Here's the story about how an impoverished New Jersey youngster became a prima donna at the New York Metropolitan Opera, married a telecommunications executive and was gifted what was to become one of the most famous emeralds of all time. Today, the 167-carat "Mackay Emerald" is the largest cut emerald in the Smithsonian National Gem […]
Japanese researchers have created an ultra-pure, two-inch-wide diamond wafer that has the storage capacity of 25 billion gigabytes. That's equivalent to the information on one billion Blu-ray Discs or the amount of data distributed by all the world's mobile devices in a single day. Developed by Adamant Namiki Precision Jewel Co. and Saga University, the […]
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you classic tunes with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, Hank Williams Jr. tells the story of his 700-mile Southwestern odyssey in a 1975 song called “Clovis, New Mexico.” Williams recounts how he and his bronc-riding pal, Billy, head out on a very-low-budget […]
The 15.10-carat "De Beers Blue" came within a whisker of setting a new world record for the priciest vivid blue diamond ever sold at auction. The hammer price of $57,471,960 at Sotheby's Hong Kong last night was just short of the $57,541,779 achieved by the 14.62-carat "Oppenheimer Blue" at Christie's Geneva in 2016. The single-lot, […]
Mother's Day 2022 jewelry sales are expected to hit $7 billion, making it the fastest-growing and highest-volume gift-giving category for the second year in a row, according to an annual survey released by the National Retail Federation (NRF). The jewelry sector's record-breaking tally is up from $6.1 billion in 2021 and $5.3 billion in 2020. […]
Climbing to a height of 175 feet or more, giant kelp will be playing a key role in De Beers' ambitious efforts to achieve carbon neutrality across its operations by 2030. The world's largest diamond miner by value announced that it is investing $2 million in Kelp Blue, an innovative start-up that is pioneering a […]
Mattel's newest Barbie doll is literally fit for a queen. Sculpted in the likeness of Britain's longest-reigning monarch, the new Barbie Signature Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Doll celebrates her 70 years of service and reflects her love of fine jewelry. The toy company released the collectible on the Queen's 96th birthday, April 21. Jewelry […]
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you uplifting songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title. Today, newly engaged Canadian recording artist Avril Lavigne performs “Fly,” a power ballad inspired by the athletes of the Special Olympics. In this song about having the inner strength to overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges, […]
Unlike Super Bowl rings that can be worth upwards of $35,000 apiece, college football's National Championship rings cannot exceed $415 in value, according to NCAA rules. This reality creates enormous challenges for companies, such as Jostens, which was recently tasked with creating commemorative jewelry for the University of Georgia Bulldogs' National Championship football team. Instead […]
The Houston Astros’ colorful 2021 American League Championship rings tell the story of the team's impressive run to the World Series, where they narrowly lost to the Atlanta Braves in six games. The 10-karat white and yellow gold rings feature 104 round diamonds, 15 custom-cut diamonds, four princess-cut diamonds, 42 blue sapphires and eight orange […]