Named after the color of seawater, aquamarine is the stunning cool, blue variety of the mineral beryl and the official birthstone for the month of March. A museum-worthy example of aquamarine is seen in this Art Deco platinum ring that was once owned by Lady Annie Francis Cullinan (1866-1963), the wife of Thomas Cullinan, who […]
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you great songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title. Today, the incomparable Stevie Wonder performs “Stay Gold,” a beautiful ballad he co-wrote for the 1983 cult movie classic, The Outsiders. In the song inspired by Robert Frost’s 1923 poem, “Nothing Gold Can Stay,” […]
American diplomat Henry Kissinger once joked that "a diamond is merely a lump of coal that did well under pressure." Now, scientists at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California have taken that notion to the extreme. Researchers predicted that a diamond crystal would shift to a new, more stable structure when subjected to 2 […]
On Thursday, the Perseverance rover completed its seven-month, 293 million-mile journey to Mars and landed safely in the Jezero crater, which contains fields of opaline silica, better known as opal. NASA scientists purposely targeted the Jezero crater because it was a rich source of a mineral that was likely to preserve microbial or plant material. […]
Mining giant Alrosa recently named a gem-quality, 100.53-carat light yellow diamond after "Sputnik V," the world's first registered vaccine against COVID-19. The vaccine, which is said to be more than 90% effective, was registered in August 2020 and has already been administered to more than 2 million people worldwide. The Sputnik V vaccine had been […]
Paris Hilton may have finally found her Prince Charming. Venture capitalist Carter Reum proposed to the heiress/entrepreneur over Valentine weekend with an emerald-cut diamond engagement ring fit for royalty. The ring design by jeweler Jean Dousset — the great-great-grandson of famed French jeweler Louis Cartier — takes its inspiration from the architectural elements of the […]
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you new tunes with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, Justin Bieber tells his wife, Hailey, that she is the only one he'll ever love in his 2021 hit, "Anyone." In the very first verse, Bieber sets the romantic scene with references to […]
The largest diamond ever recovered from the Gahcho Kué diamond mine in Canada’s Northwest Territories has been named "Polaris" to honor its Arctic origins. Polaris is the astrological name for the North Star, which is the outermost star in the handle of the Little Dipper. According to the mine's co-owner, Mountain Province Diamonds, the gem-quality, […]
Fans of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City are anxiously awaiting the Spring 2021 reopening of the completely reimagined Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals. The 11,000-square-foot halls will feature some remarkable new attractions, including two amethyst geodes that are among the world’s largest on public display. Sourced […]
As part of a special Valentine edition of Good Morning America, weekend hosts Whit Johnson, Dan Harris and Eva Pilgrim helped medical resident Steven Bean deliver a surprise marriage proposal to fellow doc Raaga Vemula. Not only was the proposal broadcast live, it was also shared in real time on the massive 3,685-square-foot ABC Supersign […]