Anschar Diamonds Blog

On Tuesday, April 1, the Winston Red Diamond and 40 other fancy-color diamonds will make their debuts at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC. Tipping the scale at 2.33 carats, the Winston Red Diamond ranks among the largest diamonds ever bestowed with the coveted “Fancy Red” color grade by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA).



Gifted by Ronald Winston, the son of distinguished jeweler and gem collector Harry Winston, the Winston Red Diamond and the Winston Fancy Color Diamond Collection will be featured in the museum’s Winston Gallery, offering visitors the rare opportunity to witness one of the finest collections of fancy color diamonds ever amassed.

The Winston family enjoys strong ties with the Smithsonian. In 1958, Harry Winston donated the iconic Hope Diamond to the museum, laying the foundation for the National Gem Collection.

According to the Smithsonian, Winston envisioned the institution assembling a gem collection to rival the royal treasuries of Europe — “Crown Jewels” that would belong to the American public.

“Other countries have their Crown Jewels,” Winston reportedly said. “We don’t have a Queen and King, but we should have our Crown Jewels, and what better place than here in the nation’s capital at the Smithsonian Institution.”

Natural red diamonds are among the rarest gemstones on Earth, and the Winston Red Diamond stands out as exceptional. Researchers estimate that less than one in 25 million diamonds is a Fancy Red, and the Winston Red Diamond is one of the most exquisite in existence.

“The red diamond is the highlight of my career, and I have never seen anything else like it,” Ronald Winston said. “This donation to the museum represents my life’s achievements in this domain, and I am so happy to share this collection with the Institution and the museum’s visitors.”

It is believed that red diamonds get their striking crimson hue from a molecular structure distortion that occurs as the jewel forms under immense pressure in the Earth’s crust. By contrast, other colored diamonds get their color from trace elements, such as boron (yielding a blue diamond) or nitrogen (yielding yellow), in their chemical composition.

The Winston Red Diamond features an old mine brilliant cut, a style that predates the round brilliant cut used in engagement rings today. With fewer, larger facets, this distinctive cut suggests the stone was fashioned before the mid-1900s.

A study on the science and history of the Winston Red Diamond is forthcoming in the spring 2025 issue of Gems & Gemology, the quarterly professional journal of the GIA.



The Winston Red Diamond will be displayed alongside 40 other gems from the Winston Fancy Color Diamond Collection. The diamonds will be arranged in a radiant rainbow of color, featuring every shade imaginable from deep teal to soft peach.

“In this collection, we have diamonds in colors I could never have dreamed of,” said mineralogist Gabriela Farfan, the Coralyn W. Whitney Curator of Gems and Minerals. “These gems give us the opportunity to share with our visitors the full range of colors in which diamonds occur.”

The Winston Red Diamond and Fancy Color Diamond Collection are the result of 60 years of dedicated acquisitions by Ronald Winston. Alongside the Hope Diamond, the new display will honor the legacy of the Winston family and showcase the brilliance and rarity of these exceptional gems.

Credits: Photo of the Winston Red Diamond by Robert Weldon, courtesy of Ronald Winston. Diamond group photo by Robert Weldon, arranged by Gabriela Farfan, courtesy of Ronald Winston.

A Brooklyn-based art collective famous for its irreverent product drops instantly sold out of its limited-edition candy rings featuring a 75-point lab-grown diamond hidden inside.



Reminiscent of the much-beloved Ring Pop, the $350 Rock Candy ring from MSCHF (pronounced "mischief") came in three nostalgic flavors: strawberry, green apple and blue raspberry cotton candy. And deep at the center of every Rock Candy ring was a round, lab-grown, VS-clarity, prong-set diamond mounted to a disc-shaped sterling silver base.



With only 300 units available, fans of MSCHF's quirky products were ready to pounce on the opportunity to buy a Rock Candy ring when it became available at 2 pm EST on February 6 at the special promotional website called LickTheRock.com. The company promised to deliver the rings in time for Valentine's Day, February 14.



Within moments of the official release, shoppers were reporting on social media that the rings were sold out.

“Every kiss begins with M," MSCHF wrote on its Instagram page in the lead-up to February 6. "Rock Candy is a sterling silver band set with a 0.75-carat lab-grown diamond encased in seven grams of sugar. Lick The Rock; Candy melts in your mouth — diamonds are forever.”

Founded in 2016, MSCHF is a company that likes to shake things up by poking fun at societal norms and consumer capitalism. Its viral releases have spanned many product categories, including food, cologne, handbags and trading cards.



In 2023, for instance, MSCHF 3D printed a replica of a Louis Vuitton OnTheGo tote that was so small it could pass through the eye of a needle. Measuring 657 x 222 x 700 microns (less than 0.03 inches wide), the fluorescent yellowish-green bag was eventually sold at auction for $63,000.



Back in 2021, the company created a buzz with its release of "Birkinstocks" — a line of sandals intentionally misspelled to spoof the fact that they were fabricated from deconstructed Hermès Birkin bags.

Credits: Images courtesy of MSCHF.

US jewelry consumers are choosing larger, higher-priced diamond center stones for their engagement and fashion rings, according to a newly released report produced by the Natural Diamond Council (NDC) and Tenoris, a company specializing in trend analysis.



According to "Natural Diamond Trends, A 2024 Overview," this past year saw a significant increase in demand for engagement diamonds in the 2.00-to-2.24-carat range. Sales for that category grew 18% and accounted for 10% of the market. The 1.50-to-1.59-carat range experienced a healthy sales increase of 9% and accounted for 11% market share.

Engagement diamonds from 1.00 to 1.04 carats remain the most popular, accounting for 15% of sales, but that range saw a drop-off of 8% compared to the previous year.

The average price of a wedding set in 2024 was $6,750, an increase of 31% compared to 2023. The NDC attributed much of the increase to the demand for larger center stones.

The most popular shapes for an engagement diamonds are round (62%) and oval (16%). The most common color grade is H and the most common clarity is SI1.

Bridal jewelry accounted for 33% of all the diamond jewelry sold in the US. The remainder is classified by the NDC as "other fine jewelry."

In the discussion of "other fine jewelry," NDC reported that round diamonds accounted for 82% of center stones, followed by ovals (7.7%), princess (2.2%), marquise (1.6%), emerald (1.2%), cushion (1.0%) and other (2.7%). The "other" category includes Asscher, radiant, heart, baguette, trilliant and other cuts.

While the popularity of the round shape was down ever so slightly (-0.4%), oval was up 3.5%, emerald was up 6.4% and marquise was up 8.6%.

"Ovals are trending right now, but, as one of the oldest diamond shapes, they’re anything but a fad," the NDC explained. "This cut first appeared in the 1700s when the brilliant faceting style was introduced. Ovals’ popularity surged again in 1957 with the creation of the modern ideal oval cut by Lazare Kaplan. There was also a resurgence in the late 1990s as consumers sought alternatives to round brilliant solitaires."

“It’s easy to see why oval diamonds have finally come into their own," added Marion Fasel, author of The History of Diamond Engagement Rings: A True Romance. "Ovals stretch elegantly across a finger, giving the illusion of elongating the hand. They are the proverbial classic with a twist that is so hot in fashion. Versatile in design, ovals look good in any style of engagement ring, from elaborate to a prong setting."

When it comes to diamond clarity, the trending is toward high-quality stones. While SI-clarity has been the staple of the US market for decades, and still accounts for more than half of all purchases, a greater portion of consumers are now opting for VS-clarity stones, noted the NDC.

Demand for VS1-clarity center stones grew 15%, and VS2 rose 8% compared the prior year. In contrast, sales of SI1 clarity stones increased 1%, SI2 fell 11% and I1 declined by 14%.

The average price of jewelry across all product categories rose 2.7% to $2,360, reported the NDC.

On the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) color scale, diamonds with a grading of G to I have consistently been popular with American consumers, with very minor fluctuations in preferences over the years. Combined, these colors accounted for 52% of the market in 2024.

"Natural Diamond Trends, A 2024 Overview," was developed by the NDC in partnership with Tenoris and examines US consumer preferences for natural diamonds based on sales data collected from more than 2,000 independently owned jewelry stores across the United States.

Credit: Image by BigStockPhoto.com.

In honor of February's official birthstone, we introduce you to the massive "Grape Jelly" amethyst geode, one of the most popular attractions at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas.



By turning a silver handwheel, visitors young and old get to “crack open” the geode to reveal the vivid purple crystalline structure inside. Spinning the wheel in the opposite direction magically closes the geode, returning the specimen to its original boulder-like appearance.

The five-foot-tall, 1.5-ton geode was the very first exhibit installed at the museum, which opened in December of 2012. In fact, the gallery was quite literally built around it.



Museum officials were extremely protective of their prized geode, which was discovered in Articus, Uruguay. They wanted it safely enclosed in its case at the center of the museum’s Lyda Hill Gems and Minerals Hall on Level 3 before other specimens and exhibits started moving in.

Each half of the Grape Jelly geode is mounted to a hydraulic system that opens and closes like a clamshell. The device is brilliantly designed so children as young as three years old find it easy to spin the wheel to manipulate the exhibit.

In addition to the Grape Jelly attraction, visitors can interact with high-definition videos, digital puzzles and touch-me specimens. They learn about the colors, shapes and hardnesses of Earth’s original rock stars.

The museum makes learning fun. In one station, youngsters explore the physical and optical properties of various colored stones. They get to see minerals under different light sources and are frequently astonished by how some specimens take on vibrant hues under ultraviolet bulbs.

The Perot Museum of Nature and Science is named for Ross and Margot Perot and was made possible through the generosity of the Perot family and many other Dallas-area benefactors.

Located in the heart of Dallas, the Perot Museum of Nature and Science is a nonprofit educational and research organization dedicated to inspiring minds through nature and science.

Visitors will find everything from dinosaurs to diamonds, packed into five levels of hands-on discovery and adventure. The museum welcomes more than one million visitors per year, 150,000 of which are schoolchildren.

Please check out the video of a young museum visitor engaging with the interactive Grape Jelly geode exhibit.



Credits: Grape Jelly geode photos courtesy of the Perot Museum of Nature and Science.

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you wonderful songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, Elton John tries to mend the pieces of his broken heart in 2001’s “Dark Diamond.”



In the song composed by John with lyrics by long-time collaborator Bernie Taupin, the term “dark diamond” is used to describe a person who once flourished as a “jewel” with a fire in his soul, but is now “hard and cold.”

He mourns the loss of the one star he could count on, the only one who could show him the true meaning of love. And he has only himself to blame.

John sings, “Oh, I’m a dark diamond / I’ve turned hard and cold / Once was a jewel with fire in my soul / There’s two sides of a mirror / One I couldn’t break through / Stayed trapped on the inside, wound up losing you.”

“Dark Diamond,” which incorporates elements of blues, pop and R&B, appeared as the second track of Songs from the West Coast, John’s 26th studio album. The song's arrangement gets a boost from music legend Stevie Wonder, who makes a guest appearance on the harmonica and clavinet (electric keyboard).

Born Reginald Kenneth Dwight, the 77-year-old John is one of the best-selling music artists of all time. In 1967, John met Taupin by chance when both men responded to an advertisement seeking songwriters. At first, they wrote songs for other artists, but then decided the team up and go out on their own.

In a career that has spanned nearly six decades, John has sold more than 300 million records. He is credited with one diamond album, 32 platinum and multi-platinum albums and 21 gold albums. (A diamond designation represents more than 10 million sold, while platinum represents one million and gold represents 500,000.) John and Taupin have collaborated on more than 70 Top 40 hits.

John has won six Grammys from 35 nominations and was inducted with Taupin into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1992. John entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, and Taupin followed in 2023.

Trivia: John won a piano scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music at the age of 11.

John's "Farewell Yellow Brick Road" tour concluded in July 2023. The artist, who was knighted by Queen Elizabeth in 1998, has been battling ongoing health issues, including the loss of eyesight, but said he will continue to "do the odd show."

Please check out the audio track of John performing “Dark Diamond.” The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…

“Dark Diamond”
Written by Bernie Taupin and Elton John. Performed by Elton John.

Oh, I’m a dark diamond
I’ve turned hard and cold
Once was a jewel with fire in my soul

There’s two sides of a mirror
One I couldn’t break through
Stayed trapped on the inside, wound up losing you

Tell me how does it work
How do you make things fit
Spent all my life trying to get it right
I’ve put it together and it falls apart

I thought to myself I might understand
But when the wall’s built
And the heart hardens
You get a dark diamond
Dark diamond

Oh, I’m a dark diamond
But you’re something else
You read me more than I read myself
The one star I could count on
Only comet I could trust
You burnt through my life to the true meaning of love

Tell me how does it work
How do you make things fit
Spent all my life trying to get it right
I’ve put it together and it falls apart

I thought to myself I might understand
But when the wall’s built
And the heart hardens
You get a dark diamond
Dark diamond

Tell me how does it work
How do you make things fit
Spent all my life trying to get it right
I’ve put it together and it falls apart

I thought to myself I might understand
But when the wall’s built
And the heart hardens
You get a dark diamond
Dark diamond
You get a dark diamond
Dark diamond
You get a dark diamond
Dark diamond



Credits: Photo by Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Lucara Diamond Corp. has completed the sale of two massive diamonds from its famous Karowe Mine in Botswana for the eye-popping sum of $54 million.



The price achieved for the 1,080-carat Eva Star and the 549-carat Sethunya is equivalent to $33,149 per carat. The newly named Eva Star was originally discovered in 2023 and ranks #8 on the list of the largest rough diamonds of all time. The Sethunya, which means “flower” in Setswana, the primary language of Botswana, was mined in early 2020 and ranks #36.



In November of 2020, Lucara announced that luxury brand Louis Vuitton had secured the rights to represent Sethunya with the intention of offering its discriminating clients the unique opportunity to design the gem of their dreams, down to the exact shape and carat weight.

“In this way, the client will be involved in the creative process of plotting, cutting, polishing and becoming part of the story that the stone will carry with it into history,” noted a Lucara press release.

Lucara's announcement of the $54 million sale reflects an initial payment of $20 million and a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the polished diamonds that were culled from the original rough stones.

In a press release, the mining company stated that Sethunya and Eva Star showcase the remarkable quality and size of diamonds consistently produced from the South Lobe of the Karowe kimberlite. These exceptional stones underscore Karowe's position as one of the world's most prolific sources of large, high-value diamonds.

In fact, of the top nine diamonds ever discovered, seven were sourced at Botswana's Karowe Mine. Besides the 1,080-carat Eva Star at #8, Karowe treasures include the 2,492-carat Motswedi (#2, 2024) 1,758-carat Sewelô (#3, 2019), 1,174-carat unnamed (#4, 2021), 1,109-carat Lesedi La Rona (#5, 2015), 1,094-carat Seriti (#7, 2024), 998-carat unnamed (#9, 2020).

At the top of the list is the 3,106-carat Cullinan Diamond, which was discovered at South Africa’s Premier Mine 2 in 1905.

"The sale of these two extraordinary diamonds further validates our investment in the Karowe underground project," said William Lamb, President and CEO of Lucara. "The unique characteristics of Karowe's kimberlite, particularly in the South Lobe, continue to amaze us with its ability to produce diamonds of exceptional size and quality."

The expansion project is expected to extend the mine's life to at least 2040.

Lucara attributes much of its success to its MDR (Mega Diamond Recovery) XRT circuit, a system that uses advanced technology to identify 100-carat-plus diamonds. By monitoring the rocky material for X-ray luminescence, atomic density and transparency, the new technology can identify and isolate large diamonds before they go through the destructive crushing process.

Lucara owns 100% of the Karowe mine, which has been in production since 2012.

Credits: Photo of Eva Star courtesy of Lucara Diamond Corp. Photo of Sethunya by Philippe Lacombe, courtesy of Louis Vuitton (CNW Group/Lucara Diamond Corp.).

More than 270,000 expertly crafted beads recovered from a tomb in southern Spain provide valuable insights into the social status of women on the Iberian Peninsula 5,000 years ago.



Researchers believe the white shell beads were strung onto linen and made into ceremonial dresses and skirts, which were further ornamented with rare ivory and amber pendants shaped like acorns and birds.

The artifacts reflect a sophisticated social structure, where jewelry adornments likely reinforced an individual's power and status. The find is reportedly the most extensive single-burial bead assemblage ever recorded.

"Under the sun, the effect of these women with the attires glittering with reflected sunlight must have been quite powerful," researchers wrote in a paper published in the journal Science Advances.



A multidisciplinary research team from various Spanish institutions discovered the human remains, along with the jewelry, at the Tholos de Montelirio burial site, near Seville.

The cache of Cheerio-like beads weighed a total of 33 pounds (15 kilograms) and had to be cleared of all dirt and debris — a process that took seven specialists 651 hours to complete. An analysis of the material wedged in the hole of the beads revealed the presence of flax, a plant used to make linen textiles.

The newly discovered tomb, which was actively used as a burial site between 2875 BC and 2635 BC, contained 20 skeletons, at least 15 of which were identified as women — all between 18 and 34 years old when they died. The gender of the other skeletons could not be determined.

Researchers estimated the vast amount of labor required to produce more than a quarter of a million meticulously crafted beads.

“Ten persons working eight hours a day would have taken 206 days (nearly seven months) to produce the whole assemblage, using in the process a little less than a metric ton of marine shell,” they wrote. “Evidently, the labor value of the beaded attires was high.”

The scientists based their estimate on their own efforts to craft a bead from a scallop shell. Using rudimentary tools, it took one researcher 55 minutes to fabricate a single bead. They reasoned that an experienced Copper Age artisan could have completed the same task in 11 minutes.

“I think that the efforts to produce these beaded robes far exceed those required to produce a couture red carpet garment today,” researcher Marta Díaz-Guardamino told CNN. “You would need many more hours and people invested in the production of the beads. Indeed, it would have been, altogether, an enterprise on a whole different scale with no parallels in the world yet.”

Credits: Top photo by Antonio Acedo García, courtesy of Research Group ATLAS, University of Seville. Beads close-up photo by David W. Wheatley, courtesy of Research Group ATLAS, University of Seville.

If you've already secured the ring and you're researching a spectacular place to pop the question this Valentine's weekend, check out the list of US cities best suited for creating memories that will last a lifetime.



Cloudwards' data-driven analysis of the country's 100-largest cities yielded a definitive "Top 10" based on the factors that matter most for a perfect proposal: "Romantic Experiences & Ambiance," "Shopping for Proposals & Special Moments" and "Photogenic Proposal Spots."

At the top of Cloudwards' list of the "Best U.S. Cities for a Romantic Proposal in 2025" stands New York City, followed by Jersey City, Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas, Chicago, Miami, Santa Ana, Anaheim and San Francisco.



New York City: The Big Apple excelled particularly in photogenic proposal spots (1st) and romantic experiences (2nd). The city's diverse range of proposal locations spans from the timeless romance of Central Park's Bow Bridge to the modern sophistication of Top of the Rock, Brooklyn Bridge Park and One World Observatory. The city's strength lies in its versatility and the sheer number of iconic locations that can serve as backdrops for a memorable proposal.

Whether couples prefer the urban energy of Times Square or the elegant atmosphere of high-rise restaurants, New York City provides endless possibilities for creating that perfect moment, supported by its high concentration of professional photographers who know exactly how to capture the city's magic. Couples considering New York City for a proposal can check out the #NYCproposal hashtag for inspiration.

Jersey City: This surprising second-place finisher earned a first-place ranking in shopping amenities and boasts outstanding photogenic backdrops. While it may not have the traditional romantic reputation of its across-the-river neighbor (NYC), it compensates with practical advantages like the highest density of jewelry stores, gift shops and chocolate shops. Jersey City's proposal hot spots include Liberty State Park, Exchange Place Waterfront, Newport Waterfront and Hamilton Park — offering stunning views of the Hudson River, Statue of Liberty and Manhattan skyline.

Los Angeles: The City of Angels demonstrates balanced strength, ranking third in both romantic experiences and photogenic spots, reflecting its status as a city that combines natural beauty with urban sophistication. The city's proposal-worthy locations range from the iconic Griffith Observatory, offering panoramic city views, to the architectural marvel of Walt Disney Concert Hall, the nostalgic charm of Santa Monica Pier and the scenic Hollywood Bowl Overlook. What sets Los Angeles apart is its unmatched access to professional photographers and diverse proposal settings. The city's perfect weather and stunning natural light make it ideal for capturing the perfect moment.

San Diego: This Southern California city impresses with its second-place ranking for photogenic locations — this includes the highest number of TikTok hashtag views — and 10th place for romantic experiences. The city's most popular proposal spots reflect its coastal charm, with Sunset Cliffs, La Jolla Cove and Hotel del Coronado offering stunning backdrops that combine ocean views with architectural beauty. The city's year-round perfect weather and abundant outdoor spaces make it particularly appealing for couples planning an outdoor proposal.

Las Vegas: This vacation hotspot ranks first in romantic experiences and ambiance, which aligns perfectly with its reputation for luxury hotels and entertainment. The city's most iconic proposal spots, including the Bellagio Fountains, Paris Las Vegas Eiffel Tower, High Roller Observation Wheel and Red Rock Canyon, offer a range of options from classic Vegas glamor to natural desert beauty. The city's expertise in creating magical moments means couples can find professional help with proposal planning, from photographers to special packages at major hotels.

Chicago: The Windy City shows particular strength in romantic experiences (5th) and photogenic spots (5th). The city's architectural beauty provides an impressive backdrop for proposals, with popular locations including Cloud Gate ("The Bean"), Lincoln Park Zoo and Navy Pier, each offering unique perspectives on the city's grandeur. The city's seasonal changes add an extra dimension to proposal planning, with each season offering distinct romantic possibilities. Winter proposals can take advantage of magical snow-covered settings, while summer offers vibrant park and lakefront options.

Miami: The Magic City ranks in the Top 15 across all categories, with impressive showings in romantic experiences (6th) and shopping (8th). The city's array of proposal spots reflect its diverse character, from the scenic South Pointe Park and historic Vizcaya Museum & Gardens to the lush Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden and modern Brickell Key. The city's year-round warm weather and vibrant culture create an energetic, yet romantic, atmosphere perfect for proposals and stunning photo opportunities.

Santa Ana: What makes this city unique is its combination of historic architecture, cultural attractions and modern amenities, all while maintaining a more intimate feel than larger cities. Santa Ana ranks 2nd in shopping, and its high concentration of specialty shops and services makes it practical for proposal planning. The city's charm lies in its historic downtown area, with notable proposal locations including Bower's Museum Gardens, Santiago Park and the Downtown Artist's Village.

Anaheim: Located just north of Santa Ana, Anaheim ranks strongly in shopping (3rd) and photogenic spots (9th). The city's proposal hotspots reflect its unique character, led by Disneyland's iconic castle, which provides a fairy-tale setting for countless proposals each year. Other noteworthy spots include Adventure City, Pearson Park and the charming Center Street Promenade. The city's high ranking in shopping amenities means couples can easily find everything they need for the perfect proposal, from rings to flowers.

San Francisco: The City by the Bay boasts a remarkably balanced performance across all categories, ranking 9th in romantic experiences, 11th in shopping, and 12th in photogenic spots. The city's iconic proposal locations include the majestic Palace of Fine Arts, the world-famous Golden Gate Bridge, the scenic Crissy Field and the serene Japanese Tea Garden, each offering unique views and atmospheres. What sets San Francisco apart is its combination of natural beauty, historic architecture and urban sophistication. The city's famous hills provide countless spots for panoramic views, while its diverse neighborhoods offer everything from elegant gardens to urban parks.

Rounding out the Top 20 are Orlando, Irvine, Long Beach, Dallas, Honolulu, Houston, Scottsdale, Atlanta, Norfolk and New Orleans.

Cloudwards collected online data on a variety of factors to assess the proposal-friendly nature of each city. Each was evaluated using a 100-point system designed to capture both emotional and practical aspects. Here's how the points were allocated…

(40 Points) Romantic Experiences & Ambiance were rated by the number of romantic restaurants per 100K population, romantic activities, romantic hotels, nature and parks, and days of sunshine.

(30 Points) Shopping for Proposals & Special Moments were based on the number of flower shops, jewelry shops, chocolate shops and gift shops per 100K of population.

(30 Points) The Photogenic Proposal Spots rating was based on the number of photographers based in the city, along with total TikTok views per hashtag and Instagram proposal posts.

Cloudwards is best known for providing in-depth reviews, comparisons and guides on various cloud-based services.

Credits: AI-generated image by The Jeweler Blog using ChatGPT and DALL-E 3. Map graphic courtesy of Cloudwards.

About 140 million miles away on the surface of Mars, NASA’s Perseverance rover recently collected a four-billion-year-old specimen "unlike anything ever seen." Scientists hope the frosty-looking pebble will provide critical clues about the Red Planet, including past water activity and its potential habitability.



NASA scientists noted that the 1.1-inch (2.9-centimeter) rock sample is believed to be from Mars' Noachian-age, a period from 4.6 to 3.5 billion years ago when the Martian atmosphere was denser than it is today and the climate may have been warm enough to produce rain.



On the Perseverance X page, the NASA rover wrote, “Now that I've completed my climb out of Jezero Crater, I'm back to #SamplingMars! My 26th sample, known as ‘Silver Mountain,’ has textures unlike anything we've seen before. I've sealed the rock core in a sample tube so it can be analyzed in labs on Earth in the future.”

The name "Silver Mountain" is a nod to the Martian territory where it was extracted. It's a rocky outcrop along the rim of Jezero Crater, where Perseverance has been collecting rock samples in an area that could offer a "rare window into Mars' deep past," according to NASA.

The rocks in the current exploration zone are believed to have been brought to the surface by an ancient asteroid or comet impact and they likely represent some of the "oldest rocks found anywhere in the solar system," NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory wrote in a statement.

The oldest known rock on Earth is called "Acasta Gneiss" and it was found in the Northwest Territories of Canada. Scientists believe "Acasta Gneiss" is 4.03 billion years old, about the same age as "Silver Mountain."

Perseverance had previously identified rocks embedded with serpentine, a metamorphic rock that's formed when magnesium-rich magma reacts with water. That finding added further credibility to the theory that Mars' surface once contained lakes and rivers and could have sustained life.

It's not 100% clear when the Mars-sourced samples will be returned to Earth. NASA noted that it could be as soon as 2035 or as late at 2039, depending on budget and logistical restrictions.

Credits: Silver Mountain sample courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech. Perseverance Rover images via NASA/JPL-Caltech, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you exciting, new tunes with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, rising star Waylon Wyatt takes on the role of a lovesick teen in his 2024 ballad, "Arkansas Diamond."



A native of Hackett, AR (pop. 850), and still in high school, Wyatt compares the object of his affection to an Arkansas diamond, a symbol of beauty and perfection. He's head-over-heels in love with a local girl, but he knows that she's way out of his league.

He sings, "Smile brighter than them Arkansas diamonds / Dreams bigger than a Texan's horizon / Lord knows a poor man like me would do anything / 'Cause her love is what I'm pining / Cut nice, polished and shining / A gem like you is hard finding / So I'll keep on digging for this Arkansas diamond."

We have to assume that Wyatt has a special connection to Arkansas diamonds. From his home near the Arkansas-Oklahoma border, it's only a 2 1/2-hour drive to Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, AR, where amateur miners get to keep what they find at the only diamond site in the world that’s open to the general public.

“Arkansas Diamond,” which he originally recorded in the kitchen of his family home, features Wyatt on acoustic guitar. The song is the second track of his 2024 debut EP titled Til the Sun Goes Down.

To date, the song has garnered 54.5 million Spotify streams, an impressive number amplified by Wyatt's recent appearance on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

Wyatt said to the Late Show audience, "This song is Arkansas Diamond and even though I play this song a lot it doesn't take away from the fact that I am so thankful for it, because without this song I wouldn't be where I am today."

The rising star is adamant about maintaining his no-frills, acoustic arrangements inspired by country music artists, such as Tyler Childers and Zach Bryan.

“I don’t want a lot of production in my music,” Wyatt told countrytown.com. “That’s not what I’m looking for. I love the raw sound – the raw vocals, raw guitar, raw acoustic. Nothing overlaid on it.”

Wyatt signed a deal in August of 2023 with Music Soup and Darkroom Records, a label best known for signing a 14-year-old Billie Eilish in 2015.

Still a few months away from graduating high school, Wyatt will be dividing his time between his studies and touring. The young star has performances scheduled from March through June in the following cities: Toronto, ON; Nashville, TN; Atlanta, GA; Charlotte, NC; Lexington, KY; Chicago, IL; Minneapolis, MN; Omaha, NE; Kansas City, MO; Dallas, TX; Georgetown, TX; Fort Smith, AR; Indio, CA; West Hollywood, CA; Morrison, CO; Panama Beach, FL; and New York, NY.

Please check out the video of Wyatt performing "Arkansas Diamond." The lyrics are below if you'd like to sing along…

"Arkansas Diamond"
Written and performed by Waylon Wyatt.

Call her up in the middle of the morning
5 o'clock on the dot without a warning
Pouring my heart out into the phone

Half awake and barely asleep
Hours spent listening to her dreams
'Cause hearing that voice makes me feel at home

Well, it's a blessing just to know her name
Sparkle in her eyes can put stars to shame
And it's a wonder if she'll ever think twice
On a wretch like me, wouldn't that be nice?

Smile brighter than them Arkansas diamonds
Dreams bigger than a Texan's horizon
Lord knows a poor man like me would do anything

'Cause her love is what I'm pining
Cut nice, polished and shining
A gem like you is hard finding
So I'll keep on digging for this Arkansas diamond

She lives her life wild and free
Doesn't know what she means to me
Doesn't have a single clue in the world

But she'll always have my heart
No matter where we are
It'll always belong to you, girl

And, it's a blessing just to know her touch
Her sweet southern drawl'll make you fall in love
And this lady that I hold so dear
Well, I'd be nothing without her here

Smile brighter than them Arkansas diamonds
Dreams bigger than a Texan's horizon
Lord knows a poor man like me would do anything

'Cause your love is what I'm pining
Cut nice, polished and shining
A gem like you is hard finding so keep on digging for this Arkansas diamond

Keep on digging for this Arkansas diamond



Credit: Screen capture via YouTube.com / The Sticks Music.