Described as a “miracle that came out of tragedy,” Texas newlyweds Ariel and Justin Duke were reunited with Ariel’s engagement ring and wedding band eight days after a deadly tornado flattened their home and scattered debris for miles. Having learned of the couple’s plight on Facebook, amateur metal-detector enthusiast and Good Samaritan Nathan Wright meticulously scanned the Dukes’ devastated property for five …
Chip Off the Old Block: 373-Carat Diamond Shard Sells for $17.5 Million at Lucara’s ‘Exceptional Stone Tender’
A 373.72-carat chip off the old block recently sold for $17.5 million at Lucara Diamond Corp.’s “Exceptional Stone Tender” in Botswana’s capital city of Gabarone. Immense by most standards, the rough gem is actually a broken shard from the second-largest diamond ever discovered — the 1,109-carat Lesedi la Rona. Discovered in 2015, that diamond is about the size of a …
Aussie Woman Wears Her Engagement Ring for 18 Months Without Realizing It
An Australian woman named Anna wore her engagement ring around her neck for 18 months without realizing it. Anna’s boyfriend, Terry, had given her a hand-carved necklace made out of Huon pine — a variety native to Tasmania — for their one-year anniversary in 2015. Little did she know that hidden in the center of the unique keepsake was a …
Music Friday: Ed Sheeran’s Grandpa Makes a Wedding Ring From Dental Gold in 2017’s ‘Nancy Mulligan’
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you awesome songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, the sensational Ed Sheeran sings about how his struggling grandfather made a wedding ring from dental gold in his 2017 hit, “Nancy Mulligan.” The song details the wartime love story of his grandparents and how their relationship flourished …
Christie’s Jewelry Specialist Reveals Why Nearly Identical 10-Carat Sapphires Have Surprisingly Different Values
At first glance, these two gorgeous sapphires seem to be nearly identical. They both weigh approximately 10 carats and boast a comparable cut and hue. However, when offered for sale at Christie’s New York, one fetched $50,000, while the other commanded $305,000. Why the big difference? Christie’s jewelry specialist Jessica Peshall shed light on the seemingly subtle differences in the stones that …
Super-Dense ‘Diamond’ Planet Orbits a Pulsar 4,000 Light Years Away
Four thousand light years away in the constellation of Serpens, a priceless planet five times the size of our Earth races around a tiny neutron star in an orbit that takes barely 130 minutes. Comprised mainly of carbon and oxygen, the planet is so incredibly dense that astronomers believe that the carbon has taken on a crystalline structure — and …
$1.4 Million Solid Gold Darth Vader Mask Marks a 40-Year ‘Star Wars’ Milestone
Tokyo-based luxury jeweler Ginza Tanaka just unveiled a 33-pound, solid gold Darth Vader mask to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the release of the original Star Wars movie. Carrying a retail price of $1.4 million, the 24-karat gold mask has so many components that it took a crew of 10 goldsmiths three months to perfect the prototype. That piece is now on …
Half-Ton Stone Embedded With 170,000 Carats of Emeralds Steals the Show in Abu Dhabi
Standing nearly four feet tall and weighing more than a half ton, the world’s largest emerald-embedded stone attracted impressive crowds last week at the Abu Dhabi International Jewellery & Watch Show. The priceless stone, which is 45 inches tall and 29 inches wide, is embedded with 130 emerald crystals weighing about 170,000 carats. During the opening of the international exhibition, Show Director …
Music Friday: Kelly Clarkson Describes Herself as ‘A Diamond From Black Dust’ in 2012’s ‘Dark Side’
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you hit songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, Kelly Clarkson reveals her vulnerable side and wonders out loud if her boyfriend can love her — despite her flaws — in her 2012 hit, “Dark Side.” In this soaring synth-pop ballad, songwriters Alexander Geringas and Michael Busbee …
Scuba Diver Rescues Newlywed’s Engagement Ring From the Bottom of Alabama’s Coosa River
A professional scuba diver pulled off a “needle in a haystack” recovery when he used a metal detector to rescue a newlywed’s engagement ring from the depths of Alabama’s Coosa River. Brooke Leavins had accidentally pitched the diamond ring into river days earlier while shooing a bug on her family’s newly christened pontoon boat. “I just cleaned it that morning …