After 26 years of non-stop, 24/7 production, the Ekati Diamond Mine in Canada’s Northwest Territories recently surpassed the 100-million-carat milestone. That's equivalent to 22 tons of diamonds.
Ekati is Canada's first diamond mine and consistently ranks as one of the top-10 producers worldwide. Not only does the mine maintain a track record of generating four to five million carats per year, it also continues to yield top-quality rough diamonds, including extremely rare fancy yellows.
Back in March of 2023, Australia-based Burgundy Diamond Mines paid $136 million to acquire Arctic Canadian Diamond Company Ltd. and its prized Ekati property. Burgundy had been very familiar with the Canadian mining operation because it often purchased Ekati rough diamonds for its cutting and polishing operation in Perth, Australia.
Burgundy’s acquisition of Ekati guaranteed a steady flow of premium material from a tier-one asset in a tier-one country, according to Kim Truter, CEO of Burgundy Diamond Mines. It also solidified the company’s strategy of becoming truly vertically integrated across the diamond value chain.
“As we reflect on this historic achievement, Ekati continues the legacy as one of the premier diamond assets in the world,” said Truter. “We are proud of the team we have in place and of everything we have achieved so far. Ekati still has 140 million carats remaining in Indicated Mineral Resources, one of the largest unmined diamond endowments in the world."
Since opening in 1998, the Ekati mine has been an important economic contributor to Canada’s Northwest Territories through job creation and community investment.
According to miningnewsnorth.com, Ekati has generated more than 74 million man-hours of employment in the Northwest Territories, with approximately 35 million of those hours coming from 16,000-plus positions held by Indigenous workers.
As the mining operation advances into its second quarter-century, Burgundy will focus its resources on various projects within the Ekati property, including the Misery underground extension, Sable Underground, Point Lake open pit, Fox high-value stockpiles, Fox underground and other undeveloped resources.
Located approximately 300 km northwest of Yellowknife in Canada’s Northwest Territories and just 200 km south of the Arctic Circle, the remote mining operation is accessible seasonally via ice roads.
Credits: Images courtesy of Burgundy Diamond Mines.
A sensational 37-carat emerald brooch commissioned by Prince Aga Khan for his wife, Nina Dyer, in 1960, and then sold at Christie's Geneva in 1969 for $75,000, is returning to the venerable auction house on November 12 carrying a pre-sale estimate of $6 million to $8 million.
The unusually transparent and evenly colored emerald is bordered by 20 marquise-shaped diamonds boasting a total weight of 12.04 carats. Christies wrote that the brooch/pendant designed by Cartier Paris epitomized the elegance and sophistication of its era.
Accounting solely for inflation, an item that sold for $75,000 in 1969 would be worth $642,000 today. If the Aga Khan fetches somewhere in the mid-range of its pre-sale estimate, say $7 million, the true value of the piece would have accrued by a magnitude of more than 10.
The Aga Khan assumed the role of the spiritual leader of the Shia Imami Ismailia Muslims in 1957, at age 20, after succeeding his grandfather. It was that same year that he married Dyer, a strikingly beautiful socialite and model, who was six years his senior.
Dyer's first marriage was to billionaire Baron Hans Heinrich von Thyssen, heir to the Thyssen steel and armaments empire. Their three-year marriage ended in 1956.
According to Christie's, like many of the beautiful jewels commissioned by the Aga Khan for Dyer, she wore this exceptional piece at numerous prominent events.
In 1969, the Aga Khan emerald brooch was purchased by Van Cleef & Arpels at Christie's inaugural Magnificent Jewels sale at Le Richemond Hotel in Geneva. Later, it was sold to luxury jeweler Harry Winston.
“The emerald brooch is not just a piece of jewelry. It carries with it the stories and charm of a bygone era,” commented Max Fawcett, Christie’s Head of Jewelry Europe. “We are thrilled to present it once again, not only because of its history, but also due to the increased interest in colored stones the market has witnessed in recent years."
He noted that the 37-carat Colombian emerald shows no indications of clarity modification and is accompanied by an SSEF report stating the exceptional quality and rarity of the stone.
"We might see an emerald of this quality come up for sale once every five or six years," said François Curiel, Christie’s chairman EMEA. "It’s an exciting opportunity for jewelry collectors to acquire one of the rarest treasures on Earth."
The first time Curiel laid eyes on the Aga Khan emerald brooch, he was a 21 year old and fresh out of gemological school. It was 55 years ago when he accompanied his father to both the dealer preview and the inaugural Magnificent Jewels evening auction.
The Aga Khan and Dyer divorced in 1962 and, suffering from depression, she died from an overdose of sleeping pills in 1965 at age 35.
Credit: Photo courtesy of Christie's.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is living the dream. Less than six weeks after signing the most lucrative contract in NFL history — a $240 million, four-year extension — the 31-year-old star popped the question to Sarah Jane Ramos with a 10-carat diamond ring.
Oh, and there's more to mark Prescott's memorable 2024. The blissful couple welcomed Margaret Jane (MJ) Rose Prescott into the world on February 29.
The signal caller announced the engagement news on his Instagram page, writing to his 2.2 million followers, "Mine Forever!!!! The Best Friend, Partner, Teammate, Mother, and Now Fiancé I could Ask or Pray for! Thank you God for this Blessing and Family! I Love you @sarahjane 4EVER!"
The post included candid shots of the QB proposing to Ramos on a golf course and others pics of what seem to be scenes from an engagement party, where the adorable MJ made a guest appearance in her daddy's arms.
The ring was designed by Prescott in collaboration with celebrity jeweler Jason Arasheben of Jason of Beverly Hills.
On his business's Instagram page, Arasheben noted that the 10-carat emerald-cut diamond is set between tapered baguettes on an 18-karat yellow gold band. Jewelry-industry pundits put the ring's value at $1 million.
"In my business, there are high-maintenance clients and then there's Dak," Arasheben told si.com. "Dak was so easy to work with and was very intentional with every detail of this ring."
Arasheben added that Prescott was involved in every aspect of the design process and really wanted this to be a ring she would love.
"He wanted something classic, but with a little flare and that's exactly what we did," he said.
Credits: Prescott proposal and party photo via Instagram / _4dak and sarahjane. Screen captures of ring via Instagram / jasonofbeverlyhills.
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you memorable songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, the heartthrob boy band NSYNC compares a very special woman to precious stones in 1999’s “(God Must Have Spent) A Little More Time on You.”
Led by Justin Timberlake, they croon, “In all of creation, all things great and small / You are the one that surpasses them all / More precious than any diamond or pearl / They broke the mold when you came in this world.”
While teen girls worldwide pinned NSYNC posters to their walls and dreamed that Timberlake, JC Chasez, Chris Kirkpatrick, Joey Fatone and Lance Bass were singing about them, the song's official video uncovers a surprising fact: The song is a tribute to mom.
Shot mostly in black and white, the video explores the powerful bond between a mother and son, from birth to old age.
Released as the third single from their self-titled album, “(God Must Have Spent) A Little More Time on You” ascended to #8 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and #9 on the Canada Top Singles list. The song, which was written by Evan Rogers and Carl Sturken, marked the first time NSYNC broke into the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100. The album was also a commercial success, as it remained in the Top 10 for 30 weeks.
NSYNC was founded in Orlando, FL, in 1995 as an alternative to the wildly popular Backstreet Boys. The group’s all-caps name, sometimes depicted with a star before the first “N,” seems to have two origin stories. Some have claimed that it is derived from a comment uttered by Timberlake’s mom, who was impressed by how the boys’ voices were “in sync.”
A second theory is that NSYNC represents the last letter of the original band members' first names: JustiN, ChriS, JoeY, JasoN, and JC. (Jason Galasso was replaced by Lance Bass later in 1995. Galasso reportedly dropped out of the group because he didn't like its direction and didn't want to be a teen idol. He later became a mortgage broker).
The star preceding the name was recommended by Israeli illusionist Uri Geller, who believed the symbol would bring them good fortune. At a cafe in London, Geller sat with the band members as he drew a star next to the word “NSYNC” on a napkin.
“I told them, if they place that star on their first CD, they’re going to shoot up to #1,” Geller told the Huffington Post in 2015.
Geller’s prediction was nearly spot-on. The album peaked at #2 on the US Billboard 200 chart.
The group went on to sell 70 million albums and became one of the top-selling boy bands of all time. The group announced a “temporary hiatus” in 2002, and the official breakup was in 2004, according Bass's 2007 memoir.
Please check out the official video of NSYNC performing “(God Must Have Spent) A Little More Time On You.” It’s been viewed on YouTube more than 34 million times. The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…
"(God Must Have Spent) A Little More Time On You"
Written by Carl Allen Sturken and Evan A. Rogers. Performed by NSYNC.
Can this be true?
Tell me, can this be real?
How can I put into words what I feel?
My life was complete
I thought I was whole
Why do I feel like I’m losing control?
I never thought that love could feel like this
And you’ve changed my world with just one kiss
How can it be that right here with me
There’s an angel?
It’s a miracle
Your love is like a river
Peaceful and deep
Your soul is like a secret
That I never could keep
When I look into your eyes
I know that it’s true
God must have spent
A little more time
On you
(A little more time, yes he did baby)
In all of creation, all things great and small
You are the one that surpasses them all
More precious than any diamond or pearl
They broke the mold when you came in this world
And I’m trying hard to figure out
Just how I ever did without
The warmth of your smile
The heart of a child
That’s deep inside
Leaves me purified
Your love is like a river
Peaceful and deep
Your soul is like a secret
That I never could keep
When I look into your eyes
I know that it’s true
God must have spent
A little more time
On you
Never thought that love could feel like this
And you’ve changed my world with just one kiss
How can it be that right here with me
There’s an angel?
It’s a miracle
Your love is like a river
Peaceful and deep
Your soul is like a secret
That I never could keep
When I look into your eyes
I know that it’s true
God must have spent
A little more time
On you
God must have spent
A little more time, on you
(on you, on you, you, you, oh yeah)
A little more time
On you
Credit: Screen capture via YouTube / Salg 1000.
The Boston Celtics raised Banner 18 to the rafters of TD Garden and received their exquisite championship rings on Tuesday prior to their opening night 132-109 drubbing of the visiting New York Knicks. The vaunted franchise now claims more championships than any other NBA team, and this year's ring — with a lot of bling and hidden surprises — is a fitting tribute to that accomplishment.
“We collaborated closely with the Celtics ownership on the ring design," said Jason Arasheben, CEO Jason of Beverly Hills. "The Celtics had 17 championships before last season, which means they’ve had 17 championship rings before us. We all wanted to make sure the 18th was the best and most memorable."
As with all of Arasheben's championship rings, this one contained unique details.
Two hidden elements are only viewable when the ring top is removed. The inside of the top of the ring is inlaid with a piece of the TD Garden's famed parquet floor, along with the date and score of the team’s championship clinching game. On the other side is a miniature championship banner, encircled by the jersey numbers of each player.
Also, for the first time in history, an NFC (Near-Field Communication) chip has been installed into each ring. When the recipient's phone taps the parquet on the inside of the ring, a video link is enabled that shows how the jewelry was made.
The championship ring also has its share of symbolic elements.
The 18 emerald-cut diamonds on the outer bezel represent the 18 franchise championships, and the 84 points of diamonds on the side bezel represent the Celtics' playoff winning percentage during their championship season.
Also on the face of the ring, the word WORLD is rendered in 30 points of diamonds, representing the total seasons played by the Celtics at TD Garden. The word “CHAMPIONS” is set with 80 white diamonds to honor the team’s 80 combined wins during the regular season and playoffs.
The 16 emerald-cut diamonds on the inner bezel represent the total playoff wins for 2024.
Circling the top of the ring is the year of each championship season in raised yellow gold against a black enamel background.
A texture mimicking the parquet floor pattern is etched into both sides of the ring.
The "player" side of the ring features the player’s name in black enamel on a gold plaque with round diamonds flanking the side of each player’s name. The two diamonds represent the total championships under current ownership. Under the name is the player's number rendered in diamonds. Below the number is the team's 2024 mantra, "Whatever It Takes."
The "team" side of the ring includes the championship year, the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy rendered in gold and diamonds, and the combined record for the 2024 Boston Celtics' season (80-21).
The inside shank contains the 2024 playoff series records along with the three-letter initials of the Celtics' opponents.
After Tuesday's game against the Knicks, Celtics' shooting guard Jaylen Brown told ESPN how the ring symbolizes the team's long road to the championship.
"I mean that ring is just an object, but it's everything — the emotions, the heartbreak, the embarrassment, the work, the drive, the dedication," he said. "That's what that ring represents, you know what I mean?"
Credits: Images via Instagram / Boston Celtics and Jason of Beverly Hills.
Scientists at ETH Zurich believe that seeding the atmosphere each year with five million tons of diamond dust could reflect enough of the sun's energy to cool the planet by 1.6ºC (2.9ºF) over 45 years, thereby countering the devastating effects of climate change.
This type of large-scale manipulation of the earth’s climate is called “geoengineering.”
Certainly this strategy comes with a hefty price tag. The scientists at ETH Zurich's Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science estimated the investment at about $2.6 trillion per year (or $200 trillion over the remainder of this century).
The idea of pumping the atmosphere with lab-grown diamond dust sounds a bit fanciful, but it's rooted in observable, measurable data.
When Mount Pinatubo erupted in the Philippines in 1991, about 20 million tons of sulfur dioxide was blasted into the sky, effectively redirecting some of the sun’s energy and lowering the average temperatures over the next two years by a half degree.
Scientists could have proposed mimicking the action of a volcano by seeding the sky with sulphates, but that strategy has its dangers. Sulfates lead to the production of sulphuric acid, which depletes the ozone layer, negatively affects plant growth and diminishes the effectiveness of solar panels.
Back in 2015, Harvard scientists were the first to propose a massive-scale geoengineering project using diamond dust. They argued that carbon-based diamond dust or alumina (aluminum oxide) would be far more effective and less damaging than sulphates.
In a modeling study published this month in Geophysical Research Letters, the ETH Zurich scientists reported that diamond dust was the best choice for staving off the worst consequences of global warming.
The researchers used a supercomputer to model the effects of seven compounds — including sulfur dioxide, diamond, aluminum, calcite, silicon carbide, anatase and rutile — across 45 years. The results showed that the chemically inert diamond particles were best at reflecting radiation while also staying aloft and avoiding clumping.
The ETH Zurich said that the diamond particles could be injected into the stratosphere using high-altitude aircraft.
Douglas MacMartin, an engineer at Cornell University, who specializes in climate science, told science.org that at $500,000 per ton, synthetic diamond dust is 2,400 times more expensive than sulfur, which he advocates as more viable, cost-effective alternative.
Another issue is whether the international lab-grown diamond manufacturers would be able to ramp up to handle production.
The scientific community understands that the diamond-dust cooling strategy is not without its own risks. First off, it’s never been tested, and second, once the diamonds are up in the sky, the results — positive or negative — would be difficult to reverse.
Credits: Graphic by Scientific Visualization Studio/Goddard Space Flight Center.
The Florida Panthers celebrated their first-ever Stanley Cup title with a 14-karat yellow gold ring set with 554 diamonds, 17 rubies, 37 yellow sapphires and nine blue sapphires, for a total weight of 15.6 carats.
Players, coaching staff and ownership received their deeply symbolic rings during a private ceremony at the newly-renovated War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
With the team's back-to-back trips to the Stanley Cup Finals, and its memorable game-seven victory at home against the Edmonton Oilers, the 2024 Panthers bolstered the claim that Florida is truly the “State of Hockey.” And the Jostens-designed championship rings include a number of elements that honor Florida and Broward County.
“The incredible achievement of this team was the inspiration for the Viola family when crafting the franchise’s first Championship ring,” said Panthers President & CEO Matt Caldwell. “This ring represents the culture, hard work and leadership of this winning team, our home in Broward County, the vibrant South Florida lifestyle and shows the immense pride we all hold in our hearts for this historic team.”
Unlike most championship rings that are either round or oval, the shape of the Panthers' ring top mimics the iconic shield design of the Panthers logo and proudly features the Panthers mark intricately set with brilliant white diamonds, as well as dazzling blue and yellow sapphires. The team’s new title of “STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS” is rendered in diamonds at the top and bottom of the ring. Exactly 187 diamonds cascade from the ring top down the edges, creating a border around the side panels.
The left side of the ring features the recipient’s name in raised block letters. Below the recipient’s name is a tab which contains either PANTHERS or the person's title within the organization. The tab is a nod to the Panther’s tradition of “earning your tabs,” just as each player who comes out of training camp earns the FLORIDA tabs found on the sleeve of his home jersey.
Under the tab, is the shape of the state of Florida fully executed in diamonds and a single ruby. The location of the ruby honors the Florida Panthers' home in Broward County, while the diamonds represent the significant growth of the sport of hockey within the state of Florida. Completing the left side of the ring is the player's jersey number set in white diamonds.
The right side of the ring features “FLORIDA” in block letters across the top. Below the state name is the coveted Stanley Cup, flanked by the year 2024, all set with diamonds to pay tribute to the team’s first-ever title. The right side is completed with a beach and palm tree background, in homage to the unique South Florida Stanley Cup Parade and beach-front celebrations that took place in the wake of the team’s historic win.
The interior of the ring features an array of uniquely symbolic icons. One is a depiction of the official WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) and NHL Stanley Cup Championship Belt. The graphic honors the Florida Panthers for being the first NHL team to have its name added to this championship belt.
Below the belt are the results from the Panthers' playoff run. The results are readable but are shown with a strike-through, a design borrowed from one of the rally towels that energized the home fans during the playoff games at Amerant Bank Arena. And below the scores is the date of the Stanley Cup-winning Game 7: 6-24-24.
In addition, the word "Freedom" on the interior of the band is a nod to what coach Paul Maurice kept saying to his team during their Stanley Cup run. He told them to "play with freedom," meaning he wanted them to stay within themselves and "play loose."
Finally, to the left of all those items on the interior of the band is a representation of a rat, which pays homage to one of the longest standing fan-led Panthers traditions celebrating each Panther win.
"The rat trick" has its origins before the first game of the 1995-96 season, when player Scott Mellanby killed a rat in the locker room using his hockey stick. Mellanby went on to score two goals during the home opener using that stick. At the next home game, a fan threw a plastic rat onto the ice after a goal, and from then on it became a tradition to throw plastic rats on the ice after a home win.
Credits: Images courtesy of Jostens.
Last week, the Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas took the wraps off its newest exhibit titled “Topaz: A Spectrum in Stone.” The presentation, which will run through October 2025, features more than 100 exquisite topaz specimens from every corner of the world, including the 332-carat "Imperial Flame."
“This exhibit — my first at the Perot Museum — highlights the beauty and significance of topaz, especially Texas topaz, alongside other locations from around the world,” said Caroline Im, Director of Gems and Minerals since September of 2023. “Visitors will be captivated by the stunning range of colors, shapes and sizes of this rare mineral, including the [Texas] state gem with its distinctive ‘Lone Star Cut,’ the only gemstone cut specific to any US state.”
Im and museum CEO Linda Silver previewed "Topaz: A Spectrum in Stone" for the press and museum patrons during a Tuesday luncheon at the Lyda Hill Gems and Minerals Hall, which is one of the Perot Museum’s most popular attractions.
The one-of-a-kind collection displays the spectacular scope of crystal structures and colored stones within the topaz family, including the following:
-- The Imperial Flame topaz: A magnificent 332-carat carving from Ouro Preto, Brazil. Carefully shaped and faceted over four weeks by the artisans of Kreis Jewellery in Germany, the rare red-orange gem is recognized as the largest and finest stone of its caliber in the world.
-- A stupendous 9,630-carat marquise-cut gem from Brazil.
-- The largest known “Lone Star Cut” of a Texas topaz: a 234-carat gem featuring a five-point star carved into the pavilion, or bottom, of the stone. The carved star reflects throughout the gem.
-- A 15-pound blue topaz from Brazil.
-- An etched topaz showing intricate surface patterns resulting from the topaz being partially dissolved in hydrothermal fluids.
“Topaz: A Spectrum in Stone” includes New England minerals from both Im’s alma mater, Harvard University, and a treasure from the University of Texas, topping 900 carats. There’s also a selection of topaz crystals from Volyn, a renowned region in Ukraine, famous for its large caverns of massive topaz. The exhibit also includes specimens from Pakistan, Argentina, Namibia, Brazil, Russia and many other countries.
Like many of the gems and minerals at the Perot Museum, these specimens are on loan from generous and renowned private collectors, who were willing to share their awe-inspiring specimens with the public.
According to dmagazine.com, the museum's loan partners for this exhibit include Diane and Keith Brownlee, Carabas Collection, Mark Oran Carter, Aleksander Chournousenko, Diane Eames, Judith and James Gibbs, Harvard University, Lyda Hill, Kreis Jewellery, Larson Collection, Rob Lavinsky, Somewhere in the Rainbow, Gail and James Spann, and The University of Texas.
Located in the heart of Dallas, the Perot Museum of Nature and Science is a nonprofit educational and research organization dedicated to inspiring minds through nature and science. Visitors will find everything from dinosaurs to diamonds, packed into five levels of hands-on discovery and adventure. The museum welcomes more than one million visitors per year, 150,000 of which are schoolchildren.
Credits: Imperial Flame photo courtesy of Kreis Jewellery. Topaz luncheon and Caroline Im photos courtesy of Perot Museum. Texas topaz courtesy of UT Austin.
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you fabulous songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, we turn the calendar back to 2017, when a fresh-faced 16-year-old named Billie Eilish has just released her debut single, “Ocean Eyes.”
In the song, the artist portrays a young woman suffering through a devastating breakup. She still loves her ex-boyfriend and is longing for his brilliant “diamond mind” and his dreamy “ocean eyes.”
She sings, “I’ve been walking through / A world gone blind / Can’t stop thinking of your diamond mind / Careful creature made friends with time / He left her lonely with a diamond mind / And those ocean eyes.”
The official music video of the song has been viewed on YouTube an astounding 514 million times.
Co-written by her brother, Finneas Baird O’Connell, “Ocean Eyes” was originally recorded for a dance class in 2015, when Eilish was only 14 years old. The intention was to have her dance teacher choreograph a routine to the music.
“We put it on SoundCloud with a free download link next to it so my dance teacher could access it,” Eilish told Teen Vogue. “We had no intentions for it, really. But basically overnight a ton of people started hearing it and sharing it.”
The song soon went viral with 35 million streams on Spotify alone.
“Ocean Eyes” was featured as the lead single from Eilish’s debut EP, Don’t Smile at Me, which was released in August of 2017. One month later, she made her national TV debut on The Late Late Show with James Corden, and Apple Music named Eilish the UPNEXT artist of the month in October 2017.
A little more than two years later, at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards, Eilish would become only the second artist to sweep all the General Field categories in the same year. She won Best New Artist, Best New Album, Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album.
Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O’Connell was born in Los Angeles in 2001 to a family of actors and musicians. She began writing songs at age 11, following the footsteps of her older brother, who was already performing original songs with his band.
Please check out Eilish’s official music video of “Ocean Eyes.” The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…
“Ocean Eyes”
Written by Arron Carl Davey and Finneas Baird O’Connell. Performed by Billie Eilish.
I’ve been watching you
For some time
Can’t stop staring at those ocean eyes
Burning cities and napalm skies
Fifteen flares inside those ocean eyes
Your ocean eyes
No fair
You really know how to make me cry
When you gimme those ocean eyes
I’m scared
I’ve never fallen from quite this high
Falling into your ocean eyes
Those ocean eyes
I’ve been walking through
A world gone blind
Can’t stop thinking of your diamond mind
Careful creature made friends with time
He left her lonely with a diamond mind
And those ocean eyes
No fair
You really know how to make me cry
When you gimme those ocean eyes
I’m scared
I’ve never fallen from quite this high
Falling into your ocean eyes
Those ocean eyes
No fair
You really know how to make me cry
When you gimme those ocean eyes
I’m scared
I’ve never fallen from quite this high
Falling into your ocean eyes
Those ocean eyes
Credit: Photo by Justin Higuchi from Los Angeles, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Last week, Zachary Ashworth was all set to pop the question to girlfriend Katherine Carver at Mississippi's 28th annual "Cruisin' the Coast" event, which is billed as "America's Largest Block Party."
Each year, tens of thousands of car enthusiasts from 40 states, plus Canada, Germany and Puerto Rico, converge on the Mississippi Gulf Coast for a week to showcase their rides and to cruise the picturesque 30-mile stretch of beach-side highway, with special events taking place across 12 cities in South Mississippi.
The day was perfect, the venue was perfect, but when Ashworth reached into his pocket to pull out the three-stone diamond engagement ring, he knew something was very wrong.
“I went to feel for the ring in my pocket and I realized the ring was missing,” the Pensacola, FL, native told Biloxi TV station, WLOX. "I literally just dropped my drink on the ground, and she looks at me and goes, ‘Are you okay?’"
Ashworth wasn't OK. The last time he had successfully felt the ring in his pocket, the couple was enjoying a Trucks and Tacos event in Long Beach.
The couple retraced their steps, but finding a ring amidst the thousands of people and hundreds of cruisers was a daunting task. They gave up the search and decided to post a plea on the Cruisin' the Coast Facebook page.
He wrote, "If anyone here was at Coastal Daiquiris (bar & grill) today in Long Beach Thursday the 10 between 3-4 pm and found a 14k 3-stone diamond ring with a sizer on it, I would love to have it back. It was my engagement ring I was going to give my girlfriend today."
Meanwhile, Cruisin' the Coast attendee Sonya Becnel was dealing with challenges of her own after she noticed something shiny peeking out from under a truck tire.
“I looked down… and I saw a ring," she told WLOX. "Just sitting there right on top of the grass, gold."
“I said, ‘Look I got a problem,’” Becnel recounted. “I found a ring and I have no idea what to do with it. How will I find the person out of 10,000 people? How will I find this person?”
Becnel and her friend, Annette Cortez, decided to check out the Cruisin' the Coast Facebook page.
“Later on that night we were scrolling through Facebook… and saw Zachary’s post," Cortez said. "I was like, ‘Oh my god! We have your ring.’”
The Good Samaritans wrote to Ashworth on Facebook and arranged to meet up with the relieved couple at an Ocean Springs event the next day.
Ashworth got the ring back and thanked the Good Samaritans with a reward. A video posted to the WLOX website documented the emotional, hug-filled reunion.
“It was awesome," Becnel told the station. "We were excited. He was so excited. That was our main goal, to get this guy his ring back.”
Credits: Screen captures via WLOX.com.