Master Sculptor Wallace Chan to Exhibit 'Rise of Heart' and 40 Other Gem Creations in NY Next Month

Visitors to New York City next month will have a rare opportunity to see the amazing gemstone creations of Chinese master sculptor Wallace Chan. The installation at the Park Avenue Armory from October 21-26 will mark the first time Chan has exhibited his work in New York.

Regarded as the world’s leading art fair, TEFAF New York Fall will showcase Chan's 7-foot-tall "Rise of Heart."

Crafted in titanium, the gemstone-intensive sculpture depicts what Chan calls the "queen of Chinese gardens" — the peony flower — encircled by graceful butterflies. The breathtaking work is embellished with 925 rubies (357 carats), 470 citrines (3,622 carats), 500 amethysts (1,078 carats) and a vibrant burst of yellow diamonds.

Chan notes on his website that the peony is a sign of spring, as well as a symbol of affection, feminine beauty, riches and honor. The airy butterflies are a symbol of beauty, love and joy.

“Do flowers attract butterflies or is it the other way round? I wonder about that relationship,” Wallace told a writer for design blog, Lavender's Blue. “I’m always very curious! I like to study the sky and earth, to capture the universe in my works. The universe is my teacher!”

Also on display in New York will be 40 other Chan masterpieces. Some of his work is so vivid and lifelike that it looks like it could crawl away.

The world renowned Hong Kong-based artist is famous for developing "The Wallace Cut," a special technique he uses to carve a three-dimensional portrait into the non-faceted back of a gemstone. Using a dentist’s drill with a specially adapted blade, the sculptor grinds away at the gemstone to render a subject who seems to be looking in several directions at once.

The drill, which spins at 36,000 times per minute, generates so much heat that the process has to take place under cold water or else the stone could be easily damaged.

“It means I can’t see clearly when I’m cutting,” Chan told CNN. “It becomes a very repetitive process. I make one cut, take it out of the water to check it, dry the stone, check it again, and if it’s fine I put it back in the water and make another cut.”

At TEFAF (The European Fine Art Foundation) New York Fall, Chan will exhibit among 93 other experts representing a range of art from antiquity through the early 20th century.

Credits: Images via wallacechan.com.

Surprising Season Finale of 'Bachelor in Paradise' Delivers Three Engagements and Three Stunning Rings

More than 5.5 million fans of ABC's top-rated Bachelor in Paradise witnessed three romantic, teary-eyed proposals — and three stunning engagement rings — during last week's season finale.

In a surprising turn of events, not one, but three couples found love during their few short weeks in Mexico. Making the ultimate commitment to tie the knot were Josh Murray and Amanda Stanton, Evan Bass and Carly Waddell, and Grant Kemp and Lace Morris.

Here's a close-up look at their rings, which were designed by Neil Lane...

Murray popped the question to Stanton with a double-halo-style engagement ring that features a square emerald-cut diamond center stone set in platinum with a pavé diamond band. An insider told US Magazine that the 3-carat diamond ring is valued at $85,000.

Murray's emotional proposal had fans swooning and fighting to hold back the tears: "You are the sweetest, kindest, most loving, generous woman that I have ever met," Murray said. "I'm so blessed to spend the rest of my life with you. So, Amanda, my love, will you marry me?"

Not to be outdone, Bass expressed his devotion to Waddell with a silly limerick followed by a emotion-filled declaration of love.

"Carly, our life in Paradise has been nothing short of epic," he said. "My love for you has only gotten stronger. And the love I feel from you is the most amazing, inexplicable, mind-blowing thing that I just never in a million years thought I would get. I feel like my heart beats to your soul... Carly, I wanna chase after the fairy tales, and go on all of the adventures, and find all of the interesting things in this world to explore… I wanna start a life with you. I want you to be my wife."

Bass presented Waddell with a split-shank, halo-style platinum engagement ring centered by a pear-shaped 3.3-carat fancy pink diamond accented with rose-gold prongs and a band of white pavé diamonds. Us Magazine reported the ring's value at approximately $90,000.

Kemp chose for Morris an engagement ring featuring an Art Deco-inspired, square-cut 3.5-carat diamond framed by an octagonal border of 20 smaller round-cut white diamonds. With a value of $98,000, this ring is the priciest of the three.

The handsome suitor got down on one knee and asked Morris for her hand in marriage: "When I look at you, there's no way that I would not want you in my life," he said. "I love you when you're happy. I love you when you're stubborn. I love you when you're sad. I even love you when you're screaming at me. But, mostly, I love you when you're Lace. Lace, will you marry me?"

Credits: Couples via ABC. Rings courtesy of Neil Lane.

Swiss Luxury Jeweler De Grisogono Purchases Rights to Cut the 813-Carat 'Constellation'

Swiss luxury jeweler De Grisogono has purchased the rights to cut and polish the world's most expensive rough diamond, the $63 million, 813-carat "Constellation."

The diamond will be cut in Antwerp and will likely yield the world's largest D-flawless diamond, weighing between 300 and 350 carats. The cutting and polishing process is expected to be completed by May 2017.

De Grisogono entered a partnership with Dubai-based Nemesis International, which had acquired the rough diamond from Lucara Diamond Corp. for $63 million in May. The value of De Grisogono's deal with Nemesis was not disclosed.

The colorful founder of De Grisogono, Fawaz Gruosi, referred to the stone as his "princess," "his collaborator" and "his woman."

"I love her and I hate her," he said. "Love because something like this is so exceptional — I could never dream to be able to have a stone like this in my own hands — and hate her because I don't know how I'm going to dress her."

"(This is) the first time we've taken such a historic stone and had full creative freedom to do what we want with it," De Grisogono CEO John Leitao told CNN.

Back in November of 2015, Lucara miners discovered two enormous gem-quality rough diamonds at its Karowe Mine in Botswana. The pair tipped the scales at a combined 1,922 carats. The larger of the two was the 1,109-carat "Lesedi la Rona," which failed to meet the reserve price at Sotheby’s London on June 29. The smaller of the two was the Constellation.

Both diamonds have been rated Type IIa by the Gemological Institute of America. Diamonds in this rare and coveted subgroup are chemically pure and often show extraordinary optical transparency.

The Constellation is the sixth-largest gem-quality rough diamond ever found, according to NationalJeweler.com.

Credits: Facebook/Lucara Diamond Corporation.

Bruce Springsteen Serenades Young Couple During Epic Onstage Marriage Proposal

Rock legend Bruce Springsteen created a memory that will last a lifetime when he stopped his encore performance of "Jersey Girl" to invite a young couple onstage for an unforgettable marriage proposal.

Michael McCloskey had waited all evening for Springsteen to perform that special song because he knew it would be the perfect time to propose to his Jersey Girl, Jillian Rabadan. Nearly four hours into the concert, it was finally McCloskey's moment to go down on one knee and present Rabadan with a diamond ring.

The surprised girlfriend said "Yes" and the concertgoers in their section screamed their approval.

Springsteen and the East Street Band were halfway through a beautiful rendition of the Tom Waits' classic song when The Boss noticed the commotion in the pit near the front of the stage.

"What's going on down there?" Springsteen asked.

Band member Stevie Van Zandt pointed to his ring finger, signaling to Springsteen that the couple had just gotten engaged.

"You need to come up here and do it," Springsteen said.

As the couple found their way over the barricade and onto the stage, Springsteen announced, "Love is in the room tonight."

Springsteen handed the microphone to McCloskey, who told the crowd of 55,000 that he and Jill had been dating for eight years. "We've been to a ton of shows together and this is by far the highlight of them all," he said.

McCloskey then turned to his girlfriend and said, “Jill, you’re my best friend. I love you more than anyone else in the world. I love you more than music itself. Hell, I love you more than Bruce. Sorry, Bruce! I’m so happy you said yes, and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.”

The couple embraced and the sold-out stadium went crazy.

Springsteen then encouraged McCloskey to dance with his new fiancée while Springsteen and the band segued into the final verse "Jersey Girl."

Springsteen sang, "'Cause down the shore everything's all right / You and your baby on a Saturday night / Nothing matters in this whole wide world / When you're in love with a Jersey girl."

The song and concert came to a rousing conclusion with an impressive display of fireworks in the night sky.

“Bruce was amazing,” Rabadan told a local CBS affiliate. “He was so nice, and I can’t believe he did that for us."

Said McCloskey, “He could have just given us a shout-out or a wave, but he invited us up on stage. He gave us a serenade and a slow dance and a memory that’ll last a lifetime.”

See the videos of how the scene played out at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey...

Credits: Screen captures via YouTube.com/Compumom226; YouTube.com/pointblank482000.

Latest in Wearable Tech: This Ring Lets You See and Feel Your Lover's Heartbeat in Real Time

The latest wearable technology — the HB Ring — allows you see and feel your lover's heartbeat in real time. Conceived by a company called TheTouch, the rings have the ability to link up with each other from across town or across the planet.

To see and feel the real-time heartbeat of one's partner, the user simply double taps on the HB Ring. A red stripe that's visible through the ring's sapphire body flashes a single time to confirm the request was sent. A few seconds later — after making a connection with the companion's ring — the red stripe flashes with the real-time heartbeat of the partner. The user can also feel a vibration from the ring that matches the heartbeat rhythm.

To protect one's privacy, the responding ring shows no indication that it is transmitting a real-time heartbeat.

The ring, which seems simple but actually houses 100 individual components, captures the heartbeat using a sensor.

Available in stainless steel or rose gold, the rings feature a unibody sapphire crystal surface that is virtually unscratchable. The HB Rings are 3.9mm thick, 12.1mm wide and available in six sizes.

Even though the rings include electronic components, they can withstand short exposures to water, such as hand washing. The rings are not designed to be submerged for long periods of time, so swimming with the ring or taking it into a hot tub is definitely out of the question.

The HB Rings are the result of 2.5 years of product development that utilized the expertise of Czech, Swiss, German and Japanese engineers and manufacturers.

The rings are connected to a smartphone app via Bluetooth and will function as long as they are charged and the users have access to data or Wi-Fi. With typical usage (about 10 to 15 touches per day), the monthly data consumption will be about 300KB to 450KB, according to the company.

The rings are priced at $599 per pair for the stainless steel version and range up to $2,990 for the rose gold pair. The rings come with two single chargers and one double charger. The rings are currently powered up via a USB connection, but TheTouch is reportedly working on a wireless charging option.

The products are now in the pre-order stage. The rose gold rings will start shipping in November 2016, with the stainless versions following a month later.

Credits: Images via Facebook.com/thetouchx.

Birthstone of the Month: 423-Carat Logan Sapphire Has Ties to the Guggenheim Family and an Indian Maharajah

In honor of September’s official birthstone, we shine our spotlight on the “Logan Sapphire,” the second-largest faceted gem-quality blue sapphire in the world at 422.99 carats. Now part of the National Gem Collection, the sapphire is a top attraction at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.

The vibrant medium-blue gem boasts a provenance that links one of America's most prominent families with Indian royalty. The beautiful brooch had been given to Rebecca Pollard Guggenheim as a Christmas/anniversary gift in 1952 by her then-husband Col. M. Robert Guggenheim. The Guggenheims had amassed one of the world's largest fortunes through their mining and smelting businesses, and later became equally famous for their philanthropy.

Rebecca donated the magnificent gem to the Smithsonian in 1960 but kept it in her possession until 1971. Col. M. Robert Guggenheim passed away in 1959 and Rebecca remarried three years later, becoming Mrs. John A. Logan in 1962. This is where the Logan Sapphire gets its name. The gem finally went on display in Washington, D.C., in June of 1971.

Col. M. Robert Guggenheim reportedly purchased the gem from Sir Ellice Victor Sassoon (1881-1961), the third Baronet of Bombay. The Sassoon family had acquired the gem from a maharajah in India.

Set in a silver-and-gold brooch and framed by 20 round brilliant diamonds weighing approximately 16 carats, the cushion-cut Logan Sapphire claims the distinction of being the heaviest mounted gem in the National Gem Collection. It was cut from a crystal mined in Sri Lanka in the mid-1800s and possesses a beautiful blue color with slight violet overtones.

The impressive color led skeptics to question whether the gem had been heated or treated in any way. The Gemological Institute of America put those doubts to rest after studying the gem and stating in a report dated June 1997 that the Logan Sapphire was completely natural.

Historically, the finest and most vibrant gem-quality sapphires have come from Sri Lanka, Burma and the Kashmir region of India. According to the Smithsonian, sapphires from Sri Lanka are typically light to medium blue and are commonly referred to as "Ceylon Sapphires."

Interestingly, all sapphires are made of the mineral corundum (crystalline aluminum oxide). In its pure state, the corundum is colorless, but when trace elements are naturally introduced to the chemical composition all the magic happens. Blue sapphires occur, for instance, when aluminum atoms are displaced with those of titanium and iron in the gem’s crystal lattice structure.

Sapphires are seen in many colors, including pink, purple, green, orange and yellow. Ruby is the red variety of corundum.

Credit: Photo by Chip Clark/Smithsonian Institution.

Music Friday: 'One Day You're a Diamond and Then You're a Stone' in Dire Straits' 'The Bug'

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you fun songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Frontman Mark Knopfler and Dire Straits sing about life's ups and downs ("one day you're a diamond and then you're a stone") in the comical 1991 tune called "The Bug."

Written by Knopfler, "The Bug" is a clever commentary on how "everything can change in the blink of an eye, so let the good times roll before we say goodbye."

In the song's famous reprise, Knopfler sings, "Sometimes you're the windshield / Sometimes you're the bug / Sometimes it all comes together baby / Sometimes you're just a fool in love."

"The Bug" was released as the fourth single from Dire Straits' sixth and final studio album On Every Street. The album sold 15 million copies worldwide and served as a fitting punctuation mark to the band's wildly successful 15-year run, during which Dire Straits sold more than 100 million records.

Dire Straits was a formed in London in 1977 and its name reflected the group's shaky financial condition in the early days. Founding members Knopfler, younger brother David, John Illsley and Pick Withers honed their unique sound with inspiration from the worlds of jazz, folk and blues.

The group split for the first time in 1988, but then reformed in 1991. The final breakup was in 1995 when Mark Knopfler pursued a solo career.

Fun trivia: Dire Straits was Princess Diana's favorite rock group.

More fun trivia: Lead singer and guitarist Mark Knopfler is left-handed but plays right-handed.

Please check out the video of Dire Straits' live performance of "The Bug." The lyrics are below if you'd like to sing along...

"The Bug"
Written by Mark Knopfler. Performed by Dire Straits.

Well it's a strange old game you learn it slow
One step forward and it's back you go
You're standing on the throttle
You're standing on the brake
In the groove 'til you make a mistake

Sometimes you're the windshield
Sometimes you're the bug
Sometimes it all comes together baby
Sometimes you're just a fool in love
Sometimes you're the Louisville Slugger
Sometimes you're the ball
Sometimes it all comes together
Sometimes you're gonna lose it all

You gotta know happy - you gotta know glad
Because you're gonna know lonely
And you're gonna know sad
When you're rippin' and you're ridin'
And you're coming on strong
You start slippin' and slidin'
And it all goes wrong because

Sometimes you're the windshield
Sometimes you're the bug
Sometimes it all comes together baby
Sometimes you're just a fool in love
Sometimes you're the Louisville Slugger
Sometimes you're the ball
Sometimes it all comes together
Sometimes you're gonna lose it all

One day you got the glory and then you got none
One day you're a diamond and then you're a stone
Everything can change in the blink of an eye
So let the good times roll before we say goodbye because

Sometimes you're the windshield
Sometimes you're the bug
Sometimes it all comes together baby
Sometimes you're just a fool in love
Sometimes you're the Louisville Slugger
Sometimes you're the ball
Sometimes it all comes together
Sometimes you're gonna lose it all

Sometimes you're the windshield
Sometimes you're the bug
Sometimes it all comes together baby
Sometimes you're just a fool in love

Sometimes you're the windshield
Sometimes you're the bug
Sometimes it all comes together baby
Sometimes you're just a fool in love

Credit: Dire Straits by Helge Øverås (Own work) [GFDL, CC-BY-SA-3.0 or CC BY 2.5], via Wikimedia Commons.

British Officials Struggle to Keep Queen Victoria's Sapphire Crown in the UK

Calling it a symbol of one of Britain's most famous love stories, UK officials placed a temporary export ban on the petite sapphire and diamond crown — called a coronet — that Prince Albert gifted to Queen Victoria for their wedding in 1840.

Now in the possession of a private owner, the coronet was scheduled to be auctioned with an asking price of $6.5 million plus $1.3 million in taxes. The owner had applied for an export license in the event that the piece was purchased by a non-Brit.

That move quickly sparked action by government officials who believe the coronet was “key to the self-image of the young Victoria” and should remain on British soil. The export ban, which is valid until December, will give a British collector an opportunity to step forward and make an equivalent bid, or declare an intention to raise the funds.

“Queen Victoria’s coronet is stunning," noted Matt Hancock, the Minister of State responsible for digital policy at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. "It is one of the most iconic jewels from a pivotal period in our history and symbolizes one of our nation’s most famous love stories. I hope that we are able to keep the coronet in the UK and on display for the public to enjoy for years to come.”

Knowing that the Queen had a passion for colored gemstones, Prince Albert helped design a 4.5-inch-wide crown mounted with 11 large blue sapphires and studded with hundreds of smaller diamonds. He presented the coronet to Queen Victoria as a wedding present, along with a matching brooch. The crown was designed by goldsmith Joseph Kitching and cost £415 ($545) at the time.

Queen Victoria was only 23 years old in 1842 when she posed for an official state portrait wearing the coronet (see above).

After Queen Victoria's death in 1901, the coronet was handed down to Queen Mary (1867-1953) and King George V (1865-1936), who then gifted the piece to Princess Mary on her marriage to Viscount Lascelles in 1922. It was later purchased by a London dealer who sold it to the current owner.

“Its departure would be a great loss, given its beauty, its associations and its history,” Philippa Glanville, a member of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest, said in a statement.

Although the export ban extends to December 2016, officials do have the option of extending it through June of 2017 if a UK buyer comes forward and demonstrates the ability to raise the funds needed to buy the piece.

Credits: Coronet image courtesy of the UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Official portrait of Queen Victoria wearing the coronet in 1842 by Franz Xaver Winterhalter. [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.

402-Carat Stunner Highlights ALROSA's Auction of 'Special Size' Rough Diamonds

Diamantaires from the four corners of the earth have converged on the picturesque Pacific port city of Vladivostok, Russia, to get a chance to bid on ALROSA's "special size" rough diamonds, the largest of which tips the scales at 401.97 carats.

Bidders are vying for 19 diamond lots boasting a total weight of 1,098 carats. What all the rough diamonds have in common is a weight of 10 carats or more and an origin at one of ALROSA's diamond mines. The Russian diamond company currently operates 11 kimberlite pipes and 16 alluvial deposits, producing 38.3 million carats of rough diamonds annually.

Running concurrently with the International Auction of Special Size Rough Diamonds will be ALROSA's Polished Diamond Tender. The most coveted of the 28 diamonds up for sale is a 40.25-carat round. Eighteen of the 28 gems are fancy colored and five polished diamonds weigh more than 5 carats.

A total of 30 companies from the U.S., Hong Kong, Israel, India, Belgium and Russia were handpicked to attend ALROSA's diamond events in Vladivostok. It is the first time ALROSA has held its auctions in this city, which overlooks Golden Horn Bay, near the borders of China and North Korea.

Diamonds will be on display through September 2, with the Rough and Polished auctions taking place on September 3.

Credits: Diamond images courtesy of ALROSA. Map via GoogleMaps.com.

Polish Olympian With a Heart of Gold Sells Silver Medal to Fund a Child's Cancer Treatment

Polish Olympian Piotr Malachowski, who won a silver medal at the 2016 Rio Games in the discus throw, put his cherished medal up for auction last week to help pay for the treatment of a three-year-old boy with a rare form of eye cancer.

The boy, Olek Szymanski, has a condition called retinoblastoma, a malignant cancer that mostly affects children. Treatment of the cancer is very complex and demands the expertise of surgeons in New York City.

Malachowski hoped to raise $84,000, which is two-thirds of the $126,000 cost of the surgery. A Polish foundation called Siepomaga had pledged to pay one-third of the fee.

On his Facebook page Malachowski wrote, "In Rio, I fought for gold. Today I appeal to everyone. Let’s fight together for something that is even more precious — the health of this fantastic boy.”

On Tuesday of last week, with the bidding at $19,000, Malachowski announced that he was closing the eBay auction.

Malachowski's selfless efforts to assist the little boy had caught the attention of Polish billionaire siblings Dominika and Sebastian Kulczyk, who agreed to buy the silver medal and cover the costs of young Olek's treatment.

"We were able to show that together we can do wonders," the 33-year-old Malachowski wrote. "My silver medal today is worth a lot more than a week ago. It is worth the life and health of a small Olek. It is our great shared success."

According to The Washington Post, Malachowski learned of the child’s illness from the boy’s mother, who wrote to him asking for his help.

The giant man with a heart of gold is a two-time Olympic medalist. In 2008, he won a silver medal in the discus event at the Beijing Games.

Credits: Images via Facebook/Piotr Małachowski.