299.3-Carat Gem-Quality Stone From Famous Cullinan Mine Sells for $12.18MM

The 299.3-carat diamond recovered in January at the iconic Cullinan mine in South Africa has been sold to Stargems for $12.18 million, according to Petra Diamonds. The impressive per-carat price of $40,701 is equivalent to the MSRP for a 2021 Mercedes-Benz A-Class sedan.

Imagine, a precious stone weighing in at just over 2 ounces has approximately the same value as 300 luxury cars.

The price achieved for the exceptional Type IIa, white, gem-quality stone exceeded the $34,386 per carat earned by the 424.89-carat “Legacy of the Cullinan Diamond Mine” in May 2019.

“This is another significant sale for Petra Diamonds and a further endorsement of the quality of the Cullinan orebody, which is known for its exceptional stones,” commented Petra CEO Richard Duffy.

Located at the foothills of the Magaliesberg mountain range, 37 km northeast of Pretoria, the 119-year-old Cullinan Mine has been a prolific source of large, high-quality gem diamonds. It is also one of the world’s most important sources of rare, blue diamonds.

Among the largest diamonds ever recovered at the Cullinan mine are the Cullinan Heritage (ranked #30, 507 carats, 2009), Centenary (#25, 599 carats, 1986), The Golden Jubilee (#13, 755 carats, 1985) and the granddaddy of them all — the Cullinan Diamond (#1, 3,106-carats, 1905).

Another famous gem sourced at the Cullinan mine is “The Blue Moon of Josephine,” which achieved the highest per-carat price for any diamond sold at auction. When the hammer went down at $48.5 million in 2015 at Sotheby's Geneva, the 12.03-carat, cushion-shaped gem's per-carat price had topped out at $4.03 million.

Petra Diamonds operates three underground mines in South Africa (Finsch, Cullinan and Koffiefontein) and one open pit mine in Tanzania (Williamson).

Credits: Images courtesy of Petra Diamonds.

'Dragon Stone' Plays Central Role in Disney's 'Raya and the Last Dragon'

A radiant, powerful "dragon stone" plays a central role in the newly released — and critically acclaimed — Disney fantasy film, Raya and the Last Dragon.

The stone is a symbol of power and peace in the mythical land of Kumandra. When the stone is fractured, its powers dissipate and the peaceful land becomes vulnerable to the nasty Druun (amorphous, dark purple and black clouds) that have the power to turn their enemies into statues.

In the mythical land of Kumandra, 500 years ago, humans and dragons lived peacefully, but when their land is invaded by the Druun, the dragons sacrifice themselves to save the land and their two-legged friends. The dragons leave behind a glowing, orb-like stone that has the power to keep the Druun at bay. They also leave behind a single dragon named Sisu, who hides away.

Five centuries later, we find the land of Kumandra in turmoil. The divided territory is now run by rival factions. Benja guards the precious dragon stone, but his rivals believe incorrectly that his control of the stone has delivered great wealth. Benja teaches his young daughter, Raya, how to protect the stone. But the youngster is tricked by Namaari, the daughter of the powerful rival, Virana.

The orb is compromised and fractures into several pieces, ruining its ability to hold back the lurking Druun.

The beautifully animated and skillfully voiced movie follows a grown-up Raya and the last dragon (Sisu) as they try to reunite the pieces of the dragon stone while being chased by Virana and Namaari.

As each fragment is collected, Sisu gains the power of one of her fellow dragons and becomes more confident in her abilities. The overall messaging is that of trust, cooperation and compromise for the greater good.

The PG film earned a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It runs 1 hour 54 minutes and can be seen in theaters and on Disney+.

Credit: Image courtesy of Disney Animation Studios.

Gem and Mineral Museum in Tucson Is One Step Closer to Opening

The University of Arizona's Alfie Norville Gem & Mineral Museum, a brand new 12,000-square-foot facility at the historic Pima County Courthouse in downtown Tucson, is one step closer to opening.

With the buildout and renovation complete, the museum staff is now working on completing exhibits and displays. While an opening date for the museum has not yet been determined, UArizona is working closely with Pima County to be able to safely open to the public this year.

The facility will display more than 2,200 gems and minerals from collections held by the University of Arizona and loan partners. The museum's three main galleries and new showcases will focus on the evolution of minerals, minerals native to Arizona and Mexico, gemstones, jewelry and gem science. Visitors of all ages will be able to take part in hands-on, interactive activities.

"The vision of creating a world-class gem and mineral museum in the heart of Tucson has reached a significant milestone," said Eric Fritz, manager of the museum. Fritz is shown in the photo, above, adding a large specimen to a display case with the assistance of exhibit specialist Elizabeth Gass. Construction on the museum began in 2018.

Tucson is an ideal location for the museum because each year in February the city transforms into the dynamic center of the gem and jewelry world as 65,000 visitors stream in to participate in dozens of trade shows and exhibitions.

In fact, the Alfie Norville Gem & Mineral Museum is named for the late Alfie Norville, a co-founder of the Gem and Jewelry Exchange show that runs during the annual Tucson Gem, Mineral & Fossil Showcase. An initial gift by the Norville family made it possible for the renovation and the move of the mineral museum from the UArizona campus to downtown Tucson.

Credits: Images courtesy of the Alfie Norville Gem & Mineral Museum.

Proposal Photo Plays Critical Role in Recovery of Lost Ring on Tybee Island, GA

A joyous moment captured by a professional photographer played a critical role in the recovery of a diamond engagement ring that was lost in the sand on Tybee Island, GA, just seconds after Brian Quercia dropped to one knee and popped the question to Anna Davis.

Davis said "Yes" to Quercia's proposal, but then the mood turned very, very dark.

"He stood up to hug her and the ring fell out of the box," photographer Taylor Brown told The Jeweler Blog.

Brown explained that the ring got buried in the wet sand, and although she and the couple spent more than an hour trying to find it on Saturday, they came up empty.

Devastated by the loss of her diamond solitaire ring, Davis turned to the Tybee Island Facebook group for help.

On Sunday, Davis posted the proposal photo with this caption: "LOST ENGAGEMENT RING!! Hey everyone! Yesterday my boy proposed to me right passed the jetties on North Beach. It was magical & I said yes!!! Unfortunately, my beautiful ring somehow fell out of the box when we hugged and the ring is now lost. It was a silver ring with an oval diamond and small diamonds around the band. We are devastated but still hopeful. This is a picture for location reference. If you happen to find it please send me a private message. There will be a reward!"

Her post immediately sparked an outpouring of hopeful sentiments and offers to assist in the search.

Most importantly, the couple's plight caught the attention of a metal detectorist known locally as "Mr. Foy."

Using Brown's photo to pinpoint the location where the proposal took place, Mr. Foy was able to unearth the ring in 20 minutes. It was only about 1 inch below the surface.

Davis posted a photo of her and Mr. Foy on her Facebook page, along with a closeup of her cherished ring — safely on her finger.

Her caption read: "UPDATE!!!!! Thanks to so many sweet people who went and searched for my ring. Sweet Mr. Foy here found my ring within 20 minutes of searching Tybee today! We are so excited and relieved!!! I absolutely love it Brian Quercia."

On Monday, Davis shared some of her engagement photos on Instagram, while adding, "The ring is actually on my finger! I wanna show off my incredible FIANCÉ!!! It’s been a crazy 24 hours. What a story tell our kids & grandkids about this one day! So excited to do life with you."

The couple is reportedly planning a wedding in nearby Savannah.

Credits: Proposal photo courtesy of Taylor Brown Photography (www.taylorbphoto.com). Mr. Foy and ring images via Facebook.com/anna.davis.100.

Nat Geo's Mega Gemstone Mine Dig Kit Blends Education With Thrilling Discoveries

With National Geographic's Mega Gemstone Mine Dig Kit, kids will experience the thrill of digging in a real gem mine as they chip away at a hardened block of sand to reveal 15 crystal treasures.

Designed for kids 8 and older, the product emphasizes fun, exploration and discovery! Amazon.com reviewers awarded the product 4.8 out of 5 stars, and YouTube reviewers, both young and old, gave the dig kit high marks.

Brittany Shifflett, aka TheToyReviewer, couldn't have been more enthusiastic as she methodically cut through the block with the provided plastic chisel to reveal a wide array of colorful stones.

Her review on YouTube takes the viewer on a 19:29, step-by-step dig kit journey — from the unboxing through her 15th, and final, gemstone discovery. We get to share in her excitement as she unearths green fluorite (7:22), blue fluorite (8:23), rose quartz (8:27), amethyst (9:32), snowflake obsidian (10:53), agate (11:15), quartz (11:52), red jasper (12:45), crystal geode (13:52), sodalite (14:15), pyrite (14:51), tiger's eye (15:25), hematite (16:02), aragonite (16:45) and adventurine (17:14).

After washing each stone, Shifflett adds her colorful commentary while rotating each stone so viewers can see all the details. Shifflett was disappointed that her kit did not include a desert rose selenite, which is shown in the learning guide. Other YouTube reviewers did get that specimen in their kits.

Shifflett called the Nat Geo kit "awesome" while adding that the amethyst was her favorite find. Amethyst is her birthstone, and the amethyst crystal formation that emerged from the sand slab was very similar to the amethyst jewelry she regularly wears on a chain.

The kit comes with a chisel, brush, magnifying glass and 16-page full-color learning guide. The illustrated publication helps fledging scientists to identify their newly discovered stones and gives details about how gems are formed and what makes them unique.

In her video, we can see that Shifflett uses a bit of force to extract the embedded stones. Children younger than 8 will certainly love the discovery process but may need a bit of assistance from an older sibling or an adult. Shifflett also recommended adding water to the sand slab to make it softer and more workable.

In her YouTube summary, Shifflett noted that the kit makes an exciting addition to any at-home STEM study program.

The National Geographic Mega Gemstone Mine Dig Kit is available on Amazon for $19.99.

Check out Shifflett's full review, below.

Credits: Screen captures via YouTube.com/TheToyReviewer.

Alrosa's 100th Auction to Be Headlined by 242-Carat, Gem-Quality Stunner

In honor of its 100th international auction, Russian diamond mining giant Alrosa will be featuring a 242.31-carat, gem-quality crystal at its Dubai event on March 22. The rough diamond is one of the largest gem-quality crystals mined by the group since 2000 and the most significant prize to hit the Alrosa auction block since 2016.

Reuters reported that the bidding for the diamond will start at $2 million, but experts believe it will yield much more. About the size of a golf ball, the crystal has a frosty white appearance and measures 21.7mm x 31.3mm x 41.9mm.

Also included in the sale will be two standout diamonds weighing 190.74 and 136.21 carats, respectively, as well as a range of notable stones weighing 10.8 carats or more.

The diamonds will be on view at Alrosa's Dubai office from March 14 to March 21.

"Rough diamonds, which potentially allow for cutting a diamond larger than 100 carats, are extremely rare in nature," said Evgeny Agureev, Alrosa's head of sales. "Even less often, such gems are traded."

According to Russian law, rough diamonds larger than 50 carats that are mined in Russia are required to undergo a state examination and must be offered to the Gokhran state repository before they can be auctioned.

Agureev added that even when larger diamonds become available to the general market, Alrosa prefers to cut and polish the diamonds in-house.

"Thus, today, we are especially pleased to present this exceptional lot as part of our 100th international auction," he said.

The last time Alrosa introduced such a formidable lineup was in 2016 when the mining company hosted an auction in the picturesque Pacific port city of Vladivostok, Russia. Headlining that event was a diamond that tipped the scales at 401.97 carats.

As the world's leading diamond producer in terms of sheer output, Alrosa accounts for nearly one-third of global rough diamond production. The company manages mines in Russia’s Yakutia and Arkhangelsk regions, as well as Africa. The mining company, which held its first international auction in Moscow in 2003, generates about 40 million carats of diamonds per year.

Credit: Image courtesy of Alrosa.

Hey, March Babies! The Cool, Blue Aquamarine Is Your Official Birthstone

Named after the color of seawater, aquamarine is the stunning cool, blue variety of the mineral beryl and the official birthstone for the month of March.

A museum-worthy example of aquamarine is seen in this Art Deco platinum ring that was once owned by Lady Annie Francis Cullinan (1866-1963), the wife of Thomas Cullinan, who owned the Premier Mine in South Africa when the 3,106-carat Cullinan Diamond was discovered there in 1905.

Showcasing an intense blue square-cut aquamarine, the ring was later obtained by California jeweler Stephen Silver, who donated it to the Smithsonian in 2017. The piece is now part of the National Gem and Mineral Collection at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC.

Aquamarine is one of the most popular varieties of the beryl family, whose members include emerald (intense green), morganite (pink to orange-pink), red beryl (red), heliodor (yellow to greenish yellow), maxixe (pronounced Mah-she-she, deep blue), goshenite (colorless) and green beryl (light green).

Aquamarines can range in color from light blue and pure blue to shades of greenish-blue. The variations in blue color are dependent on trace amounts of iron in the gemstone’s chemical composition.

The name "aquamarine" is a combination of two Latin words, "aqua" for "water" and "marina" meaning "of the sea."

Beryl rates 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs hardness scale, making it suitable for fine jewelry.

Aquamarine is a symbol of youth, hope, health and fidelity. Legend states that Neptune, the Roman Sea God, gifted aquamarines to the mermaids, thus bringing love to all who have owned it.

The largest gem-quality aquamarine ever mined weighed in at 244 pounds and was sourced from the Minas Gerais region of Brazil in 1910. Aquamarines are mined in many countries, including Nigeria, Madagascar, Zambia, Pakistan, Mozambique and the U.S., but most of the finest-quality gemstones come from Brazil.

Lady Annie Francis Cullinan, whose aquamarine ring is featured (above), will be forever linked with the 3,106-carat Cullinan Diamond — the largest rough diamond ever discovered. Her husband, Thomas, sold the diamond to the Transvaal provincial government, which, in turn, presented the stone to Britain's King Edward VII as a birthday gift in 1907.

In its original form, the gem measured 10.1cm x 6.35cm x 5.9 cm, but in February 1908, the Cullinan Diamond was segmented into nine major finished 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. The other seven stones remain in the private collection of Queen Elizabeth II.

Credit: Image by Greg Polley/Smithsonian.

Music Friday: Stevie Wonder Sings About the Vitality of Youth in 1983's ‘Stay Gold’

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you great songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title. Today, the incomparable Stevie Wonder performs “Stay Gold,” a beautiful ballad he co-wrote for the 1983 cult movie classic, The Outsiders.

In the song inspired by Robert Frost’s 1923 poem, “Nothing Gold Can Stay,” Wonder uses the lustrous metal as a metaphor for the precious, yet fleeting, vitality of youth.

“Stay Gold,” which runs during the opening credits of The Outsiders, starts with these memorable lyrics: “Seize upon that moment long ago / One breath away and there you will be / So young and carefree / Again you will see / That place in time… so gold.”

The Outsiders was adapted from a 1967 novel by teenage author S.E. (Susan Eloise) Hinton, who based the story on her own experiences in an Oklahoma high school, which was divided by rival gangs, the hardscrabble Greasers and the wealthier Socs (pronounced “soashes”).

The movie has become a cult favorite, partly because Hinton’s book is required reading in many high schools, but mostly due to the fact that every teenage actor in the cast went on to become a Hollywood A-list heartthrob. The cast included Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe, Ralph Macchio, Emilio Estevez, C. Thomas Howell, Matt Dillon and Tom Cruise.

The Robert Frost poem, “Nothing Gold Can Stay,” plays a vital role in the film. Ponyboy (played by Howell) reads the poem to the injured Johnny (Macchio) while they are in hiding. “Stay gold” are Johnny’s last words before he dies. Later in the film, Ponyboy finds Johnny’s interpretation of the Frost poem: that beauty and innocence are transient and must be guarded like gold.

While Wonder penned the lyrics to “Stay Gold,” the music was composed by Francis Ford Coppola’s father, Carmine, who also contributed the memorable, original music to a number of his son’s other blockbuster films, including The Godfather trilogy and Apocalypse Now.

Born Stevland Hardaway Morris in inner-city Detroit, Wonder was a child prodigy and musical genius — despite being blind since infancy. His first instrument was a harmonica and he was a skilled musician by the age of eight.

He was discovered by Ronnie White of the Miracles at the age of 11 and was quickly signed to a five-year Motown contract by CEO Berry Gordy. Billed as Little Stevie Wonder, the singer/songwriter/musician was an instant sensation.

Now 70, Wonder has performed for six decades. Over that time, he has amassed 30 U.S. Top-10 hits, received 25 Grammy Awards and has sold more than 100 million records worldwide. Rolling Stone magazine ranked him ninth on its list of the greatest singers of all time. Wonder is a member of both the Rock and Roll and Songwriters Halls of Fame.

Please check out Stevie Wonder’s live performance of “Stay Gold.” The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…

“Stay Gold”
Lyrics by Stevie Wonder and music by Carmine Coppola. Performed by Stevie Wonder.

Seize upon that moment long ago
One breath away and there you will be
So young and carefree
Again you will see
That place in time… so gold

Steal away into that way back when
You thought that all would last forever
But like the weather
Nothing can ever… and be in time
Stay gold

But can it be
When we can see
So vividly
A memory
And yes you say
So must the day
Too, fade away
And leave a ray of sun
So gold

Life is but a twinkling of an eye
Yet filled with sorrow and compassion
though not imagined
All things that happen
Will age too old
Though gold

Credit: Screen capture via YouTube.com.

Diamonds Do Very, Very Well Under Extreme Pressure, Scientists Confirm

American diplomat Henry Kissinger once joked that "a diamond is merely a lump of coal that did well under pressure." Now, scientists at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California have taken that notion to the extreme.

Researchers predicted that a diamond crystal would shift to a new, more stable structure when subjected to 2 trillion pascals of pressure. That's equivalent to five times the pressure found at the center of the Earth.

What they discovered, however, was that the diamond crystal remained perfectly stable. In their terminology, the diamond proved to be "metastable" due to the strong chemical bonds that hold its carbon atoms together.

The findings lend credence to the fantastical theory that carbon-rich exoplanets may have diamonds at their core.

During their experiments, physicist Amy Lazicki Jenei and her colleagues modeled high-pressure environments by pummeling the diamond crystal with powerful lasers and then used X-rays to examine the structure.

Scientists had theorized that the carbon-based material would transform again into several new structures, ones we have never seen or achieved before.

"We discovered that, surprisingly, under these conditions carbon does not transform to any of the predicted phases, but retains the diamond structure up to the highest pressure," Jenei said.

What's also super interesting about diamonds is that they form at intense pressures far below the Earth's surface, but retain their structure when relieved of that pressure. Carbon in its most stable state is graphite (the same material you find in a lead pencil). Theoretically, carbon under less pressure would revert to its most stable variant, but it doesn't.

The scientists reported that they are not entirely sure why diamond is metastable across a wide range of pressures and there is much more work ahead.

Jenei and her team published their findings in the January 27 edition of Nature.

In September of 2020, a team of researchers from Arizona State University and the University of Chicago suggested that the key factor in determining whether an exoplanet will be rich in diamonds is the chemical composition of the star that it orbits.

Exoplanets that orbit stars with a high carbon-to-oxygen ratio are more likely to be carbon-rich. Under the right conditions, such as the presence of water, heat and pressure, the highly concentrated carbon at the core of exoplanets could turn into diamonds, they predicted in a study published in The Planetary Science Journal.

While the prospects of finding a diamond planet are exciting, the scientists claim that the same characteristics that might make a planet diamond-rich would also make it uninhabitable. They believe that carbon-rich planets lack geologic activity and, therefore, have atmospheric conditions that would be inhospitable to life. Atmospheres are critical for life as they provide air to breathe, protection from the harsh environment of space and even pressure to allow for liquid water, said the scientists.

Credits: Image of 341-carat diamond courtesy of Lucara. Diamond planet illustration courtesy of Shim/ASU/Vecteezy.

Mission to Mars: Opal May Provide Evidence of Life on the Red Planet

On Thursday, the Perseverance rover completed its seven-month, 293 million-mile journey to Mars and landed safely in the Jezero crater, which contains fields of opaline silica, better known as opal.

NASA scientists purposely targeted the Jezero crater because it was a rich source of a mineral that was likely to preserve microbial or plant material. During its two year mission, the six-wheeled, SUV-size vehicle with the most sophisticated robotic astrobiology lab ever launched will be collecting opal samples that may prove the existence of extraterrestrial life.

According to NASA, the now dry and dusty 28-mile-wide Jezero crater shows unmistakable signs of having been filled with water billions of years ago. Perseverance will begin its work near an ancient river delta that once flowed into the basin. Jezero means "lake" in many Slavic languages.

"In Jezero, we have one of the most beautifully preserved delta deposits on Mars in that crater," explained Katie Stack Morgan, the deputy project scientist for the mission.

Perseverance project scientist Ken Farley said that billions of years ago, it would have been an ideal place for microorganisms to have lived, "and it is also a wonderful place for those microorganisms to be preserved so that we can find them now."

Perseverance is a significantly upgraded version of its predecessor, Curiosity, which explored Mars in 2012. New instruments include a better drill to secure core samples, instruments to analyze Martian mineralogy, ground-penetrating radar, a weather station, high-res cameras and microphones that have captured the sounds from Mars for the first time. The first audio clips were beamed to the Earth on Saturday, February 20.

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

In precious opal, the silica spheres are uniform in size and are stacked into an orderly arrangement, which gives the structure the ability to break visible white light into separate colors. An opal’s silica structure contains 3% to 20% water, according to the American Gem Society.

Credit: Perseverance rover image by NASA/JPL-Caltech. Australian opal image by James St. John, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.