Music Friday: Colbie Caillat Says Falling in Love Is Like Sitting on a 'Goldmine'

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you fun songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today we shine our spotlight on Colbie Caillat, who sings about falling in love in her 2016 release, “Goldmine.”

Composed by Caillat and three collaborators, “Goldmine” captures the elation of finding the perfect soulmate. Billboard magazine described “Goldmine” as “a sunny number that’s liable to have you whistling along in glee.”

Caillat sings, “Fly me back to the moon where you took me / The very first time that you kissed me / In the sweet starlight of your endless eyes when you lit this fire / Feels like we’re sitting on top of a goldmine / Flame so bright that it won’t die / In a billion years it’ll still be here ’cause our love is a goldmine / Yeah, our love is a goldmine.”

Caillat told Billboard magazine that “Goldmine” was originally penned by Taylor Berrett, a writer that she had never met. The demo was passed along to her by a mutual friend, Kara DioGuardi.

“Within three minutes of hearing [Berrett’s] idea, I was singing it on repeat,” she told Billboard. “I ran upstairs and played it for Jason Reeves [her regular writing partner) and we instantly started writing to it. We called Kara on Skype so the three of us could write it together. She was at her cozy house in Maine and we were at our beach house in California. Within minutes we finished the song and started recording it right away.”

“Goldmine” was released as the lead single of Caillat’s 2016 album, The Malibu Sessions.

A native of Malibu, CA, the 38-year-old Caillat earned national attention in 2008 when she recorded “Lucky,” a duet with Jason Mraz. The song scored a Grammy in the “Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals” category. Caillat has sold more than six million albums and 10 million singles worldwide.

According to her official website, Caillat just finished recording her yet-to-be-titled seventh studio album in Nashville and released its first single, “Worth It,” on April 21, 2023.

Throughout her career, she has been an avowed spokesperson and supporter for ASPCA, the Surfrider Foundation, Save The Music, Farm Sanctuary and The Humane Society of the United States.

Trivia: Caillat’s road to stardom was hardly paved with gold. The artist auditioned for American Idol twice and was rejected both times. Caillat rose to fame through the social networking website, Myspace.

Please check out the uplifting video of Caillat’s live performance of “Goldmine” at Paste Studios in New York City. The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…

“Goldmine”
Written by Taylor Berrett, Kara Elizabeth DioGuardi, Jason Bradford Reeves and Colbie Caillat. Performed by Colbie Caillat.

If all I had was a dollar and your bright smile
I’d have a dollar more than I would need to get by
‘Cause I’m a billionaire if you count every sunrise
Waking by your side and every good night
If all you had was the way that I love you
You’d have more honey than the honey bees in June
I’ll keep you laughing, keep you smiling, keep your dreams true
Long as I have you, nothing we can’t do

Fly me back to the moon where you took me
The very first time that you kissed me
In the sweet starlight of your endless eyes when you lit this fire
Feels like we’re sitting on top of a goldmine
Flame so bright that it won’t die
In a billion years it’ll still be here ’cause our love is a goldmine
Yeah, our love is a goldmine

If everything we ever owned disappeared today
We’d build a castle in the sand somewhere far away
Don’t need no money, no TV, don’t need no microwave
Just the ocean waves and the love we make

Fly me back to the moon where you took me
The very first time that you kissed me
In the sweet starlight of your endless eyes when you lit this fire
Feels like we’re sitting on top of a goldmine
Flame so bright that it won’t die
In a billion years it’ll still be here ’cause our love is a goldmine

We’ll be rich in wrinkles, old and gray
When the rising tide sweeps us away

Until then fly me back to the moon where you took me
The very first time that you kissed me
In the sweet starlight of your endless eyes when you lit this fire
Feels like we’re sitting on top of a goldmine
Flame so bright that it won’t die
In a billion years it’ll still be here ’cause our love is a goldmine

Feels like we’re sitting on top of a goldmine
Flame so bright that it won’t die
In a billion years it’ll still be here cause our love is a goldmine
Yeah, our love is a goldmine

Credit: Image by Martijn van de Streek from The Netherlands, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

English Teenager's 'Trumpington Cross' Offers Glimpse Into Early Christianity

The lavish garnet and gold "Trumpington Cross" that was found with the remains of a 16-year-old girl who lived during the 7th century signals that she was from an elite family and one of England's earliest Christian converts.

In 597 AD, Pope Gregory had dispatched St. Augustine to England on a mission to convert the pagan Anglo-Saxon kings.

The noble class was first to adopt the new religion, so archaeologists from the University of Cambridge believe the teenager discovered by the Cambridge Archaeological Unit at Trumpington Meadows on Cambridge’s southern limits was likely a member of the aristocracy, if not royalty.

One of only five Trumpington Crosses known the exist, the teenager's ornate pendant measures 3.5 cm (1.4 in) in diameter and was inlaid with 63 garnets. The gold loops on the back of each arm of the cross indicates that it may have been worn as a brooch, sewn onto to the front of a garment.

Delicate gold and garnet pins connected by a gold chain were also found near the teenager's neck, a sign that the pins probably secured a long veil to an outer garment of fine linen. Also found near the body were an iron knife, glass beads and a chain which would have hung off her belt.

The body was found in a reclined position on a wooden-framed bed, which is an extremely rare occurrence. Only 18 bed burials have been documented in the UK. Bed burials are more common in Germany, and this is where scientists have been able to add another layer of intrigue to the young woman's story.

Brand new “you are what you eat” isotopic analysis of the young woman’s bones and teeth conducted by bioarchaeologists Dr. Sam Leggett and Dr. Alice Rose, and archaeologist Dr. Emma Brownlee, during PhD research at the University of Cambridge revealed that she moved to England from somewhere near the Alps, perhaps southern Germany, sometime after she turned seven years old.

Leggett and Rose also found that once the girl had arrived in England, the proportion of protein in her diet decreased by a small, but significant, amount. This change occurred close to the end of her young life, showing that the period between her migration and burial near Cambridge was tragically short. Previous analysis indicated that the young woman had suffered from illness, but her cause of death remains unknown.

“So it seems that she was part of an elite group of women who probably traveled from mainland Europe, most likely Germany, in the 7th century, but they remain a bit of a mystery," said Leggett. "Were they political brides or perhaps brides of Christ? The fact that her diet changed once she arrived in England suggests that her lifestyle may have changed quite significantly.”

Forensic artist Hew Morrison brought the girl's likeness to life using measurements of the her skull and tissue depth data for Caucasian females. Without DNA analysis, Morrison could not be sure of her precise eye and hair color, but the image generated offers a strong indication of her appearance shortly before she died.

The image and artifacts from the mysterious woman’s burial will be unveiled today in a major new exhibition at Cambridge’s Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (MAA). "Beneath Our Feet: Archaeology of the Cambridge Region" will run from June 21, 2023, to April 14, 2024.

“The story of this young woman goes to the very heart of what our exhibition is all about – new research making visible the lives of people at pivotal moments of Cambridgeshire’s history," noted Dr. Jody Joy, the exhibition’s co-curator. "MAA holds one of Britain’s most important collections of Early Medieval archaeology and the Trumpington bed burial is so important. It looks like it still has much more to teach us.”

Credits: The Trumpington Cross and excavation photos by University of Cambridge Archaeological Unit. Facial reconstruction by forensic artist Hew Morrison ©2023.

KC Chiefs' Next-Level Super Bowl Championship Ring Doubles As a Pendant

The Kansas City Chiefs' next-level Super Bowl Championship ring features 629 diamonds, 35 rubies, surprising hidden elements and a twist-off top that doubles as a pendant.

The innovative jewelry was revealed on Thursday during a red carpet ring ceremony at Union Station in Kansas City, where players, coaches, staff and ownership received their rewards for a spectacular season that culminated in a 38-35 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII.

Brimming with symbolism and cutting-edge features, the rings contain 609 round diamonds, 16 baguette diamonds, four marquise diamonds and 35 custom-cut genuine rubies totaling approximately 16.10 carats.

Crafted in 10-karat white and yellow gold, the ring top prominently features the Chiefs logo created from 16 genuine custom-cut rubies set in yellow gold. These rubies represent the number of total division titles won by the franchise during a history that dates all the way back to its first title in 1962, when the team was known as the Dallas Texans.

The arrowhead portion of the logo is set with 50 diamonds, symbolic of the 50th anniversary of the opening of GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Set behind the logo are three Lombardi Trophies, each of which is set with a marquise-shaped diamond at the top.

When combined, the baguette diamonds in the base of the Trophies total 16, a nod to the 16 different players who scored touchdowns in the Chiefs 2022 regular season. The red backdrop is created from 19 custom-cut genuine rubies and is encircled by a row of 38 diamonds. The encircling diamonds represent the 38 points the Chiefs scored in Super Bowl LVII against the Philadelphia Eagles.

The title of WORLD CHAMPIONS accents the left and right side of the ring top. A row of 54 diamonds is set along the perimeter of the ring top in yellow gold, symbolizing the combined 54-point deficits that the Chiefs overcame in its last two Super Bowl postseason runs. On three occasions the Chiefs trailed by 10 points and once by 24 points.

Ring manufacturer and designer Jostens described how the ring top can be completely removed and converted into a pendant via a hidden bail that seamlessly folds into the ring top..

Once the top is removed, the main part of the ring reveals a miniature version of the Arrowhead stadium rendered in yellow gold, and centered by a green field set with Lombardi Trophies. The number of trophies in this hidden element range from one to three, depending on the length of the recipient’s time with the organization.

Encircling the stadium is a quote from Chiefs Founder Lamar Hunt that reads, “ARROWHEAD STADIUM IS MY FAVORITE PLACE ON EARTH.”

The backside of the removable pendant displays the championship year-dates the recipient has spent with the Chiefs organization as well as the 50th anniversary logo and an image of the Lombardi Trophy. The bail is set with eight diamonds.

The left side of the ring displays the player’s name in raised yellow gold. A row of 13 diamonds separates the name from the lower panel, where the player's jersey number is set with diamonds in white gold. A sketch of the iconic GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium serves as the background in contrasting yellow gold. The Chiefs three championship year-dates are also shown on flags within the stadium, while the date of Super Bowl LVII can be seen on the scoreboard.

The right side of the ring is a tribute to the team's fanbase, CHIEFS KINGDOM, also rendered in raised yellow gold. A row of 10 diamonds separates the two panels and represents the Chiefs’ active streak of 10 consecutive winning seasons. This feat is the longest active stretch in the NFL. The Super Bowl LVII logo is brought to life in white gold and set with a singular marquise-shaped diamond. Below the logo is the final score and team abbreviations from Super Bowl LVII. The right side is completed with a special detail – individual Lombardi Trophy-shaped confetti fills the background behind the logo.

The palm side honors Hunt, by featuring his initials on a yellow gold football. The interior of the ring has Coach Andy Reid’s motto “EDGE” immortalized in bold red as a reminder of the theme of the championship-winning season. Also included is the recipient’s unique signature above the scores and team abbreviations from the 2022 playoffs.

Credits: Photos courtesy of Jostens.

Astronomers Identify White Dwarf Star That's Crystallizing Into a Diamond

An international team of astronomers has discovered a white dwarf star that's in the early stages of crystallizing into a cosmic diamond.

A white dwarf star is the compressed dying remnant of a star much like our Sun. But, once a star uses up its fuel, it shrinks in on itself and starts to cool off. Since it’s made mostly of carbon, the crystallization of the super-dense material produces a diamond.

The team led by Alexander Venner of the University of Southern Queensland in Australia identified a white dwarf star dubbed HD 190412 C in a quadruple star system called HD 190412. Although it's 104 light-years away, the researchers were able to peg the star's temperature at about 11,420 degrees Fahrenheit (6,300 degrees Celsius).

That seems blazing hot, but it's cool for a star.

According to the researchers, the temperature-mass profile of HD 190412 C suggests that the core of the star is starting to transform into a dense "cosmic diamond" made up of crystallized carbon and oxygen. Their findings are detailed in a paper accepted for publication in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Before we too excited about the prospect of a mining mission to a distant star, we need to wrap our heads around just how far the white dwarf is from Earth and how long it will take the crystallization process to complete.

The 104 light-year distance from Earth to white dwarf HD 190412 C is equivalent to 610 trillion miles — or about 95,000 round-trips from Earth to Pluto.

What's more, the researchers did the math and determined that the time for a white dwarf star to transition into a stone-cold diamond would be about a "quadrillion" years (that's a million billion years).

This is not the first time astronomers have speculated about a star made of diamonds.

Back in 2004, researchers at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics identified a white dwarf star 50 light-years away in the constellation Centaurus. The astronomers playfully promoted the star as the galaxy's largest diamond. They even calculated its weight in jewelry-industry terminology, at 10 billion trillion trillion carats.

The astronomers called the white dwarf “Lucy” as a nod to the Beatles’ classic song, “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds.” Officially, the dwarf star is known as “BPM 37093.”

The study of white dwarf stars is extraordinarily challenging because they are extremely difficult to see. Lucy, for example, shines today with only 1/2000th of our Sun's visual brightness.

Lacking visual clues, astronomers have relied on other methods to pinpoint a white dwarf in space. Lucy happens to do an “orbital tango” with a pulsar, or fast-spinning neutron star.

HD 190412 C shares a gravitational bond with its three sister stars in a quadruple star system. Because the other stars in the system have not degraded to white dwarf status, the researchers were able to study them to determine the likely composition of the white dwarf's core.

In the future, white dwarf star hunters will be utilizing the data derived from the European Space Agency's Gaia project, which is surveying nearly two billion cosmic objects to create the most precise three-dimensional map of our galaxy. White dwarf stars may be hard to see, but Gaia has the ability to measure the positions of objects are extremely faint — 400,000 times fainter than can be seen with the naked eye.

Credit: Illustration by Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics / Travis Metcalfe, Christine Pulliam, Ruth Bazinet.

NBA's New-Look Larry O'Brien Trophy Is Twice as Heavy as Its Predecessor

If it seemed like Denver Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke was struggling to keep the Larry O’Brien Trophy aloft during Monday night's post-game awards presentation to the newly crowned NBA champions, there's good reason.

The 24-karat-gold-vermeil-over-silver trophy weighs as much as a three-year-old child.

In 2022, artist Victor Solomon and Tiffany & Co reimagined the trophy, giving it a forward-leaning motif that symbolizes the league "looking ahead to its future." But while the trophy is just slightly taller than its predecessor (25.5 inches vs 24.5 inches), its weight has nearly doubled, from 15.5 to 30 pounds. (By comparison, the mammoth NHL Stanley Cup stands 35 inches tall and weighs 34.5 pounds).

The new design also features a stylish detail, where the 24-karat gold vermeil has been masked to reveal the underlying sterling silver along the "ribs" of the ball and the rope details of the net.

In addition, the disc-shaped base now has two levels instead of one. The top disc lists the first 75 NBA champions. And starting in 2022 and going forward, the name of the NBA champion team will been etched on the bottom disc. Designer Solomon also added a nearly hidden element — the underside of the trophy features the new NBA Finals logo.

Solomon told The Robb Report in 2022 that his favorite feature of the new Larry O’Brien Trophy is the two-part cylindrical base that honors the past while welcoming the future.

“On the surface of the top layer, we’ve etched all previous championship-winning teams and corresponding years, and the second layer has open real estate to etch the next 25 champions — designed to take us up to the 100th anniversary of the league,” he said.

Tiffany reported that the artisans at its hollowware workshop in Cumberland, RI, require more than 65 hours over six months to complete a single NBA championship trophy. Gold and silversmithing techniques, such as engraving, casting and etching are required to complete each piece.

Trophies are permanently possessed by the championship team and generally displayed in the team's arena.

Along with the reimagined Larry O’Brien Trophy, which honors the accomplishments of the NBA’s third commissioner, the league revealed five other trophy designs, which are annually presented to the NBA Finals MVP, the two conference champions, as well as the Eastern and Western Conference MVPs.

The NBA’s relationship with Tiffany & Co. spans 46 years, with the luxury house having designed and manufactured the Larry O’Brien Trophy since 1977, the league’s conference championship trophies since 2001 and the Bill Russell Trophy (NBA Finals MVP) since 2005.

Credits: Screen grab of Stan Kroenke lifting the trophy via Youtube.com/NBA. Photo of trophy grouping courtesy of NBA.