The world's largest known diamond deposit — containing trillions of carats — lies at the bottom of the Popigai Crater in a remote part of northern Siberia.
Scientists believe the crater was formed 35 million years ago when an asteroid 3 to 5 miles across slammed into the Earth with such velocity that it ripped a 63-mile-wide gash in the landscape. The impact produced an energy burst equivalent to millions of nuclear weapons and generated temperatures hotter than the surface of the sun, according to geology.com.
Under this intense heat and pressure, the limestones, marbles, dolomites and other carbon-bearing rocks in the impact zone were instantly melted and transformed into diamond.
Before you book your next trip to Siberia to prospect for what is estimated to be trillions of carats of diamonds, take note that just about all of them are of industrial quality. Most are tiny yellow-brown crystals, although some can be up to a half-inch in size.
None are suitable for jewelry, unless your significant other has an unusual affection for blemished, off-color diamonds. Popigai diamonds are valued at about $12 per carat, according to Popular Mechanics, and are strewn over such a wide and remote area that they offer little commercial value. Today, nearly all of the diamonds used in the U.S. for industrial purposes, such as coating saw blades and drill tips, are synthetic and lab-produced in vast quantities.
Interestingly, the Russian government had known about the huge trove of diamonds buried under the surface of the crater since the 1970s, but kept it a secret until a 2012. The Popigai Crater has been designated by UNESCO as a Geopark, a site of special geological heritage.
Credits: Asteroid illustration via NASA; Popigai Crater image via NASA, public domain; Google Maps.
Sanitation workers in Bridgeton, Mo., defied impossible odds when they miraculously pulled a $400,000 diamond bridal set from an 8-ton pile of rotting garbage. The search took only 22 minutes.
How the 12.5-carat pear-shaped diamond ring and matching wedding band got into the trash makes an interesting story...
Carla and Bernie Squitieri of Clarkson Valley, Mo., had just finished their evening meal and were cleaning up around the kitchen when they got a surprise visit from their granddaughter.
Earlier, Carla had taken off her rings and wrapped them in a paper towel while she was drying the dishes, but when the doorbell rang, she got distracted and temporarily lost track of her very precious keepsakes.
At 7 a.m. the next morning, Bernie noticed the wadded-up paper towels on the counter, scooped them up and tossed them in the trash. Then he grabbed the trash bag and ran out to meet up the sanitation truck, which was heading down his street.
"Don't forget this one," he shouted as he handed the bag to the sanitation worker.
A few hours later, panic started to set in when Carla realized her rings were gone.
"I'm crying, I'm feeling hopeless, I knew something had happened," Carla told TODAY.
The couple put two and two together and realized the rings were probably on their way to the landfill.
They called Meridian Waste Services in Bridgeton and learned that their trash — along with the trash of 900 other customers — was on its way to a radioactive landfill. Had the rings ended up there, they wouldn't be accessible and the chances of a recovery would be zero.
However, a sympathetic operations manager, Joe Evans, agreed to divert the truck to a transfer station in O’Fallon, where the Squitieris and three sanitation company managers — all dressed in Hazmat suits — would make an attempt to find the rings.
Bernie said the sanitation workers warned him that the chances of finding the rings in the 30-foot wide by 100-foot long by 20-foot high pile of garbage were "slim to none."
But, in just 22 minutes, Evans had crushed the odds.
"When I first noticed it, I was like, 'Oh my god I can't believe I found it,'" Evans told TODAY. "I yelled 'Hey, I found it!' Her eyes got real big, with tears of joy and relief. Ten times out of 10, we don't find something like that. It was the best feeling in the world to find that ring and give it back."
"My wife was in shock," Bernie told ABC News. "It was a miracle."
Without considering how gunky they were, Carla quickly returned the rings to the ring finger of her left hand.
"I put [the rings] on dirty. I didn't care," she told TODAY.
While the rings were insured, losing them would have been devastating for the couple that has been married for 26 years.
Said Carla, "I planned on handing [them] down to my one and only daughter — never mind the monetary value, it's the sentimental value."
Images: Bernie Squitieri; Screen captures via fox2now.com/KTVI St. Louis.
Petra Diamonds announced that it sold an exceptional 32.33-carat "bubblegum" pink rough diamond for a remarkable $15 million, or $463,965 per carat. The stone was sourced in Tanzania at Petra's legendary Williamson Mine, which has been producing gem-quality "bubblegum" pink diamonds for the past 76 years.
The diamond was purchased by Golden Yellow Diamonds on behalf of Israeli diamond manufacturer M. A. Anavi Diamond Group, a company specializing in colored diamonds.
As part of the deal, Petra also retained an interest in the diamond once it is polished, so when the faceted gem is sold, Petra will earn 10% of the "value uplift" of that sale, as well.
Petra's most recent find outperformed another notable pink diamond that we wrote about in November 2015. That rough diamond, also from Petra's Williamson Mine and also purchased by Golden Yellow Diamonds on behalf of M. A. Anavi Diamond Group, weighed 23.16 carats and sold for $10.1 million, or $433,938 per carat. At the time, we reported that it was Petra's most significant recovery from the mine to date. Clearly, the 32.33-carat diamond replaces the November discovery as its best find yet.
Vivid pink diamonds of exceptional size and quality are a favorite of gem connoisseurs. In early November, billionaire Joseph Lau purchased a cushion-shaped 16.08-carat pink diamond for $28.5 million ($1.7 million per carat), setting an auction record for any vivid pink diamond.
Although the Williamson Mine has been operational for more than three-quarters of a century and has already generated 20 million carats of diamonds, geologists believe the mine still has the capacity to deliver an additional 40 million carats. The mine’s average depth is only 30 to 35 meters, and theoretically it could continue to yield diamonds as deep as 350 meters.
Pink diamonds owe their bubblegum color to the effects of intense pressure and heat while they were still deep within the earth. These factors caused distortions in the diamond’s crystal lattice that influence the way the diamond absorbs green light, thus reflecting a pink hue.
The Williamson Mine is currently co-owned by Petra Diamonds and the government of Tanzania, which holds a 25% stake.
The last time a ruby this magnificent was offered for sale by a New York auction house, President George H.W. Bush was Time magazine's Man of the Year, Macauley Culkin was starring in Home Alone and M.C. Hammer was wearing parachute pants. Yes, we have to go back to 1990 to match the grandeur of the ruby that will headline Christie's Magnificent Jewels sale on April 20.
The 15.99-carat "Jubilee Ruby" is a true rarity in its exceptional size, color and quality. The oval-shaped Burmese ruby, which is framed by white diamonds in a platinum and 18-karat yellow gold mounting by Verdura, is predicted to sell in the range of $12 million to $15 million.
Back in October 1990, Christie's sold a 16.20-carat Burmese ruby. For the next 25-plus years, no gems of that size and quality would come up for sale. That's why Christie's is so excited to represent the "Jubilee Ruby."
“Top quality Burmese rubies of over 15 carats are an absolute rarity in the world of colored gemstones, and the record price of $18.3 million achieved for the 15.04-carat 'Crimson Red Ruby' at Christie’s Hong Kong in December 2015 exemplified the voracious appetite of collectors for these gems," commented Rahul Kadakia, Christie's International Head of Jewelry.
In a Christie's promotional video, the narrator states, "To say the 'Jubilee Ruby' is worthy of a king would be no exaggeration. Until the middle of the 19th century, only the Sovereign of Burma or an individual deemed worthy by him would have been allowed the privilege of possessing such a magnificent gemstone."
The ruby's intense, saturated red color — often referred to as pigeon's blood red — is often associated with the gems mined in Burma's legendary Mogok Valley. Christie's explained that the land near the mine is rich in chromium, an element that gives the gems a natural fluorescence. This fluorescence makes the stone “come alive” and appear internally illuminated.
While emeralds, sapphires and diamonds regularly appear on the market in extraordinarily large sizes, Burmese rubies greater than 15 carats in weight are uncommonly rare. Notes the Christie's video, "To find an almost circular cut unheated gem weighing more than 15 carats with near perfect crystallization is the dream of every gemstone connoisseur."
Other top lots at Christie's April 20 sale include a 10.07-carat fancy intense purple-pink diamond ring and a perfect D color, flawless round brilliant-cut diamond weighing 40.43 carats. The purple-pink diamond ring could sell for as much as $12 million, while the flawless diamond is expected to sell in the range of $7 million to $10 million.
All the items featured at the upcoming Magnificent Jewels auction will be on public view April 15 through April 19, at Christie’s Rockefeller Center galleries.
Welcome to Music Friday, when we spotlight songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today's installment falls exactly on Sir Elton John's 69th birthday, March 25. And to honor this legendary talent, we present one of his classic songs from 1972, "Honky Cat."
In this song about a young man torn between the fast pace of the big city or a simple life of the country, he ultimately chooses to return to his roots. John sings, "You better get back honky cat / Living in the city ain't where it's at / It's like trying to find gold in a silver mine / It's like trying to drink whisky from a bottle of wine."
Interestingly, the words that John sings reflect the point of view of his lyricist, Bernie Taupin, not himself. Unlike John, who grew up near London and loved the city life, Taupin was born on a farm in Lincolnshire and preferred that environment.
"Honky Cat" is the first track on John's fifth studio album, Honky Château, which reached #1 on Billboard 200 albums chart and was ranked one of the 500 Best Albums of All Time by Rolling Stone magazine. The single made the Top 10 on Billboard's Hot 100 list. The album's title refers to the location where it was recorded in early 1972, specifically Château d'Hérouville in Hérouville, France.
Born Reginald Kenneth Dwight, John is one of the best-selling music artists in the world. In a career that has spanned five decades, John has sold more than 300 million records. John and Taupin have collaborated on more than 30 albums and are credited with more than 50 Top 40 hits.
His single in honor of Princess Diana, "Candle in the Wind 1997," sold more than 33 million copies worldwide, making it best-selling single in the history of the UK and US singles charts.
Thirty-five years after the release of "Honky Cat," John performed it live at Madison Square Garden in New York — on his 60 birthday. The occasion also marked his 60th concert at the world's most famous arena. See the awesome video below...
"Honky Cat"
Written by Bernie Taupin and Elton John. Performed by Elton John.
When I look back boy I must have been green
Bopping in the country, fishing in a stream
Looking for an answer trying to find a sign
Until I saw your city lights honey I was blind
chorus:
They said get back honky cat
Better get back to the woods
Well I quit those days and my redneck ways
And oh the change is gonna do me good
You better get back honky cat
Living in the city ain't where it's at
It's like trying to find gold in a silver mine
It's like trying to drink whisky from a bottle of wine
Well I read some books and I read some magazines
About those high class ladies down in New Orleans
And all the folks back home well, said I was a fool
They said oh, believe in the Lord is the golden rule
(repeat chorus)
(repeat chorus)
They said stay at home boy, you gotta tend the farm
Living in the city boy, is going to break your heart
But how can you stay, when your heart says no
How can you stop when your feet say go
You better get back honky cat
Better get back to the woods
Well I quit those days and my redneck ways
And oh the change is gonna do me good
You better get back honky cat
Living in the city ain't where it's at
It's like trying to find gold in a silver mine
It's like trying to drink whisky from a bottle of wine
Get back honky cat, get back honky cat, get back...
Oscar-winning actress Hilary Swank just announced her engagement to former tennis pro Ruben Torres and her new ring may have you green with envy.
Swank revealed the big news on her Instagram page on Tuesday, but perhaps more surprising than the proposal itself was the emerald engagement ring gleaming on her finger.
The Million Dollar Baby actress and frequent covergirl joins a small, but impressive, legion of celebrities who have stepped out of the box with colored gemstone engagement rings. Some of the most notable are Halle Berry's 4-carat emerald engagement ring, Jessica Simpson's 5-carat ruby engagement ring and Kate Middleton's 12-carat blue sapphire engagement ring, which had been worn by Princess Diana.
A romantic photo posted to Swank's Instagram page showed the actress and her new fiancé with the following caption: "Went on a hike and this happened! I am so happy to share with you all this exciting and incredible news... the engagement to my dear Ruben!!!" She concluded the post with #Engaged and three emojis.
Also prominent in the photo is the gorgeous emerald-cut emerald ring, with a halo of white diamonds and split shank. The emerald seems to be set in white gold or platinum.
On Twitter, she posted a shot of their first kiss as an engaged couple, with the following caption: "And then this happened....#sealedwithakiss."
Coveted for thousands of years, the beautiful and rare emerald is associated with Venus, the goddess of love, and is known to symbolize romance, domestic bliss, good luck, well being, sensitivity, loyalty, harmony, faith and truthfulness.
New brides need to be cautious when choosing an emerald for an engagement ring because the gem very often presents natural inclusions that are an integral part of the stone's beauty and character. Special care must be taken to ensure the quality of the emerald lasts a lifetime.
People reported that Torres proposed to Swank, 41, over the weekend during the BNP Paribas Tennis Open in Palm Springs, Calif. The former tennis pro is now a tennis coach and wealth manager at UBS Financial Services. Swank and Torres started dating last summer and made their relationship public in December of 2015.
Swank was previously married to actor/producer Chad Lowe for 10 years. They divorced in 2007.
Images: Instagram/HilarySwank; Twitter/HilarySwank; Elle magazine cover, November 2010.
Mode.com just released a style video that shines the spotlight on "100 Years of Engagement Rings." In barely three minutes, we're whisked down memory lane, where we get to see the evolution of the styles that have delighted brides since the early 1900s.
From the simple six-prong solitaires of the 1910s through the elaborate halo mountings and fancy-colored diamonds of today, the video rumbles through 11 popular styles — one decade at a time.
It's fascinating to watch the evolution of the diamond shapes, diamond sizes, metal types and mounting styles.
This is how Mode.com and estate-jewelry expert Peter Jon Shemonsky describe the rings in the video...
• 1910s. The classic solitaire diamond ring was a favorite at the beginning of the last century. This ring features a round Old European-cut diamond set into a six-prong 14-karat yellow gold mounting.
• 1920s. The lacy white-on-white look becomes the benchmark of the Edwardian period. A round Old European-cut diamond is set into a pierced openwork mounting highlighted by round diamonds. Milgrain detail puts the finishing touch on this platinum ring.
• 1930s. The streamlined geometry of the Art Deco period becomes reflected in the style of the mountings of this era. Round, early-modern brilliant-cut diamond is set into a platinum mounting highlighted by round diamonds in a pierced openwork motif.
• 1940s. White gold became a popular metal during this period, along with the “filigree” mounting that heralded back to the Edwardian period. This ring features a round Old European-cut diamond set in a 18-karat white gold “filigree” mounting.
• 1950s. This period saw a shift to the use of yellow and rose gold with an increase in the scale of the jewelry. This 14-karat yellow gold ring displays a round Old European-cut diamond in a wirework mounting.
• 1960s. The 1960s saw an increased interest in fancy-shaped diamonds, especially emerald-cut, pear, marquise and heart-shaped diamonds. Platinum became the metal of choice. Here we see an emerald-cut diamond set in platinum.
• 1970s. This period was all about the “gold” set with round or fancy-shaped diamonds, often with channel-set mountings and accompanying wedding bands. This ring features a marquise-shaped diamond set in yellow gold with channel-set round brilliant-cut diamonds and complementary wedding band.
• 1980s. The solitaire reigns supreme set in the classic manner with baguettes on each side. This ring has a round brilliant-cut diamond flanked by rectangular baguettes mounted in platinum.
• 1990s. The “radiant cut” becomes the preferred fancy-shaped diamond of the period, typically set with triangular side stones. This 18-karat white gold ring fits that description exactly.
• 2000s. The “princess-cut” is the preferred fancy-shaped diamond of the period, as is illustrated by this engagement ring, which is accented with round brilliant-cut diamonds set into a band of platinum and white gold.
• 2010s. The “halo” mounting is all the rage, along with an increased demand for fancy-colored diamonds. This ring features a fancy yellow rectangular cushion-cut diamond set into a platinum “halo" mounting highlighted by round brilliant-cut diamonds.
An Israeli woman made the discovery of a lifetime when she plucked an extraordinarily rare 2,000-year-old Roman gold coin out of the grass while hiking near Galilee.
The coin, which depicts the image of Augustus and was minted in 107 AD, is "rare on a global level," according to Danny Syon, a coin expert at the Israel Antiquities Authority. Only one other coin like this exists in the world, and that specimen is on display at the British Museum in London.
Laurie Rimon was hiking with her friends in the Galilee region of northern Israel when she noticed an unusual glint coming off the grass. Although it was likely a bottle top or other innocuous item, on closer inspection she was thrilled to learn it was an ancient Roman coin. As is required by Israeli law, Rimon turned the coin in to the Israel Antiquities Authority, which will acknowledge Rimon's exemplary citizenship with a certificate of appreciation.
CNN reported that the coin could be worth $5 million at auction, although it's still not clear what immediate plans the Israel Antiquities Authority have for the gold coin.
“It was not easy parting with the coin,” Rimon noted. “After all, it is not every day one discovers such an amazing object, but I hope I will see it displayed in a museum in the near future.”
The find was minted during the reign of Emperor Trajan, and although bronze and silver versions of his coins are relatively common, gold ones are extraordinarily rare. This is because the gold coins were nearly impossible to spend.
Typically, Roman soldiers during this time were paid 75 silver coins every three months, the equivalent of three gold coins.
“Because of their high monetary value, soldiers were unable to purchase goods in the market with gold coins, as the merchants could not provide change for them,” Syon noted. Apparently, solders were paid in gold coins when silver was unavailable.
The artwork on the coin is somewhat unusual because it would typically bear the likeness of the emperor in power. In this case, Emperor Trajan decided to honor the Roman emperors who came before him. The face of the coin features the image of Augustus, who founded the Roman Empire and ruled from 27 BC to AD 14. It refers to him as "Divus Augustus," or Augustus the Divine. The back of the coin depicts the symbol of Roman legions next to the name of the ruler Trajan.
Images provided by the Israel Antiquities Authority.
A 9.54-carat blue diamond ring purchased for child star Shirley Temple by her father in 1940 is expected to sell for $25 million to $35 million when it hits the auction block at Sotheby's New York in April.
Temple was one month from celebrating her 12th birthday and had just wrapped up her new film, The Blue Bird, when her father, George Francis, surprised the vivacious youngster with a cushion-cut fancy deep blue diamond in an Art Deco-inspired platinum setting. The split shank is adorned with baguette diamonds.
Some believe the movie's "blue" theme inspired the dad to choose a blue diamond. Temple adored the ring and wore it for most of her life.
George Francis paid $7,210 for the ring 76 years ago, which is equivalent to about $122,000 today. The appreciation of the ring over that time is mind boggling.
"Colored diamonds were not quite as understood or appreciated or sought after at that time as they are now," noted Frank Everett, Sales Director for the Jewelry Department of Sotheby's New York. "...It was really, really a wise investment on his part, I will say that."
Added Gary Schuler, Co-Chairman of Sotheby’s Jewelry, Americas, “It’s remarkable to have one stone illustrate the dramatic shift in attitude towards colored diamonds over the course of the last century. Today, we recognize these stones as the definition of rarity, and they are eagerly sought-after in our current market for that very reason."
Temple, who famously sang "On the Good Ship Lollipop" in the film Bright Eyes as a six-year-old, was "America's Little Darling" during the 1930s and helped lift America's spirits out of the Great Depression.
She was the #1 box office star from 1935 through 1938 and, as an adult, became a diplomat, serving as a United Nations delegate, United States Ambassador to Ghana and later to Czechoslovakia. In a 1969 AP photo, Shirley Temple Black is shown wearing her blue diamond ring during a United Nations swearing-in ceremony. She died in February of 2014 at that age of 85.
Interestingly, only one week ago, we ran a blog item about another spectacular blue diamond that will be the featured lot at Sotheby's Hong Kong on April 5. Weighing 10.10 carats, the oval-shaped fancy vivid blue “De Beers Millennium Jewel 4” is expected to fetch between $30 million and $35 million.
All this comes on the heels of the blockbuster performance of the “Blue Moon,” which crushed the world auction record for any diamond or any gemstone – as well as a record price-per-carat for any diamond or gemstone – when the 12.03-carat fancy vivid blue diamond sold for $48.5 million ($4.03 million per carat) at Sotheby's Geneva.
The "Blue Moon" diamond was purchased by Hong Kong billionaire Joseph Lau, who renamed it the "Blue Moon of Josephine" in honor of his young daughter.
The "Shirley Temple Blue" carries a clarity grade of VVS2 and was rated "potentially internally flawless." The ring, in its original platinum setting (Temple also commissioned a gold setting for the gem in 1972), will headline Sotheby's Magnificent Jewels sale in New York on April 19. Both settings will be included in the lot.
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you outstanding songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, British rocker Billy Idol performs "Sweet Sixteen," a song inspired by the tragic love story of Edward Leedskalnin and the girl who left him at the altar.
Those who have visited the mysterious Coral Castle in Homestead, Fla., know the story of Leedskalnin, a 26-year-old Latvian, who was engaged to be married to Agnes Scuffs in 1923. One day before their scheduled wedding, Scuffs, who was 10 years his junior, broke off the engagement.
Devastated by their parting, Leedskalnin emigrated to the U.S., where he bought a piece of land in south Florida and for the next 25 years single-handedly sculpted 1,100 short tons of coral into a monument he called "Rock Gate Park." He dedicated to park to Scuffs, who he called his "Sweet Sixteen," but could never win her back.
Idol visited Rock Gate Park, which had been renamed Coral Castle, in the early 1980s and was so intrigued by Leedskalnin's story that he decided to write a song about it.
Idol seems to be channeling Elvis Presley as he sings, "I'll do anything / For my sweet sixteen / And I'll do anything / For little run away child / Gave my heart an engagement ring / She took ev'rything / Ev'rything I gave her / Oh sweet sixteen."
Idol goes on to reference the incredible coral sculptures Leedskalnin built in her honor. Even to this day, a mystery surrounds how the amateur sculptor was able to carve the huge boulders and move them without any outside help. According to a contributor to Songfacts.com, framed photos of Idol's visit are featured in the Coral Castle gift shop. The attraction is on the National Register of Historic Places.
"Sweet Sixteen" was the fourth track on Idol's Whiplash Smile album, which sold more than one million copies and peaked at #6 on the Billboard 200. The single reached #20 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
Idol was a key member of the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States back in the early 1980s. Among his most popular songs from that era are "Dancing with Myself," "White Wedding," "Rebel Yell" and "Eyes Without a Face." The 60-year-old rocker is still actively touring.
Check out the official video for "Sweet Sixteen." A still photo of Leedskalnin standing inside his complex is seen during the first 8 seconds under the title, "Love turned to Stone." The lyrics are below if you'd like to sing along...
"Sweet Sixteen"
Written and performed by Billy Idol.
I'll do anything
For my sweet sixteen,
And I'll do anything
For little run away child
Gave my heart an engagement ring.
She took ev'rything.
Ev'rything I gave her,
Oh sweet sixteen.
Built a moon
For a rocking chair.
I never guessed it would
Rock her far from here
Oh, oh, oh, oh.
Someone's built a candy castle
For my sweet sixteen.
Someone's built a candy brain
And filled it in.
Well I'll do anything
For my sweet sixteen
Oh I'll do anything
For little runaway child
Well, memories will burn you.
Memories grow older as people can
They just get colder
Like sweet sixteen
Oh, I see it's clear
Baby, that you are
All through here
Oh, oh, oh, oh.
Someone's built a candy castle
For my sweet sixteen,
Someone's built a candy house
To house her in.
Someone's built a candy castle
For my sweet sixteen.
Someone's built a candy brain
And filled it in.
And I do anything
For my sweet sixteen
Oh, I do anything
For little run away girl.
Yeah, sad and lonely and blue.
Yeah, gettin' over you.
How, how do you think it feels
Yeah to get up in the morning, get over you.
Up in the morning, get over you.
Wipe away the tears, get over you,
get over, get over...
My sweet sixteen
Oh runaway child
Oh sweet sixteen
Little runaway girl.
Gave my heart an engagement ring
She left everything
Everything I gave her
Sweet sixteen
Built a moon
For a rocking chair,
Never guessed it would
Rock her far from here
Oh, oh, oh
Someone's built a candy castle
For my sweet sixteen.
Someone's built a candy house
To house her in.
Someone's built a candy castle
For my sweet sixteen
Someone's built a candy house
To house her in.
And I'll do anything
For my sweet sixteen
Oh, I'll do anything
For little runaway child.
Do anything
For my sweet sixteen
I'll do anything
For little runaway girl
Little runaway girl
Oh sweet sixteen
Oh sweet sixteen
Oh.
Hey, romantic couples out there. If you missed an opportunity to propose to the love of your life on Christmas Day, New Year's Eve or Valentine's Day, you have another chance this weekend. Not only does Sunday, March 20, represent the vernal equinox (first day of spring), but it's also National Proposal Day.
Conceived by John Michael O'Loughlin decades ago as a perfect time for procrastinating lovers to finally ask for their partners' hand in marriage, National Proposal Day has slowly become an accepted part of our holiday lexicon.
O'Loughlin picked the vernal equinox as the ideal day for couples to make the ultimate commitment to each other because it's the special time of the year when day and night are equal lengths worldwide. O'Loughlin reasoned that this symbolizes "the equal efforts of the two required to comprise the successful marriage."
If you're wondering if the autumnal equinox — another perfectly balanced day — would carry the same symbolism as the spring version, your hunch is right on. There is a second National Proposal Day on the first day of fall, September 22.
The romantic O'Loughlin created National Proposal Day after watching his cousin wait years for a proposal that never came. He felt that a special day earmarked for proposals would put a fire under some partners who have waited a bit too long to pop the question.
National Proposal Day is promoted as a worldwide event, and O'Loughlin encourages romantic couples to meet up with like-minded friends via social media using the hashtag, "proposalday." O'Loughlin, who registered the name Proposal Day!®, clarified that March 20 doesn't have to end with a proposal. It can be used, instead, to spark a conversation about a future proposal.
Twice a year, in the lead up to National Proposal Day, O'Loughlin adds to the excitement by announcing the world's most eligible bachelor and bachelorette. This past fall, he chose John F. Kennedy's grandson, Jack Schlossberg, and British actress Emma Watson. This spring's most eligible guy and gal will be posted at the official Proposal Day!® website on the late evening of Friday, March 18.
Nearly 10 million fans of The Bachelor tuned in Monday night to see Ben Higgins propose to Lauren Bushnell with a $100,000 vintage-style engagement ring.
The stunning platinum ring features a 3-carat emerald-cut center stone surrounded by a halo of round diamonds and is flanked by two stepped baguette diamonds. The hand-crafted ring by designer Neil Lane has an openwork gallery and a diamond total weight of 4.6 carats.
An insider told E! News that Higgins chose the vintage look because it reflected his "old-fashioned values."
The 26-year-old Higgins, a software sales rep, had been emotionally torn between bachelorette contestants Bushnell and Joelle "JoJo" Fletcher. In the previews of the 20th season finale, Higgins was seen telling both women that he loved them.
But, in the end, it was Bushnell, a 24-year-old flight attendant, who stole his heart. The disheartened Fletcher can't be called a loser, though, because she was named as next season's "Bachelorette."
All eyes were on Higgins and the diamond engagement ring in Monday night's dramatic climax of The Bachelor.
"I came into this honestly feeling unlovable, that I couldn't be loved or that I was never going to find that person to love me fully," Higgins said in the lead up to his marriage proposal. "And then we go through this experience — a journey that's full of goodbyes."
He continued, "Lauren, I never want to say goodbye to you. I want to wake up every morning and kiss you on the face. I want to go to bed at night and know that in the morning I'm going to wake up to the most beautiful woman that I've ever laid eyes on. My desire from here on out is to live for you, commit to you, love you, hold you, kiss you a lot. Lauren, I want to spend the rest of my life with you."
Then he took a deep breath, sighed and pulled a ring box from his breast pocket.
Holding her hands to her face, Bushnell cried as Higgins got down on one knee and asked for her hand in marriage.
"Lauren, will you marry me?"
She responded, "Ben! Yes, of course! This is the happiest day of my whole life."
He placed the impressive ring on her finger and the couple embraced.
Higgins and Bushnell taped the finale weeks ago and their engagement had to be kept under wraps. But, by Tuesday, the couple was interviewed during a live segment on ABC's Good Morning America and found themselves on the cover of People magazine.
"I’m looking forward to just starting a normal life," Bushnell said. "We’ve been engaged, but secretly, for the last few weeks and so I’m excited to go on a date."
Less than five months after "Blue Moon" shattered the record for the world's priciest diamond, another "rare and superb" blue diamond — the "De Beers Millennium Jewel 4" — will be looking to make its own headlines at Sotheby's Hong Kong in April.
Described as internally flawless and weighing 10.10 carats, the oval-shaped fancy vivid blue "De Beers Millennium Jewel 4" is expected to fetch between $30 million and $35 million when it hits the auction block on April 5. Slightly larger than an almond, it's the largest oval fancy vivid blue diamond ever to appear at auction.
If the gem achieves its high estimate, it will become the highest priced diamond ever sold in Hong Kong. The current record holder is a 118-carat white diamond that fetched $30.6 million in 2013.
It's almost certain the "De Beers Millennium Jewel 4" will not surpass the $48.5 million paid at Sotheby's Geneva for the 12.03-carat cushion-shaped internally flawless "Blue Moon" (now called "Blue Moon of Josephine"). "Blue Moon" is the record holder for the highest price ever paid for a diamond of any color, and for the highest price paid per carat for any diamond ($4.02 million). Hong Kong billionaire Joseph Lau purchased the stone to honor his 7-year-old daughter, Josephine.
Despite the fanfare surrounding its larger cousin, the "De Beers Millennium Jewel 4" is famous in its own right for being one of 12 rare diamonds that formed the De Beers Millennium Jewels collection, which was unveiled by De Beers in 2000 in celebration of the dawn of the new century. The "De Beers Millennium Jewel 4" was put up for auction by an Asian private collector.
“The market for colored diamonds has gone from strength to strength," said Chin Yeow Quek, deputy chairman of Sotheby’s Asia. "Fifteen years ago I had the great opportunity of seeing this magnificent stone for the first time and it is an absolute delight now to have it in one’s hand, to admire it again and to offer it for auction in Asia. This beautiful blue stone — combining Nature’s rare beauty, superlative color, unusual shape and illustrious provenance — offers yet another wonderful collecting opportunity for connoisseurs worldwide.”
The vibrant blue stone was sourced at South Africa's Cullinan Mine and gets its blue color from boron impurities in the chemical makeup of the diamond. Blue diamonds are extraordinarily rare and typically yield the highest prices at auction. Yeow told AFP that there are no more than a dozen or so fancy vivid blue diamonds over 10 carats in the world.
Sotheby's regularly handles its highest-profile gemstones like rock stars and this one is no exception. The "De Beers Millennium Jewel 4" will be touring New York, London, Geneva, Singapore, Taipei and Hong Kong in a high-profile campaign leading up to the auction, which will take place at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
E! News host Maria Menounos and her boyfriend of nearly 20 years, Keven Undergaro, got engaged last Wednesday on-air during Howard Stern‘s SiriusXM radio show. Undergaro got down on one knee and presented Menounos with a one-of-a-kind halo-style engagement ring that features a Signature Stone hidden underneath.
Menounos appeared on the radio show to promote her new book, The EveryGirl’s Guide to Cooking. Just as she had completed her interview with Stern, boyfriend Undergaro, a TV producer, took the microphone, prompting Menounos to ask if he was about to propose. He initially said, "No," but then went on to tell Stern's audience about the emotional ups and downs the couple had experienced over the course of almost two decades.
Then he addressed Menounos directly. "It reminds me just how much I do love you," he said. "And although I said that this isn't a proposal, I want to ask you something, Maria."
"Would you make me the happiest man on earth?" Undergaro asked. "And would you marry me?"
Menounos, 37, was clearly shocked by the surprise proposal, stating, "Are you friggin' kidding me right now? Is this a joke?"
"It's not a joke," Keven replied. "This I wouldn't joke about. I love you so much and this show's meant so much to both of us. Why not make it official now? Will you, honey? Will you accept?"
"Oh, my God! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Of course!" she exclaimed, as she stared at her new ring. "Oh, my God! I can't even believe this is happening."
French jeweler Jean Dousset, whose client list includes Amy Adams and Eva Longoria, dished to PeopleStyle about the details of ring he designed with the assistance of Undergaro.
“The first question I asked Keven was, ‘Has Maria ever said anything about what she would like her diamond cut and ring design to be?’ Every girl does,” Dousset told PeopleStyle. “‘Never in 19 years’,” he replied. That was a first for me. So we imagined what the ring should be based on her personality and style. Bright and chic.”
The ring boasts an Ideal Cut round center stone set in a "Seamless Halo" that is adorned with 220 intricately set brilliant-cut diamonds. The smaller diamonds encircle the center stone and cascade down the band.
"Keven chose to add personal elements to the ring by including a Signature Stone hidden underneath," the designer told E! News. "The choice of color and origin of the stone adds thoughtful detail only he and Maria will know and see." We're assuming the gem is flush-set inside the band.
On Instagram, Menounos posted a photo of her and her boyfriend showing off the new ring. The caption reflected her sheer joy... "omg this happened!!!!!!! thank you @sternshow @bethostern so much for everything. I'm in utter shock! And thank u my love for 19 amazing years. Can't believe we are engaged!!!!"
Images: Screen captures via YouTube/The Howard Stern Show; Instagram/The Howard Stern Show; Getty Images/WireImage/Paul Zimmerman.
Jonny Ritz & Company, Inc. was founded over 20 years ago when Jonny realized, with his unique five year jewelry/gemology education, he could offer a wealth of knowledge, coupled with personal service, and non-retail pricing to a jewelry buyer.
Jonny meets with clients in his office in Los Angeles, but phone consultations are not uncommon for out of town customers.
The business has grown on a referral basis to a large clientele with friends of friends, co-workers and relatives sharing their satisfaction with the unique buying process at Jonny Ritz & Company.
One of Jonny’s favorite sayings is, “It’s best to make a little bit of money from the same good people for a lot of years.”
Whether it is a unique custom piece or an item pictured on www.jonnyritz.com, Jonny will ensure that you are 100% satisfied.
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