Music Friday: Sting of The Police Sings, ‘The Destiny You Sold Turned Into a Shining Band of Gold’

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you hit songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today we have Sting of The Police singing the beautiful and timeless “Wrapped Around Your Finger” from the blockbuster 1983 album, Synchronicity.

Sting uses jewelry imagery and literary references to describe a controlling relationship in which he's forced to dance with the devil. He sings, “I can see the destiny you sold turned into a shining band of gold.”

But in the end he turns the tables and the chorus changes from "I'll be wrapped around your finger" to "You'll be wrapped around my finger."

The 63-year-old singer/songwriter/musician explained in Lyrics By Sting that, "this song is vaguely alchemical and probably about a friend of mine, a professional psychic and my tutor in tarot, with bits of Doctor Faustus and The Sorcerer's Apprentice thrown into the pot for good measure."

"Wrapped Around Your Finger" was the fourth U.S. single released from Synchronicity, an album that topped the U.S. Billboard 200 chart and sold more than eight million copies. “Wrapped Around Your Finger” ascended to #8 of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.

At the 1984 Grammy Awards, Synchronicity was nominated for five awards — including Album of the Year — and won three.

Even though The Police disbanded in 1986, each member continued with successful solo careers. The group came together for a tour in 2007-2008 to mark The Police’s 30th anniversary.

Please check out the magical live performance of “Wrapped Around Your Finger” from 2008. It features Sting on lead vocals, Steward Copeland on percussion and Andy Summer on guitar. The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…

"Wrapped Around Your Finger"
Written by Sting. Performed by The Police.

You consider me the young apprentice
Caught between the Scylla and Charibdes
Hypnotized by you if I should linger
Staring at the ring around your finger.

I have only come here seeking knowledge,
Things they would not teach me of in college.
I can see the destiny you sold turned into a shining band of gold.

I'll be wrapped around your finger.
I'll be wrapped around your finger
Mephistopheles is not your name
I know what you're up to just the same
I will listen hard to your tuition,
You will see it come to its fruition.
I'll be wrapped around your finger.
I'll be wrapped around your finger.

Devil and the deep blue sea behind me,
Vanish in the air you'll never find me.
I will turn your face to alabaster,
When you'll find your servant is your master.

You'll be wrapped around my finger
You'll be wrapped around my finger
You'll be wrapped around my finger

Image: YouTube screen capture

Lucara Recovers 341.9-Carat Gem-Quality Diamond From Its Prolific Karowe Mine in Botswana

Lucara Diamond Corp. unveiled last week a 341.9-carat gem-quality rough diamond recovered from its prolific Karowe Mine in Botswana — a mine that owns an impressive track record for producing the world’s largest fine diamonds.

The company described the specimen as a Type IIa diamond with exceptional color and clarity. It will be sold along with two other 100-plus-carat Karowe-sourced diamonds.

Type IIa diamonds are considered the purest of all diamonds because they are composed solely of carbon with virtually no trace elements in the crystal lattice.

A rough diamond will typically lose half its weight during the painstaking cutting-and-polishing process. Although it’s still unclear what the final shape and weight of the 341.9-carat rough will be, we’re confident the results will be museum-quality.

“The recovery of this magnificent stone once again confirms the quality of diamonds contained within the Karowe resource,” Lucara president and CEO William Lamb said in a statement.

Last spring, we reported on 13 huge diamonds produced by the Karowe Mine. All were larger than 100 carats and two were larger than 200 carats. Eight of the 13 were classified as gem quality.

Gems of these sizes are extremely rare in nature, but new techniques employed by mining companies have improved recoveries and reduced breakage of exceptionally large stones.

Lucara announced the rollout of X-ray transmission (XRT) imaging technology that will allow the company to increase the effectiveness of its diamond recovery. Because of a diamond’s unique properties, the machines can be calibrated to extract valuable material using X-ray luminescence, atomic density and transparency. New recovery and XRT stations were scheduled to be integrated into Karowe's main treatment plant by the end of this month.

Images courtesy of Lucara.

Rob Dyrdek Pulls Off 'Greatest Stunt Yet,' a Fantastical Marriage Proposal During Aladdin Show at Disney

MTV reality star Rob Dyrdek surprised his girlfriend Bryiana Noelle Flores with a gorgeous diamond ring and a fantastical “Aladdin” marriage proposal during a live show at Disneyland, the happiest place on Earth.

The engagement ring appears to be a colorless 10-carat-plus round solitaire diamond in a simple six-prong setting.

The 40-year-old host of Ridiculousness told his fans on Instagram that his 23-year-old model girlfriend had wanted to see one of her favorite shows, “Aladdin,” at Disney. “Of course, I made that happen,” he wrote on Instagram. “There was a bit of a twist half way through the show that she never expected.”

The clever Dyrdek excused himself to go to the restroom, leaving Flores frustrated that he was about to miss the most exciting part of the show. But a few minutes later, as a parade of exotic animals rolled through the audience, Flores was floored to see Dyrdek riding atop an elaborately adorned elephant in place of Prince Ali.

Well before the show, Dyrdek had worked with the Disney wedding department, along with the Aladdin cast and crew to pull off what he called his “greatest stunt yet.”

The wacky reality show host gave a shout out to the Genie for granting his wishes without hesitation. His first wish was to be part of the show. His second wish was for his girlfriend to come on stage.

“For my final wish, I asked the Genie for something I could give Bryiana that shows her my love for her is a forever love,” Dyrkek posted on Instagram, “and he presented me with the most amazing diamond ring.”

With Flores now at center stage and Dyrdek dismounted from the elephant, the romantic Fantasy Factory star got down on bended knee and asked, “Bryiana Noelle Flores will you marry me?"

Flores said “Yes” to the delight of the Disney audience. Soon after, the couple soon jetted off to the Caribbean to celebrate.

Back on Instagram, Dyrdek publicly professed his admiration for his new fiancée with this romantic declaration: "I am truly humbled by our love. It is truly a divine creation. @bryiana_noelle you are the love of my life and my true destiny. The day I met you I knew I would spend the rest of my life with you. What our relationship has become is a million times better then I knew was even possible. My dreams and your dreams are our dreams. I love you more than words could ever describe and can't wait for you to be my wife.”

Wrote Flores on her own Instagram page, “You truly are my forever @robdyrdek and I’m so proud to call you my fiancé. I can’t wait to see what our future has in store for us, but I know that every bit of it will continue to outdo every previous magical moment.”

No wedding date has been announced.

Credit: Instagram.com/robdyrdek

Moonlighting Police Officer Uses Plumbing and Social Media Skills to Reunite Lost Engagement Ring With Owner

A moonlighting Alabama police officer toiled through the night and into the early morning hours — using his plumbing and social media skills — to reunite a diamond engagement ring with its distraught owner.

Leslie Shannon was washing her hands at Al's Deli and Grill in Birmingham when her fun ladies' night out turned into a house of horrors. The 32-year-old newlywed told AL.com that she usually places her bridal jewelry in her mouth when she uses the sink so she won't forget to put the set back on. But this time the rings fell out of her mouth and spun right down the drain.

"It's a sickening feeling," Shannon said. "I immediately started ripping apart the sink and the pipes. If you can only imagine losing your wedding ring — you can do anything with the adrenalin going through your body."

Before long, the women’s bathroom and the adjoining men’s bathroom were filled with a frenzy of friends and restaurant patrons looking for ways to extricate the precious keepsake from the plumbing system.

They reluctantly gave up after 2½ hours, with Shannon accepting the fate of her cherished ring. It was most likely lost to the Jefferson County sewer system.

What the devastated Shannon didn’t know was that Birmingham police officer Travis Hendrix, who moonlights at Al's, had witnessed the wild bathroom activity and wasn't going to give up without a fight.

"I didn't want it to end there for her,'' Hendrix told the New York Daily News. "I knew deep down she is a very kindhearted, very sweet person. It's just something I had to do."

Hendrix, the restaurant’s manager and another friend pooled their talents, working through the night and into the early morning hours to fish the ring from the bathroom pipes. It was a small miracle, Hendrix told Al.com, when the trio heard the ring jingling somewhere deep down in the pipes.

After the ring was saved, there was one more big task at hand. Hendrix didn’t know Shannon’s full name or how to contact her.

Hendrix remembered that during the restroom commotion the woman’s friends had called her “Leslie.” He also knew that her group paid its tab that night with a credit card.

The officer located a credit card receipt of the woman he believed to be Shannon’s friend, and then trolled various social media to get more info.

"I went through LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram,'' Hendrix said. "I was looking up all types of crazy things."

"I made 20 to 30 calls from 4 a.m. until 5:30 a.m.,'' Hendrix said. "I ended up finding the friend she was with on Instagram."

A few hours later, he was able to get a message to Shannon via her Instagram-connected friend.

When Shannon heard that her ring had been found she immediately started crying. "It was tears of joy,” she said. “I couldn't believe it."

“In the past year when it seems all you hear and see on TV are negative things about police officers,'' Shannon's husband, Ken, wrote to AL.com, "I had a Birmingham police officer go above and beyond his call of duty."

"I'm just glad she's OK now,'' Hendrix said. "I knew how much it meant to her. If it was me, I'd want her to do the same thing. I was just doing my job."

Images: Courtesy of Leslie Shannon, Facebook, Birmingham Police Department

Super-Rare 30.80-Carat Purple Diamond Found in Refuse Pile by South African Tailings Processor

A super-rare 30.80-carat purple diamond with “exquisite gemological characteristics” was salvaged at a diamond tailings plant in Kimberley, South Africa.

Tailings are the residue of the diamond-bearing ore that was processed during the original mining operation.

Oftentimes, the tailings will contain viable gems and this is why Batla Minerals’ Superkolong recovery plant has been set up near DeBeers’ famous Kimberley Mine. The tailings plant recovers 15,000 carats of mostly lower-quality diamonds each month.

However, while sorting through tons of waste material, the company spotted the massive purple rough diamond, which they named the “Kimberley Purple.”

Batla Minerals CEO Jean Retief told NationalJeweler.com that the discovery of the Kimberley Purple is a “clear statement of the (Superkolong’s) viability and its ability to produce something special.”

The Kimberley Purple is currently on display in Antwerp and will be tendered later this month.

Due to their rarity, purple diamonds demand the highest premiums and can yield more than $1 million per carat.

Back in September of 2014, we reported on the “Purple Orchid” diamond, a 3.37-carat fancy intense pinkish-purple diamond that was valued at $4 million, or about $1.18 million per carat.

Israeli diamond company Leibish & Co. introduced the Purple Orchid to the world during the 2014 September Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair.

We pointed out at the time that what makes purple diamonds purple is still a scientific mystery. It’s been established that a yellow diamond gets its dazzling color from minute traces of nitrogen in the diamond’s chemical composition and a blue diamond gets its color from boron. When it comes to purple, scientists suspect hydrogen as the stray element, but they’re not so sure.

Purple diamonds can be found in only three locations worldwide — South Africa, Russia and Brazil. While Russia’s purple diamonds have overtones of blue and Brazil’s purple diamonds tend to have a hint of orange, the purples and intense pinkish purples from South Africa display the absolute best brilliance and purple sparkle, according to Leibish.

This fact bodes well for the Kimberley Purple, a South African stone. We can’t wait to see what cut is in store for this fabulous find.

Images: Kimberley Purple via nationaljeweler.com (uncredited); Purple Orchid courtesy of Leibish & Co.