More than 50 gems dealers from Colombia, India, New York, Israel and Bangkok will be participating in the second-ever rough Colombian emerald auction sponsored by Fura Gems, the primary owner of the famous Coscuez emerald mine in Colombia. Crystals from the mine are noted for their large sizes, intense color and immaculate clarity. Among the treasures that will be offered …
Amazon’s Virtual Assistant Alexa Says Painite Is the Rarest Gem Mineral Ever
Ask Amazon's Alexa to name the rarest gem mineral ever and the know-it-all virtual assistant is likely to answer, "Painite." Unearthed in Myanmar by British mineralogist and gem dealer Arthur C.D. Pain in the 1950s, the rare borate mineral was originally misidentified as a ruby and then reclassified as a new gem species — named painite, to honor its discoverer …
Celebrity Chef Bobby Flay Hides Engagement Rings in Desserts ‘All the Time’
Celebrity chef Bobby Flay revealed in a recent episode of his Always Hungry podcast on iHeartRadio that excited patrons ask him to hide engagement rings in desserts "all the time." In a playful exchange with his 25-year-old co-host daughter, Sophie, the Beat Bobby Flay cooking star noted how his famous restaurants have served as the venues for life's most romantic …
Weighing 228 Carats, ‘The Rock’ Could Fetch Up to $30MM at Christie’s Geneva
Billed as the largest white diamond ever to appear for sale at auction, "The Rock" will be the top lot at Christie’s Magnificent Jewels sale in Geneva on May 11. The 228.31-carat, pear-shaped gem — which was unveiled to the press at Christie's Dubai on Friday — carries a pre-auction estimate of $20 million to $30 million. “The Rock will …
Music Friday: Bob Seger’s Sweetheart Is ‘Looking So Right in Her Diamonds and Frills’
Welcome once again to Music Friday when we bring you fabulous songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. In the 1978 classic, “Hollywood Nights,” Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Bob Seger tells the story of an unsophisticated Midwestern boy who moves to the West Coast and falls for a bejeweled beauty. Seger sings, “And …
The Royal Mint Employs New Method to Extract 99% of Gold From Electronic Waste
Utilizing a patented, transformative technology, The Royal Mint will be able to extract 99% of the precious metals contained within electronic waste – in seconds, at room temperature. The Canada-based company called Excir is credited with developing the innovative, ethical and sustainable way to separate gold and other precious metals from the circuit boards of discarded laptops, tablets and smart …
Houston Women Take Control of Their Relationships in ‘Marry Me Now’ Reality Series
OWN just premiered Marry Me Now, an unscripted reality series that follows eight Houston women who have run out of patience and refuse to wait any longer for their clueless partners to pop the question. Each week, love and life coach Rebecca Lynn Pope will guide one woman as she takes the reins in her relationship, secretly constructing all of …
World’s Most Advanced Diamond Recovery Vessel Gets to Work Off Coast of Namibia
The world's most advanced diamond recovery vessel, the Benguela Gem, was officially unveiled in Namibia on Friday. The 580-foot-long, custom-built vessel is capable of extracting 500,000 carats annually from the coastal waters off Namibia — boosting Debmarine Namibia’s annual diamond output by 45% and creating 160 high-skilled jobs for Namibians. Built at a cost of $420 million, the project is …
Ammolite Is About to Become the Official Gemstone of Alberta, Canada
The beautiful, iridescent ammolite is about to become the official gemstone of the Canadian province of Alberta. Found predominantly in southern Alberta, ammolite is uniquely associated with the province’s identity. Ammolite is formed from the fossilized shells of molluscs, known as ammonites, which lived in an inland sea east of the Rocky Mountains. After sinking to the seabed, the mud …
Music Friday: Peggy Lee Wants a ‘Ring, Ringa-Linga’ in ‘Baubles, Bangles & Beads’
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you wonderful tunes with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today’s magic carpet ride down Memory Lane finds Peggy Lee singing “Baubles, Bangles & Beads” — a widely covered tune from 1954’s Tony Award-winning production of Kismet. The Broadway success of “Baubles, Bangles & Beads” inspired a number of …