858-Carat Uncut 'Gachala Emerald' Is One of the Finest Examples of May's Birthstone

Weighing 858 carats and displaying a superb vivid green color, the uncut "Gachala Emerald" is one of the world's finest examples of May's official birthstone.

The hexagonal crystal was found at the Vega de San Juan mine in Gachala, Colombia, in 1967, and sold to famous New York jeweler Harry Winston, who chose to keep the incredible crystal intact instead of cutting it into a number of smaller stones. In 1969, he donated the gem to the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., where it's been on permanent exhibit at the Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems and Minerals.

Measuring 5cm (about 2 inches) in width, the 6-ounce Gachala Emerald crystal is considered to be one of the largest gem-quality emerald crystals in the world. As part of the National Gem Collection, it is prominently displayed alongside famous emerald jewelry, such as the Mackay Emerald Necklace, the Hooker Emerald Brooch, the Chalk Emerald Ring, the Maximilian Emerald Ring and the Spanish Inquisition Necklace.

Emerald is the most valuable variety of the mineral beryl. When it comes to classifying an emerald, much of the emphasis is focused on the color. Pure green stones demand the highest prices. If the green stone displays a tint that is too yellow or too blue, it may not be considered an emerald at all. For example, if the stone is yellow-green, it might be classified as green beryl, according to the Smithsonian, while if a stone is too blue, it could be classified as an aquamarine.

In its pure state, beryl is clear. The beautiful green hues in the beryl family are caused when some of the aluminum atoms in the crystal are replaced by chromium and/or vanadium atoms.

Although the Gachala emerald mines are relatively young (mining started in 1954), other famous Colombian mines, such as the Muzo, Chivor and Cosquez, boast a recorded history that dates back to the 16th century.

In fact, lush green emeralds have excited legions of gem admirers for thousands of years. The first emerald mines were in Egypt, and Cleopatra was reportedly a big fan of the verdant member of the beryl family. The name “emerald” comes indirectly from the ancient Greek word for green gem, “smaragdos.”

Emerald is known to display a wide variety of visible inclusions, which are referred to as “jardin” (French for “garden”). These imperfections do not detract from the stone’s beauty but, instead, give each stone a unique fingerprint and distinct character.

Besides being the birthstone for the month of May, it’s also the official gemstone for 20th and 35th wedding anniversaries.

Colombia continues to be the world’s most prolific producer of fine emeralds, constituting more than half of the global supply, by value.

Credit: Gachala Emerald photo by Chip Clark, courtesy Smithsonian Institution.

Lea Michele Shows Off 4-Carat Radiant-Cut Diamond Engagement Ring on Instagram

Glee star Lea Michele announced the news of her engagement to boyfriend Zandy Reich this past weekend with an Instagram post of her wearing a stunning 4-carat, halo-style diamond ring.

Michele's five million Instagram followers got the first peek at the elongated radiant-cut diamond via a Saturday post that was captioned, "Yes," and punctuated with an engagement ring emoji. Michele posed for the photo at a beach with her diamond-adorned left hand covering her face.

An E! News insider revealed that Reich, who is the president of the clothing brand AYR, assisted with the design of the ring that features a 4-carat center stone surrounded by a halo of smaller round diamonds. The thin white-metal band is also embellished with small round diamonds.

Fans of the singer/actress/author offered their congratulations on Instagram and gave a thumbs-up to the ring...

"That ring is GORGEOUS! You deserve all the happiness in the world. Congrats!!!!!" noted kitcatkath.

"Happy for you. I love the ring! added kyliegraaceeeso.

The newly engaged 31-year-old got her start as a child actress on Broadway, but rose to national prominence playing Rachel Berry on the Fox series Glee, which followed the disparate members of the fictitious William McKinley High School glee club. Glee aired for six seasons, from 2009 to 2015.

Reich, who is a graduate of the prestigious Wharton School of Business, reportedly asked Michele’s dad for his permission before popping the question.

Michele and Reich had been friends for a few years, but started dating in July of 2017. Their wedding date has yet to be announced.

Michele will be performing this summer with Glee castmate Darren Criss. Their LM/DC Tour kicks off in Nashville on May 30 and will include stops in nine cities.

Credits: Photos via Instagram.com/leamichele.

Music Friday: Chris Isaak's Promising New Relationship Hits a Speed Bump in 'Notice the Ring'

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you fun songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, rocker Chris Isaak's promising new relationship hits a speed bump in his 2002 release, "Notice the Ring."

In this song, Isaak's character is having a great time getting to know a woman he just met at a club. The chemistry is right and this could be the beginning of something special, but Isaak notices a diamond ring on the woman's finger. Is it an engagement ring, a piece of fashion jewelry or a sentimental bauble that was handed down from her grandma?

He sings, "I notice the ring, does it mean anything / You don't gotta fool me if you say it's only jewelry / I believe you when you slip off the ring, oh baby / It's got complicated if it's more than just gold plated / Are you single, does it mean anything?"

While introducing this song at his concerts, Isaak offers light-hearted advice to the men in the audience.

"When you meet a woman for the first time, it's important to focus on her hands. Not the whole body, but the hands," Isaak joked. "Look at the hands and they will tell you so much about a person. Particularly, notice the ring."

Penned by Isaak, "Notice the Ring" appeared as the eighth track of the artist's eighth studio album, Always Got Tonight.

The singer-songwriter, musician, actor and talk show host is best known for his soaring falsetto, 1950s Rock and Roll style and his song, "Wicked Game," which was featured in the 1990 film, Wild at Heart.

The son of a potato chip factory worker mom and a forklift driver dad, Isaak was born in Stockton, Calif., in 1956. His mom claims that Isaak showed musical intuition at eight months of age. She noticed that he would be moved by the sad country songs that played on the radio. Isaac started his first band in 1984 and was signed by Warner Bros. one year later.

Fun Trivia: Isaak was an amateur boxer and had his nose broken seven times, according to Discussions Magazine. At the time, his good looks and combed-back hair earned him the nickname, Elvis.

We hope you enjoy the audio track of Isaak performing "Notice the Ring." The lyrics are below if you'd like to sing along...

"Notice the Ring"
Written and performed by Chris Isaak.

Long legged
Good looking
You got everything
Slow walking
You come up
Then I notice the ring
I notice the ring

You're talking, I'm listening,
But I don't hear a thing
Is it something he bought you
Or only a ring, oh baby

I notice the ring, does it mean anything
You don't gotta fool me if you say it's only jewelry
I believe you when you slip off the ring, oh baby
It's got complicated if it's more than just gold plated
Are you single, does it mean anything?

I notice the ring, we gotta slow down
She's laughing, stop worrying
Get in the swing
Heart pounding, I'm wondering
Just what did she mean

I notice the ring
I notice the ring

Say nobody's waiting
That's it's nothing just gold plating
That it really doesn't mean anything
Say your grandma left it to you
Just all you need to do is tell me that it's no wedding ring,
Nice diamond

I notice the ring
I notice the ring
We gotta slow down
I notice the ring

Credit: Screen capture via YouTube.com.

Nearly Identical Fancy Intense Blue Diamonds Set Auction Records One Day Apart

A 3.47-carat fancy intense blue diamond set an auction record last Wednesday at Sotheby's New York when it sold for $6.66 million. The per-carat price of $1.92 million was the highest ever paid for a diamond of that color grade, breaking a record set only one day earlier at Christie's New York. That short-lived record holder weighed 3.09 carats and sold for $5.37 million, or $1.74 million per carat.

It's an extraordinary coincidence that the top lots at the Christie's New York Magnificent Jewels sale on Tuesday and the Sotheby's New York Magnificent Jewels sale on Wednesday would boast similar shapes, weights and color grades. Each stone had been rated "fancy intense blue," which is the second-highest grade after "fancy vivid blue."

Both rectangular diamonds performed well above expectations. Christie's record-setter easily surpassed the pre-sale high estimate of $3 million. Sotheby's $6.66 million top lot more than doubled the auction house's pre-sale high estimate of $2.5 million.

The 3.47-carat record holder was originally purchased after World War II by a Pan Am pilot. He gifted it to a Pan Am stewardess, who would eventually become his wife.

Robin Wright, senior specialist with the jewelry department at Sotheby’s, told barrons.com that woman wore the ring for many decades — during a time when colored diamonds weren't as fashionable as they are now. A tiny chip in the stone is evidence of a near calamity when the ring was accidentally dropped into a garbage disposal in the 1970s.

After the woman died in 1990, the ring was passed down to her daughter. An appraisal from 2006 had pegged the value of the ring at $150,000.

Wright told barrons.com that the family was “extremely pleased” with the auction result. “It’s a real American story,” she said.

In 2016, the Oppenheimer Blue became the highest priced gemstone ever sold at auction. The 14.62-carat fancy vivid blue diamond, dubbed “the gem of gems,” fetched an astounding $57.5 million at Christie’s Geneva. The Oppenheimer Blue's record has since been eclipsed by the 59.6-carat "Pink Star," which sold for $71.2 million at Sotheby's Hong Kong in 2017.

“Fancy Vivid” is the ultimate color classification for blue diamonds. Those that display lower levels of color saturation may be rated “Fancy Intense,” “Fancy,” “Fancy Light” or “Light,” according to the Gemological Institute of America. Blue diamonds get their magnificent color from trace amounts of boron atoms in the diamond’s crystal structure.

Credits: Top image courtesy of Sotheby's. Second image courtesy of Christie's.

Women From Coast to Coast Break Out Their Pearls to Honor Former First Lady Barbara Bush

Former First Lady Barbara Bush, who passed away last week at the age of 92, was rarely seen in public without her signature pearl necklace. Whether she was posing for an official White House portrait or helping her husband throw out the first pitch at a Houston Astros baseball game, pearls were always an essential part of her wardrobe.

During the presidency of her husband, George H.W. Bush, Barbara's favorite accessory became a symbol of the First Lady's class, elegance and Southern charm. They even earned the nickname "Barbara Bush Pearls." Her deputy press secretary Jean Becker said at the time that Barbara owned at least 10 different pearl necklaces.

Barbara famously wore a three-strand faux pearl necklace to her husband's inaugural ball in 1989. Women took note, and the demand for pearls — both simulated and cultured — went off the charts. Barbara donated the inaugural pearls to the Smithsonian Institution in 1990.

Over the past few days, women from coast to coast have been honoring the memory of the First Lady by wearing their own pearl necklaces and posting tributes on social media using the hashtag #PearlsforBarbara.

Known for her spitfire personality and wry sense of humor, Barbara once joked that she wore her three-strand pearl necklace so much that if she ever took it off her head would fall off.

While appearing on the Today show in 2015 with her granddaughter, Jenna Bush Hager, the self-effacing First Lady spoke about her affection for pearls.

"The pearls are to cover the wrinkles, which they no longer do," she said. "You can't wear pearls all over your face."

Some 1,500 guests — many wearing pearls — filled St. Martin's Episcopal Church in Houston for the former First Lady's funeral on Saturday. She was remembered as a loving wife, mother and friend with a devilish sense of humor.

Credits: First Lady Barbara Bush portrait (top) by David Valdez, White House Photo Office [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons. Portrait (bottom) by White House Photo Office [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.