it might be a piece of glass, it was so clear. I really didn't know," Evans told park officials. "We were picking up everything thinking it was a diamond."

Hardly convinced that he had discovered anything of value, Evans decided to forego the opportunity to have the stone identified by park officials and returned home later that day with it tucked in his pocket.

As time passed, Evans had second thoughts about the odd-shaped stone and sent it off to the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) for a conclusive answer. The GIA responded with the news that the stone was, indeed, a near-colorless diamond.

"When they called and told me it was real, I was tickled to death," Evans told park officials.

Encouraged by his son, Evans contacted Crater of Diamonds State Park with the exciting news, and soon returned to Murfreesboro to have the stone officially registered.

“Mr. Evans’ diamond is spectacular to see," Assistant Park Superintendent Waymon Cox told media outlets. "It’s a complete crystal with a brilliant white color reminiscent of many other large, white diamonds I’ve seen from here in the past.”

As is tradition at Crater of Diamonds State Park, those who find newsworthy gemstones get to name their discoveries. Appropriately, Evans named the 4.87-carat gem the "Evans Diamond."

The Evans Diamond is the largest recovered at the park since Kevin Kinard of Maumelle, AR, discovered a 9.07-carat brown diamond on Labor Day 2020.

Nearly 800 diamonds have been registered at Crater of Diamonds State Park in 2023, totaling more than 125 carats. Over the 51-year history of the park, visitors have unearthed more than 36,000 diamonds.

Prospectors of all ages get to scour the 37½-acre search field, which is actually the exposed eroded surface of an ancient diamond-bearing kimberlite pipe.

Credits: Images courtesy of Crater of Diamonds State Park.

The historic 108.39-carat pink diamond recovered in March at the renowned Kao mine in the Kingdom of Lesotho is now in Antwerp, where it will be skillfully cut and polished into a series of finished diamonds by the Choron Group.

"Over the coming weeks and months, we will be taking you on a manufacturing journey from our base in Antwerp as we bring this once-in-a-lifetime diamond to life," Choron wrote on its Linkedin page. Founded in 1985, Choron is a leading diamond-industry player with a division that specializes in the manufacturing of exceptional rough diamonds.

Earlier this month, Choron agreed to purchase the Type IIa pink gem from Kao mine operator Storm Mountain Diamonds (SMD) for an undisclosed sum. Type IIa diamonds are chemically pure with no traces of nitrogen or boron impurities.

"It is a privilege for Choron to unlock the secrets within this remarkable pink diamond and we look forward to revealing the story of this historic diamond," said company CEO Anshul Gandhi. "Our artisans will meticulously transform this rough diamond into an array of polished diamonds that will be remembered for generations to come."

It's likely that the 108.39-carat fancy intense pink diamond will be divided into a large hero stone and a series of satellite stones. The anticipated sizes and shapes on the polished stones have yet to be revealed.

Gandhi told Rapaport News that SMD will retain a minority share in the stone, while Choron will manufacture and market it.

Storm Mountain Diamonds, which is jointly owned by Namakwa Diamonds Limited and the Government of Lesotho, noted that its March 2023 find is one of the largest pink diamonds ever to be discovered globally. In fact, the gem is more than twice the carat weight of the Kao mine’s previous record holder: the 47.81-carat “Pink Eternity,” which was discovered in 2022. Other notable pink diamonds from the mine include the “Pink Palesa” (21.68 carat, 2021) and the Rose of Kao (29.59 carats, 2018).

“SMD continues to consistently deliver extraordinary diamonds, and this diamond further cements the Kao mine as the primary producer of pink diamonds globally," noted Robert Cowley, Chairman of the Board of Directors of SMD. "We are thrilled to enter into this agreement with Choron and we look forward to the next chapter of this diamond’s story.”

Pink diamonds are in high demand and short supply since the November 2020 closure of Rio Tinto’s Argyle mine, which had been the world’s primary source of high-quality pink diamonds.

Credits: Images courtesy of Storm Mountain Diamonds.