A diamond-shaped reflective balloon the size of two school buses will be delivered into low-Earth orbit by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in mid-November. Visible from the Earth without the aid of a telescope, the "The Orbital Reflector" by artist Trevor Paglen will appear as bright as a star in the Big Dipper. The diamond […]
Hollywood starlet Marilyn Monroe sang "Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend" and wore the 24-carat Moon of Baroda diamond while promoting the Howard Hawks film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes in 1953. "It’s gorgeous!" Monroe gasped when she first set eyes on the pear-shaped, VS2, canary yellow stone. It was the largest diamond she ever wore in […]
The Golden State Warriors kicked off a new season with a ring ceremony last Tuesday to commemorate their 2017-18 championship run, and as expected, they’re opulent. The rings’ most interesting feature is the reversible top, the first-of-its-kind for a championship ring. The head of the ring, which can be completely detached from its band, has […]
They're back! The iconic ruby slippers made famous by actress Judy Garland in the landmark 1939 film The Wizard of Oz return to the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., this Friday after an 18-month hiatus and rejuvenating facelift. Since they were first exhibited in 1979, Dorothy's Ruby Slippers had been a top attraction, but environmental factors, […]
With a revolution raging in France in March 1791, Queen Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI prepared for their escape. The queen spent an evening carefully wrapping her most precious jewels in cotton and then packed them neatly into a wooden chest. The diamond, ruby and pearl treasures were secretly shipped to Vienna in the […]
New York City's Central Park — the verdant oasis of majestic trees, rolling lawns and bass-stocked ponds just steps away from the bustling metropolis — has been named by Celebrity Cruises as the most popular place in the world to pop the question. The company analyzed more than one million Instagram posts from the past 12 […]
As Princess Eugenie exchanged wedding vows with Jack Brooksbank on Friday at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, England, all eyes were on her magnificent emerald tiara. Dubbed the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara, the diamond-encrusted platinum headpiece features a 93.7-carat oval-shaped emerald center stone flanked by six additional emeralds on each side. Jewelry experts have […]
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you romantic throwback tunes with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. In Tom Jones's soaring rendition of “I (Who Have Nothing),” the Welch crooner assumes the role of a poor man trying to win the heart of his true love. While his rival has […]
Gifted to the Smithsonian in 1977 by legendary jeweler Harry Winston, the "Opal Peacock" brooch showcases a 32-carat black opal sourced from Lightning Ridge, Australia. The cabochon-cut gem, which displays a vivid blue and green play-of-color reminiscent of a peacock's plumage, is considered one of the world's finest examples of October's birthstone. For his Opal […]
Inspired by the constellations that light up the night sky of Canada's remote Northwest Territories, "The Diavik Stars of the Arctic" will headline Rio Tinto’s upcoming "Specials" tender — a showcase of rough diamonds greater than 10.8 carats. Among the diamonds comprising The Diavik Stars is the 177.71-carat "Vega of the Arctic," one of the […]