Music Friday: 'He's Making Diamonds Out of Us,' Sings Hawk Nelson's Frontman Jonathan Steingard

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you uplifting tunes with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, Canadian Christian rock band Hawk Nelson performs "Diamonds," a spiritual song about how the pressure of dealing with life's many challenges often makes us stronger in the end.

Lead vocalist Jonathan Steingard sings, "He's making diamonds, diamonds / Making diamonds out of dust / He is refining in his timing / He's making diamonds out of us."

Steingard explained to PraiseFestBC.com that "Diamonds" explores the real relationship between real-world people and a real-world God.

“Diamonds talks about how God can use pressure, struggle, trials and stress in our life and make it into something stronger and more beautiful,” Steingard noted. “Just in the same way that diamonds are made. It’s a big comfort to me when I’m in those times to remember that hardships have a purpose and aren’t without meaning. A diamond is strong. It reflects light. It doesn’t have any light of its own, but it reflects the light that it receives.”

"Diamonds" is the title track from Hawk Nelson's seventh studio album. Released in March of 2015, the album Diamonds reached #12 on the Billboard U.S. Christian Albums chart.

Originating in Peterborough, Ontario, Hawk Nelson entered the Christian music scene in the early 2000s and was voted "Favorite New Artist" by CCM Magazine's readers in February of 2006. Current band members include Steingard (guitar, lead vocals), Daniel Biro (bass guitar, backing vocals), Micah Kuiper (guitar) and David Niacaris (drums).

Please check out Hawk Nelson's inspiring and high-energy performance of "Diamonds." The lyrics are below if you'd like to sing along.

"Diamonds"
Written by Jason Ingram, Matthew Bronleewe and Jon Steingard. Performed by Hawk Nelson.

Here and now I'm in the fire,
In above my head
Oh, oh, oh oh, oh, oh
Being held under the pressure,
Don't know what'll be left
Oh, oh, oh oh, oh, oh
But it's here in the ashes
I'm finding treasure

He's making diamonds, diamonds
Making diamonds out of dust
He is refining in his timing
He's making diamonds out of us

I'll surrender to the power
Of being crushed by love
Oh, oh, oh oh, oh, oh
Till the beauty that was hidden
Isn't covered up
Oh, oh, oh oh, oh, oh
Oh it's not what I hoped for
It's something much better

He's making diamonds, diamonds
Making diamonds out of dust
He is refining in his timing
He's making diamonds out of us

Oh the joy of the lord
It will be my strength
When the pressure is on
He's making diamonds

Oh the joy of the lord
It will be my strength
When the pressure is on
He's making diamonds

Oh the joy of the lord
It will be my strength
When the pressure is on
He's making, he's making

He's making diamonds, diamonds
Making us rise up from the dust
He is refining in his timing
He's making diamonds out of dust
Making diamonds out of us

I won't be afraid to shine
I won't be afraid to shine
I won't be afraid to shine
Cause he's making diamonds out of dust
Making diamonds out of us

Credit: Photo via HawkNelson.com, Screen capture via YouTube.com.

Jumbotron Marriage Proposal at Yankee Stadium Turns Into a Near Disaster When This Happens

For more than five months, Andrew Fox had been planning the perfect marriage proposal for girlfriend Heather Terwilliger. She had always dreamed of attending a baseball game at Yankee Stadium, so the romantic boyfriend arranged for the proposal to be announced on the Jumbotron during the 5th inning of Tuesday's contest between the Yankees and the Red Sox.

Fox had the ring box firmly in hand when Terwilliger saw the message flash up on the centerfield screen. TV cameras from ESPN and the YES Network were broadcasting the scene live — as was the Jumbotron at the stadium — when Fox got down on one knee and opened the box to deliver his proposal. With the world watching, the ring flew out, bounced once — and vanished from sight.

Broadcasters for the sports networks could hardly believe the scene that was playing out in front of tens of thousands of fans at the stadium and millions of viewers at home. TV producers found the action so compelling that they cut away from the game frequently to watch the drama in the stands.

Visibly distraught, Fox stood helplessly — holding an empty ring box and scratching his head — as hundreds of Yankee fans in his section assisted with the search, checking around their seats for the missing ring.

"I literally started crying because I thought it was lost,” the New Castle, Pa., native told ESPN.

“I was scared, too,” Terwilliger told the YES Network. “I didn’t know what to think. It was all a shock, it came so quickly."

After a about five heart-thumping minutes, Terwilliger, who is native of Fredonia, N.Y., finally spotted the ring in the cuff of her blue jeans. The crowd went wild as if the home team had just hit a home run in the bottom of the 9th.

The broadcasters also cheered for the couple. “Way better than the game,” one announcer admitted.

Without missing a beat, the 29-year-old future groom resumed his well intended proposal. Terwilliger said, "Yes," and the couple embraced.

The near-calamity made instant celebrities out of the young couple, neither of whom had ever attended a Yankees game before Tuesday. They were interviewed by Major League Baseball, the YES Network, ESPN and CBS News.

Fox explained to Major League Baseball that he had seen stadium proposals in the movies but wasn't sure if it was possible in real life. He Googled "Yankees marriage proposals" and found that the Yankees actually offer scoreboard proposals for $100 over the ticket price.

Fox and Terwilliger now have an awesome story to tell their future grandkids about their Yankee Stadium engagement.

“I’m shocked, but I’m feeling in love,” Terwilliger said.

Check out the video here...

Credits: Screen captures via YouTube.com.

Gresso's Black Diamond-Encrusted iPhone 7 Carries a Price Tag of $500,000

Luxury brand Gresso is famous for its blinged-out smartphones and accessories. But, on Monday, the Swiss company took smartphone opulence to a new level with the introduction of its iPhone 7 Black Diamond collection. Handsets are priced at $500,000 apiece.

Crafted from top-of-the-line grade-5 titanium, the sleek phones feature a back panel studded with 1,450 black diamonds weighing 102 carats. The camera frame and stylish Gresso logo are fabricated from 10 grams of 18-karat gold.

Even the wireless AirPod accessory is blinged out. The black headphone device is sprinkled with a swoop of 30 black diamonds weighing 2 carats.

It takes Gresso craftsmen 18 hours to assemble a single iPhone 7 Black Diamond handset.

PhoneArena.com reported that the production of the $500,000 phones will be limited to just three. At the more affordable price point of $2,500, Gresso will be offering a limited edition of 999 phones featuring 18-karat gold inlay with diamond accents.

The Gresso announcement comes hot on the heels of Apple's September 7 unveiling of its next-generation smartphones. Apple CEO Tim Cook demonstrated a sleek iPhone 7 in new shades of black. The phones have improved cameras and are water resistant.

Gresso's choice of black diamond embellishments works well with the new black iPhones, and if you were wondering how black diamonds become that way, read on...

Black diamonds are different than other colored diamonds because they do not get their color from impurities — such as nitrogen, hydrogen or boron — in the diamond’s chemical makeup. Instead, black diamonds owe their color (or lack of color) to numerous dark inclusions (mostly graphite). Their opaqueness is caused by a “polycrystalline” structure that inhibits the reflection of light.

Credits: Images by Gresso via PhoneArena.com.

London's Natural History Museum to Host the World's Largest Faceted Vivid Blue Topaz

In a little more than two weeks, visitors to London's Natural History Museum will get their first peek at the world's largest faceted vivid blue topaz — The Ostro Stone. Weighing an astounding 9,831 carats (4.33 pounds), the oval gem will be closely guarded and housed in a 7-foot-tall toughened glass case.

Despite the fanfare connected with its newest high-profile exhibit, the Natural History Museum has yet to publish a photo of the blue gemstone.
In fact, The Ostro Stone has been largely under the radar during the 30 years since the Swiss Blue gem was discovered in the Brazilian rainforest by explorer and holocaust survivor Max Ostro.
Ostro founded Ostro Minerals in 1960, and his company grew to be a leading producer of blue topaz. Ostro is credited with refining the nomenclature used to describe the various colors of topaz. For instance, he coined the term "London Blue" and "Swiss Blue." The founder passed away in 2010.
His son, Maurice Ostro, who is also a precious gem expert and entrepreneur, generously donated his dad's amazing find to the Natural History Museum. The gem is said to be worth "millions of dollars."

While we wait until its unveiling to get a look at The Ostro Stone, we can show you the previous vivid blue topaz record-holder — "Marbella."
Weighing 8,225 carats, the grapefruit-sized specimen sourced in Minas Gerais, Brazil, was purchased by the Spanish government in 2000 and was intended to be added to its world renowned Programa Royal Collections museum.
Marbella was originally called “Topaz Azul” (Blue Topaz, in Spanish), but was renamed “Marbella” in 2010 upon the special request of the town of Marbella’s Mayoress and local dignitaries, who believed a local exhibit of the gem could help raise the international profile of the Costa del Sol destination, boost the economy and encourage cultural development.
Marbella has been billed as "the world’s largest faceted blue topaz," but The Ostro Stone clearly outweighs it by 1,606 carats. Both stones are ovals and both stones boast a vivid blue color. The only significant difference, we're guessing, is their size.
London's Natural History Museum will officially unveil The Ostro Stone during a special reception on October 6.
Credits: London's Natural History Museum by Chiugoran (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons; Marbella topaz (uncredited).

Iggy Azalea Shows Off 7 Diamond Eternity Bands From New Beau French Montana

Only one month into their whirlwind romance, Aussie singer Iggy Azalea is wearing seven diamond eternity bands from American rapper French Montana.

The couple started dating in August, but already the diamonds are symbolizing that Montana is looking to take the relationship to the next level. In fact, in an Instagram post aimed at her 9.3 million followers, the 26-year-old Azalea seemed to lightheartedly joke that the 31-year-old Montana is looking to "pressure her" into a permanent commitment.

"He told me pressure makes diamonds," she captioned an Instagram selfie showing seven diamond eternity rings sharing three fingers on her right hand.

The post included tags for Montana and jeweler Iceman Nick, along with heart and diamond emojis. Azalea's Instagram fans seemed to be impressed, as the post earned 112,000 Likes.

From the photo, it appears as if the eternity bands represent a fun assortment of metal colors and diamond shapes.

Her middle finger pairs a band of baguette-cut diamonds in yellow gold with a ring with slightly larger round diamonds set in white gold.

The ring finger has a stack of three bands. At the top, a unique shared-prong round diamond ring in white gold is stacked on top of two yellow gold bands, one featuring round diamonds in a four-prong setting and the other with smaller round diamonds in a similar setting.

Her pinky lights up with two bands of prong-set, princess-cut diamonds in white gold.

Azalea bounced back quickly from her failed engagement to professional basketball player Nick Young. The couple had been engaged June 1, 2015. The $500,000 engagement ring featured an 8.15-carat fancy intense yellow cushion-cut diamond embellished by a halo of white diamonds. The couple broke up this past June.

The “Fancy” singer is expected to release her second studio album, Digital Distortion, later in 2016, while Montana is set to release his second studio album MC4 on October 14.

Credits: Photos via Instagram/thenewclassic.