Anschar Diamonds Blog

The massive Russian Federation and tiny country of Botswana share top honors on 2022's list of the most prolific rough diamond producers in the world.



The Russian Federation extracted 41.9 million carats of diamonds in 2022, placing it on top of the leaderboard, far ahead of #2 Botswana (24.7 million carats) and #3 Canada (16.2 million carats).

The rankings rejigger when we analyze the diamond output in terms of value, with Botswana rising to the top of the list ($4.9 billion), followed by the Russian Federation ($3.5 billion) and Angola ($1.9 billion).

Of the world's 195 countries, only 22 engage in diamond mining. And of that group, the top 10 diamond mining countries accounted for 99.2% of all rough diamonds mined in 2022. World production was 120.2 million carats at a value of $16.2 billion.

Here's the current rankings of the Top-10 diamond producing countries by carat weight and by value. The stats are based on statistics compiled by Kimberly Process (a diamond-industry certification organization) as well as Dr. Ashok Damarupurshad, a precious metals and diamond specialist in South Africa.

Russian Federation: Carat Ranking #1 / Value Ranking #2

According to Dr. Damarupurshad's analysis, Russia produced more than a third (35%) of the world's rough diamonds in 2022 (by weight) and a little over one-fifth of its value.

Botswana: Carat Ranking #2 / Value Ranking #1

Botswana is famous for its gem-quality rough diamonds, six of which rank in the Top 10 of the largest rough diamonds ever discovered. That quality factor is why the country ranked #1 in value, topping its Russian rival by 40% even though its carat output was only 59% of Russia's total.

Canada: Carat Ranking #3 / Value Ranking #4

Dr. Damarupurshad noted that although Canada is also known for producing gem-quality diamonds, its production is on a declining trend as older, richer pipes at the Ekati and Diavik mines deplete. Nevertheless, Canada still ranked #3 in production (16.2 million carats) and #4 in value ($1.8 billion) in 2022.

The next seven countries on the list are all on the continent of Africa. In fact, eight of the top 10 diamond-producing countries are African, accounting for 51% of the world's diamond output by weight, and 66% by value.

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): Carat Ranking #4 / Value Ranking #11

The disparity in this countries rankings reflects the prevalence of lower-grade rough. The DRC generated 9.9 million carats with a value of just $65 million. The vast majority of diamonds produced in the DRC are used for industrial purposes.

South Africa: Carat Ranking #5 / Value Ranking #5

The home of the 3,106-carat Cullinan Diamond, the largest diamond ever unearthed, South Africa produces consistently high-quality diamonds and has been doing it for more than a century. The Cullinan was found in the Premier Mine in 1905. In 2022, South Africa generated 9.6 million carats valued at $1.5 billion.

Angola: Carat Ranking #6 / Value Ranking #3

Angola produced 8.7 million carats, but banked $1.9 billion — a number topped only by Botswana and Russia. The high value is a testament to a finer grade of rough material unearthed in 2022. Dr. Damarupurshad reported a marginal increase in carats in 2022, but a 20% increase in value compared with 2021.

At this point in the list, production and value take a big step down.

Zimbabwe: Carat Ranking #7 / Value Ranking #7

Zimbabwe's output of 4.4 million carats was about half of the tally of #6 Angola, and the diamond value of $424 million was barely a fourth of Angola's total. Zimbabwe's overall output improved compared to 2021, but the value retreated by nearly 40%.

Namibia: Carat Ranking #8 / Value Ranking #6

This country on the southwest coast of Africa produces gem-quality diamonds sourced largely from off-shore activities. In 2022, Namibia produced 2 million carats with a value of $1.2 billion. Dr. Damarupurshad called Namibian production in 2022 "the diamond mining highlight of the year." The value of diamond output grew by 50% and the price-per-carat grew to $601 — the highest of the Top-20 diamond mining countries in the world.

Lesotho: Carat Ranking #9 / Value Ranking #8

In 2022, this tiny, landlocked country which is completely surrounded by South Africa, scored a #9 spot with a rough diamond output of 727,000 carats and a #8 spot on the value chart with $314 million in revenue. In 2021, Lesotho diamonds generated the highest price per carat ($756), but the country failed to maintain that status in 2022 ($432 per carat).

Sierra Leone: Carat Ranking #10 / Value Ranking #9

Sierra Leone barely managed to remain in the Top 10 in 2022 based on production (688,000 carats) and value ($143 million). Both numbers were slightly down from the country's performance in 2021.

Credit: Image of 342-carat rough diamond mined in Botswana, courtesy of Lucara Diamond.

The Ancient Aztecs used two special names to describe the vibrant and colorful fire opals they discovered in the region that is now Queretaro, Mexico. According to the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), the first was quetza litzle pyolitli, meaning “stone which changes color in movement” and the second was huitzitziltecpatl, which meant “stone like a bird of a thousand colors.”



It's clear why the Aztecs believed fire opals were sacred stones that possessed mystical properties. The transparent and semi-transparent stones seemed to be ablaze with yellow, orange, red and blue body color. The fire opals presented a fascinating "play-of-color," which refers to the rainbow flashes seen when viewing the stone from various angles.

The GIA commented: "At times, the beauty of Mexican opal exceeds that found in opal from any of the world's better-known deposits, such as Australia."

The Mexican fire opal specimens shown above are part of the National Gem & Mineral Collection at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC. The opals in this group range in weight from 11 to 143 carats and are excellent examples of October's birthstone. (Opal shares official October birthstone status with tourmaline.)

According to the GIA, fire opal in Mexico is believed to have formed over time as water seeped into silica-rich volcanic rock. Gradually, silica was deposited into cracks and voids in the rock and became opal.

Opals are categorized by their transparency and body color. White opals, for instance, are translucent stones with a play-of-color against a white body color. When the vivid play-of-color is seen against a black or dark body color the specimen is called a black opal.

Fire opals have a vibrant body color that resembles gelatin. According to the Smithsonian, the best fire opals are found in Mexico and the stones are sometimes called "Mexican opals." Opals are generally cut as cabochons or polished free-form to best show the play-of-color.

According to the GIA, the most important opal deposits in Mexico are in the state of Queretaro, although there are other significant deposits in the states of Chihuahua, San Luis Potosi, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco and Michoacan.

An opal’s silica structure contains 3% to 20% water, according to the American Gem Society. The value of a fine opal is based on a number of factors, including brightness, color, pattern, body tone and consistency (how it looks from multiple angles).

While Australia remains the primary source of fine opal production and Mexico is a well known source of fire opals, the October birthstone is also mined in Brazil, Honduras, Ethiopia, the Czech Republic and parts of the US, including Nevada and Idaho.

Credit: Photo by Chip Clark/Smithsonian.

In a wild cover story for the current issue of Esquire magazine, pop music juggernaut Post Malone recounts how he almost lost a $600,000 diamond tooth down a Roman drain after a near-tragic Chicken McNugget accident.



Malone was chomping down on his favorite fast food when one of his two diamond canines (the pointy teeth that look like fangs) sprang from his mouth. He snatched it in his hand, but then fumbled the bezel-set bling right down a drain.

"I’m like, '… Man, I’m going to have to go into the ancient Roman sewers,’" he told Esquire.

Undaunted, Malone crafted a retrieval device from a pair of pliers and a takeout-pizza plastic tripod. The rescue was a success and the "Rockstar" artist quickly employed a local dentist to reinstall the 6-carat treasure.



Malone first revealed his diamond canine replacements on social media back in June of 2021. The 12-carat total weight pair were the result of a year-and-a-half of trial and error by celebrity dentist Thomas Connelly. Malone wanted to take the idea of diamond veneers to the next level. Malone challenged the doc Connelly to create diamond teeth.

“It’s very difficult to cut holes in diamonds without destroying them,” Connelly told Rolling Stone magazine in 2021. He also noted that there was a lot of diamond waste during the cutting process. A 12-carat rough diamond was required to yield a 6-carat canine tooth. Overall, the dentist sourced 40 carats of diamonds from Belgium and had them custom cut in Israel.

In June 2022, Malone released his fourth studio album. It was appropriately titled Twelve-Carat Toothache, a clever tribute to his diamond teeth, one of which almost got away.

Doctor Connelly told Rolling Stone's readers that there's no special method to cleaning diamond teeth. He can just brush them normally.

“He’s now got two functional, full diamond teeth,” Connelly told the publication. “They light up the room. They sparkle, they shine. They’re amazing.”

Malone recently surpassed former record-holder Bruno Mars as the artist with the most RIAA diamond-certified (10 million sold) singles.

Credits: Diamond embeds screen capture via Instagram / connellydds. Post Malone in concert by The Come Up Show from Canada, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

More than 200 luxurious jewelry items linked to the Viennese court life of one of Europe's most famous and influential ruling dynasties — the Habsburgs — will hit the auction block at Sotheby's Geneva on November 6 and 7. The collection, according to Sotheby's, recently resurfaced after being hidden away in a bank vault for nearly a century.



Among the historical pieces being offered for sale at "Vienna 1900: An Imperial and Royal Collection" are opulent tiaras and necklaces dripping with diamonds, rubies and natural pearls. Many of the items are from the collection of Archduchess Maria Immaculata of Austria-Tuscany, also known as the Duchess of of Wütttemberg.

According to Sotheby's, the sale will provide a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to immerse oneself in the history, glamour and romance of a scintillating bygone era. At certain times in history, the Habsburg dynasty reached across Europe and around the globe, including Asia, Africa and the Americas.



Lot 1084, a diamond rivière necklace, is particularly interesting because it was originally purchased by Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph from royal court jeweler Köchert in October 1900. The emperor presented the piece as a wedding present for Archduchess Maria Immaculata of Austria-Tuscany (1878-1968) on the occasion of her marriage to Robert, Duke of Württemberg (1873-1947).

When it was gifted, the necklace contained 38 detachable collets (segments). It currently has 39, so it is presumed that one was added at a later date. The piece carries a presale estimate of 270,000 - 450,000 CHF (approx. $294,000-$490,000).

Another top item, Lot 1083 (photo, top), is a natural pearl-and-diamond tiara once owned by Princess Maria Immaculata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Archduchess of Austria-Tuscany (1844-1899). Also tagged with a presale estimate of 270,000 - 450,000 CHF (approx. $294,000-$490,000), the Köchert tiara features an openwork, garland design with drop-shaped natural pearls set throughout with cushion-shaped and circular-cut diamonds.



Lot 1089, a natural pearl and diamond devant-de-corsage dates back to 1865 and was part of the collection of Archduchess Marie Therese of Austria-Teschen, Duchess of Württemberg (1845-1927). Designed as a floral wreath set throughout with cushion-shaped and rose-cut diamonds, the central flowerhead displays a drop-shaped natural pearl supporting three detachable drop-shaped pearl pendants capped by diamond-set surmounts. The stamen of each remaining flowerhead is set with a button-shaped natural pearl. This piece carries the same presale estimate as the items, above: 270,000 - 450,000 CHF (approx. $294,000-$490,000).

Sotheby's stated in a catalog note that Philipp, Duke of Württemberg (1838-1917), offered the corsage as a wedding gift to his bride Archduchess Marie Therese of Austria-Teschen, Duchess of Württemberg (1845-1927) on the occasion of their marriage in 1865.



An impressive ruby and diamond tiara, circa 1896, will be offered as Lot 1085. With a presale estimate of 180,000 - 350,000 CHF (approx. $196,000-$381,000), the piece from the collection of Duchess Isabella of Württemberg, Princess of Saxony (1871-1904) was also designed by court jeweler Köchert. The bow-and-ribbon design highlights oval- and cushion-shaped rubies, set throughout with cushion-shaped and circular-cut diamonds. Three bow-shaped motifs and four arches are detachable.



A necklace composed of five strands of natural saltwater pearls joined by an elaborate diamond clasp rounds out our top picks from the "Vienna 1900" auction. The slightly graduated rows of oval, button- and barrel-shaped natural pearls measuring approximately from 8.20 to 5.35mm meet at a clasp centered by a large cushion-shaped diamond. This piece by Köchert was originally owned by Princess Maria Immaculata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. Lot 1082 has a presale estimate of 140,000 - 220,000 CHF (approx. $152,000-$240,000).

Highlighted items from "Vienna 1900" are currently on exhibit in Wanchai, Hong Kong, with future stops scheduled for Bangkok (October 10-11), Singapore (October 13-14), Dubai (October 16-17), Taipei (October 17-18), London (October 23-24) and Geneva (starting November 3).

Credits: Photos courtesy of Sotheby’s.

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you sensational songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, Oscar- and Grammy-winning artist Glen Hansard ponders whether a simple band of gold has the strength to save his marriage in the 2015 folk song “Wedding Ring.”



Written by Hansard, “Wedding Ring” is about a man who loves his wife but has serious doubts about her fidelity. He describes her as a “wildcat on the prowl” and fears he may be losing her.

In the catchy opening verse, the Irish singer-songwriter-actor-musician asks, “Wedding ring, wedding ring / Little band of gold / Will you be strong enough to keep her / Keep her love from going cold?”

“Wedding Ring” appears as the second track of his second studio album Didn’t He Ramble. The 2015 LP scored a nomination for Best Folk Album at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards. It also performed well on the charts, rising to #5 on the US Billboard Folk Albums chart and #16 on the US Billboard Top Alternative Albums chart. Three years earlier at the 55th Grammy Awards, Hansard took home the coveted gilded gramophone in the category Best Musical Theater Album.

Born in Dublin in 1970, Hansard dropped out of school as a 13-year-old and eked out a living as a street performer. At the age of 20, he formed a band called The Frames and later became one half of the folk rock duo The Swell Season.

He showed off is acting chops in The Commitments (1991) and starred in the musical Once (2007). In that role, he performed the lead ballad “Falling Slowly” with co-star Markéta Irglová. The tune netted him an Academy Award for Best Original Song.

According to Allmusic.com, Hansard is an artist who is not afraid to lay bare his soul for his audience to see. Hansard claims his music inspiration comes from three world-class artists.

Says Hansard, “In my house, when I was a kid, there was the holy trinity, which was Leonard Cohen, Van Morrison and Bob Dylan — with Bob sitting center.”

Trivia: Hansard became a dad for the first time in October 2022 at the age of 52.

Please check out the video of Hansard’s live performance of “Wedding Ring” at the Tempodrom in Berlin, where he shares the stage with renowned American jazz trombonist and singer Curtis Fowlkes. The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…

“Wedding Ring”
Written and performed by Glen Hansard, featuring Curtis Fowlkes.

Wedding ring, wedding ring
Little band of gold
Wedding ring, wedding ring
Little band of gold
Will you be strong enough to keep her
Keep her love from going cold?

Where you running to now, baby
Running all the time
Where you running to now, darlin’
Running to all the time
Well, I sure hope it’s to your sister
And not that mean trombone player of mine

I’ve been trying to reach you, darlin’
I try, I try in vain
I’ve been trying to reach you, darlin’
Though I try, I try in vain
I always end up losing you
And walking home in the rain

Wedding ring, wedding ring
Little band of gold
Wedding ring, wedding ring
Little band of gold
Will you be strong enough to keep her
Keep her love from going cold?

There’s a wildcat in you, woman
A wildcat on the prowl
There’s a wildcat in you, woman
A wildcat on the prowl
Every time I put my arms around you
I can hear that wildcat growl

I remember when I met you
There was something about the moon
I remember the night I met you
There was something about the moon
I didn’t know if it was waxing or waning
But I knew that you’d be leaving soon

Wedding ring, wedding ring
Little band of gold
Wedding ring, wedding ring
Little band of gold
Will you be strong enough to keep her
To keep her love from getting old?

Wedding ring, wedding ring
Little band of gold
Wedding ring, wedding ring
Little band of gold
Will you be strong enough to keep her
To keep her love from going cold?

Will you be strong enough to keep her
To keep her love from getting old
Will you be strong enough to keep her
To keep her love from going old?



Credit: Andy Witchger, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

It was already past midnight when Kristen Tunno fiddled with her rings on the drive home from Pittsburgh International Airport. The four-hour flight from Las Vegas was exhausting and she was looking forward to getting some shut-eye.



But the promise of rest turned to distress when a sharp edge on one of her rings signaled something wasn't right. She used her phone's flashlight to get a better look and noticed that the marquise-shaped diamond at the center of her seven-stone band was missing.

"My life pretty much flashed before my eyes," Tunno told hosts Heather Abraham and David Highfield of CBS' Pittsburgh Today Live (PTL).

The loss was particularly devastating because the ring was a recent gift from her 99-year-old grandmother, Sarah Good.

"She gave it to me now because she wanted me to wear it while she's still alive to see it," Tunno explained on PTL.

Tunno admitted that she held out little hope that the tiny diamond would ever be found, so she went to sleep without contacting the airport authorities.

Meanwhile, her husband, Brett, alerted the airport's Customer Care unit via email.



At 6 a.m, a customer care agent named Sharon called Brett to confirm that her team would be on the lookout for the stone. While still on the call, she got a text message from fellow agent April Laukaitis who reported she had found the ring in a ladies' restroom in Concourse D, where the incoming flight from Vegas had debarked.



Tenno and her husband returned to the airport later the same day to be reunited with the special diamond.

"I couldn't be more grateful to April and Sharon, and the rest of the team of Customer Care at Pittsburgh," Tunno told the hosts of PTL.

On the airport's website, Laukaitis recounted how she arrived for her 5 a.m. shift and saw an email from Tunno's husband about the missing diamond. Within an hour, she had located it between the cracks in the tiles on one of the bathroom floors.

"When I got the email, I did think I was going to find it. It was in my mind that I'm going to find this diamond," Laukaitis told Pittsburgh's Action News 4. "That's why I dropped everything and I just ran to the bathroom near Concourse D and I started looking for it. It was early in the morning and I didn't think anybody was going to be in there sweeping or anything, or anybody was going to be using the bathroom because it was so early, so I thought I was going to find it and I did."

“I love making people happy,” Laukaitis noted on the airport's website. “There’s something about reuniting somebody with something they lost because I know how it feels to lose something sentimental.”

Laukaitis's miraculous find appropriately coincided with the airport's Customer Service Week, October 2-6.

“Our customer service staff is so dedicated to making the airport experience as comfortable and smooth as possible,” said Elise Gomez, the airport's manager of customer experience. “It’s not easy and it’s not glamorous, but it’s a critical job and our team is just phenomenal.”

Credits: Images via Facebook.com / Pittsburgh International Airport.

In 1972, 26-year-old Bill Larson set out on an evening excursion to the Tourmaline Queen Mine in the foothills of northern San Diego County and returned hours later with the "Candelabra," a piece so magnificent that it currently resides at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC.



The specimen is more than a foot wide and looks like three hot pink candles in a quartz and albite candelabra. It is arguably one of the world's finest examples of October's official birthstone. (Opal is October's other official birthstone.)

The Candelabra is the most exceptional piece from a strike that exposed brilliant rubellite crystals in what was called “the find of the century in terms of color and perfection.” The Tourmaline Queen Mine soon became one of the world's prime sources for fine tourmaline and put Pala Properties International (now Pala International) on the map.

The tourmaline family consists of more than 30 distinct minerals, but only one — elbaite — accounts for nearly all of the tourmaline gemstones. Varieties of gem-quality elbaite include rubellite (red-pink), indicolite (blue), Paraiba (neon greenish-blue) and the multicolored watermelon (pink surrounded by green).

In an article published in a 1972 edition of Lapidary Journal, Pala International's president shared a first-hand account of how he carefully extracted the "Candelabra" earlier that same year…

"The Main Find," as Larson described it, was unearthed in two sessions.

He recalled how he had exposed a nice single tourmaline earlier in the day, and then returned to the mine later — with his father's permission — to dig it out. The evening's activities would be no cake walk, however. The generator that was supposed to light the way was malfunctioning so he and his co-worker, Carl, had to manage using a large flashlight.

"As we got to the pocket, I forgot our troubles as the red translucence shone back at us through the crystal I had exposed earlier," he wrote.

He used a sledgehammer and a chisel to "chip, chip, chip" away at the pocket.

"The work went on so slowly, and I was further slowed by the cramped position," he continued. "To get the results I wanted took the better part of an hour."

As he removed the clay around the specimen, a quartz crystal was evident behind the tourmaline. They appeared to be attached.

"My heart raced," he wrote. "I felt a tremendous urge to rip the piece out to look at it, but I forced myself to use restraint and to continue to work completely around it."

He moved material methodically as the complete specimen took shape.

"It was really quite large, over a foot, then at the rear I found a second tourmaline attached. I knew then we had a great piece," he added.

When he was ready for the final removal, Larson placed a small bar in the center and applied gentle pressure.

"I could feel the entire mass move. What a thrill!" he recalled. "I reached in with both hands and pulled out the now famous 'Candelabra' specimen."

It measured more than a foot long and had two tourmalines on either end. Larson also notice that in the center-top of the piece there was a place where a third tourmaline had once been attached.

"We dug for about 40 minutes more and found the third tourmaline. It was a perfect fit. This was a fabulous specimen, one of the finest ever," he wrote.

When he and Carl returned to the shop they knew the Candelabra would some day grace the halls of the Smithsonian — and they were right.

Credit: Photo by Chip Clark / Smithsonian.

The throwback manhole covers marking the Carson Street sidewalk on Pittsburgh's Southside have a unique characteristic that led to a "one in a million shot," according to police officers who responded to a mini-emergency last Thursday at about midnight.



You see, the well-worn covers are completely solid, except for six silver-dollar sized ventilation holes spaced evenly around the circular mass of metal.



Sgt. Andrew Robinson and Officer Kyle Briggs were on a routine patrol when they saw a woman in distress. The newly engaged woman had just lost her diamond ring — and you know where it ended up.

“It just slipped off her finger and went directly into the hole of the sewer grate,” Robinson told WPXI Channel 11 News. “I mean it was a one-in-a-million shot.”

The officers snapped into action and literally MacGyvered a solution. In a nod to TV genius Angus MacGyver disarming a nuclear bomb with a paper clip, these patrolmen employed a pole, tape and a paperclip to rescue the engagement ring at a depth of 15 feet.

“We found a pole behind Marios [South Side Saloon],” Briggs told Channel 11 News. “We found a paperclip in one of our cars and we just taped the paperclip to the end of the pole and fished it out.”



On its website, Channel 11 News shared a video of the recovery taken by one of the officers using his cell phone.



When a Channel 11 News reporter arrived on the scene, the MacGyvered pole, still altered with tape and a paperclip, had been returned to the area behind Mario's, near the dumpster.

Robinson and Briggs reported that the young woman washed the ring off with water, placed it back onto her finger, hugged her fiancé and promised the officers that they were invited to her wedding.

Problem is, the officers never got her name.

Credits: Screen captures via wpxi.com.

The Stanley Cup championship rings presented to the Vegas Golden Knights' players, coaches and staff last week during a private ceremony at the Wynn Las Vegas are brimming with surprises, including a twist-off top that can be worn as a pendant.



With the top off, the ring resembles the interior of T-Mobile Arena, with nine stars on the "ice" denoting where each of the goals were scored during the clinching Game 5 victory over the Florida Panthers in the championship series.



Created in collaboration with Jason of Beverly Hills, each ring pops with approximately 12 carats of diamonds and clever design elements that tell the story of a remarkable season, the franchise's history and the city of Las Vegas.

For instance, the 67 white diamonds in the helmet on the face of the ring honor the team's total wins during the regular season and playoffs. The white diamond striping on left and right shoulders of the ring mimic the white uniform stripes that accented the team's gold jerseys when the lifted the Stanley Cup. Also on the face are 16 stars evenly space around the inner bezel, representing the number of playoff victories.



One side of the ring features the team's motto, "Vegas Born," along with the player's name in raised yellow gold lettering and his jersey number rendered in white diamonds against a black enamel background. Also on this side is the year 2023 in raised yellow gold.



The other side of the ring includes another team motto, "Always Advance," along with the Stanley Cup rendered in white diamonds and the results of each playoff series shown in yellow gold. The .54 carats of diamonds on the Stanley Cup pay tribute to the team’s 54 all-time playoff wins. The six yellow stars on the black enamel background signify the team's achievement of winning the Cup in only its sixth year as a franchise.

The detachable pendant has an engraving on the back that reads, “It’s Knight Time.” It also has a rotating bail that can be tucked back into the ring when not in use.

The inside of the band includes an engraving that reads, “Cup in Six,” which is a reference to owner Bill Foley’s bold and uncanny prediction about the success of his expansion team. The prediction was delivered before the start of the team's inaugural season.

“Knowing the track record of Jason of Beverly Hills, I was confident that they could create a ring as distinctive as our city and as spectacular as the season this team put together,” said Foley. “It’s clear they exceeded expectations and created a design I am sure our players, staff and fans will cherish.”

The Golden Knights raised their 2023 Stanley Cup Championship banner prior to their season opener against the Seattle Kraken. The Knights prevailed 4-1.

Credits: Images courtesy of Jason of Beverly Hills.

NASA’s six-year, 2.2-billion-mile mission to metal-rich “16 Psyche” lifted off from Florida's Kennedy Space Center just after 10 a.m. ET Friday aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. 16 Psyche is a 140-mile-wide asteroid that looks like a potato, but could be made of gold, platinum, iron and nickel — putting its potential precious metal value at $700 quintillion (700 followed by 18 zeros).



“This will be our first time visiting a world that has a metal surface," Lindy Elkins-Tanton, Psyche principal investigator and foundation and regents professor at Arizona State University’s School of Earth and Space Exploration, told CNN. "There aren’t that many completely unexplored types of worlds in our solar system for us to go see, so that is what is so exciting about this.”

The Psyche spacecraft is scheduled to fly by Mars in May 2026 and use the planet’s gravity to slingshot its trajectory toward Psyche. The mission is expected to meet up with the asteroid in late July 2029 and spend the next 26 months mapping its surface, taking images and determining whether scientist's predictions about Psyche's metal core are truly accurate.

Beyond the precious metal implications for the nascent space-mining industry, NASA and its university partners are excited to explore 16 Psyche because it appears to be the exposed core of an early planet, perhaps the size of Mars, that lost its rocky outer layers due to violent collisions that occurred while the solar system was forming.

Measuring about 140 miles in diameter (1/16th the diameter of Earth’s Moon), 16 Psyche could present scientists with a close representation of what lies deep within planets, such as Earth, Mercury, Venus and Mars.

According to NASA, the asteroid is the only known place in our solar system where scientists might be able to examine an exposed metal core. Unlike many objects in the solar system that rotate like a spinning top, the asteroid Psyche rotates on its side, like a wheel. NASA scientists had to take this unique characteristic into account when planning the spacecraft's orbits.

Psyche 16 is named after the nymph Psyche, who, according to Roman mythology, married Cupid but was put to death by Venus. At Cupid’s request, Jupiter — the king of the Gods — made Psyche immortal. The unique metal asteroid was discovered in 1852 by Italian astronomer Annibale de Gasparis.

The US government has already made legal preparations for the eventuality of space mining. The SPACE Act, which became law in 2015, includes provisions for private companies to extract resources from asteroids with limited government interference. Although the law does not allow for companies to claim, say, an asteroid, for their own, miners may keep anything they obtain from their exploration and mining.

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU.

Only one month after starring as one of the official birthstones for October, tourmaline will return for another dose of fame in a first-ever auction dedicated solely to the exceptional pink, green and bi-color gem.



Iridis, the world's largest producer of high-quality tourmaline, recently announced its inaugural auction of Zambian rough tourmaline gemstones, which will take place in Bangkok from November 21-24. (The name Iridis is a nod to the Latin word for rainbow.)

"We are excited to be showcasing some of the world's finest rough tourmaline gemstones," commented mining company CEO Cyrille Djankoff. "This forthcoming auction is the culmination of 18 months of production from our Zambia operations, which will see these stunning gemstones in a first-of-its-kind grading system with 100% traceability."

The mining company noted that Jagoda is the first colored gemstone mine to be actively participating in The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA). This commitment underscores Iridis's dedication to ethical gemstone sourcing and sustainable practices.

Iridis became a major shareholder in Zambia's tourmaline-rich Jagoda mine in 2017 and acquired it in 2022, with an option to extend the operating license for 10 years, starting in November 2023, according to National Jeweler magazine.

On its website, the company emphasized how it wanted Jagoda to be an example of what can be achieved by working in partnership with local stakeholders, providing rewarding careers, supporting communities, safeguarding resources and nurturing the environment.

"In the long term," the statement concluded, "we intend to add more value to the area than we extract in tourmaline."

Credit: Image courtesy of Iridis Gems.

British singing sensation Adele had her 54.7 million Instagram fans in a tizzy earlier this week after posting a not-so-subtle hint that she is, indeed, engaged to American sports agent Rich Paul.



In the second pic in an eight-photo carousel, the 16-time Grammy winner is seen holding up a copy of Paul's new memoir, Lucky Me, while showing off a massive rectangular radiant-cut or emerald-cut diamond on the ring finger of her left hand.



The diamond seems to be framed by a yellow gold bezel and set on a delicate diamond-pavé band. We're guessing the diamond weighs at least 10 carats.

Still, the 35-year-old singer-songwriter did not formally announce an engagement. She simply titled the slideshow, "Weekend 31," which is a reference to her residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace.

Some fans are convinced the couple is engaged, while others believe they are already married. With her residency coming to an end on November 4, might that be the day she finally confirms her relationship status and settles into the next chapter of her life?

During a mid-September concert, Adele almost let the cat out of the bag when a fan shouted a marriage proposal from the audience. Adele responded by saying, "You can't marry me… my husband's here tonight. He's here."

Adele and the 41-year-old Paul were first seen together two years ago. Adele told Rolling Stone that they met at a mutual friend's birthday party. The successful agent claims nearly 200 clients, including NBA stars LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Draymond Green.

Credits: Images via Instagram / adele.

Welcome to Music Friday when we celebrate classic songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Exactly 50 years ago, Jim Croce introduced us to a giant man with an affection for diamond jewelry in his chart topper, “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown.”



In this song inspired by a friend he met while working as a lineman for the U.S. National Guard, Croce tells the fateful story of one of the toughest guys from the South Side of Chicago. Leroy Brown stood 6'4'' and had a reputation of being “meaner than a junkyard dog.” He was also a flashy dresser, loved his jewelry and was quite the ladies’ man.

Croce sings, “Now Leroy, he a gambler / And he like his fancy clothes / And he like to wave them diamond rings / In front of everybody’s nose.”

At the end of the song, Leroy approaches Doris at a local bar and learns a tough “lesson about messin’ with the wife of a jealous man.”

Written by Croce, “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” spent two weeks at the top of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in July of 1973. The song also netted Croce two Grammy Award nominations in the categories of Best Pop Male Vocalist and Record of the Year.

Born in South Philadelphia in 1943, Croce expressed a love for music at a young age. He played his first song, “Lady of Spain,” on the accordion at the age of 5. While attending Villanova University, he performed with two singing groups, the Villanova Singers and the Villanova Spires. Croce graduated with a degree in psychology in 1965.

He joined the U.S. National Guard in 1966, and while stationed in Fort Jackson, SC, he befriended the larger-than-life Chicagoan who would inspire his 1973 hit.

Croce struggled early in his music career, appearing at large coffee houses, on college campuses and at folk festivals. In 1972, he scored a three-record deal with ABC Records.

Later that year, he made his national debut on American Bandstand, which sparked appearances on The Tonight Show, The Dick Cavett Show, The Helen Reddy Show and The Midnight Special.

Sadly, at the peak of his fame, in September 1973, Croce died tragically in a plane crash near Natchitoches, LA. He was 30 years old.

In a letter to his wife, Ingrid, that arrived after his death, Croce told her that he was homesick and couldn’t bear the pain of being away from her and their infant son. He was planning to stop touring and, instead, redirect his creative energy to writing short stories. It was never to be.

Please check out Croce’s June 1973 performance of “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” on The Midnight Special. The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…

“Bad, Bad Leroy Brown”
Written and performed by Jim Croce.

Well the South side of Chicago
Is the baddest part of town
And if you go down there
You better just beware
Of a man named Leroy Brown

Now Leroy, more than trouble
You see he stand ’bout six foot four
All the downtown ladies call him “Treetop Lover”
All the men just call him “Sir”

And it’s bad, bad Leroy Brown
The baddest man in the whole damned town
Badder than old King Kong
And meaner than a junkyard dog

Now Leroy, he a gambler
And he like them fancy clothes
And he like to wave them diamond rings
In front of everybody’s nose
He got a custom Continental
He got an Eldorado too
He got a 32 gun in his pocket for fun
He got a razor in his shoe

And it’s bad, bad Leroy Brown
The baddest man in the whole damned town
Badder than old King Kong
And meaner than a junkyard dog

Well Friday ’bout a week ago
Leroy shootin’ dice
And at the edge of the bar
Sat a girl named Doris
And oh that girl looked nice

Well he cast his eyes upon her
And the trouble soon began
Leroy Brown learned a lesson
‘Bout messin’ with the wife of a jealous man

And it’s bad, bad Leroy Brown
The baddest man in the whole damned town
Badder than old King Kong
And meaner than a junkyard dog

Well the two men took to fighting
And when they pulled them from the floor
Leroy looked like a jigsaw puzzle
With a couple of pieces gone

And it’s bad, bad Leroy Brown
The baddest man in the whole damned town
Badder than old King Kong
And meaner than a junkyard dog…



Credit: Image by ABC Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

French Canadian Émilie Roy became a TikTok celebrity last week after posting a 12-second video of her fruitless efforts to find a cherished ring that was lost under a blanket of fallen leaves. The tragically comic video, which featured a bathtub, fall foliage and a spaghetti strainer, was viewed more than 4.2 million times.



"I lost my engagement ring throwing leaves in the air," Roy wrote in her caption. "We've been looking for it for 3 hours and now I'm sorting the leaves in the bathtub. Pray for me."



As her fiancé continued to look for the ring outside, Roy started sorting shopping bags full of fall foliage in the bathtub.

"I thought I would've heard the ring fall and that the white background would give me a better view," she told Newsweek.

Tiktok users were quick to point out that a better strategy may have been to use a metal detector.



In a follow-up post the next morning, Roy cheerfully reported the she and her fiancé found the ring after six hours of searching.

"First of all, we got the ring back. Yay," she said. "Long story short, I was taking silly little pictures, throwing leaves in the air, and my ring just flew up."

At nightfall, the couple returned to the scene of the informal photo shoot and tried a new strategy.

"It was pitch black. We used our cellphones' flashlights so the sapphire on my ring could reflect, and amazingly, it worked," she told Newsweek. "We found it a few minutes later way further [from the shoot] than expected."

The 27-year-old from Quebec explained in the followup video that the couple had no access to a metal detector because all the shops in the area were closed late on Saturday.

"That was like the first thing we thought of," she said, "but it wasn't possible."

Roy told Newsweek that she and her fiancé, Thomas, were on a getaway weekend in the woods.

"Tom was taking pictures of me throwing leaves in the air and after a few takes, my ring just slid and flew off my finger," Roy told Newsweek. "It's totally my fault as I didn't get it adjusted yet."

In her TikTok followup, Roy superimposed her image over a background of the partly cleared search area.

"When we were taking pictures, we were right there," she said, pointing to the far left of the photo.



She continued, "And when we found the ring 6 hours later, it was right there, so close to the water."

Roy thanked the TikTok community for their concerns, suggestions and help. She even gave a shoutout to St. Anthony, the Patron Saint for lost articles.

One practical commenter wrote, "Tip: Get [the ring] sized as soon as possible," to which Roy responded, "I'm a very good procrastinator as you can see."

Credits: Screen captures via TikTok / itsemilieroy.

A metal detectorist sweeping a freshly plowed carrot field in northeast Switzerland stumbled upon a bold fashion statement from the Middle Bronze Age, which dates back 3,500 years.



Franz Zahn realized he was onto something special when several spiked bronze discs emerged from the soil in Güttingen, a town in the canton of Thurgau.

Zahn immediately reported his historic find to officials at the local office of archeology, who sent a team of investigators to the site. Instead of setting up shop at the farm, the archaeologists asked the landowner for permission to extract a 20-inch cube of material that could be scrutinized in a lab in nearby Frauenfeld.

As the researchers meticulously brushed away layer upon layer of soil, more and more artifacts started to appear. In the end, the block of soil yielded 14 bronze discs, two double-spiral finger rings, more than 100 tiny amber beads and gold wire spirals. Also in the cache were a bronze arrowhead, a beaver tooth, a perforated bear tooth, a fossilized shark tooth, a small ammonite, rock crystal and several lumps of polished ore.

Researchers believe the jewelry and artifacts were owned by a rich woman with a passion for collecting.

But the prize of the collection is a bold necklace glistening with bronze discs, each with three ribs and a "thorn" in the middle. On one side of each disc is a narrow grommet through which a thread or leather strap could be pulled. Spirals strung between each disc served as spacers.

This type of item would have been considered "costume jewelry" during the Middle Bronze Age, according to the researchers.

The archaeologists are convinced that there was no grave at the site and the jewelry was likely buried in a jewelry box or other organic container that disintegrated over time. They also wondered if the jewelry was worn for more than personal adornment. Perhaps they served as a protective amulet.

Restoration experts are currently cleaning and repairing the newly discovered items so they can go on display at the Museum of Archaeology in Frauenfeld next year.

Credit: Image courtesy of Canton of Thurgau.

Rio Tinto is about to launch the first installment of its "Beyond Rare" tender, an art series that will showcase the legacy inventory of pink and red diamonds from its shuttered Argyle Mine in Western Australia and intense yellow diamonds from its Diavik Diamond Mine, located beneath a frozen lake in the Barren Lands of Northern Canada.



Presented as 46 lots, the inaugural collection — dubbed "The Art Series 01" — comprises 87 polished diamonds, weighing 29.96 carats in total. Among the highlights are the following:

-- Seven "Masterpiece" sets of Argyle Pink Diamonds™ and yellow Diavik diamonds, selected for their unique beauty
-- A rarified offering of 11 perfectly matched pairs of colored diamonds
-- 30 exquisite single diamonds, including one remarkable Fancy Red Argyle diamond

Each "Masterpiece" will be accompanied by bespoke art created by Western Australian artist Sam Price, whose creative inspiration is derived from the "surreal chain of earthly events that led to the birth of nature’s most exquisite works," according to Rio Tinto.

“Rio Tinto has a rich history of innovative diamonds sales and marketing events and this carefully curated collection of rare jewels will be in strong demand by the world’s finest jewelers, collectors and diamond connoisseurs,” noted Sinead Kaufman, chief executive of Rio Tinto Minerals.

The now-depleted Argyle mine was shuttered in November of 2020. During its 37 years in operation, the mine famously produced between 90% and 95% of the world’s pink and red diamonds.



Red is said to be the rarest diamond color in the world. The Argyle-sourced specimen, above, the "Argyle Everglow," was part of the mining company's 2017 tender. The diamond weighed 2.11 carats and was the first 2-carat-plus fancy red diamond ever offered by Rio Tinto.

“The market fundamentals that drive value appreciation for Argyle pink and red diamonds have never been stronger – a combination of severely constrained supply, with the closure of Argyle, and unwavering global demand for truly scarce gems," said Patrick Coppens, general manager of sales and marketing for Rio Tinto’s Diamonds business.

Rio Tinto has not revealed how many Argyle pink diamonds remain in its legacy inventory, but confirmed to thewest.com.au that this latest collection will be one of the last.

The lots will be displayed in Australia, Switzerland and Belgium, with bids closing on November 20, 2023.

Credits: Images courtesy of Rio Tinto.

Before entering the "Corn Crib" at Gull Meadow Farms in Kalamazoo County, MI, visitors must pass a large sign warning them to take off their rings and loose jewelry.



You see, the 1,500-square-foot barn piled with kernels one foot deep makes for an exciting Fall outing with the little ones as they play and dig in the corn. But the ever-present cornstarch dust can make one's hands so slippery that ill-fitting rings and other jewelry can easily slide off.



Earlier this week, Gull Meadow Farms posted to its Facebook page an alert that an engagement ring had been found by one of their guests in the Corn Crib over the weekend.

"It’s apparent that the guest didn’t know they lost it here as we haven’t been contacted by anyone," read the post. "It’s very important to us that the correct person find their ring. Help us spread the word if you can so the owner can be found."

The Facebook post has been shared 2,800 times.



Justin Wendzel, the manager of Gull Meadow Farms, explained to a reporter for ABC affiliate WZZM13 News in Grand Rapids that his organization was very committed to finding the correct owner. The manager did not publish a photo of the ring because he wants the person who claims it to describe it precisely.

"I don't want to show it to everybody, because then everybody would say, 'Yes, that's mine'," Wendzel told WZZM13.

About 550 miles northwest of Kalamazoo, the corn pit at Waldoch Farm in Lino Lakes, MN, swallowed up Jess Tran's diamond wedding ring, according to her account in the Star Tribune.

Tran, her husband and three young sons enjoyed an afternoon in the corn maze, pumpkin patch and corn pit, but it wasn't until they were ready to pack up to return home did she realize her precious jewelry was gone — buried in an endless sea of corn kernels.

Waldoch Farm also posted a warning sign about removing loose jewelry, but Tran said she did not notice the warning because she had her attention focused on her little boys.

After renting a metal detector, Tran arranged to return to the farm prior to its official opening time and was able to rescue her ring, along with someone else's earring and some random coins.

"My heart just started pounding," she told the Star Tribune. "I started screaming and crying. I felt like I was being proposed to all over again. I was so happy."

Just 20 miles away in Brooklyn Park, MN, the loss of jewelry at Twin Cities Harvest Festival and Maze is so prevalent that the proprietor keeps metal detectors on hand.

"People are losing stuff nonstop," said Bear Bouwman, whose family owns and operates the facility. Among the most frequently lost items are rings, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, keys and cellphones.

Credits: Screen captures via wzzm13.com.

The Denver Nuggets' 2023 NBA championship rings are loaded with exciting Easter Eggs, including two never-before-seen design innovations — a bonus ring-within-a-ring as well as a special lever that changes the background gems on the team's logo from blue to white.



When discussing what kind of special features might be included in the ring, Nuggets president and governor Josh Kroenke was clear to designer Jason Arasheben that he didn't want anything that's been done before.

Arasheben, the CEO of Jason of Beverly Hills, worked with Kroenke, six Nuggets players and his own creative team to come up with elements that were truly unique.

The Nuggets' 2023 championship ring is the first to feature a ring in a ring. A retractable compartment reveals a smaller yellow gold ring hidden inside the larger white gold ring. The yellow gold ring, which is topped with the NBA championship banner, is less ostentatious than the host ring and can be worn separately.

The second unique design element is a lever that can alter the gemstones seen behind the mountain peak and pickaxes logo on the face of the ring. The blue sapphires represent the 2023 Nuggets, but the background can change to white diamonds — a nod to the team's 1967 origin as an ABA team. The Nuggets merged into the NBA in 1976, along with three other ABA teams.



"We're one of four franchises that were merged to the NBA from the ABA so we have that date on there as a nod to our ABA past, which I wanted to make sure we acknowledged," Kroenke told ESPN.com. "And all the players and coaches will, no matter where they go with that ring, always have the banner with them as well, which I think is a very special and unique feature."

Overall, the ring contains 17 individual components and more than 16 carats of yellow and white diamonds, rubies and sapphires. Each gemstone represents one of the team's official colors and the gemstone total weight signifies the number of Nuggets' playoff victories achieved on the way to the championship.

Overlaying the Larry O'Brien trophy on the face of the ring, the team name "NUGGETS" is rendered in 24 points of yellow diamonds, an acknowledgement of the team's 24 years at Denver's Ball Arena.

The 89 points of rubies encircling the ring's shoulders is symbolic of the number of points scored by the Miami Heat in the deciding championship Game 5. Below the rubies and above the finger hole, the number 5280 in raised white gold lettering represents Denver's altitude above sea level.



On one side of the ring is the player's name in polished gold lettering against a contrasting gold-nugget-textured background. Below the player's name is his number rendered in white diamonds, and below the number is the team's 2023 slogan, "BRING IT IN."



The other side of the ring features the words "WORLD CHAMPIONS" along with the team's retro logo and 2023 regular season record of 53-29. Above the words are a row of 15 diamonds symbolizing the 15 playoff games played at Ball Arena during the championship season.

Credits: Images courtesy of Jason of Beverly Hills.

An electric blue, 93.94-carat paraiba tourmaline is expected to fetch upwards of $2.5 million when it headlines Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels sale in Geneva on November 8. Dubbed the "Blue Lagoon," the impressive stone is billed as the largest top-quality paraiba tourmaline to ever come to auction.



The remarkable gem is showcased in a lariat-style diamond necklace designed by Geneva-based Adler Joailliers SA. The round, marquise and pear-shaped diamonds cascade down the necklace and collectively weigh more than 76 carats. CEO Allen Adler described the piece, which was created especially for this auction, as a "mix of simplicity and sophistication."



Paraiba is the most prized tourmaline variety. The vivid teal, turquoise and neon blue stones caused a sensation when they were first discovered by prospector Heitor Dimas Barbosa in Brazil’s tropical, coastal state of Paraiba in 1989.

Worldwide demand sparked a mining frenzy and, within five years, the supply beneath “Paraiba Hill” — an area measuring 400 x 200 x 65 meters — was largely tapped out.

In 2001, new Paraiba-like tourmalines were unearthed far across the Atlantic Ocean in Africa. Curiously, the African gems boasted the same color and chemistry as the South American-sourced originals.

Paraiba tourmalines are distinctly different from other varieties of tourmaline because they owe their intense blue color to trace impurities of copper. Others get their color from the presence of iron, manganese, chromium and vanadium. Gem dealers generally refer to copper-infused tourmaline as “Paraiba,” regardless of the origin.

The Blue Lagoon was sourced in southeastern African country of Mozambique.

"The few inclusions found by microscopic examination and the analyzed properties are consistent with those found in copper-bearing tourmalines from the Alto Ligonha district in Northern Mozambique," noted the SSEF (Swiss Gemmological Institute) in an auction appendix letter.

The report also highlighted the gem's impressive size and weight, attractive blue color and excellent purity.

The Blue Lagoon carries a pre-sale estimate of 1.36 million - 2.27 million Swiss francs ($1.5MM - $2.5MM). You can see Sotheby's promotional video by clicking here…

Credits: Images courtesy of Sotheby’s.