British billionaire and diamantaire Laurence Graff paid $53 million for the 1,109-carat Lesedi La Rona, the largest gem-quality rough diamond discovered in more than a century. Graff's purchase marks the poignant reunion of two of the world's largest and most high-profile diamonds. You see, Graff had already paid $17.5 million for the 373.72-carat "chunk" that […]
A police officer with a heart of gold searched the breakdown lane of Route 4 in New Jersey — on his own time — to find the engagement ring of a young bride-to-be. Kimberly Garcia had lost her ring while changing a flat tire on the side of the busy highway in northern New Jersey, […]
The forlorn boyfriend who famously fumbled an engagement ring into the pond at Kansas City's Loose Park earned a redo on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Tuesday. Seth Dixon got to propose to Ruth Salas in front of a national TV audience on a set that mimicked the wooden footbridge where the original proposal took […]
Hey, it's Music Friday when we bring you awesome songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. When "Something Just Like This" was released earlier this year, the lyric video set a YouTube record with more than 9 million views in 24 hours. To date, that video has been seen an […]
A sparkly red, white and green brooch that was scooped up for just $8 at an Ohio garage sale five years ago delivered a $26,250 windfall at Bonhams New York on Tuesday. Although the brooch was hardly the highest priced lot of the Bonhams auction, the feel-good It Could Happen to You narrative behind the […]
In mid-November 2015 — during a span of just 72 hours — Lucara's Karowe Mine in Botswana yielded three exceptional rough diamonds that tipped the scales at a combined 2,296 carats. Now, the government of Botswana wants first dibs on future historic finds. A new clause in Botswana's Precious and Semi-Precious Stones Act compels mining […]
Geneine Dietz, a lifelong Cubs fan who spent 10 seasons ushering games at Wrigley Field, plunked down $10 on a raffle ticket and scored an authentic, player-grade 2016 World Series ring valued at $70,000. Dietz's winning ticket — #001907 — was drawn randomly from more than 25,000 entries. Fans paid $10 per entry to have […]
Rio Tinto's Argyle Mine in Western Australia — the world's most prolific diamond mine and primary source for pink, red and blue diamonds — is nearly tapped out. The mine is expected to cease operations in 2021 after a 38-year run that has produced more than 800 million carats of rough diamonds. While the bulk […]
Welcome to Music Friday when we often bring you inspirational songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, Christian hip-hop recording artist TobyMac collaborates with American Idol contestant Hollyn on "Lights Shine Bright," an uplifting tune about making the world a better place. In "Lights Shine Bright," TobyMac wants to […]
Ancient Egyptians were captivated by gold. They considered gold "the skin of the gods" and associated it with eternity. They wore elaborate jewelry to enhance their beauty, indicate their social status and to express their spirituality. Egypt's connection with gold dates back more than 5,000 years, and the goldsmiths who worked with the precious metal […]