Music Friday: The Band Perry's 'If I Die Young' Saves a Life; Jewelry Mementos Tour With the Group

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you fabulous songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, we present the Country Music Association's 2011 Song of the Year, "If I Die Young," by The Band Perry. Since its release, the song has touched the hearts of countless fans, and in at least one case, saved a life.

Written by lead vocalist Kimberly Perry, "If I Die Young" is an anthem about making the most of whatever time we are given on this Earth. In the last verse, she sings, "So put on your best, boys, and I'll wear my pearls." The song has sold 4.1 million digital copies, and the official video has been viewed more than 67 million times.

Perry recounts the story of an 18-year-old girl who sent the band a necklace with a little ring hanging on it. The hand-written note accompanying the jewelry explained that the author had recently lost her best friend to cancer and that she was going through a very dark period, overcome with grief.

The girl was contemplating suicide, but changed her mind after hearing "If I Die Young" on her car radio on the way home from work.

Referring to the jewelry, the girl wrote, "I’m sending this to you because it's the most important thing I own. This song literally saved my life."

The necklace and ring were gifts that the gravely ill girl had given to her friend just before she died. The surviving friend was so grateful that she decided to pass them along to the band. Perry now carries the mementos on tour as a constant reminder of how her song has really made a difference.

“It’s amazing to me,” Perry said, “how folks are finding so much life in a song about death.”

See the video at the end of this post. The lyrics are below if you'd like to sing along.

"If I Die Young"

Music and lyrics by Kimberly Perry. Performed by The Band Perry.

If I die young, bury me in satin
Lay me down on a bed of roses
Sink me in the river at dawn
Send me away with the words of a love song

Lord make me a rainbow, I'll shine down on my mother
She'll know I'm safe with you when she stands under my colors
Oh, and life ain't always what you think it ought to be, no
Ain't even gray, but she buries her baby

The sharp knife of a short life
Well, I've had just enough time

If I die young, bury me in satin
Lay me down on a bed of roses
Sink me in the river at dawn
Send me away with the words of a love song

The sharp knife of a short life
Well, I've had just enough time

And I'll be wearing white when I come into your kingdom
I'm as green as the ring on my little cold finger
I've never known the loving of a man
But it sure felt nice when he was holding my hand

There's a boy here in town, says he'll love me forever
Who would have thought forever could be severed by
The sharp knife of a short life
Well, I've had just enough time

So put on your best, boys, and I'll wear my pearls
What I never did is done

A penny for my thoughts, oh no, I'll sell 'em for a dollar
They're worth so much more after I'm a goner
And maybe then you'll hear the words I been singing
Funny, when you're dead how people start listening

If I die young, bury me in satin
Lay me down on a bed of roses
Sink me in the river at dawn
Send me away with the words of a love song

The ballad of a dove
Go with peace and love
Gather up your tears, keep 'em in your pocket
Save them for a time when you're really gonna need them, oh

The sharp knife of a short life
Well, I've had just enough time
So put on your best, boys
And I'll wear my pearls

Secret Revealed: Actress Christina Ricci Is Engaged and She's Sporting a Classic Three-Stone Ring

Actress Christina Ricci confirmed on Friday that she's engaged to boyfriend James Heerdegen — a little secret that she's been keeping under wraps since October. Ricci finally admitted to Us Weekly magazine that the three-stone bauble she's been sporting on her left hand for the past few months is, in fact, an engagement ring.

Unlike other A-listers who have been favoring mammoth engagement diamonds, the petite Ricci (standing 5' 1") is rocking a style that's classic, romantic, understated and teeming with symbolism. 

The three-stone style is the ultimate symbol of commitment, expressing enduring love like no other piece of jewelry. The romantic three-stone theme — one stone representing the past, one the present and one the future — proclaims that the couple's love will withstand the test of time. 

The paparazzi was able to capture a glimpse of her ring, which seems to feature a larger round diamond flanked by smaller round diamonds on either side. The setting is yellow gold.

Glamour weddings columnist Kim Fusaro wrote on Tuesday how much she is coveting Ricci's ring: "I know my favorite style of engagement ring changes weekly, but my current fave is a classic three-stone ring, like Christina Ricci's engagement ring, which offers a lot of bling without a lot of business, if that makes sense."

Ricci, who is best known for her work in the Addams Family and Mermaids, met Heerdegen, a camera technician, on the set of ABC's former TV series Pan-Am. They had been dating since February of 2012.

The 32-year-old actress was previously engaged to actor Owen Benjamin, but they split up in June 2009. Heerdegen has worked on more than 40 film and television productions, including Sex and the City 2, Baby Mama and What Happens in Vegas.

NFL Star J.J. Watt Makes a Little Girl's Wish Come True; 'Proposes' to His Biggest Fan With a Ring Pop

Breanna is not your average six-year-old football fan. She's in love with Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt. Sadly, her grandmother told her that she had to be at least 25 years old to marry the 6 ft 5 in, 295 lb NFL superstar, and this is where our story takes an interesting turn.

Breanna’s mom, Lindsey Bartay, documented the sad story of her lovelorn daughter with a YouTube video that was intended for family and friends. In the video, a tearful Breanna says, "I just want to marry J.J. Watt." The video, which was posted January 12, quickly went viral with views topping 719,000. One of those viewers was — you guessed it — J.J. Watt.

Last week, the man who is arguably the NFL's hardest hitter revealed his sensitive side when he reached out on Twitter to find the little girl...

"Does anyone happen to know this cute little girl?" Watt tweeted. "We have to find her and turn those tears into a smile." 

Within two days, Watt had found little Breanna's family and arranged for a special tour of Houston's Reliant Stadium. Breanna was told that Watt was not available to participate in the tour, but actually he was waiting with a surprise "marriage proposal."

Bartay said the tour started at the gift shop, but when they entered the next room, Watt was down on one knee with a Ring Pop in his hand. He proposed to his biggest fan and asked if she would be his pretend wife for the day. Little Breanna said, "Yes."

He gave her a bouquet of flowers and put on his own candy ring. He presented Breanna with a white version of his #99 jersey, which was floor length on her, to serve as her wedding gown.

Breanna's story reminds us of the Coca-Cola commercial starring the Pittsburgh Steelers' legendary tough guy, Mean Joe Greene. In the commercial, a shy little boy in the stadium tunnel greets Greene after the big game.

The boy offers the battered Greene his bottle of Coca-Cola. The defensive tackle accepts the Coke and reciprocates by tossing his game-worn jersey to the boy. The 1979 television commercial "Hey Kid, Catch!" is widely considered to be one of the best of all time.

Meticulous Designs of Peter Carl Fabergé on Display at Houston's Museum of Natural Science

The awe-inspiring work of Peter Carl Fabergé, the Russian jeweler whose creativity and craftsmanship fundamentally changed the way society looked at jewelry more than 100 years ago, is now on display at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Fabergé is most famous for the miniature jeweled Easter eggs that his House of Fabergé crafted for the Russian royal family from 1885 to 1917.

Nobel Ice Egg was commissioned by Swedish industrialist Emanuel Nobel between 1913 and 1914. It is made of platinum and enamel, and is sometimes referred to as the "Snowflake Egg."  

The exhibit, titled Faberge: A Brilliant Vision, opened this past Friday and comprises 350 items on long-term loan from the privately held McFerrin Collection.

Among the highlights of the exhibit are two newly acquired Fabergé eggs — the breathtaking Diamond Trellis Imperial Egg and one of the celebrated Kelch Eggs. The exhibition also includes past favorites, such as the beautifully etched Nobel Ice Egg and the dazzling Empress Josephine Tiara.

Carl Fabergé crafted this diamond tiara circa 1890. The briolette diamonds were a gift from Tsar Alexander I of Russia to Empress Josephine of France after her divorce from Napoleon Bonaparte. This piece is one of only a few tiaras ever made by Fabergé.

The 1902 Kelch Rocaille Egg is made of multicolored gold, platinum, rose-cut diamonds and translucent green enamel. The egg measures 4.75 inches by 5.5 inches.

Fabergé biographer Bruce Schulman wrote that Fabergé's eggs changed the way Europe’s upper class viewed jewelry. "Until that time, many felt the value of jewelry was intrinsic, based upon the precious metals and stones,” said Schulman. “Fabergé felt that the artistic creativity and fine craftsmanship of jewelry made it art that transcended bullion value.”

The Diamond Trellis Egg was crafted for Alexander III of Russia, who presented it to his wife, the Empress Maria Feodorovna. The egg is carved from pale green jadeite and is enclosed in a lattice of rose-cut diamonds.

During its heyday, the House of Fabergé employed more than 500 craftsmen in workshops in both Moscow and St. Petersburg, and boasted sales branches in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kiev, Odessa and London.

Purple Amethyst: Nature's Mistake Turns Into Something Spectacular

Quartz in its purest form is colorless, but nature has mysterious ways of making a mistake into something spectacular. When a few iron atoms find their way into the chemical structure of quartz, the result is amethyst — a deep, rich purple variety that's been coveted by royalty since the days of Ancient Egypt. 

Russia's Catherine the Great was said to be fond of fine amethysts, and they're even featured among the British Crown Jewels. Today, amethyst is the traditional birthstone for the month of February and a favorite among jewelry lovers the world over.

In today's post, we highlight amethysts and amethyst jewelry from the National Gem Collection on display at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.

Photo credit: Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Designed during the Edwardian Period (1901-1915) when jewelry featured lacy filigree designs that were light and delicate to mimic the clothing at the time, this brooch features a magnificent 96-carat heart-shaped amethyst surrounded by diamonds. The mounting has a platinum top and yellow gold undercarriage. The filigree top echoes the heart shape with pierced work incorporating a fleur-de-lis motif. 

This modified rectangular-cut amethyst from Brazil weighs 109.66 carats. Photo credit: Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.

Unusual rectangular banded amethyst/clear quartz weighs 15.87 carats. Photo credit: Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.