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)