A gift from engineer and philanthropist John A. Roebling II to the Smithsonian in 1926, this 2,585-carat opal specimen is an extraordinary example of October's official birthstone. More than 95% of the world’s gem-quality opals originate in Australia and the finest black opals are commonly sourced at Lightning Ridge — an Aussie mining area that […]
It took retiree Noreen Wredberg less than one hour to score the largest diamond of the year at Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas. The Granite Bay, CA, native spotted the 4.38-carat yellow diamond sitting on top of the ground in a plowed field that is actually the eroded surface of an extinct, diamond-bearing […]
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you awesome songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today we feature Eddy Grant’s 1984 hit, “Romancing the Stone,” which he wrote as the title song of what would become the international blockbuster movie starring Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner and a giant-sized emerald […]
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 […]
Hot on the heels of her bronze medal performance at Tokyo's Paralympic Games, swimmer Sophia Herzog turned to Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to announce her engagement to Para-cyclist boyfriend Nick Gibb. The 24-year-old athlete posted two photos that prominently displayed her engagement ring, which features a round, brilliant-cut diamond set with four prongs upon a […]
Fueled in part by pent-up demand, pent-up savings and government stimulus, U.S. consumers are heading into the holiday season with the desire and means to purchase luxury items, especially fine jewelry, according to Mastercard SpendingPulse™. Jewelry sales from November 1 to December 24 are projected to rise 59% in 2021 vs. 2020. And when comparing […]
An international team of archaeologists believe the 33 shell beads recovered from a cave in western Morocco represent the earliest known evidence of a widespread form of nonverbal communication among humans. Measuring about a half-inch across and drilled to be hung on a necklace, the beads made from sea snail shells have been dated at 142,000 […]
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you great songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title. Today we feature The Band Perry performing “Postcard From Paris,” a song that uses jewelry metaphors to compare a new boyfriend to the one that got away. Frontwoman Kimberly Perry opens the song by […]
Flip or Flop star Christina Haack is rockin' a 5-carat, radiant-cut diamond engagement ring given to her by Austin-based realtor Joshua Hall during their romantic Mexican getaway. The 38-year-old TV personality announced the engagement to her 1.7 Instagram followers on Monday via a series of romantic photos and a minimalist caption comprising five emojis — […]
The 1,175-carat rough diamond unearthed in June at Botswana's Karowe Mine made its Big Apple debut on Monday as the owners of the stone — mining company Lucara Diamond Corp and manufacturer HB Antwerp — revealed it to the press at the Whitby Hotel in upper midtown Manhattan. Billed as the largest uncut diamond to […]