In 1940, billionaire banker and philanthropist David Rockefeller married Margaret "Peggy" McGrath, and during their 56-year marriage the couple collected magnificent works of art and fine jewelry. Yesterday, 19 jewelry items from their massive collection hit the auction block at Christie's New York, with most far outperforming pre-sale estimates. An aquamarine and diamond “Leaves and […]
The Diamond Producer Association's high-profile "Real Is Rare" campaign scored 1.5 billion media impressions among the coveted 21-to-34-year-old demographic during its first 12 months of advertising, according to an independent research firm. Aimed at making an emotional connection with millennials via a storytelling approach, the commercials reached 98% of its core audience, with each millennial […]
Former nurse and Jupiter, Fla., resident Carol Winig is on a mission to identify the honest little girl who found her engagement ring in a supermarket parking lot and turned it over to the store's management. Winig wants to give the youngster a reward and a big hug. The six-year-old had spotted the diamond solitaire […]
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you uplifting songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, alt-country rocker Ryan Adams compares a glorious, sunny day to June's official birthstone in his 2007 ditty, "Pearls on a String." The song, which appeared as the ninth track on the artist's ninth […]
Antwerp's brand new "DIVA" museum celebrates the Belgian city's 570-year love affair with diamonds. Since the 15th century, traders from around the world journeyed to Antwerp to buy and sell luxury items, and the DIVA museum tells that story in a most unique way. Jérome, a virtual butler, escorts visitors through the "house" of a […]
Dance superstar Stephen "tWitch" Boss helped choreograph an elaborate flash mob marriage proposal that Austin natives Patrick Barker and Johanna Alvarado will never forget. Barker had met tWitch on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, where the former So You Think You Can Dance alum has become the resident DJ. The break dance and hip-hop specialist just […]
The precious pearl – adored by the world since the ancients — is June’s official birthstone. Today we’re featuring one of the most celebrated natural pearls, La Peregrina, whose history is steeped in both legend and lore. Meaning “pilgrim,” La Peregrina was considered a treasure for Spain, and has been called the largest, finest example […]
Luxury Swiss watch and jewelry brand Bucherer has teamed up with Harley-Davidson customizer Bündnerbike to create the blingiest, most expensive motorcycle in the world. The $1.9 million "Blue Edition" Harley-Davidson is adorned with 360 diamonds, including a 5.4-carat diamond ring displayed under an armored glass compartment built into one side of the tank. Located under […]
Utilizing an unmanned submersible vehicle at a depth of 600 meters, researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) positively ID'd the San José — a 62-gun, three-masted Spanish galleon that has been called the "Holy Grail of Shipwrecks." The ill-fated ship had been en route to Spain in 1708 laden with a cargo of […]
Once owned by Catherine the Great, the world's largest known freshwater blister pearl is expected to fetch more than $600,000 when it hits the auction block in The Netherlands this Thursday. Dubbed "The Sleeping Lion" due to its unusual shape, the extraordinary quarter-pound natural pearl is more than 2.7 inches long and was likely formed […]