Music Friday: This Old Chunk of Coal Is Gonna Be a Diamond Someday

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you awesome songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, country star John Anderson has fun with a well-worn gemstone myth in his Grammy-nominated 1981 hit, "I'm Just an Old Chunk of Coal (But I'm Gonna Be a Diamond Someday)."

In this song written by Billy Joe Shaver, Anderson likens himself to a common chunk of coal, but promises to work hard to rid himself of flaws until he's "blue pure perfect." We're guessing he aspires to be a blue diamond.

He sings, "Now I'm just an old chunk of coal / But I'm gonna be a diamond someday / I'm gonna grow and glow till I'm so blue pure perfect / I'm gonna put a smile on everybody's face."

"I'm Just an Old Chunk of Coal (But I'm Gonna Be a Diamond Someday)" was released as the first single from the singer's self-titled album, John Anderson 2. The song zoomed to #4 on the Billboard U.S. Hot Country Songs chart and #2 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart. The song also earned Anderson a Grammy nomination for Best Male Country Vocal Performance.

While we've all heard about Superman having the power to squeeze a lump of coal into a diamond, and many of us are familiar with the phrase, "a diamond is a chunk of coal that did well under pressure," the concept that coal has the capacity to be turned into a diamond is just a myth.

A piece of coal and a diamond are both primarily composed of carbon, but that's largely where the similarity ends. A diamond is made up of pure carbon that was subjected to intense heat and pressure about 100 miles below the earth's surface. Coal, on the other hand, is hardly pure. It is a mix of carbon and organic plant matter. It also contains hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, arsenic, selenium and mercury. Thereby, no matter how hard Superman squeezed the chunk of coal, there's no way a material with that many impurities would yield a diamond.

Trivia: "I'm Just an Old Chunk of Coal (But I'm Gonna Be a Diamond Someday)" is briefly sung by the title character in the 2001 animated film, Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius.

Born in Apopka, Fla., in 1954, John David Anderson grew up admiring rock musicians, but then switched over to country music as a teenager. He moved to Nashville as a 17-year-old and took odd jobs during the day while playing in clubs during the evening. One of his odd jobs was as a roofer at the Grand Ole Opry House.

After six years of perseverance, he earned a record deal with Warner Bros. Anderson's career that has spanned more than 30 years, during which he's scored more than 40 singles on the Billboard country charts and five number ones. Anderson was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2014.

Please check out the video of Anderson's performance of "I'm Just An Old Chunk Of Coal (But I'm Gonna Be A Diamond Someday)." The lyrics are below if you'd like to sing along...

"I'm Just An Old Chunk Of Coal (But I'm Gonna Be A Diamond Someday)"
Written by Billy Shaver. Performed by John Anderson.

Hey, I'm just an old chunk of coal
But I'm gonna be a diamond someday
I'm gonna grow and glow till I'm so blue pure perfect
I'm gonna put a smile on everybody's face

I'm gonna kneel and pray every day
Lest I should become vain along the way
I'm just an old chunk of coal, now Lord
But I'm gonna be a diamond someday

I'm gonna learn the best way to walk
I'm gonna search and find a better way to talk
I'm gonna spit and polish my old rough edged self
Till I get rid of every single flaw

I'm gonna be the world's best friend
I'm gonna go 'round shaking everybody's hand
Hey, I'm gonna be the cotton pickin' rage of the age
I'm gonna be a diamond someday

Now I'm just an old chunk of coal
But I'm gonna be a diamond someday
I'm gonna grow and glow till I'm so blue pure perfect
I'm gonna put a smile on everybody's face

I'm gonna kneel and pray every day
Lest I should become vain along the way
I'm just an old chunk of coal, now Lord
But I'm gonna be a diamond someday

Credit: Screen capture via YouTube.com.

Canadian Man Inherits 61-Pound 'Giga Pearl' — One of the Largest in the World

Resembling a dinosaur's tooth and weighing an astonishing 61 pounds, the Philippine-sourced "Giga Pearl" is one of the largest in the world and could be worth upwards of $90 million.

Currently owned by Ontario native Abraham Reyes, The Giga Pearl had been a family heirloom for 60 years. The natural pearl was hidden within a giant clam his grandfather had purchased from a Filipino fisherman as a gift for Reyes' aunt. It was 1959.

Even when the cream-colored mass was discovered inside, family members didn't think it had much value. In fact, some weren't convinced it was a pearl. Reyes and his aunt, however, always had an affection for the odd collectible, which she displayed along with her artwork and antiquities.

In 2016, when Reyes' aunt began divvying up her estate, the mollusk-born treasure and 15,000 Oriental and Philippine antiques were passed on to him.

Reyes, who is a mineral broker, kept the pearl in a safety deposit box until he could have it evaluated by gemologists. The 34-year-old from Mississauga soon learned that his aunt's collectible was certified by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) as the largest natural blister pearl in the world. Blister pearls are different than conventional pearls because they grow attached to the inside surface of a shell.

The waters of the Philippines are home to one of the most fascinating mollusks on earth — the Tridactna Gigas. They are the largest mollusks in the fossil record, measuring more than a meter wide and weighing more than 200 kilograms.

Insurance appraisers have placed the value of The Giga Pearl at somewhere between $60 million and $90 million, according to Reyes.

"It's priceless to me," Reyes told CBC Toronto. “I believe the world should know that it does exist. To me, I feel very honored to have it. I feel a great responsibility.”

Ideally, Reyes would love to display The Giga Pearl in museums and galleries around the world. The pearl is currently paired with a 22-karat gold leaf octopus conceived by New York-based sculptor Bethany Krull.

"Seeing this incredible natural pearl and learning of its origins in the Philippine Seas... inspired me to create a sculpture that not only displays the pearl's magnificence but also reiterates the idea that the biodiversity and uniqueness of the waters to which it was born need to be respected and preserved," Krull said.

Back in 2016, we reported on the 75-pound Puerto Princesa pearl, which was found by a Filipino fisherman when his anchor got snagged on a giant clam. He had kept the pearl under his bed as a good luck charm for 10 years, and every time he would head out to sea, he would touch the pearl to ensure his safety and good fortune.

The fisherman entrusted the amazing pearl to Aileen Cynthia Maggay-Amurao, a relative who was affiliated with the Puerto Princesa tourism office. He asked her to take custody of the good luck charm because he was about to move outside the province and couldn’t take it with him.

Recognizing the pearl’s star power, she asked the fisherman if he would approve of the pearl going on display as the city’s newest tourist attraction. He agreed, and the “Pearl of Puerto” was moved into the Atrium of the New Green City Hall.

Credits: Images courtesy of The Giga Pearl.

Dad Buys 88-Carat Diamond for Daughter and Names It 'Manami Star' in Her Honor

Outbidding two challengers, a Japanese private collector plunked down $13.7 million for a D-flawless 88.22-carat oval diamond at Sotheby's Hong Kong yesterday. He gifted it to his eldest daughter and named it "Manami Star" in her honor.

The diamond had been described by the auction house as "perfect according to every critical criterion." The collector, who remains anonymous, told Sotheby's that the gem first caught his eye while it was on exhibit in Japan during a pre-auction promotional tour.

Given the great interest in the "perfect" diamond, the hammer price easily surpassed the pre-show high estimate of $12.7 million, making the Manami Star the top lot at the Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite auction.

About the size of a small egg, the 88.22-carat faceted diamond was cut from an elongated 242-carat rough stone discovered at the Jwaneng mine in Botswana. The oval shape was chosen to maximize the carat weight.

Sotheby’s noted that the gem is one of only three oval diamonds larger than 50 carats to have appeared at auction over the past few decades. It's also the largest perfect oval seen at auction in the past five years.

The diamond is rated Type IIa, the most chemically pure classification. Diamonds of this quality display exceptional optical transparency and make up less than 2% of all gem-quality diamonds.

The Japanese buyer may have been influenced by the double-eights in the carat weight of the stone. Eight is considered a lucky number in Asian culture and “88” is believed to bring good fortune in abundance.

“We were thrilled to handle a diamond of such rarity, which now takes its place in the roster of top white diamonds to have come to the market here at Sotheby’s Asia," said Patti Wong, Sotheby’s Chairman in Asia. "At 88.22 carats, this lucky stone now carries the name of the fortunate child whose father has chosen to give it her name. A happy moment in the journey of one of the earth’s greatest, oldest treasures."

Credits: Images courtesy of Sotheby’s.

South Africa's 117-Year-Old Cullinan Mine Yields 425-Carat Gem-Quality Diamond

The historic Cullinan Mine, which famously produced the 3,106-carat Cullinan in 1905, added another enormous diamond to its roster of legendary finds. London-based Petra Diamonds announced late last week that it had unearthed a 425.10-carat, D-color, ultra-pure, Type II diamond at the South African mine.

Analysts placed the stone's value somewhere between a high of $35 million and a low of $8 million. A three-dimensional mapping of the rough stone still needs to be conducted to determine the size and number of polished stones it may yield. Petra expects to sell the gem before June 30.

The yet-to-be named diamond is the sixth-largest ever discovered at the mine, which has been operational since 1902.

The diamond ranks 38th on Wikipedia's list of the Largest Rough Diamonds of All Time, just behind The De Beers (428.5 carats, South Africa, discovered 1888) and just ahead of The Regent (410 carats, India, 1698).

The Premier Mine, which was renamed the Cullinan Diamond Mine in celebration of its 100th anniversary, is responsible for producing seven of the world's largest 50 diamonds based on carat weight. These include the Cullinan Heritage (#27, 507 carats, 2009), Centenary (#23, 599 carats, 1986), The Golden Jubilee (#11, 755 carats, 1985) and the granddaddy of them all — the Cullinan Diamond (#1).

The 3,106-carat Cullinan diamond was eventually segmented into nine major stones, each of which was given the name Cullinan and a Roman numeral. Two of the gems are part of the the British Crown Jewels — the Great Star of Africa (Cullinan I) at 530.4 carats and the Second Star of Africa (Cullinan II) at 317.4 carats.

Petra's newest find boasts Type II clarity, the purest of all diamonds because they are composed solely of carbon with virtually no trace elements in the crystal lattice. A spokesperson for Petra said the newest discovery "further demonstrates the prevalence of these types of stones in the Cullinan orebody, as well as the ability of the mine’s plant to recover the full spectrum of diamonds.”

Credits: Images courtesy of Petra Diamonds.

Boyfriend Surprises 'American Idol' Contestant With On-Stage Proposal, Tears Flow

In the lead-up to her performance on Monday night's edition of American Idol, contestant Johanna Jones said she wished her boyfriend, Matt Zavoral, could have been there. He was buried in final exams at Brigham Young University, and couldn't get from Provo, Utah, to Hollywood in time for the taping — or so she thought.

"I don't want to get ahead myself, but he's probably the one," she said in a wonderful foreshadowing of what happened next.

Jones, a 23-year-old fast food cook from Las Vegas, earned a standing ovation for her unique and soulful interpretation of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game."

While judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan applauded the young singer, Zavoral emerged from backstage and joined his girlfriend in the spotlight.

With his hands gripping a ring box hidden behind his back, Zavoral said, "I couldn't be here this week because of exams, but I couldn't wait another day."

Then he went down on one knee and said, "Johanna, you are the love of my life. Will you marry me?"

Johanna said, "Yes," and Zavoral placed a halo-style diamond ring on his girlfriend's finger.

Jones' dad, who was watching with his wife from the audience, shouted, "He did ask me first. He got the thumbs up!"

Meanwhile, Perry was crying buckets of happy tears, collapsing to the floor behind the judge's table.

"Why won't someone love me like that," she weeped.

The comment seemed odd because Perry accepted an equally romantic proposal from actor Orlando Bloom on Valentine's Day. What we didn't realize is that the taping of the show predated her proposal. Perry cleared up the details in a Twitter post.

The cameras followed Jones and Zavoral backstage where the couple continued their celebration.

Zavoral explained that he had taken six exams the day before and then traveled 11 hours starting at the crack of dawn to make it to Hollywood just in time for his girlfriend's performance.

"Matt is the most amazing man I've ever met," said Jones. "No matter what happens, I'm going to go home smiling."

Jones certainly has a few busy months ahead of her and she advances to the next round of Idol, while preparing for a June 2019 wedding.

Check out Jones' performance and the romantic aftermath in the video below. The proposal starts at the 2:15 mark.

Credits: Screen captures via YouTube.com/American Idol.

Exceptional Pink and White Diamonds Put Letšeng Mine Back in the News

The Letšeng Mine in the tiny African country of Lesotho is back in the news after luxury jeweler Laurence Graff paid $8.8 million, or $656,933 per carat, for a 13.33-carat pink diamond sourced there. The per-carat price was a record for any Letšeng diamond.

“This is the most vivid pink rough diamond I have ever seen, and it is an exceptionally rare treasure,” said Graff. “I am sure the polished diamond that comes from this rough will be an auspicious addition to our roll call of famous gems. It is an enormous privilege to own this natural miracle. We may never see anything like it again.”

Hot on the heels of that first announcement, Gem Diamonds — a 70% stakeholder in Letšeng — disclosed that the prolific mine had yielded a 161-carat, white color, Type IIa gem.

If you're a fan of fabulous diamonds, you may already know that the Letšeng Mine is famous for producing large, exceptional diamonds and generating more dollars per carat than any other kimberlite diamond mine in the world.

In fact, a little over a year ago, Letšeng made headlines when it revealed an amazing 910-carat D-color, Type IIa diamond. As the fifth-largest gem-quality diamond ever recovered, the Lesotho Legend was eventually sold for a whopping $40 million.

(Type IIa represents the most chemically pure classification of diamonds. They display exceptional optical transparency and make up less than 2% of all gem-quality diamonds.)

Gem Diamonds reported that Letšeng in 2018 yielded 15 stones weighing more than 100 carats, a record for the company. By comparison, it produced seven diamonds larger than 100 carats in 2017. And while the mine is best known for its flawless white diamonds, Letšeng is starting to make its mark in the world of fancy-colored diamonds, as well.

Despite its diminutive size (it's about the size of Maryland), the landlocked country of Lesotho at the southern tip of Africa is a powerhouse in the diamond world. Miners at Letšeng recovered 126,875 carats in 2018, up from 11,811 in 2017. The average per-carat value of the rough material rose over that same period from $1,930 to $2,131.

Letšeng has the distinction of being one of the world's highest diamond mines. Its average elevation is 10,000 feet (nearly two miles) above sea level.

Images: Courtesy of Gem Diamonds..

'Mudan' Earns Guinness World Record for the 'Most Diamonds Set on a Watch'

Gleaming with 15,858 diamonds set in 18-karat gold, Coronet's "Mudan" timepiece just scored a Guinness World Record for the "Most Diamonds Set on a Watch." The title was awarded during Baselworld, the six-day Swiss trade fair that concludes today.

The diamonds, weighing a total of 50.01 carats, embellish a design inspired by the beautiful and fragrant peony. Known as the "king of flowers" in Chinese culture, the peony symbolizes nobility, honor and wealth. "Mudan" is the Chinese word for peony.

The impressive, hyper-realistic rendering of a faceted diamond on the watch dial is the work of artist and jewelry designer Reena Ahluwalia. The dial has actual diamonds set at the 3, 6, 9, and 12 hour positions.

Said the artist, "I feel honored that my artwork has made it into the Guinness World Records. While growing up, I used to read about the Guinness World Records with pure amazement, so this feels very special to me.”

This is the ninth time Coronet has claimed a Guinness World Record. In 2018, a Coca-Cola bottle-shaped handbag adorned with 9,888 diamonds became the official title holder in the category “Most Diamonds Set on a Handbag.” The handbag was conceived by Beverly Hills Designer Kathrine Baumann and fabricated by Coronet parent company Aaron Shum Jewelry.

In 2016, the company set a record for the “Most Jewels on a Guitar” when it customized a Fender American Deluxe Jazz Bass with 16,033 Swarovski gemstones, including topaz, citrine, rhodolite and cubic zirconium. In 2015, Coronet created the world’s “Most Valuable Guitar,” a Gibson glittering with 11,441 diamonds weighing 401 carats and valued at $2 million.

Credit: Images courtesy of Coronet.

93-Year-Old Gets Her Ring Back After 4 Months Missing: 'It Was My Life'

At 93 years young, Marie Gladman has lived a wonderful life — a life symbolized by a custom floral-motif ring made with the diamonds harvested from four rings gifted to her by her beloved late husband, Wally.

When Marie lost her ring on a shopping trip in early December, her world was turned upside down.

At the time, a news crew from WCVB Channel 5 Boston caught up with Marie, who explained that the ring told the story of her 55-year marriage to the love of her life.

Staring at the bare ring finger on her left hand, the Waltham, Mass., native said, "That's where all my special memories are. [The ring] was my life. It never came off."

The first ring Marie got from Wally was a promise ring on her 19th birthday. He followed that up with an engagement ring, wedding band and, 50 years later, an anniversary ring.

"I wanted all the stones in one ring," Marie told WCVB, "because I couldn't wear all the rings on one hand."

The resulting keepsake has a floral motif, with a large diamond blooming from each stem. To Marie, the ring was priceless.

But then on that fateful day in December, Marie looked down at her left hand and noticed the ring wasn't there.

She knew she dropped it somewhere near the Shaw's supermarket.

Her family retraced Marie's steps that day. The family also alerted the local police department, but the ring could not be found.

With Marie set to celebrate her 93rd birthday in January of 2019, a reporter asked her what would be the best thing someone could get for her.

"It would be the ring or my husband," she said.

More than four months later, on Tuesday, March 19, a little girl found Marie's ring at Shaw's supermarket. She turned it over to a clerk, and by 10:30 the same evening, Marie's relatives decided to wake up the nonagenerian to give her the good news.

Marie was speechless as she received an envelope containing her ring.

The next day, a reporter asked Marie if she thought the return of her ring was a miracle.

"For me, it is a miracle," she confirmed, adding that from now on she's going to be more cautious with her ring.

"I'm always looking at it to make sure it is there," she said.

Marie's family would like to reward the little girl who found the ring. As of this writing, the girl's identity remains a mystery.

Credits: Screen captures via YouTube.com/WCVB Channel 5 Boston.

Music Friday: 'Last Night I Put My Ring Back On,' Sings Mary Chapin Carpenter

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you sweet songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, country star Mary Chapin Carpenter gives love a second chance in her 2010 tune, "I Put My Ring Back On."

In the song, we learn that Carpenter is about to walk out on a long-term relationship. She has thrown her ring "down, down, down" because of the "hurting inside." Her life is at a crossroads and she's very tempted to say goodbye. But then she has a change of heart and realizes that their love is worth fighting for.

She sings, "Who knows where faith comes from / But last night I put my ring back on / 'Cause here with you is where I belong / Last night I put my ring back on."

By returning the ring to her finger, Carpenter delivers a literal and symbolic message of how committed she is to making the relationship work.

Composed by Carpenter, "I Put My Ring Back On" appeared as the third track on The Age of Miracles, an album that peaked at #6 on the U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums chart and #28 on the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart.

Born in Princeton, N.J., Carpenter developed her love for music in high school. She played the guitar and piano, and her classmates famously threatened to cut her guitar strings if she played "Leaving on a Jet Plane" one more time.

Despite graduating from Brown University in 1981 with a degree in American Civilization, the Ivy League scholar decided to immerse herself in the Washington, D.C., music scene. A few years later, Carpenter scored a deal with Columbia Records.

Over the course of her career, Carpenter has sold more than 12 million records and landed five Grammy awards, including an unprecedented run of four consecutive wins for Best Female Country Vocal Performance (1992-1995).

Trivia: Did you know that Mary Chapin Carpenter is the fifth cousin of the late singer and humanitarian Harry Chapin ("Cat's in the Cradle," 1974).

More Trivia: Country star Vince Gill makes a guest appearance as a background vocalist on today's featured song.

Please check out the audio track of Carpenter performing "I Put My Ring Back On." The lyrics are below if you'd like to sing along...

"I Put My Ring Back On"
Written and performed by Mary Chapin Carpenter.

Who knows where faith comes from
But last night I put my ring back on
'Cause here with you is where I belong
Last night I put my ring back on

No life's without uncertainty
We both know how hard this love can be
It's just this hurting inside of me that threw it down,
Down down down

Who knows where hope comes from
But last night I put my ring back on
'Cause here with you is where I belong
Last night I put my ring back on

We can't speak like lovers we used to be
We can't change ancient history
And love wounds with such simplicity
And I threw it down, down down down, down

Your heart is all I want to see
Your hand reaching out to me
And your kiss remembers the mystery

Time was, I'd be as good as gone
But last night I didn't want to run
'Cause here with you is where I belong
Last night I put my ring back on
Last night I put my ring back on
Last night I put my ring back on

Credit: Screen capture via YouTube.com.

Newlywed Lea Michele Shows Off Two Wedding Bands — One Sparkly, One Simple

Glee alum Lea Michele tied the knot with boyfriend Zandy Reich earlier this month in an intimate ceremony in Napa, Calif. The couple zoomed off on a tropical honeymoon and promptly treated Michele's 5.4 million Instagram followers to a peek at her new wedding bands — one sparkly, one simple.

The 32-year-old actress posted a photo of her unconventional triple-stack bridal bling — a 4-carat, elongated radiant-cut diamond in a halo-style setting, followed by an eternity band with square diamonds going all the way around, followed by a thin, unadorned yellow gold band.

The sparkly square-shaped diamonds in the white-metal eternity band mimic the design elements of the white-metal engagement ring, while the unadorned yellow band is a nod to Michele's Jewish heritage.

In Jewish tradition, the ring exchange between the bride and groom features simple smooth gold bands, free of engraving or gems. As a simple, unbroken circle, the ring symbolizes a marriage unmarred by conflict or distraction.

“I went with classic gold,” Reich told People magazine, while Michele opted for an understated diamond band and a thin gold band underneath.

“I didn’t want to take attention away from the beautiful [engagement] ring Zandy created for me,” she said.

On her Instagram Stories, Michele posted a photo of her rings in a tropical setting. Her caption simply stated, “That wife life."

She also included a pic of her and her new hubby toasting their new life together with glasses of champagne.

Michele got her start as a child actress on Broadway, but rose to national prominence playing Rachel Berry on the Fox series Glee, which followed the disparate members of the fictitious William McKinley High School glee club. Glee aired for six seasons, from 2009 to 2015. Reich, a graduate of the prestigious Wharton School of Business, is the president of AYR clothing company.

Credits: Images via Instagram.com/LeaMichele.