The Royal Mint has just produced the largest coin in its 1,100-year history to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II's historic 70-year reign.
>About the size of a small pizza, the one-of-a-kind Platinum Jubilee coin is made of .999 gold and weighs an astonishing 15 kilograms (33.1 pounds). The coin carries a denomination of £15,000, but the value of the precious metal alone is £776,595 ( $982,000).
Instead of being struck between two dies like a standard coin, this 220-millimeter-wide collectible was cut into a solid gold ingot by a high-speed precision milling machine before the processes of burnishing, polishing and frosting were carried out by hand to highlight key design elements. The process took nearly 400 hours of refinement using state-of-the-art engraving and laser technology.
A private UK collector commissioned the coin, which features a bespoke commemorative design that had been personally approved by The Queen, according to The Royal Mint.
“As the largest UK coin to date, the scale and diameter of the piece has allowed us to push the boundaries of minting to produce an exceptional level of relief and detail," said Paul Morgan, Technical Manager at The Royal Mint. "It is a true testament to the expertise and skills of our in-house design and production teams, and their ability to collaborate with the finest artists. The combination of traditional craftsmanship and modern technology has produced a truly one-of-a-kind piece of art.”
The private collector has been a long-standing customer of The Royal Mint and an enthusiastic investor in coins marking moments throughout The Queen’s reign.
"The latest and greatest in my collection is the Platinum Jubilee coin, designed by John Bergdahl and brought to life in 15 kilograms of solid gold," the collector said in a statement. "The beautiful design stands apart as a fitting tribute to Her Majesty’s service to our nation and the craftsmanship is simply breathtaking, ensuring a once-in-a-lifetime moment will live on in history on a UK coin.”
The reverse side depicts a crowned EIIR cypher surrounded by roses, daffodils, thistles and shamrocks, representing the United Kingdom. It also includes a symbolic privy mark of the St. Edward’s Crown worn during Elizabeth's coronation in 1953, positioned above the number "70," in recognition of Her Majesty’s momentous celebration.
On the obverse side of the coin, a special commemorative design depicting The Queen on horseback is engraved on the precious metal.
The Royal Mint has told the story of The Queen’s reign on UK coins since her accession to the throne in 1952, including five definitive portraits of Her Majesty.
Credit: Image courtesy of The Royal Mint.
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you awesome songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, a reflective Justin Bieber sings about seizing the moment and pursuing one's dreams in his uplifting treatise, “All In It.”
Co-written by Bieber, Jason Boyd, Mark Jackson, Mason Levy and Josh Gudwin, the 2015 tune reminds us that we all have potential to do great things — if we are willing to put in the extra effort.
Bieber sings, “If you got a diamond for all of your passion / Diamond for your dedication / You could be icy like cake / Icy for every occasion / Gotta go hard, yeah / Still don't condone it / Love is a component / You’re the only opponent / Gotta seize the moment.”
“All In It” is featured as a bonus track on Bieber’s fourth studio album, Purpose. The album, which spawned three U.S Billboard Hot 100 chart toppers, was a tremendous commercial and critical success. MTV called the album “lyrically revealing and sonically appealing.” Fans agreed, as the album made its debut at #1 on the U.S. Billboard 200, selling 649,000 copies in its first week of release.
For Bieber, the year leading up to the album's release was a time of soul-searching after a tumultuous period of broken relationships and eyebrow-raising behavior. Throughout the 18 compelling tracks of Purpose, Bieber admits his mistakes and challenges himself to be a better man.
Born in London, Ontario, Canada, in 1994, Justin Drew Bieber loved to perform as a kid. In early 2007, he placed second in a local singing competition. Bieber’s mom, Pattie, posted a video of his performance on YouTube, and then added videos of her 12-year-old son singing covers of various R&B songs. It’s been reported that music executive Scooter Braun accidentally clicked on one of Bieber’s videos — thinking he was watching a 20-year-old doing a cover of Aretha Franklin’s “Respect.” The impressive performer was, in fact, the pre-teen Bieber.
Braun tracked down the youngster in Canada, and with the permission of Bieber’s mom, introduced him to singer-songwriter Usher, who soon became his mentor. Bieber was then signed by record executive L.A. Reid and the rest is history.
Now 28 years old, Bieber has sold an estimated 150 million records, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He’s earned two Grammy Awards, 18 American Music Awards, 26 Billboard Music Awards, 23 Teen Choice Awards and a record 21 MTV Europe Music Awards.
We hope you enjoy the audio track of “All In It.” The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…
“All In It”
Written by Justin Bieber, Jason Boyd, Mark Jackson, Mason Levy and Josh Gudwin. Performed by Justin Bieber.
Don’t do nothin’ ‘less your heart’s in it
Heart’s in it, heart’s in it
Don’t do nothin’ ‘less you’re all in it
All in it, all in it
If you got a 20 for all of your tries
Twenty for all of the times
The times you got back up, woah
Could be a billionaire in a year
That’s how you gotta think ’til you’re there
On the regular
If you got a diamond for all of your passion
Diamond for your dedication
You could be icy like cake
Icy for every occasion
Gotta go hard, yeah
Still don't condone it
Love is a component
You’re the only opponent
Gotta seize the moment
And don’t do nothin’ ‘less your heart’s in it
Heart’s in it, heart’s in it
Don’t do nothin’ ‘less you’re all in it
All in it, all in it
Come again each time
‘Til the water runs dry
Oh don’t do nothin’ ‘less you’re all in it
All in it, all in it
Oh, oh
Oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
All in it, all in it
If I had a guitar missing five strings
A guitar with only one string
I could only play one song, ooh
A simple melody
Simple enough to make the world sing
Strong enough to make your mood swing
You know what I mean
If you got a diamond for all of your passion
Diamond for your dedication
You could be icy like cake
Icy for every occasion
Gotta go hard, yeah
Still don't condone it
Love is a component
You’re the only opponent
Gotta seize the moment
And don’t do nothin’ ‘less your heart’s in it
Heart’s in it, heart’s in it
Don’t do nothin’ ‘less you’re all in it
All in it, all in it
Come again each time
‘Til the water runs dry
Don’t do nothin’ ‘less you’re all in it
All in it, all in it
Oh, oh
Oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh
All in it, all in it
See, growing up, I
I always felt like I had to be the best at everything
Cause I, I just didn’t think I was good enough
And, and maybe if I was good at something that I’d get recognition from that but
I quickly found out that I wasn’t gonna get the recognition that I wanted or that I needed because
Because people aren’t perfect and by not being perfect you sometimes can disappoint people
And with God it’s like he’s perfect
And he never disappoints
So I just get my recognition from him
And give him recognition
Credit: Image by Joe Bielawa, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Of the largest 50 rough diamonds ever discovered, seven have come from Lesotho, a tiny, landlocked kingdom at the southern tip of Africa. Despite its diminutive size (Maryland is larger), Lesotho produces a remarkable number of large, Type II, top-quality stones. (Type II diamonds are extremely rare, colorless and chemically pure with no traces of nitrogen impurities.) The kingdom's diamond mines generate more dollars-per-carat than any other diamond-producing country.
Last week, Lucapa Diamond Company unveiled a 204-carat white diamond from its Mothae mine in Lesotho. It is the eighth diamond of 100+ carats and third of 200+ carats to be recovered from the sky-high mine since commercial production began in January 2019.
The Mothae kimberlite mine is situated at an altitude of 2,900 meters (1.8 miles) above sea level in the Maluti Mountains. Lucapa has a 70% stake in the mine, with the remainder owned by the Government of the Kingdom of Lesotho.
Lesotho is also home to the prolific Letšeng Diamond Mine, which is co-owned by Gem Diamonds, Ltd., and the government of Lesotho.
The country's biggest diamond finds to date include the Lesotho Legend (910 carats), Lesotho Promise (603 carats), Lesotho Brown (601 carats), Letšeng Star (550 carats), Lesotho Legacy (493 carats), Light of Letšeng (478 carats) and the Letšeng Icon (439-carats).
The Australia-based Lucapa Diamond Company also operates the high-value Lulo mine in Angola. Lulo is best known for producing a 404-carat oblong rough diamond that was eventually cut by de Grisogono into a D-flawless, 163-carat emerald-cut stunner that became the centerpiece of an emerald and diamond necklace. That piece fetched $33.7 million at Christie’s Geneva in November of 2017.
According to diamonds.net, Lucapa will sell the 204-carat stone to the Graff-owned subsidiary, Safdico, which is contracted to buy all Mothae rough for a 2 1/2-year period. The agreement also allows Safdico to purchase up to 60% of the output of Lucapa’s Lulo mine.
Credit: Photo courtesy of Lucapa Diamond Company.
In 1910, Thomas Cullinan, then chairman of the Premier Mine in South Africa, gifted an elaborate necklace to his wife Lady Annie Francis Cullinan to commemorate the discovery of the largest gem-quality diamond ever mined.
About five years earlier, on January 26, 1905, Captain Frederick Wells was conducting a standard inspection of the Premier Mine when a glint off the wall of the mine caught his attention. At first, he thought it was a shard of glass that may have been embedded there by a miner as a practical joke. But, then he pulled out his pocket knife and pried the object from the wall.
What he extracted was the now-famous 3,106-carat Cullinan Diamond, which weighed a staggering 621 grams (1.37 pounds) and measured 98mm (3.85 inches) long, 57mm wide and 67mm tall. The chairman sold the diamond to the Transvaal provincial government, which, in turn, presented the stone to Britain’s King Edward VII as a birthday gift in 1907. Wells reportedly received a $10,000 bonus for his discovery.
In February 1908, Joseph Asscher & Co. segmented the Cullinan Diamond into nine major finished stones, each of which was given the name Cullinan and a Roman numeral. Two of the gems are in the British Crown Jewels — the Great Star of Africa (Cullinan I) at 530.4 carats and the Second Star of Africa (Cullinan II) at 317.4 carats. The other seven stones remain in the private collection of Queen Elizabeth II.
Cullinan (1862-1936) was knighted in 1910 in recognition of his contribution to industrial development of South Africa. At about the same time, the chairman presented his beloved wife, Annie (1866-1963), with the Edwardian-style "Cullinan Blue Diamond Necklace" — a feminine and elegant piece set with 243 round colorless diamonds and nine fancy intense blue diamonds. It is said that the nine blue diamonds represent the nine major stones derived from the Cullinan Diamond.
Designed in 9-karat rose gold and silver, the necklace features a detachable double-ribbon bow motif with a dangling pendant that holds the Cullinan Blue Diamond, an oval-cut, natural fancy intense blue diamond that weighs 2.60 carats. The piece's overall diamond total weight is approximately 24.11 carats.
Throughout most of its long history, the Cullinan Blue Diamond Necklace had been bequeathed to the first daughter in each generation of the Cullinan family. That tradition ended in 1992, when Anne Robinson, the great granddaughter of Thomas and Annie Cullinan, sold the necklace to jeweler Stephen Silver, president of Stephen Silver Fine Jewelry, Menlo Park, CA.
The necklace was temporarily exhibited at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC, in 1994, and then formally donated by Silver to the National Gem Collection in 2010. The Cullinan Blue Diamond Necklace is currently displayed at the Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems, and Minerals, which is part of the National Museum of Natural History.
The Cullinan Blue Diamond and the the Cullinan Blue Diamond Necklace shouldn't be confused with “The De Beers Cullinan Blue,” the 15.10-carat, step-cut, fancy vivid blue diamond that recently came within a whisker of setting a new world record for the priciest vivid blue diamond ever sold at auction.
Now renamed “The De Beers Blue” the stunner achieved a hammer price of $57,471,960 at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in late April. That was just short of the $57,541,779 achieved by the 14.62-carat “Oppenheimer Blue” at Christie’s Geneva in 2016.
Credits: Cullinan Blue Diamond Necklace image courtesy of Smithsonian / Chip Clark, and digitally enhanced by SquareMoose. The De Beers Blue diamond photo courtesy of Sotheby's.
The ancient Maya are famous for erecting majestic palaces, sky-high pyramids and astronomical observatories, but did you know that they also loved to decorate their teeth with colorful gems and enjoyed excellent oral hygiene due to the all-natural glue dentists used to adhere the bling to their pearly whites?
The Maya civilization that spanned southeast Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador reached its pinnacle between 300 and 900 AD, and during that period, it was common for citizens — both rich and poor — to flash toothy smiles emblazoned with jadeite, iron pyrites, hematite, turquoise, quartz and serpentine.
Maya dentists expertly bored holes into tooth enamel and dentine and inlaid finely-shaped gems to fit the cavities. The dentists used plant-based sealants as adhesives, a technique so effective that most of the teeth recovered at Maya archaeological digs still have their stone inlays intact. The stones have held tight for more than 1,000 years.
Scientists originally believed that the Maya decorated their teeth for aesthetic or ritualistic reasons, perhaps marking a right of passage to adulthood.
But a team of researchers at the Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute in Mexico City believe that the glue-like sealant employed by dentists actually carried antibacterial properties and contributed to the society's excellent oral health. The researchers wrote that the ancient Maya believed "their breath was a link to the divine.”
Dr. Gloria Hernández Bolio and her colleagues analyzed sealants taken from eight teeth samples from different sites across the Maya empire. In all, they were able to identify 150 organic plant resin molecules, mostly from pine trees. Besides being an excellent dental adhesive, the pine resin attacks bacteria that causes tooth decay. Two of their samples contained sclareolide from Salvia plants. These are known to have antibacterial and antifungal properties.
The researchers emphasized how effective these ingredients were in promoting oral health. Study co-author, Vera Tiesler, a bioarchaeologist at the Autonomous University of Yucatán, explained that Janaab’ Pakal, the Maya king of Palenque, had nearly all of his teeth intact and none showed signs of decay when he died in 612 AD at the age of 80.
These findings were recently published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports.
Credit: Image by https://www.flickr.com/photos/101561334@N08/, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
One of the most memorable tiaras of all time — the one worn by Diana, Princess of Wales, on her wedding day in 1981 — will highlight a Sotheby's London exhibition of more than 50 beautiful and storied headpieces spanning the ages. This is the UK's largest exhibition of tiaras in 20 years and is timed to coincide with Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee celebrations, marking her 70 years on the throne.
Dubbed the Spencer Tiara, Diana's wedding day headpiece is described by Sotheby's as a delicate and harmonious series of running scrolls, interspersed with star and trumpet-shaped flowers. Elements of the piece were part of a tiara fabricated for Viscountess Montagu in 1767 and subsequently passed down through generations of the Spencer family.
Diana was said to be particularly found of the heart-shaped section in the center of the tiara because it was given to her grandmother, Lady Cynthia Hamilton, as a wedding present in 1919 when she married Viscount Althorp, the future seventh Earl Spencer.
The current incarnation of the Spencer Tiara was designed by royal jeweler Garrard in 1937 and merges components from the 18th century Montagu jewelry with those from Lady Sarah Spencer’s collection. In addition to wearing the headpiece during her nuptials, Diana reportedly wore it on many subsequent occasions, including state dinners and overseas tours.
Diana's brother, Earl Spencer, loaned the cherished tiara to Sotheby's for the special exhibition. It's the first time the historic Spencer Tiara has been on display in London since the 1960s.
“The Queen’s Jubilee celebrations have given us the perfect opportunity to put on public display an outstanding selection of tiaras from noble and royal provenance, many of which have not been exhibited in decades," noted Kristian Spofforth, head of jewelry at Sotheby’s London. "The sourcing of these jewels has been a labor of love, resulting in an exhibition that showcases the best iterations within the tiara style register, through some of its most famous incarnations – including the much-loved and photographed Spencer Tiara."
Sotheby's exhibition is titled "Power & Image: Royal & Aristocratic Tiaras" and will run from May 28 through June 15 at its London showroom on New Bond Street. Admission is free. The showroom is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and weekends noon until 5 p.m. The exhibition will be closed on June 5.
Credits: Images courtesy of Sotheby's.
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you awesome songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, Taylor Swift's Juliet gets her prince (and a ring) in the mega-hit, “Love Story.”
Back in 2008, an 18-year-old Swift released a semi-autobiographical song about Juliet, a teenager whose love interest is despised by her family and friends. Even though her dad forbids his daughter to date the young Romeo, Swift’s character steals away with him. The story, which is based on real events in Swift’s life, is spun with key elements from William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
But, instead of having a tragic ending, Swift’s version ends with a proposal and an engagement ring (the only part of the song that’s not based on fact). Swift sings, “He knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring and said… / Marry me, Juliet, you’ll never have to be alone / I love you, and that’s all I really know / I talked to your dad. Go pick out a white dress / It’s a love story, baby, just say, 'Yes'.”
Swift told the Los Angeles Times why she decided to put a happy ending on Shakespeare’s tragedy.
“I was really inspired by that story, except for the ending,” she said. “I feel like they had such promise and they were so crazy for each other. And if that had just gone a little bit differently, it could have been the best love story ever told. And it is one of the best love stories ever told, but it’s a tragedy. I thought, why can’t you… make it a happy ending and put a key change in the song and turn it into a marriage proposal?”
Songfacts.com reports that Swift was so excited when the pre-chorus lyrics came into her head, that she grabbed her guitar, sat on her bedroom floor and wrote the song in 20 minutes. Some of Swift fans believe the song relates to her relationship with Joe Jonas of the Jonas Brothers.
“Love Story,” which was the lead single from Swift’s second studio album Fearless, was the singer’s biggest seller (only to be surpassed by "Shake It Off" in 2014). With more than eight million copies sold worldwide, "Love Story" also ranks in the top tier of the most successful singles of all time. Music critics at the time wrote that “Love Story” established Swift as a “true princess of pop.”
Born in Wyomissing, Pa., Swift was not an average schoolgirl. By the time she was 11, Swift was already performing regularly at karaoke contests, festivals and fairs near her home in Berks County. When she was 14, her parents moved the family to Nashville, where Swift would be better positioned to pursue a career in country music. At the age of 17, Swift was topping the country charts.
Now 32 years old, Swift is one of the best-selling musicians of all time. She has sold more than 200 million records, nabbed 11 Grammy Awards and topped the Billboard Hot 100 eight times.
Please check out the video of Swift performing "Love Story" during a "Live on Letterman" concert. The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…
“Love Story”
Written and performed by Taylor Swift.
We were both young when I first saw you.
I close my eyes and the flashback starts:
I’m standing there on a balcony in summer air.
See the lights, see the party, the ball gowns.
See you make your way through the crowd
And say, “Hello, ”
Little did I know…
That you were Romeo, you were throwing pebbles,
And my daddy said, “Stay away from Juliet”
And I was crying on the staircase
Begging you, “Please don’t go”
And I said…
Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone.
I’ll be waiting; all that’s left to do is run.
You’ll be the prince and I’ll be the princess,
It’s a love story, baby, just say, “Yes”.
So I sneak out to the garden to see you.
We keep quiet ’cause we’re dead if they knew
So close your eyes… escape this town for a little while.
Oh, oh.
‘Cause you were Romeo – I was a scarlet letter,
And my daddy said, “Stay away from Juliet”
But you were everything to me,
I was begging you, “Please don’t go”
And I said…
Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone.
I’ll be waiting; all that’s left to do is run.
You’ll be the prince and I’ll be the princess.
It’s a love story, baby, just say, “Yes”.
Romeo, save me, they’re trying to tell me how to feel.
This love is difficult but it’s real.
Don’t be afraid, we’ll make it out of this mess.
It’s a love story, baby, just say, “Yes”.
Oh, oh, oh.
I got tired of waiting
Wondering if you were ever coming around.
My faith in you was fading
When I met you on the outskirts of town.
And I said…
Romeo, save me, I’ve been feeling so alone.
I keep waiting for you but you never come.
Is this in my head? I don’t know what to think.
He knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring and said…
Marry me, Juliet, you’ll never have to be alone.
I love you, and that’s all I really know.
I talked to your dad – go pick out a white dress
It’s a love story, baby, just say, “Yes”.
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.
‘Cause we were both young when I first saw you
Credit: Screen captures via YouTube / Taylor Swift.
Crews from the Williamson County Fire Rescue couldn't save a burning vehicle on Interstate 840 in Tennessee last week, but they were able to salvage a charred ring box hidden under a seat that contained a very special piece of jewelry.
The fact that the diamond engagement ring was the only item to survive the blaze seemed like "a sign" to Myers Hart, so he wasted no time proposing to Brooklyn Stevens on the roadside with the rescue crew documenting the event with still photos and a video.
A shocked Stevens reported that the ring was still warm from the fire when Hart slipped it on her finger.
Early last week, the high school sweethearts and Stevens' best friend had been driving a rental car just south of Nashville on Interstate 840 when they heard a loud bang. They quickly pulled over to the side of the road and realized the car was on fire.
When the Williamson County Fire Rescue crews arrived only a few minutes later, the car was already 80% consumed by flames.
Hart and the friend knew the ring was hidden in the car, but they could only watch helplessly as the fire squad worked to douse the flames.
When it was finally safe to approach the vehicle, the friend whispered to the firefighters that a ring box was hidden under one of the seats.
“We started sifting through all the ashes and everything and it was melted against the seat," Fire Engineer Steve Hopkins told NBC affiliate WSMV-TV, "and actually it was perfectly encased in the ring box. I opened it up and [the ring] looked brand new, so it was really a miracle.”
Hart had purchased the engagement ring two weeks earlier and was planning a proposal. But, now, with a charred ring box in hand, Hart went down on one knee and asked Stevens to marry him.
At first, Stevens wasn't sure how to respond, as the car smoldered nearby.
Here's how Stevens described the scene for WSMV-TV: “He gets on one knee and I’m like, ‘Here?’ and I started crying. I said, ‘Here? Right now? Like the car just caught on fire. Are you serious? I mean, yes! Yes, of course I want to. But, like the car. And he was like, 'I know.'”
Stevens said, "Yes," the two embraced and Hart placed the still-toasty engagement ring on her finger.
The Williamson County Fire Rescue posted photos of the scorched car and scenes from the unusual proposal on its official Facebook page. The agency wished the future bride and groom many years of happiness and thanked Fire Engineers Terry Burress and Hopkins, as well as Firefighter Mitchell Greenham for making the couple's Monday afternoon a little more special.
Credits: Images via Facebook / Williamson Fire-Rescue.
On the most recent episode of The Kardashians, Kourtney Kardashian confessed to mom Kris Jenner that she accidentally flattened her $1 million engagement ring while tidying up her closet.
In the one-minute exchange, Jenner asks to see the oval-cut diamond engagement ring that Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker gave her daughter in October during a surprise proposal at the beachfront Rosewood Miramar Hotel in Montecito, CA.
"Oh my gosh," said Jenner. "Can you believe that you are engaged? Where's the ring?"
"I am covering it because it is actually getting fixed," Kardashian responded. "This is probably one of the worst things I've ever done in my whole life."
Kardashian went on to explain how she had taken off the ring and set it on the floor while she was folding sweatshirts in her closet. She figured that it would be safe right next to her. But it wasn't.
"So, then I had to get something up above in my closet, and when I stepped down, I stepped on the ring," she winced.
The ring didn't have a chance because it was designed with an ultra-thin pavé diamond band. While dainty bands are trendy, they do require extra care because they can be bent or broken easily. The oval diamond is estimated to be as large as 15 carats with a value upwards of $1 million.
"I was like hysterically crying in my closet for like hours," Kardashian told her mom. "And then I called Travis and I was like, 'I did something really, really bad.'"
While Barker handled the news calmly, Kardashian was still an emotional wreck.
She said, "It gave me a nervous breakdown. I was like, 'This is the most beautiful thing in my entire life and how could I have done that?'"
In a cutaway confessional, Kardashian went on to explain that she felt extra guilt because of the time and effort Barker dedicated to picking the perfect stone and designing the perfect setting.
"Travis picked it out," Kardashian said. "He designed it. He looked at so many stones and [said] that this was me in a stone. So I thought that was really special."
While Season 1 Episode 5 of The Kardashians (airing on Hulu) made news on Thursday due to Kourtney's engagement ring faux pas, the Poosh founder and her new fiancé were back in the headlines on Sunday when they officially tied the knot in Santa Barbara. A Kardashian family insider told People magazine that the couple had to legally marry ahead of "their big Italian wedding, which is happening very soon."
Credits: Photos via Instagram.com / kourtneykardash.
It's official. Marc Anthony popped the question to Miss Universe finalist Nadia Ferreira with a 10-carat diamond ring during her 23rd birthday celebration at Disney World in Orlando.
The Paraguayan model revealed the ring in an Instagram Story on Thursday. In the photo, Anthony is caressing his fianceé's hand and the three-stone ring can be seen peeking out between his ring finger and middle finger. She tagged Anthony in a caption that simply read, "Engagement Party!!!" with the three exclamation points followed by a diamond-ring emoji.
The actual ring, which is reportedly worth $500,000, features an emerald-cut center stone flanked by smaller tapered baguettes. The clean, symmetrical, three-stone motif is steeped in symbolism, as it represents the model’s past, present and future.
Made popular during the 1920’s Art Deco movement, the emerald cut continues to convey an understated, regal elegance. The stepped facets allow the admirer to see clearly into the stone, revealing its perfection.
Interestingly, the ring shares the design Anthony chose for ex-wife Jennifer Lopez in 2004. That ring was reportedly designed by Harry Winston, featured a blue diamond center stone and was valued at $4 million. Lopez is currently engaged (for the second time) to Ben Affleck.
Anthony, 53, met Ferreira earlier this year and made their relationship Instagram-official with romantic vacation posts in March. Ferreira earned the title of Miss Universe Paraguay 2021 and and went on to become the 1st Runner-Up at the Miss Universe pageant in Israel in December of 2021.
Ferreira has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of positive feedback since she announced the engagement. In an Instagram snap showing the couple posing in front of Cinderella's Castle, she wrote, "I am speechless seeing all your messages of so much love and good wishes, thank you very much. What a Birthday! #23."
The caption, which was written in her native Spanish and translated above, included three fun emojis: a happy face emoji wearing a party hat and blowing a party horn, a birthday cake and a shower of gold sparkles.
The tattooed black rectangle at the base of Anthony's left ring finger masks what used to be Lopez's initials. He covered up the tat after their separation in 2011. Anthony and Lopez are the parents of 14-year-old twins Max and Emme.
Credits: Images via Instagram / nadiatferreira.