Canada's Remote Gahcho Kué Mine Yields Its Biggest Diamond Ever

A 157.4-carat gem-quality diamond — the largest ever recovered from the Gahcho Kué diamond mine in Canada's Northwest Territories — was revealed on Thursday by the mine's co-owner, Mountain Province Diamonds. Resembling a frosty cube of ice, the rough gem will be offered for sale during the first quarter of 2021.

While the Gahcho Kué diamond mine sold nearly a million carats in diamonds during the fourth quarter of 2020, the great majority were small in size. Mountain Province Diamonds' president and CEO Stuart Brown said that the extraordinary recovery provided his company and employees with a much-needed injection of good news following a year marred by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The recovery of the largest-ever diamond… was certainly a boost to the morale of the company," Brown said in a statement. "It shows that the mine, although a high-volume producer of predominantly smaller diamonds, does produce diamonds of exceptional size and quality."

The Gahcho Kué Mine is a remote fly-in/fly-out location 280km (174 miles) northeast of Yellowknife. De Beers has a 51% stake in the mine. The property consists of several kimberlites that are actively being mined, developed and explored for future development. It is said to be one of the 10 biggest diamond mines in the world.

The 157.4-carat rough gem unearthed at the Gahcho Kué mine is not the largest ever recovered in Canada. That distinction goes to the "552," a diamond named for its carat weight.

The 552 was sourced by Dominion Diamonds at the nearby Diavik mine in 2018 and famously displayed to the public in February of 2019 at Phillips auction house in New York City.

According to the Canadian government, Canada is the world's third-largest diamond producer, by value, behind Botswana and Russia. Canada exported $2.9 billion in diamonds in 2018.

Credits: Gahcho Kué diamond photo courtesy of CNW Group/Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. "552" images by The Jeweler Blog. Map by Google Maps.

Ariana Grande's Engagement Ring Pairs an Oval Diamond With Sentimental Pearl

Pop star Ariana Grande delighted her 14 million Instagram fans on Sunday with the announcement of her engagement to Dalton Gomez and a close-up pic of a pearl-and-diamond engagement ring that seems to have sentimental connections to her late grandfather.

The platinum ring features an elongated oval diamond set at an angle adjacent to a round cultured pearl. Although the "Thank U, Next" singer has yet to confirm the significance of the pearl, eagle-eyed fans connected the dots via a Grande tweet from October of 2014.

Alongside a photo of a simple gold ring, Grande tweeted, “Nonna had a ring made for me w/ the pearl from grandpa’s tie pin. She says he told her in a dream it’d protect me. <3”

It's very possible the pearl from that ring was repurposed for the engagement ring.

Jewelry-industry insiders believe the center stone weighs from 5 to 6 carats and is valued in the range of $150,000 to $300,000, depending on the exact size, color, cut and clarity.

Grande captioned her Instagram engagement announcement "Forever n then some."

Her latest engagement comes two years after her high-profile split with Saturday Night Live's Pete Davidson.

In insider told Us Weekly that the 27-year-old Grande is beyond excited about her relationship with Gomez, a 25-year-old who sells high-value real estate in California.

Cultured pearls are typically not used in engagement rings because they are delicate and not suited to daily wear and tear. While a diamond rates 10 on the Mohs hardness scale (it’s the hardest of all gemstones), the pearl earns a 2.5 (one of the softest).

Those looking to mimic Grande's style sense should understand the risks of using a cultured pearl in an engagement ring setting...

• If you wear the ring every day and work with your hands, it’s very likely the pearl will get dinged over time.
• Pearls can be damaged by household products, including vinegar, ammonia and chlorine. They need to be kept away from hairspray, perfume, cosmetics, and even perspiration.
• Always remove a pearl ring when showering, swimming or doing the dishes.
• Consider keeping small ring holders in your bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and work desk so you are less likely to lose track of the ring if you need to take it off during the day.
• Be prepared to replace the pearl every so often.

Credits: Photos via Instagram/arianagrande.

Music Friday: In Olivia Holt’s 2013 Holiday Release, People ‘Shine Like Diamonds in the Sun’

Welcome to another Christmas season edition of Music Friday, when we bring you festive songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title. Today, we present former Disney star Olivia Holt performing her holiday release, “Snowflakes,” an inspirational song about how we’re all unique and beautiful in our own ways.

In the first verse, she sings, “Some people spend their whole life in the clouds / Some ride the wind and never hit the ground / Some will shine like diamonds in the sun / Heaven sent down each and every one.”

Songwriters George G. Teren III and Jessi Alexander use diamond and snowflake imagery to deliver a powerful message about how we should embrace the qualities — and flaws — that make us different from the rest.

“Snowflakes” was first heard in 2013 on Disney’s Holidays Unwrapped Christmas Album, which featured performances by a number of popular Disney Channel favorites, such as Debby Ryan, Ross Lynch, Sabrina Carpenter and Zendaya. In 2014, at age 17, Holt released an acoustic version of “Snowflakes” for Disney’s Playlist Sessions. The official video of that performance has accumulated more than 1 million views on YouTube.

The Tennessee-born and Mississippi-raised Holt got her start in show business as a 10-year-old doing commercials for popular toys, such as Bratz dolls and Littlest Pet Shop.

She is best known for her starring roles in the Disney series Kickin’ It and the Disney Channel Original Series, I Didn’t Do It. In 2016, she released her first EP, Olivia, and more recently, she portrayed the titular role Tandy Bowen/Dagger in the Freeform series Cloak & Dagger.

Please check out the video of Holt’s acoustic version of “Snowflakes.” The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…

“Snowflakes”
Written by George G. Teren III and Jessi Alexander. Performed by Olivia Holt.

Some people spend their whole life in the clouds
Some ride the wind and never hit the ground
Some will shine like diamonds in the sun
Heaven sent down each and every one

We are snowflakes
Floating till we find our place
From a distance we may look the same,
but we’re beautiful in our own way
We are snowflakes

Will I sparkle, will I drift or will I dance
Will I melt when I touch another’s hand
Will I learn for my mistakes when I fall
And remember when I get to feeling small

We are snowflakes
Floating till we find our place
From a distance we may look the same,
but we’re beautiful in our own way
We are snowflakes

And all I can do is do my best
What it is that makes me different from the rest
And nothing more,
and nothing less

Then snowflakes,
Floating till we find our place
From a distance we may look the same,
but we’re beautiful in our own way
We are snowflakes
Mmm, yeah, snowflakes
Mmm, yeah…

Credit: Screen capture via YouTube.com.

Next Stop on the Virtual Gem Gallery Tour Highlights Turquoise Zuni Jewelry

Stellar examples of December's official birthstone are highlighted on the next stop of our virtual tour of the Smithsonian’s National Gem Collection at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC. The Zuni tribe of western New Mexico are recognized worldwide for their superbly crafted turquoise and silver jewelry — an attribute celebrated by a special exhibit called "Colored by Copper."

The bracelet seen above was designed by the renowned Zuni silversmith Warren Ondelacy and donated to the Smithsonian in 1978 by Mr. and Mrs. M. Silverman. A piece of similar design and origin occupies the most prominent position in a wall display showcasing gems that get their distinctive blue coloration from the presence of copper in their chemical makeup.

The Zuni people have inhabited the Zuni River valley in western New Mexico for more than 3,000 years. Interestingly, they associate blue turquoise with men and green turquoise with women.

Normally, Smithsonian visitors would be able to see the impressive turquoise exhibit in person, but while most of the national museums remain temporarily closed in an effort to contain the spread of COVID-19, we offer this alternative — a virtual tour of the Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems, and Minerals.

Previous stops have included the “Picasso Kunzite Necklace,” “Marie Antoinette Earrings,” “Hall Sapphire Necklace,” “Victoria-Transvaal Diamond,” “Carmen Lúcia Ruby,“ “Chalk Emerald,“ “Gifts from Napoleon,“ “Stars and Cat’s Eyes,“ “Logan Sapphire,“ “Dom Pedro“ aquamarine, “Steamboat“ tourmaline and a grouping of enormous topaz.

Here’s how to navigate to the exhibit called “Colored by Copper.”

— First, click on this link…

The resulting page will be a gallery called “Geology, Gems & Minerals: Precious Gems 1.”

— Next, click the double-right-arrow two times to navigate to the gallery called “Geology, Gems & Minerals: Minerals 1.”

When you arrive, you will see three freestanding glass cases.

– Click and drag the screen 180 degrees to the left so you can see the wall cases directly behind you.

The case to the left contains a selection of turquoise specimens and jewelry. Occupying the tallest platform in the center of the exhibit is a Zuni turquoise bracelet. Touch the Plus Sign to zoom in.

(You may touch the “X” to remove the map. This will give you a better view of the jewelry. You may restore the map by clicking the “Second” floor navigation on the top-right of the screen.)

This display explains how turquoise is probably one of the oldest gem materials known to man. It was mined by the Egyptians more than 6,000 years ago, prized for its sky blue color by the Aztecs and Incas, and later by the Native Americans. The golden funeral mask of Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun is famously inlaid with turquoise.

According to the Smithsonian, turquoise gets its name from the Old French phrase “pierre Turquoise” or “stone of Turkey,” in reference to the considerable Persian turquoise that was sold in Turkish markets. Copper impurities give turquoise its delightful sky blue color, while iron impurities will tint it green.

Turquoise is one of three official birthstones for the month of December. The others are tanzanite and zircon.

The primary sources of turquoise are Mexico, Israel, Iran, Afghanistan, China and the American Southwest.

Credits: Jewelry photo by Chip Clark / Smithsonian. Screen capture via naturalhistory2.si.edu.

It Takes 20,000 Hammer Blows to Make Gold Leaf at This Mandalay Workshop

Wielding seven-pound hammers, rows of young men in a Mandalay workshop rhythmically take aim at their precious targets with the goal of creating the thinnest of gold leaf.

The process starts with tiny squares of 22-karat gold separated from the next by a layer of protective bamboo paper. Hundreds of these gold-and-paper pairs are neatly stacked like pages in a book and then tightly wrapped in a bundle made from deer hide. After 20,000 hammer blows over five grueling hours, the gold is reduced to a thickness of just .0001 inches — about 30 times thinner than a human hair.

Writer and National Geographic fellow Paul Solopek shared his experiences at Myanmar's King Galon Gold Leaf Workshop on the magazine's website.

Solopek reported that the young tradesmen aim for the center of their deer-hide targets to achieve the ideal thinness, as the gold grows hot from the thousands of blows. An antique clock called a clepsydra guides the workday. It is constructed of a coconut shell floating in a bucket of water. The coconut shell has a small hole, which causes it to take on water and sink every hour, signaling a 15-minute break for the workers.

The writer noted that gold leaf manufacturing in Myanmar is many centuries old and is closely associated with Buddhist rituals.

Gold is nature’s most malleable metal. That means that it can be pounded so thin that one ounce of gold could cover about 100 square feet of a surface. The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) calculated that it would take 576 ounces (or just 36 pounds) of gold to completely cover a football field. The element is also ductile, which means that gold can be made into the thinnest wire. The AMNH notes that one ounce of gold can be drawn into 50 miles of wire, five microns thick.

Edible 24-karat gold leaf has become a culinary treat for over-the-top eateries looking to add a touch of decadence to a main dish, dessert or drink. Gold is tasteless and is not harmful to the digestive system because it is inert.

Please check out this short video of the King Galon Gold Leaf Workshop…

Credits: Screen captures via YouTube.com. Gold leaf photo by Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.

'Our Perfect Christmas Story:' Couple Thanks Treasure Hunters for Finding Lost Wedding Band

Imke and Tobias Borawski are celebrating a "perfect Christmas story" after a team of Good Samaritans armed with metal detectors successfully located Tobias' cherished gold wedding band at Clearwater Beach just six days after it went missing.

According to an account posted to the Clearwater Police Department's Facebook page, the couple was crushed when Tobias lost his ring on a visit to the sunny Florida beach the day after Thanksgiving.

“We thought the ring would never be found,” said Imke, who lives with her family in Palm Beach. “We were so sad, we did not know what to do.”

The couple decided to contact the Clearwater Police Department, hoping for news that somebody had turned in the simple gold band that symbolized the couple's 17 years of marriage.

The ring wasn’t found that weekend, but on the following Monday, Police Service Technician Val Hornbeck referred the Borawskis to a local group of metal detector enthusiasts who work to reunite people with their lost jewelry and other possessions.

The Suncoast Research and Recovery Club boasts a roster of 100 volunteers throughout the Tampa Bay region, and the group has successfully recovered 607 valuable items — mostly rings — over the past nine years. The club is a member of the international group called The Ring Finders.

“If it’s there, we are going to find it,” said Howard Metts, president of the local club.

The club members work for free and are energized when they can connect a prized possession to its rightful owner.

“Just the expression on people’s faces when we reunite them with their lost ring, especially wedding rings and engagement rings,” Metts said. “It’s just a priceless look on their face.”

Metts and two other club members – Ed Osmar and Bill Gallant – met Imke on the stretch of Clearwater Beach where the ring had been lost. One complicating factor was that her husband wasn't sure if he lost it in the water, on the sand or in the parking lot.

The three treasure hunters methodically scoured the sand and surf. One of them even traced a path all the way back to the couple's original parking spot.

After about 45 minutes, Gallant found the ring in the sand about 80 feet from the Gulf. As expected, Imke's reaction to seeing her husband's ring was priceless.

“I was overwhelmed. I started to cry and I could not find the words for it,” Imke said. “These three people shared their time with us and they didn’t even know us. It was so amazing. It was our perfect Christmas story. I think we will smile about this for the rest of our lives.”

Credits: Photos courtesy of the Clearwater Police Department.

Diamond Ring Taped to Dollar Bill Makes Season Brighter for Salvation Army

An anonymous donor who taped a diamond engagement ring to a crisp dollar bill and deposited it into a Red Kettle is making the season much brighter for The Salvation Army of Jacksonville and the people it serves.

The Salvation Army’s bell ringing season starts each November and runs through Christmas Eve. While the bulk of donations come in the form of coins and paper money, the most newsworthy ones always contain a bit of bling.

The yellow gold ring, which features a 1.75-carat round solitaire diamond, is valued between $8,000 and $9,000, according to a local jeweler's appraisal. The diamond carries a clarity grade of VVS2 and a color grade of M/N. It was deposited into a Red Kettle at a Publix supermarket in Jacksonville, FL, and the story behind the ring and its anonymous owner remains a mystery, for now.

Kettle counter Kirk Lewis said he was stunned to find a diamond ring taped to a folded dollar bill.

The Salvation Army of Jacksonville plans to auction the ring, with the proceeds going to provide year-round services for thousands of children, families and seniors in the local area. This includes meals, toys and other holiday support for those in need, along with funding for food pantries, soup kitchens, social services and education programs.

“We are encouraged by every donation because it means someone gave of their hard-earned money to help others. We are hoping this diamond ring donation will inspire others to give,” noted Salvation Army Area Commander, Major Keath Biggers.

Biggers added that this year's Red Kettle Campaign has been challenging due to less foot traffic in retail locations due to COVID-19. He also noted that consumers are generally carrying less cash, fewer coins and are doing more electronic transactions.

“In spite of this jeweled donation, the funds raised through The Salvation Army’s iconic Red Kettles are at risk this year due to COVID-19, while requests for services are at an all-time high,” Biggers said.

Credits: Images courtesy of Salvation Army.

Music Friday: In This Holiday Classic, Idina Menzel Sings, ‘Let Us Bring Him Silver and Gold’

Welcome to a special holiday edition of Music Friday, when we bring you sensational songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals is the title or lyrics. Today, we present one of our all-time-favorite Christmas classics, “Do You Hear What I Hear.”

In this song about the birth of Jesus, a shepherd boy tells the mighty king, “Do you know what I know? / A child, a child shivers in the cold / Let us bring him silver and gold / Let us bring him silver and gold.”

The lyrics are based on the Gospel of Matthew (2:11), which recounts the story of the magi — three wise men — who traveled to Bethlehem to deliver gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the Babe in the manger.

Penned by the married couple Noel Regney and Gloria Shayne Baker in 1962, “Do You Hear What I Hear” was intended as a plea for peace during the Cuban Missile Crisis — a time when the US and the USSR were in a tense standoff regarding the Soviet Union’s provocative move to construct ballistic nuclear missile bases in Cuba, just 100 miles from the US mainland.

Baker told the Los Angeles Times years later that neither she nor Regney could perform the song at the time they wrote it. “Our little song broke us up,” she said. “You must realize there was a threat of nuclear war at the time.”

Baker and Regney’s “Do You Hear What I Hear” became one of the most popular Christmas songs of all time. It has sold tens of millions of copies and has been covered by hundreds of artists over the past 58 years.

Crooner Bing Crosby made the song a worldwide sensation in late 1963, when he featured it on his holiday Christmas album and performed it during Bob Hope’s televised Christmas special.

As a holiday treat, we’re presenting two renditions of “Do You Hear What I Hear.” The first, from 2014, is an off-the-charts, full orchestral version by Tony Award-winning Idina Menzel, who is most famous for her Broadway stage roles in Rent and Wicked, as well being the voice of Elsa in Disney's animated musical, Frozen. The second is Bing Crosby’s iconic version from 51 years earlier.

The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along. Enjoy!

“Do You Hear What I Hear”
Lyrics by Noel Regney. Music by Gloria Shayne Baker. First performance by Idina Menzel. Second performance by Bing Crosby.

Said the night wind to the little lamb,
“Do you see what I see?
Way up in the sky, little lamb,
Do you see what I see?
A star, a star, dancing in the night
With a tail as big as a kite,
With a tail as big as a kite.”

Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy,
“Do you hear what I hear?
Ringing through the sky, shepherd boy,
Do you hear what I hear?
A song, a song high above the trees
With a voice as big as the sea,
With a voice as big as the sea.”

Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king,
“Do you know what I know?
In your palace walls, mighty king,
Do you know what I know?
A child, a child shivers in the cold
Let us bring him silver and gold,
Let us bring him silver and gold.”

Said the king to the people everywhere,
“Listen to what I say!
Pray for peace, people, everywhere,
Listen to what I say!
The child, the child sleeping in the night
He will bring us goodness and light,
He will bring us goodness and light

Idina Menzel (2014)

Bing Crosby (1963)

Credits: Screen capture via YouTube.com/Idina Menzel.

'Ultimate Grey' and 'Illuminating' Yellow Are Pantone's 2021 Colors of the Year

The Pantone Institute usually chooses a Color of the Year that reflects the current cultural climate. So, when faced with the somber reality of a global pandemic, but also the promise of better times ahead, the color experts at Pantone were conflicted. Should they pick the rock solid fortitude of "Ultimate Grey" or the sunny optimism of "Illuminating" yellow? In the end, they chose both.

From a gem lover's point of view, "Illuminating Yellow" apparel could be paired with yellow diamonds, yellow sapphires, citrine, yellow topaz, yellow garnet and yellow tourmaline, to name a few of the many gem varieties that are available in that Pantone color.

According to Pantone, Ultimate Gray (PANTONE 17-5104) and Illuminating (PANTONE 13-0647) are two independent colors that highlight how different elements come together to support one another. It is a story of color that encapsulates deeper feelings of thoughtfulness with the promise that everything is going to get brighter.

"This is a color combination that gives us resilience and hope," said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of The Pantone Color Institute. "We need to feel encouraged and uplifted. This is essential to the human spirit."

Pantone described "Illuminating" as a bright and cheerful yellow sparkling with vivacity. It's a warming yellow shade imbued with solar power.

The shockingly beautiful, 132.55-carat “Golden Empress" diamond reflects the characteristics of Pantone’s "Illuminating" yellow. During its unveiling in 2015, billionaire British jeweler Laurence Graff described the stone as having an inextricably feminine and intensely warm molten-like glow that radiates from its core.

"Ultimate Gray" represents the colors of pebbles on the beach and natural elements whose weathered appearance highlights an ability to stand the test of time. One online publication unflatteringly said it looked like wet cement.

This is the second time in five years that The Pantone Institute has picked two Colors of the Year. In 2015, they chose "Rose Quartz" and "Serenity." Together, the mineral pink and tranquil blue combined to communicate a sense of wellness and peacefulness, with a dash of gender equality.

For more than 20 years, Pantone’s annual color selection has influenced product development and purchasing decisions in multiple industries, including fashion, home furnishings and industrial design, as well as product packaging and graphic design.

A year ago, Pantone’s Color of the Year was “Classic Blue,” a color described by Eiseman as “elegant in its simplicity.”

Here are the most recent Pantone Colors of the Year…

PANTONE 19-4052 Classic Blue (2020)
PANTONE 16-1546 Living Coral (2019)
PANTONE 18-3838 Ultra Violet (2018)
PANTONE 15-0343 Greenery (2017)
PANTONE 13-1520 Rose Quartz (2016)
PANTONE 15-3919 Serenity (2016)
PANTONE 18-1438 Marsala (2015)
PANTONE 18-3224 Radiant Orchid (2014)

Credits: Color swatches via Pantone.com. Gem photo courtesy of Graff.

25-Year-Old Indian Jeweler's 12,638-Diamond Ring Smashes World Record

A 25-year-old Indian jeweler just earned a Guinness World Record for his eight-layer floral ring set with 12,638 natural diamonds. Three years in the making, Harshit Bansal's “The Marigold - The Ring of Prosperity” now holds the record for the "Most Diamonds in a Single Ring."

The new titleholder smashed the former record of 7,801 diamonds, which was held for a little more than a month by Indian jeweler Kotti Srikanth. Bansal's "Marigold" boasts 62% more diamonds than Srikanth's “Divine.”

In third place is Lakshikaa Jewels' "Lotus Temple Ring" with 7,777 diamonds.

Bansal, who works for Meerut-based Renani Jewels, told AFP that his dream was always to create a ring with more than 10,000 diamonds. He started formulating his plan while studying jewelry design in Surat.

"I trashed many designs and concepts over the years to finally zero in on this,” he told the news agency.

Bansal noted that the ring weighs 165.45 grams (5.83 ounces) and sparkles with 38.08 carats of diamonds. All the diamonds boast E-F color and VVS clarity.

“It was Renani Jewel’s and Harshit Bansal’s dream to achieve a Guinness World Records title and hope to receive international recognition for the diamond ring which they have created,” according to the Guinness World Record site.

In Indian culture, it is believed that marigolds bring prosperity and luck to everyone's life. According to the designer, each individual petal is uniquely shaped, giving the ring a perfect blend of organic symmetry, design and alignment. Despite its enormous size, Bansal claims that the ring is wearable and very comfortable.

The battle for diamond ring supremacy has seen three new title holders in the past 16 months. They're all India-based and each one used a multi-petal, floral motif to pull off the award-winning designs. In the video, below, you can see that Bansal set diamonds on both the front and back of each petal.

Credits: Screen captures of The Marigold via Youtube.com/Renani Jewels. Divine Ring and Lotus Temple Ring images courtesy of Guinness World Records.