The world's most advanced diamond recovery vessel, the Benguela Gem, was officially unveiled in Namibia on Friday. The 580-foot-long, custom-built vessel is capable of extracting 500,000 carats annually from the coastal waters off Namibia — boosting Debmarine Namibia’s annual diamond output by 45% and creating 160 high-skilled jobs for Namibians. Built at a cost of […]
The beautiful, iridescent ammolite is about to become the official gemstone of the Canadian province of Alberta. Found predominantly in southern Alberta, ammolite is uniquely associated with the province’s identity. Ammolite is formed from the fossilized shells of molluscs, known as ammonites, which lived in an inland sea east of the Rocky Mountains. After sinking […]
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you wonderful tunes with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today's magic carpet ride down Memory Lane finds Peggy Lee singing “Baubles, Bangles & Beads” — a widely covered tune from 1954’s Tony Award-winning production of Kismet. The Broadway success of “Baubles, Bangles & […]
Take a look at the surface of Mercury and you'll probably agree that this planet could use a round or two of dermabrasion. With no significant atmosphere to deflect asteroids and comets, the diminutive planet closest to the sun is completely pocked with craters and imperfections. On the bright side, however, any one of those […]
In an uncanny stroke of good fortune, a Panama City, FL, resident was reunited with her lost engagement diamond, thanks to the honesty of a Good Samaritan at a women's apparel store and a vacuum cleaner that happened to get clogged at the most opportune time. A few weeks ago, Haley Breitenbach was enjoying an […]
In February of 2021, Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray donated his high-profile Snickers “Hungriest Player of the Year” necklace to the Arizona Foundation for the Future of Nursing. On Saturday, the necklace valued at $60,000+ yielded a mere $24,000 at Lelands' "Winter Classic 2022" auction. According to the Lelands website, the unique piece of football […]
Hidden Valley celebrated National Ranch Day — March 10 — by unveiling a 2.01-carat round brilliant-cut diamond cooked up in a lab using Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning. To pull off this feat, the popular condiment company employed the expertise of geologist Dean VandenBiesen, who is also the Vice President of LifeGem, a company known for […]
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you new tunes with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title. Today, country star Easton Corbin's brand new release tells the story of a young man who believes in love at first sight. While his mom and his best friend urge the lovestruck romantic to […]
If you missed last month's chance to pop the question on the most romantic day of the year, Valentine's Day, or on the once-in-a-lifetime true Twosday (2/22/22), there's another fine date around the corner — Sunday, March 20. Not only is that the first day of spring, it's also National Proposal Day. Conceived by John […]
Did you know that one of the largest and most famous aquamarines of all time — a 1,298-carat wonder — was gifted to First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt by Brazilian President Getúlio Vargas more than 85 years ago? This extraordinary example of March's official birthstone now resides in the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum […]