Princess Eugenie’s official engagement announcement on Monday has the world asking, “What’s a padparadscha?” You see, the 27-year-old granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II received an oval padparadscha engagement ring from her long-time boyfriend Jack Brooksbank. In the official photos released by Buckingham Palace and during a subsequent interview with the BBC, Eugenie proudly showed off her beautiful — but unusual …

A Saskatchewan man was reunited with his long-lost wedding ring after it flew off his finger while driving down a dirt road in a small farming community in the early 1970s. Bill Wilson blamed the loss on a spunky grasshopper that had leaped into the farmer’s work truck and landed on his chest. Wilson quickly reacted by capturing the small …

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you classic songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title. Today, we tell the story of how Dame Shirley Bassey nearly passed out while holding the climactic final note to “Goldfinger,” the title song of the 1964 James Bond thriller. Often cited as the best film of the Bond …

A new collection of gem-spangled footwear has the well “heeled” women of Dubai — and the world over — buzzing with excitement. Inspired by iconic royal women, from Cleopatra to Princess Diana, the collection by UAE-based luxury brand Jada Dubai is headlined by a one-of-a-kind pump adorned with 54 carats of brilliant-cut white diamonds and 416 carats of rose-cut white …

The prolific Letšeng mine in the tiny southern Africa kingdom of Lesotho has produced another mammoth gem-quality diamond. Weighing 910 carats, the D-color, Type IIa stone is the largest ever mined at Letšeng and the fifth-largest gem-quality diamond ever recovered in world history. The yet-to-be-named gem is probably worth more than $50 million based on recent sales of colossal diamonds …

The community of Cedar Park, Texas, is singing the praises of 8-year-old Hudson Komendera, who not only spotted a lost engagement ring in a parking lot and helped reunite the ring with its rightful owner, but also donated his $300 reward to a local family that lost two boys in a tragic car crash. Hudson and his mom, Stacy Komendera, …

Priceless gems from the British Crown Jewels were hidden from the Nazis in a biscuit tin and buried underground at Windsor Castle during World War II, a BBC documentary revealed last night. Fearing an invasion, King George VI ordered that the most precious jewels — including the Black Prince’s ruby and Saint Edward’s sapphire — be removed from the royal …

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you fun songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, Diamond Rio frontman Marty Roe puts a “big down payment on that itty bitty diamond ring” in the memorable 1998 singalong, “Unbelievable.” In the song written by Jeffrey Steele and Al Anderson, an infatuated Roe is crazy in …

Alabama offensive lineman Bradley Bozeman capped his college football career Monday night with a national championship and a post-game, on-the-field marriage proposal. The senior captain and his Crimson Tide teammates were basking in the glory of a stunning 26-23 overtime victory over the Georgia Bulldogs at Mercedes-Benz Stadium field in Atlanta when he unexpectedly popped the question to his girlfriend, …

The United States Mint is about to launch a three-year platinum proof coin series depicting the unalienable rights cited in the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence — life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Created by U.S. Mint Artistic Infusion Program (AIP) designer Justin Kunz, obverse designs in this series are not only stunning, but tell a story brimming …