Music Friday: Diamond Rio's Marty Roe Puts a 'Big Down Payment on That Itty Bitty Diamond Ring'

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you fun songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, Diamond Rio frontman Marty Roe puts a "big down payment on that itty bitty diamond ring” in the memorable 1998 singalong, “Unbelievable.”

In the song written by Jeffrey Steele and Al Anderson, an infatuated Roe is crazy in love with his “unbelievable” new girlfriend. His life had been lonely and boring, but now a magnificent beauty has turned his world upside-down — so much so that he stutters when he tries to speak to her.

Peppered with perfect harmonies, the hard-driving, crossover hit features the unforgettable refrain: “kissable, huggable, lovable, unbelievable.”

The song's jewelry reference includes this line, "Elegant, intelligent, heaven sent, all my money spent / I put a big down payment on that itty bitty diamond ring."

Released as the title track of the group's fifth studio album, "Unbelievable” vaulted to #2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country chart and #1 on Canada's RPM Country Tracks chart. The song also had crossover appeal, as it settled in at #36 on the broader-based U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.

“Unbelievable” was originally written for country star George Jones, according to Songfacts.com. When Jones passed on the song, Diamond Rio scooped it up. Recalled writer Anderson, "I know all of a sudden they liked it and cut it and put it out, and it was the most played Arista record that year."

Founded in Nashville in 1982, Diamond Rio has featured the same six members for the past 33 years. They include Gene Johnson, Jimmy Olander, Brian Prout, Dan Truman, Dana Williams and Roe.

The group was originally named the Grizzly River Boys (a river rafting ride at Opryland USA). Few band members liked the name so it was changed to the Tennessee River Boys. Their moniker would change one final time in 1990 after the group signed a record deal with Arista.

Band member Prout suggested the name Diamond Rio not because he wanted the band to be associated with precious stones or an exotic city in Brazil. The name was, in fact, a nod to the Diamond Reo truck company, which ceased operations in 2013.

The group is a 13-time Grammy nominee and was named the Country Music Association’s Vocal Group of the Year four times in the 1990s.

The band is actively touring with performances scheduled in the U.S. and Canada from February through August 2018.

Please check out the audio track at the end of this post. The lyrics are below because we know you’ll want to sing along…

“Unbelievable”
Written by Jeffrey Steele and Al Anderson. Performed by Diamond Rio.

She’s so kissable, huggable, lovable, unbelievable
She’s a mouthful of anything and everything a man could want
She ain’t typical, she’s unpredictable, she’s available, it’s a miracle
How my heart stumbled into someone so kissable, huggable, lovable, unbelievable

Up ’til now my life has been so lonely and boring
I never thought I would find someone so

Elegant, intelligent, heaven sent, all my money spent
I put a big down payment on that itty bitty diamond ring
She’s so beautiful, it’s indisputable, it’s undeniable, she’s got-to-havable
She’s music to my ears, and makes my heart sing, so kissable, huggable, lovable, unbelievable

There’s so many things
I want to tell her
Like I love her
But every time I talk
I start to stutter

She’s so elegant, intelligent, heaven sent, all my money spent
I put a big down payment on that itty bitty diamond ring
She’s so beautiful, it’s indisputable, it’s undeniable, she’s got-to-havable
She’s music to my ears, and makes my heart sing, kissable, huggable, lovable, unbelievable

Kissable, huggable, lovable, unbelievable
Kissable, huggable, lovable, unbelievable

Credit: Screen capture via YouTube.com.

U.S. Mint Introduces a Trio of Stunning Platinum Coins Depicting Life, Liberty and Happiness

The United States Mint is about to launch a three-year platinum proof coin series depicting the unalienable rights cited in the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence — life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Created by U.S. Mint Artistic Infusion Program (AIP) designer Justin Kunz, obverse designs in this series are not only stunning, but tell a story brimming with symbolism.

For example, the 2018 coin, which has an official release date of January 25, features “Life” personified by Lady Liberty teaching a small child to sow seeds in a field. According to the U.S. Mint's narrative, the sword she carries symbolizes the power to defend life. The furrowed earth represents the forethought and labor required to sustain life. The tree and stream represent nature, suggesting the need to be good stewards of the environment.

The inscriptions "Life" in 2018, "Liberty" in 2019, and "Happiness" in 2020 are likenesses of the actual handwritten words from the Declaration of Independence.

The reverse design for all three coins in the series depicts an eagle in flight with an olive branch in its talons. The design was conceived by U.S. Mint Artistic Infusion Program (AIP) designer Patricia Lucas-Morris.

Each coin in the “Preamble to the Declaration of Independence Platinum Proof Coin Series” weighs one ounce and is struck in 99.95% platinum. The coins have a face value of $100, although the current spot price of platinum is $967 per ounce. Prices for the coins will reflect the prevailing price of the precious metal, plus a modest premium to cover minting, distribution and marketing costs. They measure 32.7mm (1.28 inches) in diameter.

The 2019 obverse design portrays Lady Liberty keeping watch over prairies, lakes and mountains as pioneers head westward. The wild terrain featured in the background evokes the quintessential American spirit to explore new territory and the freedom to pursue new landscapes, new ideas and new ways of life. In the foreground, Lady Liberty’s lips are parted, suggesting freedom of speech. Her torch is an emblem of the guiding light that liberty provides, while the book represents the rule of law.

The 2020 obverse design depicts Lady Liberty harvesting the fruits of her labor with a young girl at play nearby. The overflowing cornucopia she carries is a symbol of the physical, intellectual and spiritual bounty only liberty makes possible. The home, orchard and silo represent American hopes, values and aspirations and bring to a close the narrative told throughout the series.

The U.S. Mint celebrated its 225th anniversary in 2017.

Credits: Images via usmint.gov.

Birthstone of the Month: Extraordinary Jeweled Egg Features World's Largest Polished Garnet

One of the most extraordinary examples of January's official birthstone is this objet d'art featuring what is believed to be the world's largest polished garnet.

Reminiscent of the jeweled eggs designed for the Russian tsars by the House of Fabergé more than 100 years ago, the "Garnet and Diamond Egg Creation" by Idar-Oberstein-based Manfred Wild was carved from an immense rough garnet sourced in Orissa, India. The garnet egg, which possesses the deep red hue of a fine claret wine, weighs 5,696 carats.

The egg opens to reveal a diamond cross mounted in 18-karat yellow gold and platinum, set on both sides with a total of 456 diamonds weighing approximately 8.50 carats. The cross is embellished with a single octahedral brown diamond at its center, weighing approximately 5.74 carats, and five cube-shaped natural yellow diamonds, weighing approximately 10.04 carats.

The cross emerges from a large faceted rock crystal quartz, measuring 125mm in diameter, and beneath the egg is an 18-karat gold "crown of thorns." When turned, the crown opens and closes the egg. The stem beneath features two rows of almandite garnets — 46 in all — with a faceted rock crystal acting as a spacer between.

The entire object is crafted using 403 grams (14.2 ounces) of 18K gold and 30.50 grams (1.07 ounces) of platinum. The egg measures 150 x 120 mm (5.9 inches x 4.7 inches) and the mounted piece has an overall height of 12 inches.

In November of 2014, the "Garnet and Diamond Egg Creation" was one of the top lots in a Bonham's Los Angeles auction titled "Gems, Minerals, Lapidary Works of Art and Natural History." Its pre-sale estimate was set at $300,000 to $400,000, but the piece remained unsold.

Coveted by kings and commoners alike for thousands of years, garnet is a versatile gemstone that comes in a wide variety of natural colors, including pink, purple, orange, yellow, violet, green, black, brown and deep-red.

Garnet varieties commonly seen in jewelry include pyrope, almandine, andradite, demantoid, grossularite, hessonite, rhodolite, tsavorite, spessartine and uvarovite. Garnets achieve their range of color from trace amounts of iron, manganese, calcium or aluminium in their chemical makeup.

Credits: Photos courtesy of Bonhams.