Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you sensational songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title. Today, Christian pop artist Britt Nicole delivers an inspirational message about empowerment, tolerance, confidence and self-love in her 2012 mainstream hit, "Gold." In the catchy chorus, Nicole compares her youthful fans to everyone's favorite precious metal. She sings, "This, …
Uruguayan Miners Score ‘Once-in-a-Lifetime’ Amethyst Geode in Shape of Heart
High in the hills overlooking the Uruguayan city of Artigas, miners scored a "once-in-a-lifetime" geode containing amethyst crystals in the shape of a heart. When the miners split the 80kg (176 lb) rock, mirror-image amethyst hearts appeared on each side. Uruguay Minerals director Marcos Lorenzelli told The Jeweler Blog that the geode — which he calls "The New Treasure" — …
Birthstone Feature: 96-Carat Amethyst Stands Out in This Piece From Nat’l Gem Collection
One of the world’s most outstanding examples of February’s birthstone is the 96-carat heart-shaped stunner at the center of the "Amethyst Heart Brooch," an Edwardian-period piece that was donated to the Smithsonian in 1973 by philanthropist Miriam Hubbard Morris. Exhibiting a deep, rich purple color, the Brazilian-sourced amethyst is surrounded by diamonds in a mounting that is fabricated in platinum …
Survey: It Takes 36 Hints Over 8 Months to Get Your Significant Other to Propose
A new study reveals that 54% of engaged Americans dropped hints to their partner in an effort to get them to propose. It's pretty clear that the average suitor was slow on the uptake, according to the survey commissioned by De Beers and conducted by OnePoll. There was an average span of 7.57 months between the dropping of the first …
Valentine Shoppers to Spend More on Jewelry Than Any Other Category, Reports NRF
For the fifth year in a row, Valentine shoppers will be spending more on jewelry than any other category, according to a survey just released by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Prosper Insights & Analytics. The NRF is estimating that jewelry gifts will account for $4.1 billion, or 18.8% of the overall Valentine's Day spending total of $21.8 billion. …
Music Friday: ‘Independent Women’ Buy Their Own Diamonds, Asserts Destiny’s Child
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you great songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title. Today, Beyoncé and Destiny's Child sing about female empowerment and financial independence in their 2000 hit, "Independent Women Part 1," from the movie Charlie's Angels. Sixth on Harper's Bazaar's 2020 list of the 41 most powerful songs written by …
Brilliant Start to 2021: Botswana’s Karowe Mine Yields Pair of 300+ Carat Diamonds
Signaling a brilliant start to 2021, Lucara Diamond Corp. just unveiled a pair of 300-plus-carat, top-quality white diamonds from its prolific Karowe Mine in Botswana. The 341-carat and 378-carat, unbroken, Type IIa gems are the 54th and 55th diamonds greater than 200 carats to be recovered from Karowe since 2015. (Type IIa diamonds are colorless and chemically pure with no …
Valentine’s Day 2021 Promises to Be a Romantic Sunday of Marriage Proposals
Great news! Valentine's Day comes out on a Sunday this year, which makes it the perfect time to pop the question with the perfect ring. Millions of suitors will take advantage of their day off to execute the perfect surprise proposal. It may start off with a romantic outing — a return to the scene of a first date, perhaps …
‘Gold Rush’ Star Parker Schnabel Comes Face to Face With the ‘Welcome Stranger’
Gold Rush star Parker Schnabel can hardly believe his eyes when he comes face to face with an exact replica of the "Welcome Stranger," the largest gold nugget ever found at 72kg (158.7 lbs). In the Season 4, Episode 2, installment of Gold Rush: Parker's Trail, we find Schnabel half a world away from the Klondike Gold Rush trail, as …
Maryland Zoo Gives Gem Names to ‘Precious and Rare’ African Penguin Hatchlings
The Maryland Zoo has given gemstone names to the first four chicks from this year's breeding class of endangered African penguins. On its Twitter page, zoo officials explained that the adorable hatchlings are being named for gems because they are also precious and rare. The zoo posted to its Twitter page individual graphics to represent each chick. Their names are …