Gold Bars Are Designed to Snap Apart Into 1-Gram Wafers; Could This Be the Future of Currency?

You may be looking at a clever novelty item or the future of world currencies. A Swiss refining company is set to introduce to the U.S. market a smartly designed 50-gram gold bar that can be easily broken into 1-gram segments, much like a chocolate bar. At today's gold price, the complete bar has a value of $2,922 and the 1-gram segments are worth about $58.45 each.

Gold has always been the go-to safe haven for investors in times of high inflation, currency devaluation and other economic disturbances. Recently, it's been on a tear.

Worldwide sales of gold bars and gold coins rose to $77 billion in 2011, compared to only $3.5 billion in 2002, according the World Gold Council. Meanwhile, the value of gold has increased about five-fold since 2001.

Thanks to the famous Swiss refiner, Valcambi, the average consumer can own the "Combibar," a portable, easily segmented gold bar that could be gifted to family members or potentially used as currency in times of crisis.

“The rich are buying standard bars or have deposits of physical gold. People that have less money are buying up to 100 grams,” Valcambi CEO Michael Mesaric told Reuters. “But for many people a pure investment product is no longer enough. They want to be able to do something with the precious metal.”

The company already has had success in the Swiss, Austrian and German markets, as skittish consumers worry about the future of the Euro. Now the company is looking to expand its reach to the North American, Indian and Japanese markets. In Japan, the company will sell platinum and palladium versions of the Combibar.

Tire Chain Installer Searches Snowy Highway Shoulder in Darkness to Recover Stranger's Lost Wedding Band

On a snowy and desolate stretch of Interstate 80 halfway between Sacramento, Calif., and Reno, Nev., a tire chain installer named Douglas Benedetti — in a remarkable display of selflessness — searched for a stranger's lost wedding band in the middle of the night.

Even though his chances of success were slim to none, Benedetti was determined to recover the beloved piece of jewelry — on foot, at 1 a.m., in the freezing cold. Incredibly, he succeeded. Now he just needs to find the owner.

Benedetti's amazing story was highlighted in a televised report by the CBS-TV affiliate in Sacramento.

The tire chain installer had been working the eastbound side of Interstate 80 late on Friday night when he noticed a man jogging up and down the shoulder with his cell phone light aimed at the snow. The panicked man told Benedetti that he lost his wedding ring while putting chains on his tires.

“His hands got cold and it slipped off. He went back looking for it and had no luck,” Benedetti told CBS13. “He was disappointed, definitely disappointed.”

After the man and his wife drove off toward Reno in their white SUV, Benedetti decided he was going to help. Once his shift was over at 1 a.m., he was then free to help the stranger. He started his mission on foot, shining a powerful LED light into the snow on the side of the road. The man had given Benedetti a general idea of where the ring was lost and told him what was inscribed in the band: “Lisa 5th June 2010.”

Despite the long odds, Benedetti was completely confident that he would succeed. "I told myself, 'I’m gonna find that ring; I’m gonna find it tonight,' and I did.”

Benedetti said that he picked up a lot of chain links along the route. "There was a lot of trash, but when I saw it, it was perfectly round and sunk in the snow. I scooped it up and once I saw Lisa’s name on it, I knew I had a wedding band for sure. I had the right ring,” said Benedetti.

Unfortunately, Benedetti didn't get the couple's name or phone number, so now he's hoping that the power of the media and social networks will help bring the owner and the ring back together.

"A sentimental piece [of jewelry] for a special time in their life, and they [didn't] need to have it lost on the side of the highway,” said Benedetti. “I was able to do for him what he couldn’t do for himself, and I’d like to give it back to him; and he, in return, can pay it forward to someone else later in life.”

Flash Mob Elf, With Assist From Santa, Proposes to Surprised Dancer During Mall Performance

When Natessa Renee Bybee agreed to participate in a flash mob performance at the Gateway Mall in Salt Lake City last Saturday she hadn't a clue that an elf named Johnny Murdock was about to give her the surprise of her life.

Both Bybee and Murdock had lead roles in the flash mob that delighted holiday shoppers and included a guest appearance by Santa Claus. As the mob is about 2 minutes and 15 seconds through its choreographed interpretation of Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You," Murdock, dressed in full elf regalia, bounds down the expansive mall stairway and joins Bybee on the lower level.

Without missing a beat, Murdock gets down on one knee and proposes to Bybee with an engagement ring as a jubilant Santa and 40 dance team members share their special moment. Bybee says, "Yes." Murdock hugs her and lifts her off the ground in a romantic spin. And then the couple quickly regroups to finish the number with the rest of their team.

Murdock told The Huffington Post that he was trying to think of a unique way to propose to Bybee when he remembered the flash mob he and his video production company were organizing. "It hit me that this would be the most epic way to propose," Murdock said.

"Her reaction was priceless," Murdock told The Huffington Post. "She had absolutely zero idea. Then she said it was hard for her to stay in step for the rest of the dance."

Enjoy the romantic holiday flash mob proposal below, and be sure to pay special attention to Bybee's priceless reaction at 2:26.

Music Friday: Celebrate the Holiday Spirit With Straight No Chaser's '12 Days of Christmas'

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you the coolest songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title. With Christmas only four days away, we bring you one of YouTube's most popular Christmas song videos of all time — Straight No Chaser's witty and masterfully arranged rendition of "The 12 Days of Christmas." To date, the original version of SNC's "12 Days" has been viewed 15.6 million times.

As everyone knows, the jewelry reference in this holiday favorite comes on the fifth day of Christmas when "my true love gave to me, five golden rings."

Originated on the campus of Indiana University in 1996 as a men's a cappella group, Straight No Chaser is truly a grassroots, internet-inspired phenomenon. The 10-man group owes its worldwide fame to a video of its 1998 performance that was first posted to YouTube eight years later. That video went viral and caught the attention of Atlantic Records CEO Craig Kallman, who signed the group to a five-album deal in 2008.

Straight No Chaser is currently touring the Northeast, with appearances in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut.

SNC's "12 Days" performance includes clever touches, such as the sampling of other songs, such as “I Have a Little Dreidel” and Toto’s “Africa.” The three-minute video is guaranteed to brighten your holidays and bring a smile to your face. Enjoy!

Paying It Forward, Jayden Style: Anonymous Donor Drops Engagement Ring in Salvation Army Kettle in Honor of Stricken Boy

Salvation Army organizers in Midland, Mich., were stunned on Dec. 4 when one of their famous red kettles yielded a marquise-cut diamond engagement ring worth about $2,000. The anonymous donor attached a note that simply read: "Paying It Forward, Jayden Style. God Bless."

The donation was in honor of second-grader Jayden Lamb, who lost his battle with cancer on Nov. 27. Lamb would have been nine on Dec. 12.

After Jayden's death, the Lamb family decided to honor their special boy by doing random acts of kindness. This would evolve rapidly into a movement called "Pay It Forward, Jayden Style."

"The movement started the day before his funeral when we were just getting coffee," the Lambs told Yahoo! Shine. "Not knowing the person behind us, we still felt compelled to buy their coffee. It was just a small way for us to say thank you."

After their son's funeral on Dec. 1, the Lambs went to a local Walmart and asked to pay off a layaway bill. "We told the worker that it had to be for toys and that it had to be in honor of Jayden," they wrote on Facebook. "It is just so amazing to be able to do something for someone else."

The Lambs are now encouraging others to follow their lead and document their good deeds on a special Facebook page, "Keep On Truckin' Team Jayden."  The Facebook page has more than 30,000 LIKES and features an active stream of heart-warming first-hand accounts of kindness and generosity from all over the country.

Here's an example of a Facebook post by someone who was inspired by the Lambs' initiative: "I finally got the chance to 'Pay It Forward, Jayden Style,'" wrote Troy-Ciera Rill. "I was sitting in the drive-thru at McDonald's and bought a $10 gift card for the two guys in the car behind me. The [server] at the drive-thru was touched and I loved seeing the expression on their faces when she gave it to them! It's such an inspiration that your son has put on people. God Bless & Merry Christmas!"

Then, on Dec. 4, the Lambs learned of the engagement ring that was donated to the Salvation Army in honor of their son. In a joint statement to Yahoo! Shine, the Lambs said, "We were shocked and amazed that someone would do this. We know that this ring, at one point, meant everything to someone. The fact that they would pay it forward with the ring is so amazing."

Nearly 2,000 people celebrated Jayden's 9th birthday on Dec. 12 with a Chinese lantern ceremony, during which they released hundreds of floating lights to "send a birthday party to Heaven."

"Even though we are still grieving with the loss of Jayden, this is helping us cope and heal," the Lambs added. "We feel so blessed that our community and those outside of our community would do something in Jayden's honor. To have his name and his legacy still be carried out even after he has gained his angel wings in Heaven is so amazing to us."

The Lambs hope that the outpouring of love, kindness and generosity will continue long after the holidays are over.

Here's an Insider's Look at the $315 Billion Gold Reserve at The Bank of England

The Bank of England recently provided a rare and spectacular glimpse at one of the largest gold reserves in the world. Secured within the bank's fortress-like walls are a series of vault rooms containing $315 billion in gold bars, stacked four high like children's blocks on open shelves. In total, the bank is responsible for securing 4,600 tons, or 9.2 million pounds, of gold.

The eccentric and wild-haired University of Nottingham professor Martyn Poliakoff, who hosts a science web site, periodicvideos.com, and a YouTube channel called The Periodic Table of Videos, was thrilled with his opportunity to report from inside the gold vault.

In a YouTube video that has accumulated nearly two million views since December 7, Poliakoff ticks off a bunch of neat facts about the bars secured by The Bank of England:

• Every bar has a registration number. When a bar is bought or sold, it rarely leaves the vault. The bar's registration number is simply transferred from the seller's account to the buyer's account.
• Each bar of .999 gold weighs about 28 pounds and is worth about $748,000.
• The oldest bar in the vault dates back to 1916.
• Gold is non-reactive and does not tarnish, so the gold from nearly a hundred years ago looks as good as it did the day it entered the vault.
• Every shelf in the vault contains about a ton of gold, worth $53.4 million.
• The Bank of England stores $315 billion in gold on behalf of the U.K. and other countries.

• All the gold that has been mined from the beginning of time could be stacked in a cube 60 feet square. This is the size of two volleyball courts side by side.

See Poliakoff's full report in the video below... (A commercial may appear before the video. You should be able to skip it after five seconds).

Engagement Ring Lost at Holidazzle Parade Bounces Into Good Samaritan's Shopping Bag; Search Is On for Rightful Owner

Ryan Richards and his family were enjoying the colorful floats of Minneapolis' Holidazzle parade this past Thursday evening when they were distracted by a nearby couple desperately searching the pavement in the darkness for the engagement ring that had just slipped from the woman's finger.

"All of a sudden we see them running around looking for something," Richards told a reporter from the local NBC affiliate, KARE.

According to Richards, the woman's ring flew off her finger as she removed her glove. She heard the "ting" of it hitting the ground, but couldn't find the precious keepsake, despite the assistance provided by Richards and other Holidazzle enthusiasts who helped with the search and provided light from their cell phones.

The engagement ring had strangely vanished. Or did it?

When Richards and his family returned home, they were unpacking a big bag of children's clothing when the missing ring emerged with a pair of new snow pants. Richards surmised that when the engagement ring hit the pavement, it bounced about five feet into his clothing bag.

The Richards now have the ring, but they've yet to find the rightful owners. The story of the good samaritans and the crazy, bouncing engagement ring has gotten nice exposure in the Minneapolis media, and Richards even contacted the local police department and posted an ad on Craigslist. So far, the woman who lost the ring has yet to come forward.

For obvious reasons, Richards chose not to post a photo of the ring. He said that the engagement ring has a number of very distinctive characteristics, so the rightful owner will have little trouble confirming it's hers.

American Idol Kelly Clarkson Tweets Engagement Announcement and Pic of Fabulous Canary Yellow Diamond Ring

Christmas is a little over a week away and the celebrity engagements keep on coming. The latest A-lister to become betrothed during the holiday season is chart-topping singer-songwriter Kelly Clarkson, who tweeted the announcement to her 2.4 million Twitter followers.

On Saturday, the first-ever "American Idol" winner shared the news that she was officially engaged to her boyfriend of nearly one year, Brandon Blackstock. "I'M ENGAGED!!!!! I wanted y'all to know!! Happiest night of my life last night! I am so lucky and am with the greatest man ever :)," tweeted the singer.

She followed up the first tweet with a second about her new engagement ring designed by Beverly Hills-based jeweler to the stars, Johnathon Arndt. "It's a yellow canary diamond with diamonds around it and Brandon designed it with Johnathon Arndt! They did an amazing job!" she wrote, adding, "I can't wait to make Brandon's ring with Johnathon as well!"

Clarkson didn't announce the carat size of the center diamond, but it appears to be radiant-cut and larger than 5 carats. It is surrounding by round white diamonds and is set against a diamond band in white metal, most likely platinum.

The Beverly Hills designer made headlines with another canary yellow diamond in January of 2010 when he was credited as the designer of former "American Idol" Carrie Underwood's engagement ring, which featured a round flawless yellow diamond center stone framed with smaller white diamonds, and accented with a diamond band. That ring was estimated at 5-plus carats and valued at approximately $150,000.

Clarkson's new fiancé has a music-industry pedigree. He is the son of Clarkson's manager, Narvel Blackstock, and the stepson of country music star Reba McEntire. Clarkson told People magazine that her love for Blackstock has had an unusual influence on her songwriting: "I'm trying to write a tough song and it is coming out like butterflies and rainbows," she said.

Music Friday: Owl City Performs 'Gold' at the Jingle Ball in St. Paul, Minn.

Welcome to Music Friday when we feature songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, Owl City—featuring singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Adam Young—performs its new single "Gold" at the Jingle Ball in St. Paul, Minn. In the song's catchy electronica-laced refrain, Young declares, "You're starting to shine 'cause what you got is go-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-old. I know, you're gold."

Formed in Young's parents' basement in Owatonna, Minn., in 2007, Owl City earned commercial success and global acclaim two years later with its quadruple-platinum hit "Fireflies."  The single, "Gold," is from the group's fourth studio album, The Midsummer Station, which was released in August of this year.

In the video below, Young is supported with backing vocals by keyboardist Breanne Düren during a performance at the Jingle Ball in his home state on December 4. The lyrics to "Gold" are below if you'd like to sing along.

"Gold"

Written by Adam Young. Performed by Owl City, featuring Adam Young with Breanne Düren.

Stand on up and take a bow
There's something there, and it's showing
There's no need to look around
You're the best we've got going

Shout out to the dreams you'll chase
Shout out to the hearts you'll break
Nothing's gonna stop you now
I guess you better be goin'

You'll never be far, I'm keeping you near
Inside of my heart, you're here
Go on, it's gotta be time
You're starting to shine

'Cause what you got is
Go-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-old,
I know, You're gold.
O-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-oh,
I know, I know
I don't need the stars in the night,
I found my treasure.
All I need is you by my side
So shine forever
Go-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-old,
I know, You're gold.
O-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-oh,
I know, you're gold.

It won't take you long to get
When you feel like you're soarin'
So write it all and don't forget
You gotta tell us your story

Shout out to the friends back home
Shout out to hearts you've known
You gave 'em nothing but the best
Yeah, and you can tell 'em your story

You'll never be far, I'm keeping you near
Inside of my heart, you're here
Go on, it's gotta be time
You're starting to shine

'Cause what you got is
Go-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-old,
I know, you're gold.
O-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-oh,
I know, I know
I don't need the stars in the night,
I've found my treasure.
All I need is you by my side
So shine forever
Go-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-old,
I know, you're gold.
O-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-oh,
I know, you're gold.

'Cause what you got is
Go-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-old,
I know, you're gold.
O-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-oh,
I know, I know
I don't need the stars in the night,
I've found my treasure.
All I need is you by my side
So shine forever
Go-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-old,
I know, you're gold.
O-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-oh,
I know, you're gold.

You're gold
You're gold
You're gold

Hefner's Runaway Bride Plans to Wed Playboy Mogul on New Year's Eve, Tweets Pics of Her Engagement Ring

The world’s most romantic octogenarian – Playboy mogul Hugh Hefner – is set to get married on New Year’s Eve to his on-again, off-again girlfriend Crystal Harris, according to a report by TMZ. On Monday, Harris tweeted photos of her new diamond engagement ring, and from what we can tell – it’s a beauty.

"My beautiful ring from Hugh Hefner," Harris tweeted, along with a three-photo collage of her new bling.

The platinum engagement ring features an impressive round center diamond in a six-prong setting, complemented by smaller diamonds covering all the visible faces of the dimensional band.

The 26-year-old model may be having feelings of déjà-vu because she was engaged to the 86-year-old Hefner two years ago. She accepted his proposal on Christmas Eve 2010, but turned into a runaway bride five days before their scheduled wedding in June of 2011.

Her first engagement ring from Hefner featured a three-carat round diamond set in platinum, and had a similar look to her current ring. The difference is that the first ring had a simpler diamond band. At the time, it was reported to be worth $90,000.

Harris kept the ring after the breakup, along with a Bentley car that Hefner had gifted her. The couple wasn’t apart for very long, as they reconciled in the summer of 2012.

Exceedingly Rare Reddish-Orange Diamond Fetches $2.09 Million at Christie’s Auction

Colored diamonds are extraordinarily rare, and the rarest color of all is red. With its final lot on Monday night, Christie's New York set a world record when a 3.15-carat fancy reddish-orange diamond sold for $2.09 million, or $666,200 per carat, at its Magnificent Jewels auction. The final price soared above the pre-sale high estimate of $1.2 million. Christie's reported that this exceptional diamond was the largest of this color ever offered at auction.

How rare are natural fancy red diamonds? Gemologists believe that there are fewer than 100 in existence and most of these weigh less than one-half carat. Only three are larger than 5 carats. The 3.15-carat specimen sold by Christie's is a member of a very elite club.

Unlike other colored diamonds – such as blue diamonds that get their color from the addition of boron in their chemical composition, or green diamonds that are impacted by natural radiation – red diamonds are not colored by impurities. Rather, their color is the result of minute defects in the crystal lattice.

The top lot of the day at Christie's was a rectangular-cut, D-color 50.01-carat diamond ring by Graff, which sold for $8.37 million. The massive center diamond is flanked on either side by a tapered baguette-cut diamond and mounted in platinum. Interestingly, the original designer, Laurence Graff, purchased the ring.

“This is the third time that I have owned this beautiful diamond and I am as thrilled today as I was the first time. Diamonds of this exceptional caliber have a life and legacy that carries on beyond us all,” noted Graff after the sale. “This is one of the finest D-color diamonds in the world and I am delighted to have it back again.”

Graff purchased the same ring for $4.2 million at a Christie's auction in 2005, according to Rahul Kadakia, head of jewelry for Christie's Americas and Switzerland. The near doubling of the price over seven years demonstrates "the increasing strength and stability of the global diamond market," he said.

Trillion-Dollar Platinum Coins Could Solve the U.S. Debt-Ceiling Crisis

Believe it or not, some economists and legal experts are floating an outlandish idea that could be the magic bullet in solving the U.S. government's impending debt-ceiling crisis. Instead of wrangling with Congress on a $2 trillion debt-limit extension and risking a default with global implications, President Barack Obama could order the U.S. Mint to create two platinum coins, each worth $1 trillion.

Those coins would be deposited at the Federal Reserve, which would then move this money into the accounts of the U.S. Treasury. And just like that, the Treasury would have an extra $2 trillion to pay off its obligations for the next two years — without needing to issue new debt.

Crazy? You betcha. Legal? Seems so.

Thanks to a strange loophole in the current law, the U.S. Treasury is allowed to mint as many platinum coins as it wants and can assign them whatever value it pleases. In this case, it would be producing two coins at $1 trillion each.

Armed with two simple — but very pricey — coins, the President would be able to diffuse what could be a messy political showdown in the Congress.

Jack Balkin, a professor at Yale Law School, explained that there’s a limit to how much paper money the United States can circulate at any one time, and there are rules that limit how many gold, silver and copper coins the Treasury can mint. But there’s no such limit when it comes to platinum coins.

“I like it,” Joseph Gagnon of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, told The Washington Post. “There’s nothing that’s obviously economically problematic about it.”

Critics of the idea say that the original law was intended to set rules regarding commemorative coins, not to finance the operations of the government. They expect that the result of a trillion-dollar-coin strategy would be a blowback of complicated litigation.

If nothing else, Congress may be forced to compromise on a deal, knowing that the platinum coins are available as the President's fallback measure. Stay tuned.

Pantone Names Emerald as Its 2013 Color of the Year

Defined as a lively, radiant, lush green that's sophisticated and luxurious, jewel-tone "Emerald" was named as Pantone’s 2013 Color of the Year. Pantone, the global authority on color, said "Emerald 17-5641" enhances our sense of well-being, balance and harmony.

Since antiquity, this luminous, magnificent hue has been the color of beauty and new life in many cultures and religions, according to Pantone. It’s also the color of growth, renewal, healing and prosperity. No other color conveys regeneration more than green.

Emerald replaces the 2012 Color of the Year – Tangerine Tango – which is a deep orange with red overtones. That color symbolized the energy boost we needed "to recharge and move forward.”

Appropriate for every occasion, emerald’s classic elegance makes for striking and irresistible women’s formal and everyday wear, as well as jewelry accessories. The prevalence of green has been steadily rising for several seasons, especially in the fashion and couture markets.

First Lady Michelle Obama donned an emerald green, full-skirted sleeveless dress by Azaara for her appearance on "The View" in late September. And Heidi Klum stole the show in a form-fitting emerald green ensemble at a "Project Runway" 10th Anniversary event in June.

“Green is the most abundant hue in nature – the human eye sees more green than any other color in the spectrum,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. “As it has throughout history, multifaceted emerald continues to sparkle and fascinate. This powerful and universally appealing tone translates easily to both fashion and home interiors.”

How does Pantone choose its colors each year? According to Pantone, it is a long and very thoughtful process. To arrive at the selection, Pantone literally combs the world looking for color influences. This can include the entertainment industry, films that are in production, traveling art collections, hot new artists, popular travel destinations and other socio-economic conditions.

Past colors include the following:

• Pantone 17-1463 Tangerine Tango (2012)
• Pantone 18-2120 Honeysuckle (2011)
• Pantone 15-5519 Turquoise (2010)
• Pantone 14-0848 Mimosa (2009)
• Pantone 18-3943 Blue Iris (2008)
• Pantone 19-1557 Chili Pepper (2007)

Music Friday: Kylie Minogue Asks 'Santa Baby' for 'One Little Thing, A Ring' in This Classic Holiday Tune

It's Music Friday, and once again we bring you famous songs that have jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or the title. Today's offering is "Santa Baby," a holiday-season favorite since it was introduced by the legendary Eartha Kitt in 1953.

In the song, a young lady with an affection for the finer things in life tells Santa what's on her Christmas list and why he needs to "hurry down the chimney tonight." Besides a fur coat, a light blue convertible and a yacht, she'd like the deed to a platinum mine and decorations bought at Tiffany's. At the end of the song, she says that she "forgot to mention one little thing, a ring (I don't mean on the phone)."

Covered numerous times by artists as diverse as Madonna, Taylor Swift and Miss Piggy, "Santa Baby" never seems to get old. Even Michael Bublé covered the song for his 2011 holiday album, Christmas. Some of the lyrics were changed to give a more masculine feel, such as referring to Santa as "Buddy" instead of "Baby."

One of our favorite versions of "Santa Baby" is this 2010 live performance by the Aussie songstress Kylie Minogue at Rockefeller Plaza in New York City. The lyrics are below if you'd like to sing along.

"Santa Baby"

Written by Joan Javits and Philip Springer. Performed by Kylie Minogue.

Santa baby, slip a sable under the tree, for me
I've been an awful good girl, Santa baby
So hurry down the chimney tonight

Santa baby, a '54 convertible, too, light blue
Well I'll wait up for you, dear, Santa baby
So hurry down the chimney tonight, yeah

Think of all the fun I've missed
Think of all the boys I haven't kissed
Next year I could be just as good
If you check off my Christmas list

Santa baby, I want a yacht and really that's not a lot
I've been an angel all year, Santa baby
So hurry down the chimney tonight

Santa, honey, there's one more thing I really do need, the deed
To a platinum mine, Santa honey
So hurry down the chimney tonight

Come and trim my Christmas tree
With some decorations bought at Tiffany's
I really do believe in you
Let's see if you believe in me

Santa baby, forgot to mention one little thing
A ring
And I don't mean on the phone, Santa baby
So hurry down the chimney tonight

Sapphire-and-Diamond Pacifier Worth $1.5 Million Offered to the 'Expecting' Royal Couple

On the same day that Buckingham Palace confirmed that Kate Middleton and husband Prince William were expecting their first child, the royal couple already had been offered their first baby shower gift – a $1.5 million sapphire-and-diamond pacifier in the classic Princess Diana style. The Natural Sapphire Company, the firm behind the $700,000 gem-encrusted iPad Mini cover, made the generous offer.

As a gesture of gratitude to the royal couple for "reintroducing the world to the beauty of sapphires," The Natural Sapphire Company offered this special gift to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Two years ago, Prince William famously proposed to Middleton using the sapphire engagement ring that belonged to his mother, Princess Diana.

The pacifier's design has a core of small blue sapphires surrounded by 8 carats of round brilliant-cut diamonds. The company is recommending a variation in the design that would replace the smaller sapphires with a single 69.35-carat sapphire called The Titan's Eye. A company spokesman said that the large sapphire, which has a price tag of $1.38 million, would be the most "baby proof."

The royal pacifier project is still in its formative design stages, as the artisans at the Natural Sapphire Company come up with contingencies based on whether Kate and William bring a prince or princess into the world. It's also not clear if the offer will be doubled if Middleton delivers twins. 

The company believes the sapphire-and-diamond pacifier will connect mother and baby “not only by blood, but by fashion sense as well.”

“After the engagement of Prince William to Kate Middleton helped us sell thousands of the Princess Diana-style rings, we felt we should have something to honor this wonderful occasion as well," said Evan Guttman, CIO of The Natural Sapphire Company. "That’s why we want to offer this to the royal couple as the ultimate baby shower present."

 

The Natural Sapphire Company is famous for its over-the-top product offerings. This past fall, the company generated a media buzz by revealing gem-encrusted cases for the new iPad Mini and iPhone 5.

Famous Tiffany Diamond Gets a New Setting and Goes on a World Tour; Next Stop: Dubai

To mark the 175th anniversary of its iconic jewelry brand, Tiffany reset its famous 128.54-carat Tiffany Diamond in a spectacular diamond-and-platinum necklace and sent it on a world tour. The legendary canary yellow stone will be taking center stage at high-profile events in Dubai, Tokyo and Beijing, before returning home to the Tiffany flagship store on Fifth Avenue in New York City.

The Tiffany Diamond, one of the largest yellow diamonds ever discovered, is now showcased in a diamond-and-platinum necklace that is truly a work of art. The Tiffany Diamond is mounted in a openwork of "sunrays," and the necklace features 481 sparkling stones totaling 120 carats.

Famously, the Tiffany Diamond was worn by actress Audrey Hepburn in publicity stills to promote the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany's. Hepburn is one of only two women to have ever worn the Tiffany Diamond.

The Tiffany Diamond weighed 287.42 carats in the rough when it was discovered in South Africa's Kimberley mine in 1877. The rough stone was purchased the following year by Tiffany founder Charles Lewis Tiffany.

Tiffany’s chief gemologist, Dr. George Frederick Kunz, supervised the cutting of the diamond into a cushion-shape brilliant weighing 128.54 carats with an unprecedented 82 facets – 24 more facets than the traditional 58-facet brilliant cut, according to Tiffany's official website. The stone is just over an inch wide and seven-eighths of an inch from top to bottom. Cut to enhance its radiant color rather than size, the diamond sparkles as if lit by an inner flame.

 

The Tiffany Diamond has been set on four previous occasions. Two of those designs are credited to Tiffany designer Jean Schlumberger, who set the stone in a "Ribbon Rosette" necklace to promote Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and remounted it in a piece called "Bird on a Rock" in 1995 for a retrospective at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.

Travelers to Dubai will be able to see the Tiffany Diamond in its newest setting at the company’s Dubai Mall flagship boutique from December 13 through January 9, 2013.

Precious Cargo Recovered From 200-Year-Old Shipwreck Revealed for the First Time

Spanish officials put on display for the first time Friday a tiny sampling of the 16 tons of treasure – including more than a half million silver coins – recovered from a Spanish galleon that was sunk by the British in 1804 near the coast of Portugal. The bounty is estimated to be worth $500 million.

A block of encrusted silver coins from the shipwreck of an 1804 galleon

The precious cargo carried by the doomed Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes had been the subject of a five-year ownership dispute between the Spanish government and the U.S.-based recovery company, Odyssey Marine Exploration. The professional treasure hunters located the ship on the ocean floor and used a remote-controlled submersible to bring 574,553 silver coins, 212 gold coins and other artifacts back to the surface.

One of the 574,553 silver coins recovered

The Spanish government successfully argued in U.S. District Court that it had the rights to claim the recovered bounty, contending that it never relinquished ownership of the ship or its contents. The coins apparently were on their way to Spain after being minted in the Andes region of what are now the South American countries of Bolivia, Chile and Peru.

The court rejected Odyssey's argument that since it made the discovery, it was entitled to all or most of the treasure. The company claimed that it spent $2.6 million salvaging, transporting, storing and conserving the coins and artifacts. Under the ruling, Odyssey is unlikely to receive any compensation from the Spanish government.

Gold tobacco box

Among the items put on display by Spanish officials on Friday were 12 individual silver coins, a block of encrusted silver coins stuck together after centuries underwater, two gold tobacco boxes and a bronze pulley, according to a report by the Associated Press. The treasures recovered from the Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes will be seen at museums across Spain starting next year.

Although the value of the recovery was pegged at $500 million, Spanish officials said  the treasure is considered part of the country's cultural heritage and, therefore, can never be sold under Spanish law.

"It's invaluable," Elisa de Cabo, the Culture Ministry's deputy director of national heritage, told the Associated Press. "How would you put a price on the Mona Lisa?"

Tanzanite Celebrates 10 Years as One of December's Official Birthstones

Late in 2002, the intoxicating blue-violet gemstone, tanzanite, joined its brethren turquoise and blue zircon as the official birthstones for the month of December. The addition of tanzanite exactly 10 years ago marked the first time the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) revised its list since 1912.

The AGTA's action was in response to consumers' affection for a relatively new, rare and stunningly beautiful gemstone that was first discovered by Maasai tribesmen in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro in 1967.

Tiffany & Co. was the first retailer to market the new gemstone, but had some issues with what it should be called. Its official gemological name was “blue zoisite,” but Tiffany’s marketing team argued that it sounded too much like “blue suicide.” Clearly, they had to come up with something better. Finally, they settled on “tanzanite” to honor the gem’s country of origin – Tanzania – the only place on the earth where these gems are found.

Due to its single source and limited supply, tanzanite dealers say that the gemstone is at least one thousand times rarer than a diamond.

The most prized tanzanite color is a deep, luxurious blue with purple overtones. The gem also comes in a wide range of hues, from light blues or lilacs, to deep indigos and violets. Tanzanite exhibits an unusual gemological property called pleochroism, which means it appears to be different colors when observed at different angles.

The "Queen of Kilimanjaro" is one of the world's largest faceted tanzanites at 242 carats. Set in a tiara and accented with 803 tsavorite garnets and 913 diamonds, the stunning gem is part of the private collection of Michael Scott, the first CEO of Apple Computer.