Gem-Encrusted Ring Tells the Story of Atlanta United's Championship Soccer Season

Atlanta United players received their colorful, gem-encrusted 2018 MLS Cup Championship rings in a private ceremony last week. The rings use white diamonds, yellow diamonds, custom cuts of garnet and onyx, and a single ruby to tell the story of a remarkable franchise that shot to the top of the soccer world in just its second season. The diamonds weigh a total of 2.03 carats.

Crafted in 10-karat white and yellow gold, the rings are adorned with 101 white diamonds that create a cascading waterfall effect on the ring top. An additional 14 color-enhanced yellow diamonds form the “A,” which sits atop the iconic five stripes, which mimics the distinctive red and black uniform of the team.

Ring manufacturer Jostens rendered the five stripes in alternating custom-cut slices of garnet and black onyx. The stripes represent the five pillars of the team: unity, determination, community, excellence and innovation. The red color symbolizes victory and the black color symbolizes strength and power.

Yellow gold "train tracks" wrap around the top of the ring edges as an ode to Atlanta’s railroad history. The tracks are punctuated with a single white diamond and a single ruby. The two gemstones represent the number of years the franchise has been in the MLS.

Completing the ring top are the words “MLS CUP CHAMPIONS” in raised white gold lettering, accented with a gold star.

The right side of the ring features the club name set in raised yellow gold lettering above the Atlanta skyline, which is rendered in white gold. The coveted MLS Cup, in contrasting yellow gold, sits in the center of the city skyline, with the word “CONQUERED” boldly set upon the trophy. The championship year date of 2018 completes the right side of the ring.

The left side of the ring displays the club's rallying cry “UNITE & CONQUER” in yellow gold, set above the recipient’s name in white gold. In contrasting yellow gold, the “UNITED” mark pays tribute to Atlanta’s unwavering perseverance. The "I" in "UNITED" is replaced with a golden spike, a nod to the city's railroad history.

Prior to each match, players and supporters get to sign a giant-sized golden railroad spike, which is then ceremoniously marched into the stadium and hammered into a platform by a local VIP. After each game, the Man of the Match gets to hammer the spike, as well.

Completing the left side of the ring is the player’s number set with diamonds.

The interior of the ring features the date the championship was won, the final score of the match and motto “5-STRIPES DON’T STOP.”

Credits: Images courtesy of Jostens.

Music Friday: Lee Greenwood Laments His 24-Karat Mistake in 'Fool's Gold'

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you awesome songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, Lee Greenwood sings about making a 24-karat mistake in his 1984 tune, "Fool's Gold." His character is agonizing over a broken marriage and losing the love of his life. In hindsight, he admits he was a fool and it was all his fault.

He sings, "I took a perfect love and gave you a perfect heartache / I took a band of gold and made a 24-karat mistake / and turned it into... / Fool's gold, and I was a fool 'cause I let you go."

Written by Timmy Tappan and Don Roth, "Fool's Gold" was released as the second single from Greenwood's third studio album, You've Got a Good Love Comin'. The song shot to #3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and #5 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart. The album was certified Gold, which means it sold more than 500,000 units.

Over his 57-year career, Greenwood released more than 20 albums. He's also credited with more than 35 singles on the Billboard country music charts, including seven #1 hits.

Greenwood is best known for his patriotic 1984 song, "God Bless the U.S.A." The song regained its popularity during the Gulf War in 1991, and then again after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

Melvin Lee Greenwood was born in South Gate, Calif., in 1942. He grew up on his grandparents' poultry farm and started singing for his church at the age of seven. He started his first band at the age of 20 and performed mostly in Las Vegas casinos. When the band broke up in the 1970s, Greenwood made ends meet by dealing blackjack during the day and singing at night.

In 1979, he was "discovered" in Reno by Larry McFaden, the bassist for Mel Tillis. Two years later, his demo tapes landed at the Nashville division of MCA. Greenwood earned a contract and McFaden was hired on as his manager.

If you were wondering, fool's gold is a shiny yellow mineral called pyrite that bears a great resemblance to gold, but contains little or no precious metal.

Please check out the audio track of Greenwood performing "Fool's Gold." The lyrics are below if you'd like to sing along...

Fool's Gold
Written by Timmy Tappan and Don Roth. Performed by Lee Greenwood.

If I only knew then what I know now
You wouldn't be sayin' goodbye
But I let you down, I was never around
When you needed me there by your side
I took a perfect love and gave you a perfect heartache
I took a band of gold and made a 24-karat mistake
and turned it into...

[Chorus:]
Fool's gold, and I was a fool 'cause I let you go
Fool's gold, yes I was a fool 'cause I didn't know
Too many times I just didn't try
Now all I hear is you sayin' goodbye
Starin' at an empty hand full of fool's gold

If I took the time just holdin' you tight
and sharin' my feelings with you
Then you'd understand what's inside of this man
and you'd know what I'm goin' through
I know that I was wrong now that it's too late
I took a band of gold and made a 24-karat mistake
and turned it into...

Credit: Photo by Yoland Hunter (U.S. Air Force), Public Doman via Wikimedia Commons.

$24 Million Australian Opal Centre Starts to Take Shape at Lightning Ridge

A world-class facility dedicated to Australia's national gemstone is taking shape at the edge of the outback in New South Wales.

The new Australian Opal Centre in Lightning Ridge — a two-story underground building designed by internationally renowned architects Glenn Murcutt and Wendy Lewin — will be filled with glittering treasures from the earth and the stories of the people who found them.

National, regional and local officials have already raised $14 million to launch the $24 million project. The Australian Opal Centre will be a world-class tourism attraction and an internationally recognized hub for opal-related knowledge, training and certification. In 1994, opal was declared Australia’s National Gemstone.

Opal is often referred to as the Queen of Gems. It boasts every color of the visible spectrum, from deepest and clearest blues and greens to rippling golden orange. Opal's hues also range from delicate pink and violet to rich turquoise, shocking vermilion, carmine and fuchsia.

An opal may contain any or all of these colors, arrayed in wondrous patterns. Opal experts have given these patterns names, such as harlequin, pinfire, Chinese writing, flower garden, mackerel sky, flagstone and rolling flash.

Opals get their color from tiny spheres of silica dioxide. The spheres are so tiny they can only be seen using an electron microscope.

About 90% of the world’s finest opals are mined in the harsh outback of Australia, where a unique combination of geological conditions permitted the formation of opal near the margins of an ancient inland sea.

Interestingly, 95% of the opals found by miners is void of color. These specimens are white, grey or black. The locals call it "potch" and it has very little value. Potch is composed of the exact same mineral as fine opal – spheres of silica dioxide. The only difference is that in potch, the tiny spheres are jumbled, whereas in precious opal they’re all laid out evenly.

The value of a fine opal is based on a number of factors: Brightness, color, pattern, body tone and consistency (how it looks from multiple angles).

Fundraising for the final stage of the Australian Opal Centre will take place while the first stage is constructed and opened to the public. The facility in Lightning Ridge is an eight-hour inland drive from the coastal city of Brisbane.

Credit: Image by Dpulitzer [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

A-Rod Proposes to J. Lo With Eye-Popping Emerald-Cut Diamond Engagement Ring

Back in 2001, Jennifer Lopez famously sang, "My love don't cost a thing," but that didn't stop boyfriend Alex Rodriguez from spending upwards of $5 million for an eye-popping emerald-cut diamond engagement ring. The couple proudly displayed a romantic hand-in-hand photo of the ring on their respective Instagram pages Saturday.

The former New York Yankee and 14-time All Star popped the question to the chart-topping performer and style icon while the two were vacationing at Baker's Bay Golf & Ocean Club in the Northeastern Bahamas.

A-Rod, 43, captioned his post, "She said yes," and punctuated the phrase with a heart emoji. The simple, heartfelt message struck a chord with his followers and received more than one million Likes.

The 49-year-old J. Lo, who claims 88.3 million followers on Instagram, captioned her version of the sweet photo with no words, just eight heart emojis. Her post earned 4.7 million Likes.

The couple hasn't revealed the weight of the diamond or the value of the ring, so jewelry-industry pundits were asked to offer their best guesses when questioned by leading fashion and celebrity websites. Overall, size estimates ranged from 10 to 20 carats, with price tags starting at $1 million and topping out at $5 million. The highest estimate was made with the assumption that the diamond is flawless.

All the experts described the emerald-cut diamond as "classic," a shape that was popular back in the 1920s, and is making a comeback. Included on the growing list of celebrities opting for emerald-cut diamonds are Amal Clooney and Beyoncé.

Because the emerald-cut diamond is so spectacular, Rodriguez chose to go with a very simple setting, one that wouldn't detract from the stone itself. The pundits also said that the elongated shape of the emerald-cut diamond accentuates the length of Lopez's fingers.

When Us Weekly asked Lopez for the secret behind the success of her relationship with Rodriguez, she said, "We just support each other. It’s just how we do it.”

Lopez and Rodriguez have been dating for two years and each has two children from previous marriages. All the kids are between the ages of 10 and 14. This will be the fourth time Lopez has tied the knot. Rodriguez has been married one other time.

Credits: Images via Instagram.com/arod.

Music Friday: Miami Gleams Like Aquamarine in Lana Del Rey's 'Salvatore'

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you dreamy songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey takes us on a flyover of Miami and describes the scene as aquamarine in her 2015 love song, "Salvatore."

Del Rey's cinematic singing style is reminiscent of Frank Sinatra, and although the song takes place in contemporary Miami, the artist paints a picture of summer romance in an Old World town on the coast of southern Italy.

March's official birthstone makes a guest appearance in Del Rey's first verse...

She sings, "All the lights in Miami begin to gleam / Ruby, blue and green, neon too / Everything looks better from above, my king / Like aquamarine, oceans blue."

British singer Adele offered the song high praise in an interview with Vogue magazine, stating, "The chorus makes me feel like I'm flying..."

Del Rey told BBC Radio 1, "It's probably the track that's the most different from the other tracks on the record. It has a little bit of an Old World Italian feel. It's kind of a weirder song, but I love the chorus. It's filmic."

"Salvatore" appeared as the 10th track on Del Rey's fourth studio album, Honeymoon. Music critics loved the album and so did the record-buying public. Honeymoon charted in 31 countries, including a #2 spot on the U.S. Billboard 200 and a #3 spot on the Canadian Albums chart.

Born Elizabeth Woolridge Grant in New York City in 1985, Lana Del Rey's stage name is a nod to Lana Turner and the Ford Del Rey sedan. Although she was raised in Upstate New York, she moved back to Manhattan as a 20 year old to pursue a music career. Her preoccupation with glamour, melancholia and post-WWII pop culture placed the young artist in a genre all her own.

Del Rey told Artistdirect, "I wasn't even born in the '50s but I feel like I was there."

Her breakthrough came in 2011 after the viral success of her single "Video Games." Since then, she has produced two #1 albums and earned Grammy and Golden Globe nominations. Her official YouTube channel has netted more than 3.1 billion views. Eleven of her videos have topped 100 million views on Vevo.

Please check out the audio track of Del Rey singing "Salvatore." The lyrics are below if you'd like to sing along...

"Salvatore"
Written by Elizabeth Grant and Lana Del Rey. Performed by Lana Del Rey.

All the lights in Miami begin to gleam
Ruby, blue and green, neon too
Everything looks better from above, my king
Like aquamarine, oceans blue

Ah-ah-ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah-ah
Cacciatore
La-da-da-da-da
La-da-da-da-da
Limousines
Ah-ah-ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah-ah
Ciao amore
La-da-da-da-da
La-da-da-da-da
Soft ice cream

All the lights are sparkling for you it seems
On the downtown scenes, shady blue
Beatboxing and rapping in the summer rain
Like a boss, you sang jazz and blues

Ah-ah-ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah-ah
Cacciatore
La-da-da-da-da
La-da-da-da-da
Limousine
Ah-ah-ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah-ah
Ciao amore
La-da-da-da-da
La-da-da-da-da
Soft ice creams

The summer's wild
And I've been waiting for you all this time
I adore you, can't you see, you're meant for me?
Summer's hot but I've been cold without you
I was so wrong not to tell, Medellín, tangerine dreams

Catch me if you can, working on my tan, Salvatore
Dying by the hand of a foreign man happily
Calling out my name in the summer rain, ciao amore
Salvatore can wait
Now it's time to eat soft ice cream

Ah-ah-ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah-ah
Cacciatore
Ah-ah-ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah-ah
Limousines
La-da-da-da-da
La-da-da-da-da
Ciao amore
La-da-da-da-da
La-da-da-da-da
Soft ice cream

Credit: Image by Georges Biard [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons.