Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you fun tunes with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title. As part of our continuing tribute to June’s official birthstone, today’s selection from Katy Perry shines the spotlight on pearls. In the title track from her blockbuster 2008 album One of the Boys, Perry sings about shedding her tomboy …

Let’s celebrate June’s official birthstone with a close-up look at one of the most extraordinary natural pearls in the world. It stands two inches tall, weighs 450 carats and is the sibling of the world’s most famous blue diamond. Introducing the Hope Pearl. Back in the early part of the 19th century, a London banker named Henry Philip Hope amassed …

Back in 1990, a Murfreesboro, Ark., resident named Shirley Strawn became an instant celebrity when she struck it rich at the nearby Crater of Diamonds State Park — the only diamond site in the world where amateur prospectors get to keep what they find. Strawn discovered a 3.03-carat diamond in the East Drain section of the park’s 37 1/2-acre search area. …

The 92.15-carat “La Légende” — billed as the largest D-flawless, heart-shaped diamond ever seen at auction — set a new record at Christie’s Geneva when it was scooped up by an anonymous buyer for $15 million. The previous record-holder was a 56-carat heart-shaped stone that was sold at Christie’s six years ago for $10.9 million. Described by Christie’s as having excellent …

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you awesome songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, we take a trip to the Land Down Under where country legend John Williamson sings about the untold riches lying beneath the vast, remote, inland territory known as the Australian Outback. In his 2002 song called “Sing You The Outback,” Williamson pays homage …

An enormous emerald weighing more than 600 pounds and standing 4.3 feet tall was unearthed recently in Brazil’s northeastern state of Bahia. The specimen, which contains numerous emerald crystals embedded in host rock, was extracted from a depth of 656 feet at the Carnaiba mine. Credited with the amazing find are the miners of the Bahia Mineral Cooperative. The specimen was …

A Texas storm chaser successfully combined the two loves of his life when he popped the question to his girlfriend with a tornado spinning perilously nearby. An amazing photo posted to his Facebook page on May 17 shows 25-year-old Alex Bartholomew on bended knee as he proposes to his girlfriend, Britney Fox Cayton. Sharing the romantic scene with the couple is a …

Thirty years ago, a woman from west London scooped up a showy ring for £10 ($13) at a car boot sale. Convinced that it was costume jewelry due to its inexpensive price, oversized center stone and filthy mounting, the woman cleaned it up and made it part of her day-to-day fashion wardrobe. (For Brits, a car boot sale is akin to a flea …

Two of world’s finest opals — the Virgin Rainbow and the Fire of Australia — are jetting 7,000 miles from Adelaide to Doha to headline a three-week special exhibition at the Australian Embassy in Qatar. This will be the first time the gems have been seen outside of Australia. Valued at more than $1 million combined, the famous pair will …

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you classic songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today’s featured track is “For Your Love” by the British-invasion band The Yardbirds. The 1965 hit, which features key “diamond” references, was the group’s biggest commercial success, but also triggered the departure of future superstar Eric Clapton. The song …