Music Friday: Marina Diamandis Wants a Proposal and a 'Big Diamond Ring' in 2012's 'Primadonna'

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you exciting songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title. Today, Marina Lambrini Diamandis, better known as Marina and the Diamonds, stays true to her name in the 2012 international hit, “Primadonna.”

In this song about a self-absorbed diva who “wants the world,” the sassy 32-year-old Welsh recording artist tries to coax a marriage proposal and a giant-size sparkler from her suitor.

She sings, “Would you do anything for me? / Buy a big diamond ring for me? / Would you get down on your knees for me? / Pop the pretty question right now baby.”

Diamandis created her stage name by incorporating her first name with the translation of her surname, which means “diamonds” in Greek. She explained that “the Diamonds” part of “Marina and the Diamonds” does not refer to her backing band, but to her fans.

"Primadonna" was the lead single from the 32-year-old artist's second studio album, Electra Heart. MTV Buzzworthy critic Sam Lansky described "Primadonna" as “a monster song,” and fans across the globe agreed. The song was an international sensation, reaching the top five in three countries and charting in 13. Within the first few hours of its release in March of 2012, the song became a worldwide trending topic on Twitter.

Born in Brynmawr, Wales, Diamandis moved to London as a teenager to pursue a music career. In 2009, at the age of 24, she placed second in the BBC's "Sound of 2010" competition. That success led to her debut studio album, The Family Jewels.

The official video at the end of this post has been viewed on YouTube more than 68 million times. The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along...

“Primadonna”
Written by Marina Diamandis, Julie Frost, Lukasz Gottwald and Henry Walter. Performed by Marina and the Diamonds.

Primadonna girl, yeah
All I ever wanted was the world
I can’t help that I need it all
The primadonna life, the rise and fall
You say that I’m kinda difficult
But it’s always someone else’s fault
Got you wrapped around my finger, babe
You can count on me to misbehave

Primadonna girl,
Would you do anything for me?
Buy a big diamond ring for me?
Would you get down on your knees for me?
Pop the pretty question right now baby
Beauty queen of the silver screen
Living life like I’m in a dream
I know I’ve got a big ego
I really don’t know why it’s such a big deal, though
I’m sad to the core, core, core
Everything is a chore, chore, chore
When you give I want more, more, more
I wanna be adored

(Chorus)
Cause I’m a primadonna girl, yeah
All I ever wanted was the world
I can’t help that I need it all
The primadonna life, the rise and fall
You say that I’m kinda difficult
But it’s always someone else’s fault
Got you wrapped around my finger, babe
You can count on me to misbehave

Primadonna girl
Fill the void up with Celluloid
Take a picture, I’m with the boys
Get what I want cause I asked for it
Not because I’m really that deserving of it
I’m living life like I’m in a play
In the limelight I want to stay
I know I’ve got a big ego
I really don’t know why it’s such a big deal, though
Going up, going down, down, down
Anything for the crown, crown, crown
With the lights dimming down, down, down
I spin around

(Chorus x 2)
Cause I’m a primadonna girl, yeah
All I ever wanted was the world
I can’t help that I need it all
The primadonna life, the rise and fall
You say that I’m kinda difficult
But it’s always someone else’s fault
Got you wrapped around my finger, babe
You can count on me to misbehave

Cause I’m a primadonna girl, yeah
All I ever wanted was the world
I can’t help that I need it all
The primadonna life, the rise and fall
You say that I’m kinda difficult
But it’s always someone else’s fault
Got you wrapped around my finger, babe
You can count on me to misbehave
Primadonna girl

Credit: Screen capture via YouTube.com.

Blue Diamond Owned 300 Years Ago by the Queen of Spain Fetches $6.7MM at Sotheby's Geneva

A 6.16-carat blue diamond owned more than 300 years ago by Elisabeth Farnese, Queen of Spain, fetched $6.7 million at Sotheby's Geneva yesterday. The winning bid crushed the auction house's pre-sale high estimate by more than $1.7 million.

The historic "Farnese Blue" was originally presented in 1715 as a wedding gift to the Spanish Queen by the governor of the Philippine Islands.

Secreted away in a royal jewelry box, the pear-shaped, fancy dark grey-blue diamond traveled across Europe for centuries, as the Queen’s descendants married into Europe’s most important dynasties.

For 300 years, the gem would stay in the same family, but would never be seen in public. In fact, except for close relatives and the family jewelers, no one knew of its existence.

Recently, the diamond emerged on the market for the first time and was highly touted by Sotheby’s in the run-up to the Geneva auction. In fact, the Farnese Blue headlined a promotional tour that made stops in Hong Kong, London, New York, Singapore, Taipei and Geneva.

As the final lot of yesterday's auction, the Farnese Blue didn't disappoint. Bidding started on Lot 377 at $3.6 million and advanced rapidly in $100,000 increments. After four minutes, the final price of $6.7 million had beaten the pre-sale high estimate by more than 34%.

The Farnese Blue was the most historic lot of the auction, but was not the highest priced.

Two magnificent diamonds, each weighing more than 50 carats, were the auction's top performers.

Lot 373 featured a round, brilliant-cut diamond weighing 51.71 carats. Set in a ring, the D-color diamond boasts the highly coveted Type IIa purity grade and flawless clarity. The ring sold for $9.2 million, just slightly more than its pre-sale high estimate of $9.1 million.

An oval diamond weighing 50.39 carats highlighted the highly anticipated Lot 350. This diamond also carried a D-flawless grade and a Type IIa purity classification. The diamond ring, which went into the auction with a pre-sale estimate of $6.9 million to $7.6 million, sold for $8.1 million.

Credits: Diamond images courtesy of Sotheby’s. Elisabeth Farnese image by Louis-Michel van Loo [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.

Class Ring Lost in Missouri Cave 57 Years Ago Finds Its Way Back to Stunned Owner

Archaeologists at the Smallin Civil War Cave in Ozark, Mo., recently recovered a 1960 class ring that had been lost for 57 years and returned it to its stunned owner.

Workers had demolished an old wooden platform at the popular historic site and were planning to replace it with a new concrete one. With the old platform out of the way, historical surveyors were able to explore a previously inaccessible part of the cave's stream bed. Metal detectors led them to some very interesting discoveries — including one that had profoundly changed the life of Peggy McLaughlin.

"We were finding bullets, we were finding some change from different time periods and then we found the ring," Eric Fuller, archaeologist for the Smallin Civil War Cave, told NBC affiliate KY3. "We always have history in here, I just never expected it in the form of a class ring."

Fifty-seven years earlier, McLaughlin lost her Osage High School class ring during a Civil War-themed field trip to the cave that had been arranged by her history professor. At the time, she was a freshman at Evangel University.

McLaughlin told the Springfield News-Leader that she enjoyed exploring the cave, and barely noticed how cold her hands were. After walking some 200 feet into the cave, the young woman suddenly felt her loose-fitting class ring slip from her finger.

The ring had fallen into the cave's rocky stream bed and she realized that the prospects of getting it back were slim to none.

When the freshman returned to campus later that day, she told her boyfriend, Gene Grounds, about the loss of her cherished ring — a ring she had owned for only four months.

The boyfriend responded, “Maybe we will just have to replace that ring.”

Two weeks later, he presented McLaughlin with an engagement ring.

McLaughlin and Grounds were married and had two children.

The class ring that was partly responsible for Gene Grounds' marriage proposal lay dormant in the stream bed for next 57 years. Then, during the demolition of the old viewing platform, an old wooden plank was cleared from the stream bed. Underneath was McLaughlin's Osage High School ring.

"It was a surreal moment when I found it," historical surveyor Chadwick Oldham told the Springfield News-Leader. "I saw an Osage Indian on it, but of course they didn't have class rings."

Once the calcite was cleaned from the ring, it was clear that it was from the 1960 graduating class of Osage High School at Osage Beach, Mo. Oldham and his wife, Jackalyn, posted photos of the ring to the Osage High School alumni page. A few days later, McLaughlin spotted her ring and arranged to have it returned.

McLaughlin told the Springfield News-Leader that the return of her long-lost ring has brought back many fond, wonderful memories.

She was excited to get it back on her finger.

"It was still loose," she said, laughing.

Credits: Ring photo by Smallin Civil War Cave. Screen captures via KY3.com.