Month: October 2019

A Tampa man successfully dug through 10 tons of rotting trash to rescue his wife's engagement ring that had been accidentally thrown away and carted off to the city landfill on Monday morning.

Sara E. Petro took to Facebook to praise the efforts of her husband, Fadi, and a bunch of helpers from the city's Waste Management – Southeast Landfill team.

"It's a really rough day, but there is a happy ending," wrote Sara on Facebook. "This morning I realized my engagement ring was missing. After frantically tearing my house apart and searching to no avail, I realized that I must have accidentally thrown it away with a pile of trash as I was cleaning last night."

"As you can probably imagine," she continued, "my level of hysteria was through the roof."

Her husband, however, was calm as could be. He tracked down a supervisor at the city's Waste Management facility and explained that he needed to find a single bag that contained the precious jewelry.

The supervisor was able to identify the truck that serviced the Petros' neighborhood, but explained that the Petro bag already had been mixed in with 10 tons of compacted trash.

Finding a ring buried in that much trash would be virtually impossible, according to the supervisor, but that somber assessment didn't dissuade Fadi from trying.

"My sweet husband was bound and determined to find it for me," wrote Sara.

By the time Fadi arrived at the landfill, he had two hours to get the job done. Fortunately, he was assisted by a small team of Waste Management employees.

"I’ll spare the rancid details, but it was a horrendous task," wrote Sara. "The sweet guys working at the landfill helped Fadi search and THEY FOUND IT!! Literally a needle in a haystack."

Sara noted that words could not express her gratitude for the efforts of her husband and the Waste Management team.

"I feel very blessed and like the luckiest girl in the world," she wrote. "These men are my heroes!"

Credit: Image via Facebook.com/Sara E. Petro.

When the newly crowned Rose Queen, Camille Kennedy, leads the 131st edition of the Tournament of Roses Parade on New Year’s Day in Pasadena, Calif., she will be wearing a special headpiece adorned with 600 Japanese Akoya cultured pearls, 10 Australian South Sea cultured pearls and six carats of diamonds.

Designed by Mikimoto, the crown took about a year to fabricate and is valued at $400,000.

The much-anticipated parade features floral floats, marching bands and high-stepping equestrian units along the 5 1/2 mile route. As always, the spectacle will be followed by the Rose Bowl college football game, now in its 106th year.

Kennedy, who is a senior at La Salle College Preparatory and lives in Pasadena, was crowned during a coronation ceremony held last week at the Pasadena Playhouse in Southern California.

Her selection followed a month-long process during which 45 top candidates from Pasadena-area schools competed for the coveted title. The participants were judged on their public speaking ability, academic achievement, youth leadership, community service and school involvement.

Kennedy will be donning the impressive three-pound crown, while her six princesses will be wearing simpler Mikimoto-designed cultured pearl tiaras valued at $90,000 each. Mikimoto Kōkichi is credited with creating the first cultured pearl in the late 1800s and subsequently starting the cultured pearl industry.

Historically, the Rose Queen’s head adornments have not been as lavish as they are today, according to the Associated Press. In the early 1900s, for example, the Rose Queens had no crowns. They simply wore hats or garlands.

The 2020 Rose Queen and her Royal Court will attend numerous community and media functions, serving as ambassadors of the Tournament of Roses, the Pasadena community and the greater Los Angeles area.

In the photo, above, Kennedy is wearing a white gown and is flanked by the members of her Royal Court: Rukan Saif, Mia Thorsen, Emilie Risha, Reese Rosental Saporito, Michael Wilkins and Cole Fox.

Credits: Queen and her court image via tournamentofroses.com; Crown photo courtesy of Mikimoto.

After many years of searching, 65-year-old Pat Choate finally captured her "Illusive Dream" last Tuesday at the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Ark.

The 3.29-carat brandy-colored gem is the third-largest diamond discovered this year at the 37½-acre search field, which is actually the eroded surface of an ancient diamond-bearing kimberlite pipe. Amateur miners get to keep what they find at the only diamond site in the world that’s open to the general public.

Originally from the Murfreesboro area, Choate and her husband, John, have been frequent visitors to Arkansas' Crater of Diamonds State Park, where they've discovered five diamonds over the years. Tuesday's find was, by far, the biggest and most exciting.

“It has been a long time coming," said Choate. "A lot of dirt and many years of searching — and I thank the good Lord for it! I know it’s not a perfect diamond, but it sure is a thrill!”

Choate named her diamond "Illusive Dream."

The park's assistant superintendent, Meghan Moore, said that Choate's diamond is about the size of a chickpea, with a sparkling metallic luster and a beautiful hue similar to brandy.

"Like many larger diamonds from the park," she said, "it appears to be fractured and contains a few inclusions, which gives it a unique appearance.”

Choate and her husband now live in Jacksonville, Ark., and decided to take the two-hour drive to Murfreesboro when the summer-like heatwave gave way to cooler temperates last week.

Said John Choate, “Each time Pat and I see the road sign for the Crater of Diamonds while driving to the park, we always tell each other, ‘Let’s be like some of these other tourists and find a diamond within 30 minutes.’ We’ve been saying that for years, but this time it actually happened to us!”

The couple was fortunate to visit just after an excavating company was contracted by the park to complete a deep plowing project to churn up previously untouched diamond-bearing material. Rainfall early in the week washed away loose soil from the surface, and that likely exposed Choate's diamond.

Choate and her husband entered the search area on Canary Hill in the southwest part of the site at 2 p.m. and scored her diamond about 30 minutes later.

“I saw something shiny several feet ahead of me and walked over to see what it was," Choate said. "I lost sight of it when I got close, but then I turned around and found the diamond lying beside me!”

Choate is planning the keep the gem in its rough form as a reminder of the wonderful memories she's shared with her husband during their many visits to the park.

So far this year, 426 diamonds have been registered at Crater of Diamonds State Park, weighing a total of 84 carats. Fifteen of those diamonds weighed more than 1 carat each.

Credits: Images courtesy of Arkansas State Parks.

The 55.08-carat, champagne-colored "Kimberley Diamond" is the newest member of the National Gem Collection. The emerald-cut gem was donated to the Smithsonian by philanthropist Bruce Stuart and went on display at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., this past Friday.

The Kimberley Diamond has been a rock star throughout its history. The Smithsonian noted that the Kimberley was one of the most recognizable gems in the world from the 1940s through the 1960s, as it appeared in books, magazines, newspapers and popular TV shows, such as It Takes a Thief and Ironside.

It was also exhibited throughout the U.S., including a highly promoted 2013 engagement at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

The gem was cut from a 490-carat crystal discovered at the Kimberley Mine in South Africa in 1921. Its original weight was 70 carats, but it was recut to its current proportions in 1958 to improve its clarity and brilliance. It had been owned by a private collector since 1971 and then acquired by Stuart in 2002.

The Kimberley Diamond, which dangles from an extraordinary diamond-encrusted necklace, can be seen at the National Museum of Natural History, just a few steps from the Hope Diamond in the Hall of Geology, Gems and Minerals.

“We offer our sincere appreciation to Bruce Stuart for his generosity in making this historic gift to the nation," said Dr. Jeff Post, curator of the National Gem Collection. "It will enrich the National Collection for generations to come."

Credits: Images courtesy of the Smithsonian.

Welcome to Music Friday when we like to bring you throwback songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, crooner Dean Martin sings about a little band of gold in his cover of “Wedding Bells,” a song first made famous by country legend Hank Williams exactly 70 years ago.

In the song, Martin portrays a young man who has just gotten an invitation to his ex-girlfriend’s wedding. Not only is he heartbroken by the thought of her marrying another man, but he reveals that he had been all set to pop the question.

He sings, “I planned a little cottage in the valley / And I even bought a little band of gold / I thought someday I’d place it on your finger / But now the future looks so dark and cold.”

In the end, Martin laments that wedding bells will never ring out for him.

Although the official writing credit for “Wedding Bells” is attributed to guitarist Claude Boone, country music historian Colin Escott wrote that Boone actually purchased the song for $25 from James Arthur Pritchett, a musician who performed under the name Arthur Q. Smith. Twenty-five dollars in 1949 is equivalent to about $300 today.

It turned out to be a great investment for Boone. The song was recorded by some of the biggest names in the music business, including Williams (1949), Hank Snow (1957), Marty Robbins (1958), George Jones (1962), Martin (1965), Jerry Lee Lewis (1967), Charlie Rich (1967), Bill Anderson (1968), Conway Twitty (1971), Glen Campbell (1973) and Lissie (2009).

Of all the versions of “Wedding Bells” posted to YouTube, we like Martin’s the most. The song is included as the last track on his album titled Dean Martin Hits Again.

Born Dino Paul Crocetti in Steubenville, Ohio, in 1917, Martin’s first language was Italian and he didn’t start learning English until he entered school at the age of five. His lack of English skills made him a target of neighborhood bullies. He dropped out of school in 10th grade because he believed he was smarter than his teachers. The teenager made ends meet by bootlegging liquor, working in a steel mill and dealing blackjack at a speakeasy. He also became a welterweight boxer.

Martin moved to New York City, where he worked as a croupier in an illegal casino behind a tobacco shop. He called himself “Dino Martini” and started singing for local bands. He got his first big break working for the Ernie McKay Orchestra.

He would go on to record some of his generation’s most memorable tunes, including “Memories Are Made of This,” “That’s Amore,” “Everybody Loves Somebody,” “You’re Nobody Till Somebody Loves You,” “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head?” and “Volare.”

Martin passed away on Christmas Day 1995 at the age of 78. In 1996, Ohio’s Route 7 through Steubenville was rededicated as Dean Martin Boulevard.

Please check out the audio track of Martin’s cover of “Wedding Bells.” The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…

“Wedding Bells”
Written by Claude Boone. Performed by Dean Martin.

(Wedding bells, wedding bells)

I have the invitation that you sent me
You wanted me to see you change your name
I couldn’t stand to see you wed another
But I hope you’re happy just the same

Wedding bells are ringing in the chapel
That should be ringing out for you and me
Down the aisle with someone else you’re walkin’
Those wedding bells will never ring for me

I planned a little cottage in the valley
And I even bought a little band of gold
I thought someday I’d place it on your finger
But now the future looks so dark and cold

Wedding bells are ringing in the chapel
That should be ringing out for you and me
Down the aisle with someone else you’re walkin’
So wedding bells will never ring for me
So wedding bells will never ring for me

Credit: Image by ABC Television [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring nostalgic tunes with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, Dion’s 1963 hit, “Donna the Prima Donna,” shines the spotlight on a young woman who aspires to be a socialite and has an affection for the finer things in life, including jewelry and gemstones.

While Donna loves to talk about high society, she’s really just a working-class girl. As Dion sings, “She always wears charms, diamonds, pearls galore / She buys them at the 5 and 10 cents store / She wants to be just like Zsa Zsa Gabor / Even though she’s the girl next door.”

As a poor kid from the Bronx, New York, Dion acknowledges that winning her heart will be nearly impossible, singing, “Pretty little girl, I don’t stand a chance /Without any money there goes our romance.”

Written by Dion and Ernie Maresca, “Donna the Prima Donna” appeared on Dion’s 1963 album of the same name. The song zoomed to #6 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and #17 on the R&B chart, and continues to get airplay 56 years after its release.

Born in 1939, Dion DiMucci developed his love for music early in life while touring with his dad, Paquale DiMucci, a vaudeville entertainer. Dion’s singing style was honed on the street corners of the Bronx, where he and his buddies performed a cappella riffs.

Dion started his career in the late 1950s as the frontman for Dion and the Belmonts. He rocketed to stardom after going solo in 1960 and is best remembered for the singles “Runaround Sue,” “The Wanderer,” “Ruby Baby” and “Donna the Prima Donna.”

Trivia: Dion also released an Italian version of “Donna the Prima Donna.” The lead vocals are in Italian, but the backing vocals — provided by The Del-Satins — are identical to the original song.

Dion, who celebrated his 80th birthday in July and continues to tour, was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1989.

We hope you enjoy these clips of Dion performing “Donna The Prima Donna.” (As a fun bonus, we’ve also included the Italian-language version.) The English lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…

“Donna The Prima Donna”
Written by Dion DiMucci and Ernie Maresca. Performed by Dion.

Donna, Donna the Prima Donna
Broke my heart.
We’re apart.
Thinks she’s smart.

I met a girl a month ago
I thought that she would love me so.
But in time I realized.
She had a pair of roving eyes.

I remember the nights we dated,
Always acting sophisticated,
Talking about high society,
Then she tried to make a fool out of me.

They call her Donna, Donna the Prima Donna
Broke my heart now.
Thinks she’s smart now.
We’re apart now.

Pretty little girl you’re just having fun
You’re running all around and breaking lover’s hearts.
Pretty little girl, I don’t stand a chance,
Without any money there goes our romance.

She always wears charms, diamonds, pearls galore,
She buys them at the 5 and 10 cents store.
She wants to be just like Zsa Zsa Gabor,
Even though she’s the girl next door.

They call her Donna, Donna the Prima Donna.
Broke my heart.
Thinks she’s smart.
We’re apart.

Pretty little girl you’re just having fun,
You’re running all around, you’re breaking lover’s hearts.
Pretty little girl, I don’t stand a chance,
Without any money there goes our romance.

She always wears charms, diamonds, pearls galore,
She buys them at the 5 and 10 cents store.
She wants to be just like Zsa Zsa Gabor,
Even though she’s Donna next door.

Donna, Donna the Prima Donna
(Repeats)

Credit:Screen capture via Youtube.com.

Britain's Royal Mint just took the concept of a "gold card" to a whole new level with the unveiling of the first-ever payment card made from 18-karat gold.

Developed in association with Mastercard and Accomplish Financial, the solid gold Raris card offers limitless spending, zero foreign exchange and no transaction fees. It also carries a $23,000 price tag.

Each Raris card is personalized with the name and signature of the accountholder engraved right into the precious metal. The card is fully customizable. Additional graphics may be added to the front and back of the card — for an additional fee.

The Royal Mint, which has produced coinage in England for more than 1,100 years, is targeting the premium product to the elite consumer who values high-quality luxury items and wants to make a statement.

Because the Raris card is part of the Mastercard World Elite package, cardholders will have access to a dedicated concierge service and other travel benefits.

In addition to being the world’s first precious metal payment card to be hallmarked by the Goldsmiths’ Company Assay Office, Raris is also the first payment card in the world to use source-traceable metals and to be certified under the Responsible Jewellery Council’s Chain of Custody.

"The Royal Mint is constantly innovating, and as the UK’s leading precious metals solutions provider, we are hugely excited to launch the solid gold Raris card in acknowledgement of growing consumer demands for unique and luxury payments cards," noted Anne Jessopp, CEO at The Royal Mint.

CNN reported that the Royal Mint's initial run will consist of 50 Raris cards with the same design. New card designs and additional runs will follow as the product gains traction.

When CNN asked Mastercard spokesman James Thorpe why anyone might want to invest in an 18-karat gold payment card, he said, "If you want something that is unique in this world, there are very few things. But this is a remarkable and valuable product."

Credit: Image courtesy of The Royal Mint.

Back in February of 1981, Prince Charles proposed to the 20-year-old Lady Diana with a big blue sapphire-and-diamond ring that the future princess got to pick out herself. According to the editors of Vogue, some members of the British royal family fumed at Diana's choice — not because it featured an unconventional center stone, but because it was a stock item from the Garrard catalog.

Founded in London in 1735, Garrard was the official crown jeweler of the UK from 1843 until 2007. The distinguished company that had been entrusted with the upkeep of the British Crown Jewels was the logical source for Diana's bridal jewelry.

So, in the lead-up to their engagement, the 32-year-old Prince Charles presented his bride-to-be with a bunch of design options from Garrard. Her favorite was an 18-karat white gold ring set with a 12-carat oval Ceylon sapphire surrounded by a halo of 14 round white diamonds.

In Diana's eyes, the ring was perfect. She loved it so much that she didn't request any modifications or customizations.

In the eyes of her critics and some members of the royal family, the ring was sub-standard because it was hardly unique. Critics called the Garrard stock item a "commoner's ring" because any non-royal with $60,000 to spend could purchase the exact piece.

Nevertheless, Diana's sapphire and diamond engagement ring would become one of the most recognizable and imitated engagement rings of all time. Gerrard still features a sapphire ring with a halo of 12 diamonds in its "1735 Collection." (The ring seen, above, is a replica with 16 accent stones.)

Diana wore the ring throughout her marriage and even, on some occasions, after her divorce from Prince Charles in 1996.

After Diana died tragically in 1997, her sons, then 15 and 12, were given an opportunity to select a keepsake from their mom's possessions.

Prince William picked a Cartier watch that his mom received on her 21st birthday and Harry got the sapphire engagement ring.

But, wait… Didn't Prince William famously propose to Kate Middleton in October of 2010 with his late mother's sapphire ring? Well, yes. We learned in April of this year, that the sapphire ring proposal was made possible by the selfless act of William's younger brother, Harry.

According to Diana’s former butler, Paul Burrell, the princess's ring was in Harry’s possession for 12 years. When William broke the news to his brother that he was about to propose to his long-time girlfriend, Kate, the younger brother said, “Wouldn’t it be fitting if she had mummy’s ring? Then one day that ring will be sat on the throne of England.”

William accepted his brother’s generous offer and the rest is history.

Credits: Princess Diana photo by John Mathew Smith [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons. Engagement ring replica by Ann Porteus from Tasmania, Australia [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons.

Lightning Ridge, a small outback town in New South Wales, is the only place in Australia, and one of the few places in the world, where the highly prized black opal is found. Opals with a vivid play-of-color and a black or dark body color are classified as black opals.

The beautiful 26.9-carat specimen, above, is an example of a black opal sourced at Lightning Ridge — a mining area that has been yielding top-quality opals since 1903. The ring was gifted to the Smithsonian in 1970 by Mrs. Oliver B. James and became part of the National Gem Collection in Washington, D.C. The cabochon-cut gem displays a variety of intense colors, including red, violet, blue, green, yellow and orange.

As one of October’s official birthstones, the precious opal is universally loved because it can present all the colors of the rainbow. Each opal is truly unique and more than 95% of the world's fine opals are sourced in Australia. Other varieties include white opals, boulder opals, crystal opals and fire opals.

As we reported earlier this year, a world-class facility dedicated to Australia’s national gemstone is taking shape at Lightning Ridge. The $24 million Australian Opal Centre will be a world-class tourism attraction and an internationally recognized hub for opal-related knowledge, training and certification.

Scientists believe that between 100 million and 97 million years ago, Australia’s vast inland sea, which was populated by marine dinosaurs, began retreating. As the sea regressed, a rare episode of acidic weather was taking place, exposing pyrite minerals and releasing sulphuric acid. As the surface of the basin dried further and cracked, silica-rich gel became trapped in the veins of the rock. Over time, the silica solidified to form opals.

In precious opal, the silica spheres are uniform in size and are stacked into an orderly arrangement, which gives the structure the ability to break visible white light into separate colors. Interestingly, 95% of the opals found by miners is void of color. These specimens are white, grey or black. The locals call it “potch” and it has very little value. Potch is composed of the exact same mineral as fine opal – spheres of silica dioxide. The only difference is that in potch, the tiny silica spheres are jumbled, whereas in precious opal they’re all laid out evenly.

An opal’s silica structure contains 3% to 20% water, according to the American Gem Society. The value of a fine opal is based on a number of factors, including brightness, color, pattern, body tone and consistency (how it looks from multiple angles).

While Australia remains the primary source of fine opal production, the October birthstone is also mined in Mexico, Brazil, Honduras, Ethiopia, the Czech Republic and parts of the U.S., including Nevada and Idaho.

Credits: Photos by Chip Clark/Smithsonian.

Sparkling with 282 diamonds and 51 sapphires, the St. Louis Blues' first-ever Stanley Cup rings pay tribute to the strong bond between the players and their dedicated fans. The impressive 14-karat white and yellow gold rings — which boast a total gem weight of 10.6 carats — were recently presented to the players, coaches and executives by local police and firefighters during a private ceremony.

Founded in 1967, the St. Louis Blues and their fans waited 52 years to raise the Stanley Cup.

Designed by Jostens, the ring face features the Blues' distinctive Blue Note logo rendered with 16 genuine, custom-cut blue sapphires. The number 16 represents the number of victories earned by the Blues on their path to the championship. Jostens reported that each sapphire had to be delicately shaved so each would fit exactly within the logo's yellow gold outline.

The Blue Note logo sits atop the Stanley Cup, rendered with 45 pavé-set diamonds. To the left and right of the Cup are 30 more diamonds for a total of 75 — a number representing the goals scored by the Blues during the 2019 postseason.

The words "STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS" in raised gold lettering encircle the face of the ring and sit against a ground of custom blue antiquing. Completing the top's stunning design are 115 additional diamonds intricately set in a cascading waterfall effect.

A total of 20 princess-cut sapphires — channel set in yellow gold — wrap around two sides of the ring's top edge. One of the remaining two sides features the player's name in raised yellow gold lettering, and the fourth side showcases the words "ST. LOUIS BLUES" with "ST. LOUIS" in raised gold letters and the word "BLUES" colored with blue antiquing.

The player's jersey number set in diamonds is prominently placed on the left side of the ring, along with an illustration of the players and fans celebrating their victory with the Stanley Cup held aloft. Also on the left side of the ring is the championship year of 2019.

Intricately detailed music notes for the song “When the Blues Go Marching In” are featured on the right side of the ring. The music notes flow through the iconic St. Louis Arch, formed by 16 diamonds, again representing the number of victories earned in the playoffs. According to Jostens, the scene is inspired from photos taken from an overhead blimp during the city’s championship parade celebration. A mix of 76 diamonds and 15 sapphires symbolizes the huge crowd that surrounded the stage during the city's celebration.

The results of the each playoff series and the opponents' logos are engraved on the interior of the ring, along with the Blue Note logo. Below the scores is an engraving of the player's personal signature. Also on the interior is the name "LAILA," an 11-year-old superfan who suffers from a rare, life-threatening disease. Laila Anderson was a season-long source of inspiration for the team.

The palm crest reads "PLAY GLORIA," a nod to the Laura Branigan song that was played after the team's home victories.

“The Blues journey to become Stanley Cup Champions for the first time was nothing short of extraordinary," said Chris Poitras VP and COO of Jostens Professional Sports Division, "and we wanted to honor that story through an equally incredible ring."

Credits: Images courtesy of Jostens.