After enduring a COVID-related slump, marriage rates in the US are finally back to pre-pandemic levels, according to stats released by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Exactly 2.06 million couples took their vows in 2022, the first time the number has surpassed 2 million since 2019. The rate of 6.2 marriages per 1,000 population was the highest …

Wow, how times have changed. Did you know that during the 1600s young suitors expressed their love by gifting silver thimbles engraved with courtship quotations? Curators at National Museum Cardiff in Wales believe that thimbles, worn on the finger during needlework, were considered an intimate (and therefore romantic) possession, suitable as a gift between lovers. The discussion about romantic silver …

The glint of gold caught the eye of early man more than 5,000 years ago and has been coveted by ancient and modern civilizations ever since. We can all agree that gold is rare, valuable and astonishingly beautiful, but here are some little-known, fun facts about the precious metal — as provided by the World Gold Council — to share …

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you wickedly fun songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, a giant-sized, treasure-hoarding coconut crab named Tamatoa brags about sparkling like a wealthy woman's neck in “Shiny” from Disney’s 2016 animated blockbuster, Moana. The song's official video has been viewed more than 596 million times on YouTube. …

On Tuesday, model and author Emily Ratajkowski shared with her 30 million Instagram followers pics of her engagement diamonds reimagined into two "divorce rings." Ratajkowski told vogue.com, “The rings represent my own personal evolution. I don’t think a woman should be stripped of her diamonds just because she’s losing a man.” Back in 2018, Ratajkowski and former spouse Sebastian Bear-McClard …

Michael Shaw, the collector who lent his pair of Dorothy's Ruby Slippers to the Judy Garland Museum in August of 2005 only to be shocked by news of a brazen smash-and-grab one week later, was recently reunited with his treasured Hollywood memorabilia in a private ceremony at the scene of the crime. “It’s like welcoming back an old friend I …

Metahuman artist MonoC undergoes a “gemorphosis” after falling in love with rubies in a two-part video collaboration sponsored by Gemfields, a world-leading supplier of responsibly sourced colored gemstones. MonoC (pronounced "maa·nok") doesn't exist in real life, yet she has nearly 50,000 followers on Instagram and is sought out by top brands to endorse products. The metaverse jetsetter is able to …

Fifteen-thousand light years away in the northern constellation of Sagitta (the Arrow), a pair of aging Sun-like stars orbited each other so closely that the larger of the two eventually completely engulfed the other. Nasa scientists believe that the smaller star continued orbiting inside its dominant companion, increasing the giant’s rotation rate. The bloated companion star spun so fast that …

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you wonderful tunes with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, the brainy British performer who blinded us with science in 1982, admits to being “Cruel” in a deeply personal song about an emotionally lopsided romance. Thomas Dolby, with a sweet assist from Eddi Reader, uses jewelry imagery to …

When it comes to engagement ring preferences, oval-cut diamonds, solitaire settings and yellow precious metals are surging, according to The Knot’s 2023 “Real Weddings Study.” A comprehensive look into the hearts and minds of more than 9,000 US couples who walked down the aisle last year, the study also covered the timing of proposals, the nitty gritty of wedding planning …