Corinne Bailey Rae Delivers an Uplifting Performance of Her 2006 Hit, 'Put Your Records On'

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you sensational songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title. As we say goodbye to August, we bring you Corinne Bailey Rae’s quintessential summer song, “Put Your Records On,” a tune that urges the listener to “let your hair down” and references the September birthstone — sapphire.

The 34-year-old British singer-songwriter and guitarist scored a huge hit with “Put Your Records On” in 2006 when it was released as the second single from her debut album, Corinne Bailey Rae. The song charted in 11 countries, sold nearly two million copies and was nominated at the 2007 Grammy Awards for "Record of the Year" and "Song of the Year."

In the song about casting away worries, taking time to relax and embracing one's inner beauty, Rae sings the catchy phrase, “Sapphire and faded jeans, I hope you get your dreams. Just go ahead, let your hair down.” Although the “sapphire” in this line could be referring to a particular shade of Levi’s 525 straight leg jeans, we’re still happy to feature this song in our jewelry blog because Rae’s performance is awesome and her message is so uplifting.

Incidentally, the song's opening line, "Three little birds sat on my window. And they tell me I don't need to worry," is a reference to Bob Marley & The Wailers’ 1977 hit song, “Three Little Birds.”

Since its release in 2006, “Put Your Records On” has become a go-to tune for reality TV singing competition contestants. Among those covering the song were Antonella Barba (American Idol), Alisha Bennett (The X Factor), Carly Rae Jepsen (Canadian Idol), Megan Joy (American Idol), Katie Stevens (American Idol), Nicolas David (The Voice), Danielle Bradbery (The Voice) and Caroline Glaser (The Voice).

Check out Rae’s live performance of “Put Your Records On” at the end of this post. The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…

“Put Your Records On”
Written by Corinne Bailey Rae, John Beck and Steve Chrisanthou. Performed by Corinne Bailey Rae.

Three little birds, sat on my window.
And they told me I don't need to worry.
Summer came like cinnamon
So sweet,
Little girls double-dutch on the concrete.

Maybe sometimes, we've got it wrong, but it's alright
The more things seem to change, the more they stay the same
Oh, don't you hesitate.

Girl, put your records on, tell me your favorite song
You go ahead, let your hair down
Sapphire and faded jeans, I hope you get your dreams,
Just go ahead, let your hair down.

You're gonna find yourself somewhere, somehow.

Blue as the sky, sunburnt and lonely,
Sipping tea in the bar by the roadside,
(just relax, just relax)
Don't you let those other boys fool you,
Got to love that afro hair do.

Maybe sometimes, we feel afraid, but it's alright
The more you stay the same, the more they seem to change.
Don't you think it's strange?

Girl, put your records on, tell me your favorite song
You go ahead, let your hair down
Sapphire and faded jeans, I hope you get your dreams,
Just go ahead, let your hair down.

You're gonna find yourself somewhere, somehow.

'Twas more than I could take, pity for pity's sake
Some nights kept me awake, I thought that I was stronger
When you gonna realize, that you don't even have to try any longer?
Do what you want to.

Girl, put your records on, tell me your favorite song
You go ahead, let your hair down
Sapphire and faded jeans, I hope you get your dreams,
Just go ahead, let your hair down.

Girl, put your records on, tell me your favorite song
You go ahead, let your hair down
Sapphire and faded jeans, I hope you get your dreams,
Just go ahead, let your hair down.

Oh, you're gonna find yourself somewhere, somehow

Actress Teresa Palmer Shows Off Her Unusual Rose Quartz Engagement Ring, Says It’s ‘Exactly Me’

Exclaiming that the rose quartz center stone in her engagement ring is “exactly me,” Aussie actress Teresa Palmer took to Instagram to show off her unconventional new bling from actor Mark Webber.

“Just got my beautiful ring,” the 27-year-old star of Warm Bodies wrote. “Ethical diamonds in a rose gold band, with a rose quartz crystal — stone of the heart. Exactly me.”

Although rose quartz is very rarely seen in bridal jewelry, the symbolism behind the 33-year-old Webber’s gemstone choice is undeniable. Rose quartz is known as the “Love Stone,” and many people believe it is a high-energy mineral that has the power to shower a relationship in unconditional love.

Webber’s proposal took place in early August on the set of the couple’s new movie, The Ever After. At the time of the proposal, the rose quartz ring was still being sized, so Webber cleverly improvised by using the sterling silver ring that his character gives to her character in the movie.

Palmer accepted the faux ring happily and wore the studio prop until her actual engagement ring was ready. Palmer’s rose quartz ring finally arrived this past Saturday, three weeks after the proposal.

Despite its beauty and romantic symbolism, few jewelers would recommend rose quartz as a center stone for an engagement ring. With a rating of "7" on the Mohs hardness scale, rose quartz could have trouble withstanding the wear and tear of daily use. Over time it could get scratched and look dull. Diamonds, by comparison, get a top Mohs rating of 10, while rubies and sapphires have a hardness of 9.

Palmer and Webber met on Twitter last September and had been dating ever since. “I looked him up after I saw the trailer for his film End of Love and realized we had so much in common,” Palmer told an Aussie publication. “There were lots of emails going back and forth... they were like old-fashioned love letters in a way.”

Ultra-Rare 10-Carat Fancy Blue Diamond Hits the Market With a Price Tag of $9.8 Million

Last week we reported on a 7.59-carat flawless blue diamond that’s expected to break the price-per-carat auction record at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in October. Now we’ve learned that another — even larger — ultra-rare fancy blue diamond is on the market. Turning heads at M.S. Rau Antiques in New Orleans is the 10.06-carat radiant-cut “Royal Blue.”

While Sotheby’s star attraction is expected to fetch $19 million, the M.S. Rau headliner is being offered at a comparatively modest $9.8 million.

The sky-colored Royal Blue is set in a beautiful platinum and rose gold ring, which is adorned with 96 vivid pink diamonds weighing 1.02 carats and 62 white diamonds weighing .97 carats.

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) gave the Royal Blue a VVS1 clarity grade, which means it has very, very slight inclusions. This grade is one step down on the clarity scale from “IF,” or internally flawless. M.S. Rau is billing the Royal Blue as the largest natural fancy blue diamond on the market today.

On its website, M.S. Rau explained that blue diamonds are among the rarest and most desirable colored diamonds in the world today. Blue diamonds get their color from a rare natural phenomenon when a little bit of boron gets trapped in the carbon crystal structure. These gems often fetch 10 to 50 times more than comparable colorless diamonds. In recent history, less than 0.3% of all colored diamonds graded by the GIA were predominantly blue.

One Direction's Zayn Malik Proposes to Little Mix's Perrie Edwards With Stunning 3-Stone Engagement Ring

One Direction’s Zayn Malik proposed to Little Mix’s Perrie Edwards last Sunday with a dazzling three-stone diamond engagement ring. Celebrity web sites, bloggers and the Twittersphere gave a unanimous thumbs-up to the romantic and symbolic ring, describing it as “amazing,” “huge” and “blinding.”

The stars must be in perfect alignment for the 20-year-old boy band heartthrob. Not only did Edwards accept his proposal, but a few days later the blonde beauty showed off the ring for the first time at the world premiere of One Direction’s film, “This Is Us.” And to put an exclamation point on a perfect week, One Direction’s “Best Song Ever” earned a coveted Moonman as the “Best Summer Song” at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards.

Malik, who reported asked Edwards’ parents for their blessing before popping the question last Sunday, chose the most symbolic of all the engagement ring styles. The three-stone ring symbolizes the couple’s past, present and future. Most often, this design features a larger round “present” diamond in the center, flanked by two smaller round diamonds, representing the past and the future.

In two-plus years since being “discovered” on Britain’s The X Factor, Malik and One Direction have conquered the music world. They have millions of devoted fans and their debut album went to #1 in 15 countries.

The 20-year-old Edwards and Little Mix were also contestants on The X Factor. In fact, Edwards and Malik met backstage during the show in 2011, the year Little Mix finished first in the singing competition.

An overjoyed Edwards turned to Twitter this past week to flaunt her new engagement ring. The silly photo booth images show Edwards hamming it up with her BFF Katherine Spires.

First Million Digits of Pi Successfully Micro-Engraved on 3-Inch Gold and Sapphire Pendant

On Friday, a Reno, Nev.-based microfabrication firm revealed that it successfully engraved the first million digits of the infinite number pi on a three-inch gold and sapphire pendant. This amazing technology has exciting jewelry applications, and the "pi" accomplishment is neatly timed to align with next year's especially significant Pi Day.

Pi Day is celebrated around the world on March 14, because the first three digits of pi are 3.14. Next year's Pi Day celebration will be particularly memorable as 3/14/15 represent the first five digits of pi, 3.1415.

"We plan to revolutionize jewelry, fashion and art with a light-scattering marriage of technology and meaning," said Jesse Adams, Ph.D., and co-founder of NanoJems.

Imagine wearing the complete text of William Shakespeare’s 154 sonnets (that’s 17,700 words) micro-engraved on a quarter-inch crystal and mounted in a heart locket? Or perhaps you’d like to own a pendant featuring two micro-engraved crystals containing the 90,000 words of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit.

Using a patented micro-engraving technology, NanoJems makes it all possible. The company can print characters so small that 10 could fit neatly across the width of a human hair. The engravings can be read using a high-powered microscope.

What’s more, the technology also allows for image printing. The company can produce Instagram and Facebook mashups that combine up to 30 images and up to 20,000 words into custom light-projectable collectibles. NanoJems explained that a micro-engraved mashup could be projected using an iPhone or Android flashlight or other light source.

The company described its creative “canvas” as either uniform crystals or solid, thin slices of pure sapphire, which can be intricately patterned with gold and platinum and other precious metals and films. It also can be covered with translucent layer of diamond.

NanoJems is attempting to generate new funding with a Kickstarter campaign that ends at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, August 27. As of Monday morning, NanoJems had received pledges of $9,796 toward its goal of $16,800.