Music Friday: A Heartbroken Gary Lewis Laments, 'Who Wants to Buy This Diamond Ring?'

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you golden oldies with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, Gary Lewis & the Playboys perform "This Diamond Ring," a 1965 chart topper about a heartbroken young man desperate to sell a piece of precious jewelry that doesn't shine for him anymore.

In the song, Lewis is stunned when his girlfriend returns her engagement ring and admits she's been untrue. For him, the stone had symbolized something genuine, "like love should be," and the ring reflected dreams that were coming true.

Lewis sings, "Who wants to buy this diamond ring? / She took it off her finger, now it doesn't mean a thing / This diamond ring doesn't shine for me anymore / And this diamond ring doesn't mean what it meant before / So if you've got someone whose love is true / Let it shine for you."

"This Diamond Ring" was released as the group's first single in January of 1965 and quickly ascended to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The popularity of the song helped Gary Lewis & the Playboys to land a high-profile appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show and a touring gig with the Dick Clark Caravan of Stars. By the end of 1965, Gary Lewis was named Cash Box magazine's "Male Vocalist of the Year," beating out nominees Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra. The group would go on to score seven Top-10 hits.

Lewis, who is still performing with his band at the age of 71, told songfacts.com that his biggest hit is often misinterpreted.

"A lot of people love 'This Diamond Ring,' but they think it's a getting-together song," he recounted. "They say to me, 'Hey, we got married because of 'This Diamond Ring.' I say, 'Really?' I mean, it's a breakup song."

Despite the success of "This Diamond Ring," songwriters Al Kooper, Bob Brass and Irwin Levine were unhappy with the uptempo arrangement of what was supposed to be an R&B song, claiming Gary Lewis & the Playboys removed the soul and "made a teenage milkshake out of it." The song had been written for The Drifters, who passed on the opportunity to record it.

Quick trivia: Gary Lewis is the son of the comedian Jerry Lewis, who passed away in August at the age of 91.

Please check out the video of Gary Lewis & the Playboys performing "This Diamond Ring." The clip is introduced by TV's Batman, Adam West, who also died this year at the age of 88. The lyrics are below if you'd like to sing along...

"This Diamond Ring"
Written by Al Kooper, Bob Brass and Irwin Levine. Performed by Gary Lewis & the Playboys.

Who wants to buy this diamond ring?
She took it off her finger, now it doesn't mean a thing
This diamond ring doesn't shine for me anymore
And this diamond ring doesn't mean what it meant before
So if you've got someone whose love is true
Let it shine for you

This stone is genuine like love should be
And if your baby's truer than my baby was to me
This diamond ring can mean something beautiful
And this diamond ring can mean dreams that are coming true
And then your heart won't have to break like mine did
If there's love behind it

This diamond ring can mean something beautiful
And this diamond ring can mean dreams that are coming true
And then your heart won't have to break like mine did
If there's love behind it

This diamond ring doesn't shine for me anymore
And this diamond ring doesn't mean what it meant before
So then your heart won't have to break like mine did
If there's love behind it

Credit: Screen capture via YouTube.com.

Baby Hippo Photobombs Marriage Proposal, Leaps from Local Inspiration to Internet Sensation

An adorable baby hippo at the Cincinnati Zoo became an internet sensation this week when she photobombed a surprise marriage proposal that was taking place just outside her tank. The Instagram post was so awesome that it was picked up by USA Today, Huffington Post, Fox News, US Weekly, E! News, the Daily Buzz and The Telegraph, among other outlets.

In the photo, we can see Fiona the Hippo peeking through the glass at the exact moment Nick Kelble popped the question to his girlfriend, Hayley Roll. Mashable.com credited Fiona with "perhaps the most wonderful photobomb of our time."

“We went to the zoo for our one-year anniversary and Fiona was in the window,” Roll told the Daily Buzz. “Nick and I were waiting in line to get our photo taken with Fiona and I gave my cell phone to someone to take the photo. When I turned back around, Nick was on one knee proposing."

The now-world-famous photo was posted by Roll with the caption, "We're so happy Fiona could be there on our special day. Here's to many more years of going to zoos with you."

Fiona has been an inspiration to the Cincinnati community and a top attraction at the zoo since she was born six weeks premature in January of 2017. At birth, she weighed only 29 pounds, barely half that of a normal hippo. Developmentally delayed, and with the odds of survival stacked against her, Fiona battled day after day under the tender care of the zookeepers, who had to teach her to walk and to swim.

Her 10-month battle to become "the smallest hippo ever to survive" is documented on the animal's own Facebook page, titled "The Fiona Show." The page has 228,000 followers.

Roll told E! News that Fiona has played a special role in the couple's relationship.

"Nick and I had been long distance for a while when we first started dating," she told E! News. "Fiona was something we could talk about and obsess over together. We always kept up with her and still adore her. When we went to the zoo that day, it was pouring rain and we hardly saw any of the other animals. We just really wanted to meet Fiona for the first time!"

Not only did they get to meet Fiona, but the baby hippo also helped to make their marriage proposal story truly memorable. Yesterday, Roll returned to Instagram to post an important photo. Her caption: "Almost forgot to show insta my ring!!"

Credits: Images via Instagram/Haley Roll; Facebook/The Fiona Show.

Glistening With 4,517 Diamonds, World's Most Valuable Handbag Is Up for Grabs

Reflecting 8,800 hours of meticulous craftsmanship by 10 artisans, "The Mouawad 1001 Nights Diamond Purse" incorporates 4,517 diamonds with a total weight of 381.92 carats. The one-of-a-kind masterpiece, which Guinness World Records certified in 2010 as the most valuable handbag in the world, will be offered by Christie's via its "Private Sales" service.

In 2010, the bag was valued at $3.8 million. For this transaction, Christie's will be brokering a deal between the seller and prospective high-net-worth buyers outside of the auction room.

Internationally acclaimed jeweler Robert Mouawad took his design inspiration from One Thousand and One Arabian Nights, a collection of the world’s most epic tales of romance, intrigue and fantasy. The resulting purse is a visual feast of white, yellow and pink diamonds set in 18-karat white and yellow gold.

The focal point of the heart-shaped bag is a 5.04-carat heart-shaped white diamond, framed by white tapered baguettes and accented by a burst of 15 pear-shaped fancy vivid pink diamonds.

Overall, The Mouawad 1001 Nights Diamond Purse boasts 333.84 carats of white round diamonds, 27.51 carats of white baguette diamonds, 7.66 carats of fancy vivid yellow diamonds and 7.89 carats of fancy vivid pink diamonds.

The bag just completed a four-day appearance at Christie's Hong Kong. The tour will continue at Christie's Geneva from November 9 -13 before returning to London.

Besides owning the record for the world's most expensive handbag, Mouawad also created the world's priciest bra. The "Very Sexy Fantasy Bra," which was first revealed at a Victoria's Secret fashion show in 2003, was blinged out with 2,800 gemstones, including diamonds, sapphires and amethysts. The total weight of the gems was 2,200 carats and the value of the bra was said to be $11 million.

Credits: Images courtesy of Christie's.

Smithsonian Celebrates Special Anniversary by Revealing Replicas of the Hope Diamond's Ancestors

More than 200 million visitors have marveled at the beauty and majesty of the Hope Diamond since jeweler Harry Winston donated it to the Smithsonian Institution in 1958. What most of those visitors don't know is that the Hope bears a complicated, multinational lineage that connects it with the stolen French Blue and an earlier incarnation called the Tavernier.

On Friday, the Smithsonian celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Janet Annenburg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems and Minerals — and its most popular exhibit — by revealing replicas of what the Hope Diamond looked like before it was the Hope.

“After many years of work, we have revealed some new insights into the Hope Diamond’s origins,” said Jeffrey Post, chair of the Department of Mineral Sciences and curator of the National Gem and Mineral Collection at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. “With these remarkable replicas, we can now see the Hope Diamond as King Louis XIV saw it more than 300 years ago.”

The computer models, above, depict the history of the Hope Diamond, including (counterclockwise from top) the Tavernier, the French Blue and the Hope Diamond.

The cubic zirconia replicas are the result of a decade-long research project conducted by Post, in collaboration with Professor Francois Farges of the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, and renowned New York-based lapidary, John Hatleberg. Eventually, they will go on display alongside the genuine Hope Diamond.

Researchers believe the Hope Diamond's origin can be traced back to 1642, with the discovery in India of a beautiful blue rough diamond. It was crudely finished and weighed 115 carats when it was purchased in 1666 by French merchant Jean Baptiste Tavernier, at which time it became known as the Tavernier Diamond.

French King Louis XIV bought the Tavernier Diamond in February 1669 and ordered it to be recut. The result was a 69-carat heart-shaped stone that would be known as the French Blue.

In 1792, the French Blue was stolen from the royal treasury in Paris. Its whereabouts remained unknown until a large blue diamond appeared in 1839 in the collection of Henry Philip Hope, a London banker and gem collector. Post and his associates are confident that the antique cushion-cut Hope Diamond, at 45.52 carats, is derived from the French Blue.

In 2009, a 17th century lead replica of the French Blue was discovered at the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle in Paris. It had been misfiled under the category of "lead specimens." Scientists used computer modeling of the lead replica to simulate what the actual jewel looked like during the reign of Louis XIV.

“Because of the information that we have now, the technology that we have available to us and some skilled people, we can actually produce a replica for the first time that will show us what [the Tavernier Diamond], the French Blue diamond and, of course, the Hope Diamond look like side by side,” Post told WTOP.com.

Credits: Hope Diamond photo by Chip Clark/Smithsonian Institution. Computer model creator Stephen Attaway, photo courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution. Lead replica photo courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution.

17th Century Pink Diamond From the French Crown Jewels Hits the Auction Block at Christie's Geneva in November

"Le Grand Mazarin," the legendary 19.07-carat pink diamond that was once part of the French Crown Jewels, is expected to fetch between $6 million and $9 million at Christie's Geneva on November 14.

The magnificent square-cut stone has been in the collection of four kings, four queens, two emperors and two empresses, starting with the Sun King, Louis XIV, in 1661. Le Grand Mazarin was one of the many treasures sold at the famous auction of the French Crown Jewels in 1887.

Christie’s Europe and Asia Chairman Francois Curiel called Le Grand Mazarin “the diamond with the most prestigious and historic provenance still to be in private hands.”

Sourced at the Golconda mines, on India’s Deccan plateau, Le Grand Mazarin is named for Cardinal Jules Mazarin, who served as the Chief Minister to Kings Louis XIII and Louis XIV. Toward the end of his life, Mazarin assembled a collection of 18 exceptional gems that were said to be among the most beautiful jewels on the continent. Many were purchased from the royal families of Europe.

Of the 18 gems, eight were square-cut diamonds, the largest of which was named Le Grand Mazarin. Mazarin's collection became part of the French Crown Jewels and would remain in the possession of the French royal family for more than 225 years. Upon the cardinal's death in 1661, Le Grand Mazarin was bequeathed to King Louis XIV. At the time, the French ruler was just 23 years old.

The first person to wear Le Grand Mazarin was likely Louis’ wife, Maria Theresa of Austria. According to Christie's, after Maria Theresa’s death, Louis XIV added the Grand Mazarin to his "chain of diamonds," set in descending size order, on which it remained for many years.

In the late 1700s, 30 men broke into the royal treasury at the Garde-Meuble in Paris and stole the French Crown Jewels, including Le Grand Mazarin. Most of the thieves were eventually caught and sentenced to death, but their spoils were never recovered. One thief, however, begged to be spared. His portion of the spoils included Le Grand Mazarin and, in exchange for his life, he promised to return Le Grand Mazarin to the French authorities.

In 1810, Emperor Napoleon ordered jeweler François-Regnault Nitot to create a magnificent set of diamond jewelry for his wife, Marie-Louise. The set included a crown, diadem, necklace, comb, earrings, bracelets, belt and more. The diadem was set with the most beautiful of the crown diamonds, including Le Grand Mazarin.

Prestigious French jeweler Frédéric BoucheronIn purchased Le Grand Mazarin during the famous sale of the French Crown Jewels in May of 1887.

In 1962, the Louvre sponsored a presentation of the most important jewels ever produced in France. Listed as item #22 of the exhibition was Le Grand Mazarin. The gem would remain out of the public spotlight for the next 55 years.

Le Grand Mazarin just completed a two-day exhibition at Christie's London and will be seen next at Christie's New York on November 6 and 7. The gem returns to Geneva for a pre-sale exhibition starting November 9 at the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues. Le Grand Mazarin will be offered for sale during Christie's Magnificent Jewels auction in Geneva on the evening of November 14.

Credits: Gem images courtesy of Christie's. Portrait of Cardinal Jules Mazarin by Pierre Mignard [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.

Music Friday: 'Diamond Ring' Tells the World 'I'm Your Only Man,' Sings Jon Bon Jovi

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you outstanding songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title. Today, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora perform a beautiful acoustic version of "Diamond Ring," a ballad they co-wrote with Desmond Child in 1988.

Featuring romantic lyrics, soaring harmonies and a memorable acoustic guitar solo by Sambora, "Diamond Ring" tells the story of a man who is head-over-heels in love and wants the world to know. The song's title symbolizes the ultimate commitment from a man who wants to be her "everything."

They sing, "Diamond ring, wear it on your hand / It's gonna tell the world, I'm your only man / Diamond ring, diamond ring / Baby, you're my everything, diamond ring."

During a 1995 concert, Bon Jovi told fans that "Diamond Ring" was one of his favorite collaborations with Sambora, but also recounted how it was the only song the duo ever "rewrote and rewrote and rewrote." "Diamond Ring" was originally intended to be released on the group's 1988 album New Jersey, but didn't quite make it. Then it was reworked and recorded to appear on 1992's Keep the Faith. Again, it didn't quite make it. Finally, the song was perfected and released as the 14th track of 1995's These Days.

Despite its official release in 1995, "Diamond Ring" was played live six times during Bon Jovi's "New Jersey Syndicate Tour," which ran from October 1988 to February 1990.

Many critics and fans believe These Days is Bon Jovi's best album. It charted in 21 countries, including #1 spots in Australia, Austria, Canada, the Netherlands, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Portugal, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The album sold more than one million copies in the U.S., peaking at #9 on the Billboard 200 album chart.

Bon Jovi formed the group that bears his name in 1983. Over the past 34-plus years, Bon Jovi has sold more than 100 million records and performed more than 2,700 concerts in 50 countries. Bon Jovi and Sambora were inducted into Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2009.

Please check out Bon Jovi and Sambora wowing a live audience during an inspired performance of "Diamond Ring." The lyrics are below if you'd like to sing along...

"Diamond Ring"
Written by Jon Bon Jovi, Desmond Child and Richard Sambora. Performed by Jon Bon Jovi and Richard Sambora.

Diamond ring, wear it on your hand
It's gonna tell the world, I'm your only man
Diamond ring, diamond ring
Baby, you're my everything, diamond ring

Red, red rose brought it home to you
Blood red rose, tells me that you're true
Red, red rose, blood-red rose
Like a fire inside that grows, blood-red rose

When you're hungry, I will fill you up
When you're thirsty, drink out of my loving cup
When you're crying, I'll be the tears for you
There's nothing that I wouldn't do for you

When you're hungry, I will fill you up
When you're thirsty, drink out of my loving cup
When you're crying, I'll be the tears for you
There's nothing that I wouldn't do for you

You know, I bleed every night you sleep
'Cause I don't know if I'm in your dreams
I want to be your everything...

Diamond ring, wear it on your hand
It's gonna tell the world, I'm your only man
Diamond ring, diamond ring
Baby, you're my everything, diamond ring
Darling, you're my everything, diamond ring
Now, you've got me on your string... Diamond ring

Credit: Screen capture via YouTube.com.

Couple Loses Home to California Wildfires, But Finds Precious Symbols of Hope Under the Charred Rubble

Kris Pond cried uncontrollably as she surveyed the still-smoking rubble on the property where her home once stood. Her Santa Rosa residence was one of nearly 6,000 obliterated by the catastrophic wildfires that have been tearing through Northern California since October 8.

An ABC News crew caught up with Pond and her husband, Mike, as they searched the ashes for her most beloved possession — a diamond engagement ring.

Despite the dangerous conditions, reporter Matt Gutman assisted the couple for more than an hour in what he termed an "exhaustive archaeological dig." Her shoes melted and the reporter's hands burned, but still they came up empty.

Gutman filed his heartbreaking report about the couple, but then was surprised to get a call from a cheerful Mike the next day.

Kris and Mike hadn't given up their search. They had returned to the site and found not only the elusive engagement ring, but also a second diamond ring that had been gifted to them by an uncle.

Gutman was able to deliver the good news during his in-depth followup report for ABC's Nightline.

The Ponds told ABC News that they are thankful for the help and kindness they have received during this difficult time. What's more, the unlikely discovery of the diamond rings offered a much-needed symbol of hope as they look to rebuild their lives.

The Northern California wildfires are some of the deadliest in California's history. More than 40 lives have been lost and 30,000 people are still evacuated from their homes.

Credits: Screen captures via ABCNews.go.com.

Astronomers Witness the Birth of $100 Octillion Worth of Gold as Neutron Stars Collide in Space

Thousands of astronomers from around the globe joined together on Monday to confirm the first-ever sighting of two neutron stars colliding in space. In just one second, the "kilonova" generated the equivalent of 50 Earth masses of silver, 100 Earth masses of gold and 500 Earth masses of platinum.

The gold alone is estimated to be worth more than $100 octillion. That's $100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (1 followed by 29 zeroes).

The collision, which was detected on August 17, settles the long-standing mystery of how rare precious metals and other “heavy” elements are formed.

“We already knew that iron came from a stellar explosion, the calcium in your bones came from stars, and now we know the gold in your wedding ring came from merging neutron stars,” University of California Santa Cruz’s Ryan Foley told the Associated Press.

Scientists described a scenario in which two ultra-dense neutron stars spiral around each other, moving closer and closer, until they eventually merge in a violent eruption. The material blasted into space contains a variety of heavy elements that are formed through a chain of nuclear reactions know as the "r-process."

After the first detection, astronomers from around the world were alerted and each of them pointed telescopes at the scene to record the visible light, radio waves, X-rays and gamma rays. Their equipment identified massive amounts of platinum, gold and silver.

"You smash these two things together at one-third the speed of light, and that's how you make gold," Duncan Brown, an astronomer at Syracuse University and a member of the research collaboration, told Business Insider.

The smashup took place 130 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Hydra.

Scientists had postulated for years that precious metals were likely forged by the clash of neutron stars, which are the ultra-dense cores of aged stars. A single teaspoon of this neutron-rich material is estimated to weigh roughly one billion tons.

In the two months following the neutron star collision, astronomers from around the world teamed up to make sense of the event, which some have called the "discovery of the century." The resulting research study lists 4,000 authors representing 910 institutions.

Scientists believe that neutron star mergers in our galaxy take place about once every 100,000 years. Because astronomers worldwide are listening to millions of galaxies, they expect to identify a few spectacular collisions per year.

Credit: Image by Robin Dienel/Carnegie Institution for Science.

Mike Diamond Finds Fiancée's 3-Carat Diamond Engagement Ring at Waste Facility in New Jersey

New York City bride-to-be Ashlee Palacio is a creature of habit. Every night, she follows the same bedtime routine and places her beloved three-carat emerald-cut diamond engagement ring in a special tray on her nightstand.

But, last Monday, Palacio broke her routine and fell asleep on the opposite side of her bed — with her engagement ring still on her finger.

In the middle of the night, half asleep, Palacio slipped the ring off and placed it on a night table amidst a bunch of Starburst candy wrappers.

On Tuesday morning, she slid the mess from her night table into a plastic white garbage bag and placed it in the trash.

When Palacio realized that her ring was gone, she called her fiancé, Mike Diamond (great name for this story), and told him she was sure the ring had accidentally ended up in the garbage.

"My first reaction was, ‘Are you kidding?!’” Diamond told CBS New York. “I thought she was joking around with me.”

To make matters worse, the garbage already had been picked up and was on its way to the dump.

Diamond quickly called the authorities at the NYC Department of Sanitation, who were able to identify the truck that serviced Palacio's neighborhood.

“As soon as they get the phone call, they freeze the truck so it can’t dump,” Department of Sanitation supervisor Louis Guglielmetti told CBS New York.

Guglielmetti diverted the truck to a waste transfer facility in New Jersey, where Diamond and a friend were invited to don hazmat suits and pick through very stinky garbage bags. Luckily, Palacio's building was the last one on the truck's route, so her white plastic bag with the black tie was expected to be one of the first to get unloaded from the truck.

“The truck came in and just dumped over a hundred bags just on the floor... I thought it was going to be impossible to find,” Diamond said.

Diamond and the friend had a few clues, however. They were looking for the candy wrappers and a Halloween cookie box.

Palacio, who was stuck at work during the drama, was kept up to date via Snapchat messages.

Within 15 minutes, Diamond had located the right bag. When he ripped it open, he saw the remnants of the Halloween treats and the shimmering diamond.

“I happened to see something glowing, and I said, 'You know, I think that’s it!’” Diamond told CBS New York.

Palacio received the great news via Snapchat.

“It’s them saying, ‘That’s the ring!’ And I’m like, ‘Oh my God!’ I’m like hysterical crying,” Palacio said.

Palacio told CBS New York that she is eternally grateful to her fiancé, the New York City Sanitation Department and everyone who went above and beyond to recover her ring.

Credits: Screen captures via CBS New York.

World's Largest Fancy Intense Pink Diamond Hits the Auction Block in Geneva Next Month

All eyes will be on the "Raj Pink," the world's largest known fancy intense pink diamond, when it hits the auction block at Sotheby's Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels sale in Geneva on November 15. The exceptional 37.30-carat, cushion-modified, brilliant-cut gem is estimated to fetch between $20 million and $30 million — but could yield much more.

The current record holder for a fancy intense pink diamond is the 24.78-carat “Graff Pink,” which sold for more than $46.1 million at Sotheby’s Geneva in November of 2010. The rectangular-cut Graff Pink, which carries a clarity grade of VVS2, netted $1.86 million per carat.

The Raj Pink has a slightly lower clarity grade of VS1, but weighs 12.52 carats more than the Graff Pink. Sotheby's high estimate for the Raj Pink sets the per-carat price at $804,000, or less than half of what the Graff Pink earned per carat.

Auction watchers believe that the Raj Pink has the potential to crush the pre-sale estimates. The owner of the Raj Pink has chosen to remain anonymous.

“The discovery of any pink diamond is exceptional," noted David Bennett, worldwide chairman of Sotheby’s International Jewelry Division, "but the Raj Pink's remarkable size and intensity of color places it in the rarefied company of the most important pink diamonds known.”

Discovered in 2015, the rough diamond that yielded the Raj Pink was studied for more than a year. It was then entrusted to a master cutter, who crafted it into an exceptional cushion-modified, brilliant-cut polished diamond.

The Gemological Institute of America characterized the Raj Pink as an “astonishing stone” and described its hue as “a very bright and ravishing fancy intense pink color.” The GIA also noted that it is rare for a diamond of such considerable weight to display such a "strong, unmodified pink color."

Of all diamonds submitted to the GIA each year, less than 0.02% are predominantly pink.

The Raj Pink will be on tour — along with other highlighted lots — during the weeks leading up to the November 15 auction. The exhibition will make stops in London (Oct. 13-17), Singapore (Oct. 20-21), Hong Kong (Oct. 23-24), Taiwan (Oct. 26-27), New York (Nov. 3-4) and Geneva (Nov. 11-15).

Credit: Image courtesy of Sotheby's.