Anschar Diamonds Blog

A nuclear physicist by trade, the late Dr. Peter Buck is famous for making one of the most lucrative investments in US history — and for donating the 23-carat Carmen Lúcia Ruby to the Smithsonian as an everlasting tribute to his beloved wife. The ruby is the official birthstone for the month of July.



The investment part of the story begins in 1965 when a 17-year-old college student named Fred DeLuca sought advice from family friend Dr. Buck on how to pay his tuition at the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut. With an idea to open a submarine sandwich shop and an initial $1,000 investment from Dr. Buck, the two formed a business partnership that would ultimately change the landscape of the fast food industry.

DeLuca honored his benefactor by naming the shop “Pete’s Super Submarines.” That single store has since grown into the mammoth Subway chain, with 37,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries. Only McDonald's has more restaurants worldwide (about 40,000).

Dr. Buck was able to parlay his good fortune into acts of philanthropy, which leads us to the gemstone part of the story...

Since 2004, visitors to the National Gem and Mineral Collection at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC, have marveled at the Carmen Lúcia Ruby. Prominently displayed in the showcase titled “Rubies and Sapphires,” the gem has the distinction of being the largest faceted ruby in the collection and one of the finest Burmese rubies ever known.

The Carmen Lúcia Ruby is named for Carmen Lúcia Buck, the beloved second wife of Dr. Buck, who provided the funds for the Smithsonian to purchase the stone after her passing in 2003. Carmen had been undergoing cancer treatments in 2002 and had seen photos of a magnificent ruby that she learned might be coming on the market after being in private hands for decades. Carmen had hoped to purchase the ring to celebrate her recovery.

Sadly, she would never wear it.

Instead, Dr. Buck would gift the Carmen Lúcia Ruby to the American people with the assurance that it would go on permanent display.

“So it seemed like a really appropriate thing to do, to give it to the nation so people could come and see it,” he told The New York Times in 2004. “She would have really liked that people could see it and know it was the Carmen Lúcia Ruby, and that it wasn’t locked away in a vault somewhere.”

At the time, National Gem and Mineral Collection curator Jeffrey Post called the Carmen Lúcia Ruby "the most important addition to the collection in the 20 years that I’ve been here."

Sourced in the fabled Mogok region of Burma (now Myanmar) in the 1930s, the Carmen Lúcia Ruby displays a richly saturated red color with undertones of pink and purple, a coveted hue known to gem experts as "pigeon blood red." The oval-cut stone is set in a platinum ring and flanked by two trillion-cut white diamonds weighing a combined 2.38 carats.

In January of 2023, The Peter and Carmen Lucia Buck Foundation (PCLB) announced that it would be receiving Dr. Buck's 50% stake in the Subway restaurant chain. Forbes estimated Buck's stake to be worth upwards of $5 billion.

Noted Carrie Schindele, Executive Director of PCLB, "This gift will allow the Foundation to greatly expand its philanthropic endeavors and impact many more lives, especially our work to create educational opportunities for all students, work Dr. Buck cared so deeply about."

Credit: Photo by Chip Clark/Smithsonian.

De Beers Group and the Government of the Republic of Botswana have agreed to a new 10-year sales agreement that will see Africa's sixth-richest country gradually upping its share of the rough diamonds produced at its prolific Debswana-operated mines from 25% to 50%.



About the size of France, the landlocked republic in southern Africa produces more high-quality diamonds than any other country in the world, except for Russia. Botswana's diamond output was 23 million carats in 2021 and accounted for about 21% of global production.

The country is also the home of the Jwaneng mine, the world’s richest diamond mine by value. Jwaneng and three other diamond mines are operated by Debswana, a 50-50 partnership between De Beers Group and the Government of the Republic of Botswana.

According to the Debswana website, the Jwaneng kimberlite pipe was discovered in 1971 in the Naledi River Valley (Valley of the Star) under 30 meters of Kalahari sand. At the time, there were only about 60 people living in the region, which was called Jwana. The mine’s high-grade ore now contributes between 60% and 70% of Debswana’s revenue.

Last year, the De Beers Group obtained about 70% of its rough diamonds from Botswana.

With the expiration of the previous sales agreement looming on June 30, it was critical for the London-based De Beers Group to secure a deal that would extend the partnership for a new era. Late on Friday, right at the deadline, the two parties announced the new sales contract and mining licenses.

The new 10-year sales agreement will immediately see Botswana claiming 30% of Debswana's production, up from the current 25% and progressively increasing to 50% at the end of the 10-year period. Those diamonds will be sold via Okavango Diamond Company (ODC), which is wholly owned by the Botswana Government.

A new 25-year extension of Debswana mining licenses will secure that joint venture through 2054.

In addition to the sales and mining agreements, De Beers pledged to accelerate Botswana’s economic diversification through the creation of the Pula Diamonds for Development Fund, with an upfront investment by De Beers of $75 million and further contributions over the next 10 years that could total up to $750 million.

De Beers' goal is to create the potential for tens of thousands of new jobs in Botswana, both within an expanded Botswana-based diamond industry and emerging sectors, with a focus on supporting the growth of a knowledge-based economy. Currently, diamond mining accounts for one third of the country's gross domestic product.

“For De Beers it is a privilege to renew our half-century partnership with the people of Botswana," said Al Cook, CEO, De Beers Group. "It is a partnership that is highly regarded around the world for the enduring role it has played in creating economic development and growth. Our transformative agreement reflects the aspirations of the country, secures the future of our Debswana joint venture, and reaffirms De Beers’ leadership position for the long-term.

He continued, "The agreement represents our commitment to deliver investments in Botswana’s diamond production, Botswana’s diamond value chain, Botswana’s knowledge-based economy and, above all, the people of Botswana.”

Credit: Jwaneng Diamond Mine photo courtesy of Debswana.com.

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you awesome songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin compares finding love and feeling alive again with the formation of diamonds deep within the Earth in a song called “Adventure of a Lifetime.”



Martin sings, “Everything you want’s a dream away / Under this pressure, under this weight / We are diamonds taking shape / We are diamonds taking shape.”

“Adventure of a Lifetime” is the lead single from Coldplay’s A Head Full of Dreams album, which was released in November of 2015. The album signaled uplifting change of tone for Martin, whose previous work was downbeat and broody following his 2014 breakup with actress Gwyneth Paltrow. They had been married for 10 years.

Writing for pop music website Idolator.com, Bianca Gracie and Robbie Daw called the colorful and energetic “Adventure of a Lifetime” the “best Coldplay single in seven years” and described the song as “incredibly vibrant in an almost childlike, blissful way that gives such an energetic rush.”

In an interview with SiriusXM radio, Martin explained that the song was inspired by a classic Guns N’ Roses’ rock riff.

“I’d been begging Jonny, our guitarist, for years to make a riff that I like as much as ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’ by Guns N’ Roses,” said Martin. “Then he showed me that one, and I was like, ‘That’s it.’ So those elements all came together, and we just wanted to kind of embrace our love of joyful music and sort of let it free.”

“Adventure of a Lifetime” peaked at #1 on the U.S. Billboard Alternative Songs chart and #13 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It was also an international hit, charting in 31 countries. The album earned the #2 position on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart and a nomination for British Album of the Year. Coldplay performed “Adventure of a Lifetime” at the 2016 Super Bowl halftime show.

Formed by Martin in 1996, Coldplay has sold more than 100 million records worldwide and has earned numerous awards, including seven Grammys from 34 nominations.

Please check out the video of Coldplay’s live performance of “Adventure of a Lifetime.” The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…

“Adventure of a Lifetime”
Written by Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen and Chris Martin. Performed by Coldplay.

Turn your magic on
Umi she’d say
Everything you want’s a dream away
And we are legends every day
That’s what she told me

Now I feel my heart beatin'
I feel my heart underneath my skin
Oh yeah, I feel my heart beatin'
'Cause you make me feel
Like I’m alive again

Alive again
Oh, you make me feel
Like I’m alive again

Said I can’t go on,
Not in this way
I’m a dream that died by light of day
Gonna hold up half the sky and say
Only I own me

And I feel my heart beatin'
I feel my heart underneath my skin
Oh, I can feel my heart beatin'
‘Cause you make me feel
Like I’m alive again

Alive again
Oh, you make me feel
Like I’m alive again

Turn your magic on,
Umi she’d say
Everything you want’s a dream away
Under this pressure, under this weight
We are diamonds taking shape
We are diamonds taking shape

If we’ve only got this life
This adventure, oh, then I
And if we’ve only got this life
You get me through

If we’ve only got this life
In this adventure, oh, then I
Want to share it with you
With you
With you
Yeah I do
Woohoo
Woohoo
Woohoo



Credit: Image by Yahoo! Blog, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Actress and producer Elizabeth Banks commemorated her 20th wedding anniversary on Wednesday with an Instagram Story showing a closeup of her newest bling — a greenish-blue sapphire ring.



Traditionally, her 20th anniversary gemstone should have been an emerald, but Banks opted for a "peacock" sapphire, which displays a unique play of blues and greens, similar to that of a peacock feather.

She overlayed the photo with a caption that read: “The 20th anniversary ring.” She also tagged her soulmate and business partner, Max Handelman, and included the hashtag peacocksapphire. The ring features the large oval-cut sapphire adorned by a halo of small white diamonds set upon a matching diamond-encrusted band.



In separate posts on her Instagram timeline, Banks shared with her 3.8 million followers a series of black-and-white photos from her wedding day in 2003 juxtaposed with a more recent pic of the couple.



"Time flies when you’re making an amazing life together," Banks wrote. "20 years. Proudest achievement. Feels like yesterday. Love to all who celebrated with us. Couldn’t do it without you."

The peacock sapphire is an excellent choice for everyday wear because it has a high resistance to scratching. Sapphires rate a 9 out of 10 on the Mohs hardness scale. Only diamonds rate higher.

Peacock sapphires owe their color to the presence of iron within the chemical composition of the stone. Their value is based on the size of the polished gem, the intensity of its color, the clarity of the stone and whether or not it has been heat treated.

Peacock sapphires are sourced in many locations, including India, Sri Lanka and the state of Montana.

Although the couple has been officially married for 20 years, their love story goes back 30 years, when they fell in love at the University of Pennsylvania, an Ivy League school in Philadelphia. She was 19 and he was 20 at the time.

The couple owns Brownstone Productions, which is best known for producing all three Pitch Perfect movies, as well as the 2019 version of Charlie’s Angels. They also share two children, Felix, 12, and Magnus Mitchell, 10.

Credits: Photos via Instagram/elizabethbanks.

When actor Alan Alda completed his 11-year, 251-episode run on the hit TV show M*A*S*H, the only wardrobe mementos he took from Stage 9 at 20th Century Fox studios were a dog tag necklace and a pair of scuffed boots.



Now, more than 50 years later, the five-time Emmy Award winner who became a household name for his portrayal of Capt. Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce, is putting both items up for auction with all the proceeds benefiting the Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University on Long Island. The single-lot auction will take place on July 28 via Dallas-based Heritage Auctions.



Alan Alda was only 36 years old when he reported to the set of the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital in the summer of 1972. Upon arrival, costumers handed him a pair of scuffed-up combat boots, inside which someone had written in black marker the name of his character: "HAWKEYE."



He was also given a pair of dog tags, two tiny rectangles made of nickel and copper that were once worn by actual soldiers named Hersie Davenport and Morriss D. Levine.



Alda noted that he was grateful the dog tags didn't say Benjamin Franklin Pierce of Crabapple Cove, ME. That would have made them mere props that couldn't have carried the weight of war. Wearing those real dog tags, the genuine article, "seemed like a handshake," Alda said.

Until recently, he knew nothing about the two men whose names are on those dog tags — one, a Black soldier from the South; the other, a Jewish soldier from New York City.

"Yet every day for 11 years, putting them on over my head and wearing them, I had a very close connection with them," Alda said. "I always wondered what their lives were like. Were they alive, or were they dead? How had they served? They were real people to me, even though I didn't know anything about them other than their names. But to this day, I remember the names very well, and that's why it meant a lot to me."

Heritage Auctions learned that Hersie Davenport, a native of Mississippi, was 34 years old when he enlisted on July 14, 1942. Davenport, a private first class, served as an engineer and was discharged on Dec. 15, 1945. Records show he died on April 24, 1970, and is buried at the Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland, CA.

Morris D. Levine's name was misspelled on his dog tags, with a superfluous "s," and his service records were destroyed in the July 1972 fire that consumed millions of military personnel files housed at the National Archives and Records Administration in St. Louis.

According to the auction house, the scant information that survives shows Levine was born on August 8, 1907, and that he enlisted in the Army when he was 35, serving as a corporal until his honorable discharge three years later on November 15, 1945. Levine died on June 9, 1973, and is buried at the Long Island National Cemetery, not far from where Alda lives today.

M*A*S*H chronicled the daily lives of a rag-tag bunch of doctors and support staff stationed in Uijeongbu, South Korea, during the Korean War (1950–53). A record 106 million fans tuned in to watch the two-hour M*A*S*H finale on February 28, 1983.

And for the next 50-plus years, the dog tags and combat boots that he wore during every episode would be relegated to the far reaches of Alda's closet. He joked that the items were not items you would display on your mantle.

"Then I realized that they could come to life again to be used to help the Center for Communicating Science because, probably, somebody would be interested in having a memento of the show," he said. "I can't think of a better use for them."

Alda helped establish the Stony Brook Center for Communicating Science in 2009. He believes that scientists need to do a better job speaking about their work, and this requires combining the skills of improvisation with good message design. Alda brought improvisational exercises to classrooms at Stony Brook and to institutions around the world.

As a result, the center has trained more than 20,000 scientists in nine countries, as well as Harvard and Cornell universities, the National Institutes of Health, the Environmental Protection Agency and even the US Department of Defense.

The current bid for Alda's memorabilia is $23,000. You can track the progress of the auction at this link.

Credits: Dog tags and boots images courtesy of Heritage Auctions, HA.com. M*A*S*H TV cast publicity photo by CBS Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

If you're planning a getaway to New York City this summer and are proud to call yourself a "Swiftie," consider stopping in at the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD), where an exhibition called "Taylor Swift: Storyteller" explores the artistic reinventions of the 12-time Grammy Award-winner told via her exquisitely crafted costumes, inventive scene design, imaginative iconography and blingy accessories.



Exhibition highlights include her sparkling ensemble from “Bejeweled” (2022), the cheerleader and ballerina costumes from “Shake It Off” (2014) and the red wedding dress and bellhop uniform from “I Bet You Think About Me (2021).



"Taylor Swift: Storyteller" includes concert attire by couture fashion houses, along with jewelry, props, ephemera and projections of music videos. Visitors will marvel at the artist's famous crystal-encrusted guitar, as well as the lyrics penned in Swift’s handwriting embellishing key walls in the space.

“At MAD, fashion and the decorative have long been valued as a critical visual language and no one speaks that language quite like Taylor Swift,” said Alexandra Schwartz, the Museum’s Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, Craft, and Design. “Whether dressed down in a flannel shirt and untamed hair or literally dazzling her audiences in head-to-toe Swarovski crystals, Taylor gives greater meaning to the palettes, textures and depths of feeling expressed in her songwriting.”

The exhibition will be accompanied by a series of public programs and fun events inspired by the creativity and passion of Swift’s ardent fan base — from video and film screenings to karaoke sing-alongs. The exhibition runs through September 4, 2023, and tickets cost $25.

Credits: "Bejeweled" video still: courtesy of TAS Rights Management. Jewelry photo by Bruce M. White; courtesy the Museum of Arts and Design.

A majestic ruby and diamond "crown" ring designed and commissioned by Tupac Shakur in 1996 will lead Sotheby's upcoming "Hip Hop" auction in New York City. The ring, which reflected the artist's yearning for a fresh start both personally and professionally, carries a presale estimate of $200,000 to $300,000.



Considered one of the most influential and successful rappers of all time with more than 75 million records sold, Shakur's life came to a tragic end on September 13, 1996, when the 25-year-old was killed in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas.

Only months before, he had commissioned a special ring as an act of self-coronation, according to Sotheby's. He was entering a new phase of his career after a period of incarceration, and had just signed a three-album $3.5 million record deal. He was retooling his image, strategizing screenwriting projects and refocusing his support for community outreach programs.

Sotheby's wrote, "By 1996, Tupac not only felt ready to take on the world; he was prepared to conquer it. The aesthetic rules of Hip Hop Culture are clear; there is only one way to commemorate your arrival into a new phase of life — you get a new piece of bling."

Shakur entrusted the jewelry project to family friend and mentor Yaasmyn Fula, who became the liaison between the artist and jewelers in New York City. Shakur modeled his design after the crowns of the medieval kings of Europe.

The finished design boasts 10 carats of cabochon rubies and 5 carats of diamonds set in 14-karat gold. According to Fula, the piece was tooled and re-tooled according to the artist's meticulous specifications until perfect.

Sitting atop a diamond-encrusted band is the crown itself: a gold circlet studded with the three largest jewels in the entire piece—a central cabochon ruby, flanked by two diamonds.



Atop this circlet sits 16 rays (or spikes) of descending heights, with the tallest five rays topped with round bezel-set rubies. Inside of the circlet band is a six-pronged "arch" capped with a cabochon ruby "ball."

“Tupac’s selection of the ruby as the principal stone in his crown is a continuation of this royal narrative, as rubies have long been symbolically tied to the imagery of monarchy and wealth in our cultural imagination,” Sotheby’s noted.

The size 8 ring is inscribed “Pac & Dada, 1996” on the palm-facing side of the band — a nod to his recent engagement to Kidada Jones, whose dad was composer Quincy Jones.

He reportedly wore the piece on his left-hand ring finger during his final public appearance at the 1996 MTV Video Music Awards on September 4, 1996, only nine days before his death.

Sotheby's is celebrating the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop with an auction dedicated to jewelry, art, fashion, sneakers, photography and more. The majority of the auction items have been consigned directly by the people who created the culture.

The bidding opens on July 18 and ends on July 25.

Credits: Images courtesy of Sotheby's.

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you great songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Lead vocalist Mick Jagger was only 23 years old when The Rolling Stones released "Ruby Tuesday," a now-classic song that blasted to the top of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1967 and cemented its place in rock and roll history.



Ironically, what is arguably the most famous "ruby" song of all time has nothing to do with July's mesmerizing official gemstone. It's about a lost love.

The famous reprise goes like this… “Goodbye Ruby Tuesday / Who could hang a name on you? / When you change with every new day / Still I’m gonna miss you.”

Officially composed by Keith Richards and Mick Jagger, the hauntingly beautiful ballad was inspired by Richards' emotionally devastating breakup with his girlfriend, Linda Keith, who left him for a poet. Richards actually wrote the song with an assist from then-band member Brian Jones, who wasn't credited on the record.

“That’s the first time I felt the deep cut,” Richards explained in his 2010 autobiography. “The thing about being a songwriter is… you can find consolation in writing about it, and pour it out… It becomes an experience, a feeling, or a conglomeration of experiences. Basically, Linda is ‘Ruby Tuesday.’”

The Rolling Stones released the original 45 of “Ruby Tuesday” in January of 1967. It had been intended as the B side of “Let’s Spend The Night Together,” another Stones hit, but radio deejays at the time were uncomfortable with the adult theme of the A side, and chose to flip it. Today, the 45 is referred to as a double-A-sided record. Rolling Stone magazine ranked the song #310 on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

The Rolling Stones are credited with more than 230 million record sales. They are members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and were ranked fourth on Rolling Stone magazine’s 2010 list of the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time.”

Guitarist Richards turned 79 in December and Jagger will be celebrating his 80th birthday on July 26. The original band members are still active, along with bassist Ronnie Wood (76). Drummer Charlie Watts passed away in August of 2021 at the age of 80.

Please check out the classic video of The Rolling Stones performing “Ruby Tuesday.” The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…

“Ruby Tuesday”
Written by Keith Richards and Mick Jagger. Performed by The Rolling Stones.

She would never say where she came from
Yesterday don’t matter if it’s gone
While the sun is bright
Or in the darkest night
No one knows, she comes and goes

Goodbye Ruby Tuesday
Who could hang a name on you?
When you change with every new day
Still I’m gonna miss you

Don’t question why she needs to be so free
She’ll tell you it’s the only way to be
She just can’t be chained
To a life where nothing's gained
And nothing's lost, at such a cost

Goodbye Ruby Tuesday
Who could hang a name on you?
When you change with every new day
Still I’m gonna miss you

“There’s no time to lose,” I heard her say
Catch your dreams before they slip away
Dying all the time
Lose your dreams and you will lose your mind
Ain’t life unkind?

Goodbye Ruby Tuesday
Who could hang a name on you?
When you change with every new day
Still I’m gonna miss you

Goodbye Ruby Tuesday
Who could hang a name on you?
When you change with every new day
Still I’m gonna miss you



Credit: Rolling Stones photo by Jim Pietryga, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

A scuba-diving treasure hunter recently drove more than three hours to assist a woman who had lost her diamond wedding ring while swimming with her family in California's Bass Lake, just south of Yosemite National Park.



The woman identified as Jennie was about 40 feet away from the dock at the man-made lake when her ring slipped off and sunk to the bottom.

Instead of panicking, she searched TikTok to find a treasure hunter with a metal detector. The search led to "Merman Mike," aka Michael Pelley, a skilled scuba diver from Citrus Heights near Sacramento, who has made a name for himself by chronicling his recovery adventures on social media.



Pelley agreed to assist and made the long drive from Northern California.

In a 24-minute video posted to YouTube, Pelley gives his followers a closeup look at one of his most difficult recoveries due to heavy silt, poor visibility, cold water temperature and extreme depth of the dive.

"Almost immediately after I reached the bottom of the lake, I realized how difficult the search was going to be," Pelley explained in his YouTube caption. "The silt had immediately clouded out the area and I was in almost zero visibility."

Pelley came up empty on his first dive, but he didn't give up hope even though he knew the odds of finding the ring were slim. After resetting the anchor line, the treasure hunter slowly made his way back down to the bottom at a depth of 47 feet.

"This time I removed one of my gloves because I needed to be able to feel what was under the silt, since I had zero visibility," he wrote on YouTube. "I then started to search with my metal detector while keeping one hand on the anchor so I would know where I was.



"After pulling a couple of sticks and cans out of the thick silt, I finally pulled out what I thought was going to be another bottle top or pull tab, but instead I was looking at a giant diamond! It was the wedding ring!"

The 14-minute mark of the video captures Merman Mike's elation as he holds the ring between his thumb and forefinger at the bottom of Bass Lake.

"No way. Oh my God," he screamed. "This is it! Oh my God. Yesss."



After finding the ring, Pelley had to be cautious on his ascent to the surface, taking three-minute breaks every 15 feet to avoid decompression sickness, also known as "the bends."

Jennie was beyond ecstatic when Pelley surfaced with her ring. She immediately placed it on her finger and thanked the Good Samaritan, who charges no fees, but gladly accepts tips or rewards to fund his work.



"I'm in disbelief," Jennie said. "Thank you so much from the bottom on my heart. You are amazing. Thank you."

After Jennie and her family left the scene, Pelley returned to the bottom of the lake for what he called a "clean up" dive.

"You can't just come for the treasure," he said. "You have to get the trash, too."

Check out Merman Mike's video at this link…

Credits: Images via Instagram / merman_mike; Screen captures via YouTube / Merman Mike.

Pendants made from the bones of a now-extinct giant sloth are helping to rewrite the history of the "peopling" of the Americas. The long-held belief that humans reached the Americas via a land bridge between Russia and Alaska about 15,000 years ago has been turned on its head.



Scientists studying the jewelry artifacts and stone tools found in the Santa Elina rock shelter in central Brazil are convinced that the tiny holes in the ornaments were drilled by early humans between 25,0000 and 27,000 years ago.

Live Science reported that the research team from Federal University of São Carlos, Brazil, used a combination of microscopic and macroscopic visualization techniques to confirm that the holes had been polished and bore the marks of stone tool incisions.



Although they are now extinct, fossilized remains of giant sloths reveal that the odd-looking creatures were 10 to 13 feet long and weighed more than 1,000 pounds. Their bodies were covered by bony dermal plates, much like an armadillo.

Those plates are called "osteoderms," and these were the bones used by cave dwellers more than 25,000 years ago to adorn themselves. The researchers believe the humans coexisted with the giant sloths in South America.

In 2021, researchers found fossilized human footprints in New Mexico that are believed to be between 21,000 and 23,000 years old. The Brazilian study, which was published last week in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society, expands the timeline of humans in the Americas even further.

“We believe that there should be more evidence waiting to be found in the rock shelters and caves of Brazil in places little or not explored,” lead author Thaís Pansani, a paleontologist at the Federal University of São Carlos, told Live Science.

Credits: Bone pendant image courtesy of Thais Pansani. Giant sloth image by Dan Lundberg, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

About 175 miles north of Mumbai in the toasty west coast city of Surat, India, a 15-story complex sprawled across 35 acres will soon become the business hub for 65,000 diamond professionals, some of which were likely responsible for cutting or polishing the glittering diamonds on your ring finger.



You see, Surat is where 90% of the world's diamonds are cut, according to CNN.com.

The news outlet reported that the soon-to-be opened Surat Diamond Bourse will occupy 7.1 million square feet, making it the largest office building in the world, overtaking the Pentagon in Arlington, VA, by 600,000 square feet. The interior of the buildings contain 4,700 offices, 131 elevators, along with conference halls, dining facilities and leisure spaces.

An aerial photo of the complex reveals nine mirrored-glass towers — five on one side and four on the other — connected by a central "spine." The spine is curved to funnel the prevailing wind into the structure in an effort to cool the building in an environment that frequently sees outdoor temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

CNN reported that the official grand opening will take place later this year in a celebration that is expected to be attended by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The four-year, $388 million development project was conceived as a convenient work destination for thousands of people in the diamond trade who previously spent three or four hours each day traveling by train to Mumbai.

Indian architecture firm Morphogenesis told CNN that the configuration of the diamond bourse is similar to that of an airport terminal, with all offices accessible from the main entrance in less than seven minutes.

Surat city planners are betting that the Surat Diamond Bourse will become a development hub for additional projects, including a convention center. The city currently has a population of about six million.

Credit: Image by VaishP, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Dr. Jeffrey Post, the Smithsonian's long-time curator in charge of the Gems and Minerals Collection at the National Museum of Natural History, will be packing up his loupe and retiring to Wisconsin after a distinguished 39-year career in Washington, DC.



Post was a post-grad at Harvard University in 1984 when he learned that there was a job opening for a research mineralogist at the Smithsonian in DC. Not knowing what to expect, he was impressed during the interview process by how everyone seemed to love what they did.

He also got a peek at a collection that included 375,000 minerals and 10,000 gems. It was an opportunity that he couldn't pass up, and within seven years he was named lead curator.

Over time, he also earned the unofficial title of "The Keeper of the Hope Diamond," the 45-carat blue diamond that is the unequivocal star of the National Gem Collection. Nearly four million visitors per year visit the National Museum of Natural History and the vast majority will make the effort to saunter by the exhibit containing the most famous diamond in the world.

Although the Hope Diamond has had a reputation for harboring a curse, Post believes just the opposite is the case during its stay at the Smithsonian.

"I like to think that it's been a really good source of good luck for us," he told Spectrum News. "You know, ever since it came, the attendance has really increased. We get a lot of people wanting to see it. And so I would say, you know, it's been a really important part of building our program here at the museum."

In his final presentation to the Mineralogical Society of DC, Post spoke fondly of his unique relationship with the Hope Diamond.

"One of the highlights of working at the Smithsonian is having the opportunity to not only hold and look at the Hope Diamond, but to study it — from a scientific point of view and also learning more about its history," he said.

Post also emphasized how the Smithsonian's collection continues to support scientific research in ways that were unfathomable when he started his career nearly four decades ago.

"We continue to learn from these mineral specimens," he said. "We poked and prodded these things, and other scientists did, as well. But, the kinds of questions we were asking, the kinds of techniques we were using are totally different than they are now."

Post said that these minerals are currently helping to answer important questions related to climate change, sustainability and how life began on Earth.

"And so we're always going to go back to the minerals to interrogate them in new ways and ask new questions," he said. " And that will alway be why the collection needs to grow and needs to be there because we will alway look back to the minerals to learn something new."

Post is proud of the gem legacy he is leaving behind.

"How often can you work someplace [and then] when you leave, you think it's going to still be the Smithsonian 100 years from now, 500 years from now, 1,000 years from now?" he said.

Credit: Image via Smithsonian / National Museum of Natural History.

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you the hottest new releases featuring jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title. Today, British pop star Dua Lipa says that the tears you see on her face are really diamonds in "Dance the Night," the lead single from the Barbie movie soundtrack.



A song about having the power to shake off relationship troubles and still shine on the dance floor, "Dance the Night" uses diamonds to symbolize strength, invincibility and self-worth.

Lipa sings, "Baby you can / Find me under the lights / Diamonds under my eyes / Turn the rhythm up / Don’t you wanna just / Come along for the ride."

Later in the song, she clarifies that those diamonds are actually tears.

"Even when the tears are flowing / They’re diamonds on my face / I’ll still keep the party going not one hair out of place."

The song is featured prominently in Barbie, the $145 million production directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie in the title role. The cotton candy-colored summer blockbuster is set to open today in 4,200 North American theaters and should rake in more than $100,000 over the weekend. Lipa, a three-time Grammy winner, makes her acting debut as Mermaid Barbie.

"Dance the Night" was released on May 23 and has already charted in 42 countries, including a #9 spot on US Billboard Top 40, #13 on the UK Singles list and #13 on the Canadian Billboard Hot 100.

In the song's official video, Lipa dances atop a huge Barbie pump and gets to drive the pink Barbie convertible. The movie soundtrack, titled Barbie: The Album, is also set to release today.

Now 27, the London-born model-turned-singer was musically influenced by her father, who was the frontman of the Kosovan rock band, Oda.

At Fitzjohn’s Primary School in London, Lipa wasn’t disheartened when the teacher heading the school choir told her “she could not sing.” Instead, the nine-year-old took weekend singing lessons at the Sylvia Young Theatre School.

As a high-schooler, she uploaded to YouTube videos of herself covering the songs of Alicia Keys and Christina Aguilera.

Lipa became a model, which led to a role as the “singer” in an ad for The X Factor music competition show in 2013. A year later, she would ink a deal with Warner Bros. Records.

Please check out the official video of Dua Lipa performing "Dance the Night." The lyrics are below if you'd like to sing along…

"Dance the Night"
Written by Dua Lipa, Andrew Wyatt, Caroline Ailin and Mark Ronson. Performed by Dua Lipa.

Baby you can
Find me under the lights
Diamonds under my eyes
Turn the rhythm up
Don’t you wanna just
Come along for the ride

Oh my outfit so tight
You can see my heart beat tonight
I can take the heat
Baby best believe
That’s the moment I shine

Cuz every romance
Shakes and it bends
Don’t give a damn

When the nights here
I don’t do tears
Baby no chance

I could dance, I could dance, I could dance
Watch me, dance
Dance the night away
My heart could be burning but you won’t see it on my face
Watch me, dance
Dance the night away
I’ll still keep the party running, not one hair out of place

Lately I’ve been
Moving close to the edge
Still be looking my best
I stay on the beat
You can count on me
I ain’t missing no steps

Cuz every romance
Shakes and it bends
Don’t give a damn

When the nights here
I don’t do tears
Baby no chance

I could dance, I could dance, I could dance
Watch me, dance
Dance the night away
My heart could be burning but you won’t see it on my face
Watch me, dance
Dance the night away
I’ll still keep the party running, not one hair out of place

When my heart breaks
You’ll never see it, never see it
When my world shakes
I feel alive, I feel alive
I don’t play safe
Don’t you know about me

I could dance, I could dance, I could dance

Even when the tears are flowing
They’re diamonds on my face
I’ll still keep the party going, not one hair out of place

Even when the tears are flowing
They’re diamonds on my face
I’ll still keep the party going, not one hair out of place

Watch me, dance
Dance the night away
My heart could be burning but you won’t see it on my face
Watch me, dance
Dance the night away

I’ll still keep the party running, not one hair out of place

When my heart breaks
You’ll never see it, never see it
When my world shakes
I feel alive, I feel alive
I don’t play safe
Don’t you know about me

I could dance, I could dance, I could dance

Dance the night



Credit: Screen capture via YouTube / Dua Lipa.

Arizonan Chris Whitehill had planned to pop the question to Amber Harris on a picturesque land bridge at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming last week. But just 12 hours into their vacation, a brutal encounter with a hotheaded bison landed Harris in the hospital with multiple vertebral fractures and collapsed lungs.



Undaunted, Whitehill proposed to Harris from her bedside with a beautiful emerald-cut diamond in a halo setting.

"So my love got down on one knee beside my hospital bed last night and formally asked me to be his wife," Harris captioned a Facebook post, which included a close-up of her new engagement ring. "Without any hesitation, I said 'yes.'"



Whitehill had planned to propose to Harris on Wednesday, July 19, which would have marked the three-year anniversary of their first date. But they never made it to the park's natural land bridge that rises 51 feet above Bridge Creek.

On Monday morning, they had gotten coffee at the lodge and then decided to stroll through a field to Yellowstone Lake. They were about halfway to the lake when they encountered 20 elk and two bisons. One of the bisons was acting strange.



“We stopped and looked at the massive beast, about 50 yards away on the trail, hidden at first in the shadows of the trees,” Harris told Phoenix-based TV station KTVK. “We watched him drop and roll in the dirt, like a dog would. He got up on his feet and started walking, then running, toward us.”

Whitehill screamed to distract the animal, but the bison hit his fiancée "square on, with his head right in her abdomen area. And I looked up and he launched her into the air about 8 to 10 feet."

“When it’s someone you love and you witness something so tragic like that, you feel helpless,” Whitehill told KTVK.

Harris was airlifted to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, where she was treated for multiple injuries.

She wrote on Facebook, "pain meds, CT, MRI and I sustained 7 spine fractures, bilateral collapsed lungs and bruising all over. Glory to God all my vital organs look good.”

Bison attacks at Yellowstone National Park are rare, but not unheard of, especially during mating season, which runs from late July through August. The last bison attack at the park occurred about a year ago.

Bisons are the largest land animals in North American, and males (called bulls) can weigh more than 2,000 pounds and stand 6 feet tall. What's more, they are unpredictable and fast — really fast. Bisons have been clocked at 35 MPH, significantly faster than sprinter Usain Bolt in his prime (27.3 MPH). The National Park Service advises Yellowstone visitors stay at least 25 yards away from bisons, but an aggressive male can make up that ground in a hurry.

Bisons nearly became extinct during the last century, but conservation efforts have helped save the species. The National Park Service claims Yellowstone is now home to 6,000 bisons.

Whitehill established a GoFundMe page to help pay for his fiancée's medical expenses.

"Medical bills have started to pile up," Whitehill wrote. "Anything helps at this point. Amber is a beautiful person inside and out and cherished by all."

In a followup post, Whitehill noted that, while no surgery is needed, Harris does have to wear a back brace to keep her spine immobilized.

"Many thanks for your prayers and generous donations," he wrote. "Amber and I are very grateful."

Credits: Ring photo via Amber Harris/Facebook. Couple photo via GoFundMe.com. Bison photo by Jack Dykinga, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Public Domain.

A Kentucky man recently unearthed more than 700 Civil War-era gold coins that had been buried in his cornfield for 160 years. Estimated to be worth more than $2 million, the "Great Kentucky Hoard" was likely hidden from invading troops, even though Kentucky had officially claimed neutrality during the conflict.



A YouTube video captures the moment when the anonymous treasure hunter realizes the magnitude of his find.

“This is the most insane thing ever,” he says breathlessly as he chips away at the soil and more gold coins start to appear. “Those are all $1 gold coins, $20 gold coins, $10 gold coins. And look. I’m still digging them out.”

You can check out the 16-second clip at this link.

According to Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC), which was entrusted to certify the incredible cache, the discovery includes a group of finest-known 1863 Double Eagles and hundreds of US Gold Dollars dated 1850 to 1862, as well as a small number of silver coins. The location of the find remains confidential.



“The importance of this discovery cannot be overstated, as the stunning number of over 700 gold dollars represents a virtual time capsule of Civil War-era coinage, including coins from the elusive Dahlonega Mint," stated rare coin dealer Jeff Garrett, a leading expert in US coinage. "Finding one Mint-condition 1863 Double Eagle would be an important numismatic event. Finding nearly a roll of superb examples is hard to comprehend."



He added that the opportunity to handle the "Great Kentucky Hoard" has been one of the highlights of his career.

Collectors may purchase coins from the Hoard at GovMint.com, one of the largest rare coin retailers in the country. Each coin is encapsulated with a special NGC "Great Kentucky Hoard" certification label. The cache of gold coins consists of of $1 Gold Indians, $10 Gold Libertys and $20 Gold Libertys. A single 1863-P $20 Liberty coin can command six-figures.

Despite being underground for 160 years, the gold coins still display an eye-popping luster, with most grading in Extremely Fine to Mint State (XF–MS) condition.

When the US Civil War broke out in 1861, Kentucky was literally in the middle of the conflict but didn't intend to choose sides. As neither Confederate nor Union, Kentucky declared its neutrality and positioned itself as a potential mediator between the two sides.

Despite those intentions, Kentucky saw great conflict during the war. The threat of invading forces led wealthy Kentucky residents to hide their valuables. GovMint.com speculated that by the time the Civil War ended in 1865, the individual who buried the "Great Kentucky Hoard" may have died or forgotten exactly where the hoard was buried.

Ryan McNutt, a conflict archaeologist at Georgia Southern University, told Live Science that “given the time period and the location [of the find] in Kentucky… it is entirely possible this [cache] was buried in advance of Confederate John Hunt Morgan’s June to July 1863 raid.”

McNutt pointed out that the gold coins of the "Great Kentucky Hoard" were federal currency, not Confederate currency, so it is possible the person who hid the coins had earned his money working the federal government and wanted to keep those dealings a secret from the Confederate troops.

Credit: Images courtesy of Numismatic Guaranty Company.

Last season's NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Sauce Gardner welcomed star quarterback Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets with a piece of jewelry that had the four-time Most Valuable Player grinning from ear to ear.



Emblazoned with Jets-green emeralds and white diamonds set in white gold, the #8 pendant is a nod to the jersey number the former Packer and 18-year veteran will be wearing during his first season in the Big Apple.

A short video posted by the New York Jets on Twitter and Instagram shows the 22-year-old defensive phenom briefly interrupting the 38-year-old's weight room session at the Jets' training camp on Saturday.



“Hear me out, hear me out. So you’re my jeweler’s favorite quarterback,” Gardner said, while toting a gift bag in his left hand. “You know what I mean, Al The Jeweler. So he wanted to cook up something special for you. He brought the idea to me. I said, ‘I think would be a good idea.’”



Then Gardner opened a necklace case, revealing a dazzling pendant dangling from a long gold chain. Rodgers could see that the "8" was rendered in diamonds and outlined in emeralds. Raised white gold lettering on one side of the pendant spelled the signal caller's name, while the other side in similar lettering spelled out "NEW YORK JETS."



Despite his low-key persona, Rodgers seemed really pleased with the piece designed by New Jersey-based Al The Jeweler. Rodgers smiled broadly and told Gardner, "You've got to put it on me." Gardner secured the #8 pendant and then the two embraced.

Rodgers can be heard saying, "Thanks, man, I appreciate it."

The post earned 1.7 million views on Twitter and 94,000 Likes on Instagram.

Gardner had teased during a Friday press conference that he had a “welcome to New York” gift for Rodgers that he thought the QB would like.

Gardner knows a little bit about spectacular necklaces. Back in February, Al the Jeweler (whose real name is Al Bekdas) designed a diamond-encrusted "Sauce" necklace for the Jets' first-round draft pick. That piece — in the shape of a hot sauce bottle — was reportedly made up of 20 carats of VS-quality diamonds.

(Sauce's first name is actually Ahmad, but he has been known as "Sauce" since a youth coach gave him the nickname when he was six years old.)

“When I look good, I feel good," he told the NFL Network. "When I feel good, I play good."

Credits: Screen captures of the pendant presentation via Twitter / New York Jets. Side view of pendant screen capture and photo via Twitter / Paul Andrew Esden Jr.

Rhode Islander Ken Steinkamp recently proposed to longtime sweetheart Sandy Sikorski with a natural pearl engagement ring that is truly one of a kind.



You see, the 9.8mm quahog pearl at the center of Sikorski's ring was originally hiding in an appetizer at their favorite eatery, The Bridge Restaurant and Raw Bar in downtown Westerly.



According to a report by Providence NBC affiliate WJAR, the couple was enjoying a dozen quahogs (pronounced Kwo-hogs) back in December of 2021 when they got a surprise of a lifetime.

Steinkamp described the scene as only one delicious clam remained on the tray.

"No, no, no. You have it. You really like these," Steinkamp said.

When Sandy attempted to slurp down the tender morsel, something was not quite right.



"I tasted this big round thing in my mouth and I was thinking, 'What the heck is this?" she recounted.

She extracted the foreign matter with a napkin and placed it on the table. Her sister-in-law took a quick look and asked her if she had lost a tooth.

What they quickly learned was that hard, round item that Sikorski nearly consumed was a very rare natural pearl.

"What were the odds of a pearl being inside the shell?" Sikorski wondered out loud.

A local jeweler later told her that the odds of finding a natural pearl of that size in a perfectly symmetrical oval shape was one in a million.



On July 8, Steinkamp got down on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend of four years with a pearl ring that meant so much to both of them. Of course, she said, "Yes."

"We felt that [the pearl] was kind of a signal, or an odd bit of synchronicity," Steinkamp told WJAR. "And we said, 'This would be a great engagement ring.'"

Just recently, the couple returned to The Bridge to celebrate their engagement and to dish all the details about their extraordinary gem.

Pearls found in clams are classified as non-nacreous and have a porcelain-like appearance. Pearls grown in oysters present a deeper glow resulting from layers of nacre that refract the light.

Natural pearls are organic gems, created by a mollusk totally by chance, without human intervention. Cultured pearls, by comparison, are grown under controlled conditions, where a bead is implanted in the body of the mollusk to stimulate the secretion of nacre.

A natural quahog pearl is very rare, and a single specimen — depending on the size, quality and shape — can be worth thousands of dollars.

Credits: Couple screen capture via NBC10, turnto10.com. Pearl ring and clam shell images via Facebook / Sandy.bald.7. Clam platter image via Facebook / BridgeRI.

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you great songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title. Today, the spotlight shines on two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Stevie Nicks as she sings “24 Karat Gold,” the title song from her 2014 album.



Nicks revealed that the tune she penned in 1980 — but didn’t release until 2014 — was about her passionate, but short-lived, romance with Fleetwood Mac bandmate Mick Fleetwood. She described the relationship as having "its 24-karat moments.”

For Nicks, 24-karat gold represents absolute perfection. The phrase appears as the name of today’s featured song, numerous times in the song’s lyrics (“There were dreams to be sold / My 24 karat gold”), in the title of her 2014 album (24 Karat Gold: Songs from the Vault) and on the marquees of countless venues during her 2016-2017 concert series (“The 24 Karat Gold Tour”).

Nicks also uses the term "chain of chains" throughout the song. The jewelry term symbolizes an invisible chain that holds people together.

Fleetwood Mac fans are familiar with the the group's 1977 hit, "The Chain," a song that originally represented the internal fractures — both romantically and professionally — of the band members, but eventually came to symbolize their triumph in staying together.

While “24 Karat Gold” appears as the fourth single from Nicks’ eighth studio album, it was actually written 34 years earlier during the Bella Donna album sessions. The original 1981 no-frills demo, featuring Nicks playing the piano with an accompanying drum machine and bass, can be found on YouTube.

Born in Phoenix, AZ, Stephanie Lynn (Stevie) Nicks sang duets with her grandfather, Aaron Jess "A.J." Nicks Sr., when she was just four years old. The future rock legend learned how to play the guitar as a teen and wrote her first song as a 16-year-old. While in high school in California, she joined her first band, Changing Times.

As a senior, she met her future husband and Fleetwood Mac bandmate, Lindsey Buckingham, who invited her to replace the lead singer of his band, Fritz, in 1967. In 1975, both Buckingham and Nicks joined Fleetwood Mac, helping to launch the band to the pinnacle of success.

The Grammy-award winning singer-songwriter is best known for her work with Fleetwood Mac and as a solo artist. Collectively, she’s scored 40 top-50 hits and sold more than 140 million albums. Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours album accounted for 40 million of those sales. That album was rated by Rolling Stone magazine as #7 on its list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Nicks was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, the first in 1998 as a member of Fleetwood Mac, and the second time in 2019 in recognition of her solo career that has spanned more than 40 years.

The 75-year-old Nicks is currently embarking on a summer tour, which includes a series of co-headlining concerts with 74-year-old Billy Joel.

Please check out the official lyric video of Nicks performing “24 Karat Gold.” Here are the lyrics if you'd like to sing along…

“24 Karat Gold”
Written and performed by Stevie Nicks.

Set me free, set me free
Is this what you wanted, to happen to me?
Golden wings in the sunset
Take me back
All alone I waited
But there was no one, out there

There were dreams to be sold (chain of chains)
My 24-karat gold (chain of chains)
There was some love to be sold (chain of chains)
You said you might be coming back to town (chain of chains)
All alone I waited

There was no one out there
In the rain she lay face down.
What is this freedom that she wanted
What kind of freedom…
What kind of game?

There were dreams to be sold (chain of chains)
My 24-karat gold (chain of chains)
There was some love to be sold (chain of chains)
You said you might be coming back to town (chain of chains)

Set me free, set me free
Is this what you wanted, to happen to me?
Golden wings in the sunset
Take me back
All alone I waited
But there was no one, out there

There were dreams to be sold (chain of chains)
You like my 24-karat gold, chain of chains
(chain of chains)
(chain of chains)
You like my 24-karat gold
(chain of chains)
Yes you like my 24-karat gold

Yeah
My love



Credit: Image by Ralph Arvesen, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.