Music Friday: Country Star Jon Pardi Sings, 'You Sparkle Like a Diamond Ring'

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you awesome songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title. Today, country music star Jon Pardi sings about falling in love and growing old together in the easy-listening country hit, “Head Over Boots.”

He sings, “The way you sparkle like a diamond ring / Maybe one day we can make it a thing / Test time and grow old together / Rock in our chairs and talk about the weather, yeah.”

The 2015 song was inspired by the loving couples Pardi observed in the dance halls near his father’s home in Hill County, TX. The older folks and younger folks sharing the dance floor looked so happy two-stepping around a circle that he decided to write “Head Over Boots” with an old-school vibe energized by a fiddle accompaniment.

“I was sitting in Spring Branch, TX, at my dad’s house and I started kinda strummin’ this little old-sounding country thing in his living room, and I recorded it on my phone,” the 37-year-old Pardi explained on the Universal Music Group Nashville website. “I was thinking, ‘Man, I need a good love song for the ladies out there.'”

And that’s when he came up with the idea of “head over boots,” a country version of the term “head over heels.”

“I went to [co-writer] Luke Laird and we kind of threw out the title and we came up with a cool little old-school modern new love song, and it’s my first love song on Country radio,” he said at the time of the song's release.

Pardi and Laird revealed to Billboard magazine that their feel-good song is actually written from two perspectives. Unwed at the time, Pardi saw the song from the point of view of someone looking for a long-term relationship, while his married writing partner approached the song from the vantage point of a family man who is dedicated to keeping the romantic spark alive in his relationship.

Pardi is now a married man. He proposed to Summer Duncan in 2019 and the couple married in 2020. They are expecting their first child.

“Head Over Boots,” which was released as the lead single from Pardi’s second studio album, California Sunrise, shot to the top of the US Billboard Country Airplay chart. It also peaked at #4 on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs list and #51 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song also reached #2 on the Canada Country chart and #64 on the Canadian Hot 100.

Please check out the video of Pardi and his band performing “Head Over Boots.” The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…

“Head Over Boots”
Written by Jon Pardi and Luke Laird. Performed by Jon Pardi.

I wanna sweep you off your feet tonight
I wanna love you and hold you tight
Spin you around on some old dance floor
Act like we never met before for fun, ’cause

You’re the one I want, you’re the one I need
Baby, if I was a king, ah, you would be my queen
You’re the rock in my roll
You’re good for my soul, it’s true
I’m head over boots for you

The way you sparkle like a diamond ring
Maybe one day we can make it a thing
Test time and grow old together
Rock in our chairs and talk about the weather, yeah

So, bring it on in for that angel kiss
Put that feel good on my lips, ’cause

You’re the one I want, you’re the one I need
Baby, if I was a king, ah, you would be my queen
You’re the rock in my roll
You’re good for my soul, it’s true
I’m head over boots for you

Yeah, I’m here to pick you up
And I hope I don’t let you down, no, ’cause

You’re the one I want, you’re the one I need
Baby, if I was a king, ah, you would be my queen
You’re the rock in my roll
You’re good for my soul, it’s true
I’m head over boots for you

You’re the one I want, you’re the one I need
Baby, if I was a king, ah, you would be my queen
You’re the rock in my roll
You’re good for my soul, it’s true
I’m head over boots for you

I wanna sweep you off your feet tonight
I wanna love you and hold you tight
Spin you around on some old dance floor

Credit: Screen capture via Youtube.com / CMT.

Celtics' Marcus Smart Teases Twitterverse Before Revealing Engagement News

Boston Celtics point guard Marcus Smart sent the Twitterverse into a tizzy on Sunday, just hours after the team's convincing win over the Milwaukee Bucks.

In a series of cryptic posts, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year hinted that his days in Boston were numbered, but then delivered the surprising punchline that he had just popped the question to longtime girlfriend Maissa Hallum.

At 10:56 p.m. on Christmas Day, Smart took to Twitter to announce to his near half-million followers, "I’ve had enough. Been holding it in too long and it’s about time this gets said..."

Three minutes later, he added a splash of gasoline to the fire, writing on Twitter, "It’s time for me to leave..."

But just as Celtic fans were starting to panic, Smart's post from 11:01 put them at ease. Along with a photo of him and Hallum wearing matching holiday pajamas, Smart dropped the big news.

"Oh I forgot the rest… Time for me to leave the single life," he wrote, adding, "She said YES!!! (Whew)"

In the photo, Hallum is proudly showing off her new engagement ring, featuring what appears to be a large princess-cut diamond set on a diamond-accented band. As of this writing, Smart's proposal announcement has been seen 15.2 million times on Twitter.

On his Instagram page, Smart shared a video of the actual proposal, which included a pre-taped guest appearance by actor Will Smith.

Smart, Hallum and other guests are all together in Smart's home theater as Smith appears on the big screen with a holiday message shot from Antarctica.

"We’re coming back from the South Pole, but I just wanted to take a minute," said Smith, who is dressed in cold-weather gear. "I wanted to wish you a very, very Merry Christmas. Now, I know that you may not have gotten the stuff that you wanted. I promise you, you’re not going to end this Christmas empty-handed, OK. That’s all my message is."

Hallum, who seems to be amused, but also a bit confused by the celebrity's message, doesn't notice what is happening right behind her.

Smart taps her on the shoulder and she spins around to see the Celtics star on bended knee with a ring box in hand. At first, a shocked Hallum turns away with her hands over her face, but then embraces her boyfriend and accepts his proposal.

On Instagram, Smart wrote, "She said “Y E S”! (Whew!) Thanks @willsmith for the setup help!"

You can check Smart's Instagram carousel, which includes the heartwarming video, here…

Credits: Screen captures via Instagram / youngamechanger.

3 Million Swarovski Crystals Sparkle Atop the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree

More than 2.5 million people from every corner of the Earth journey to Rockefeller Center in New York City each year to see a spectacular Christmas tree topped by a 900-pound star sparkling with 3 million Swarovski crystals.

Designed by renowned architect Daniel Libeskind, the mammoth star has a wingspan of 9 feet 4 inches. Each of the 70 rays of the Swarovski Star is designed to glow from within, with the light refracted by the crystal surface, creating a sparkling effect.

When the star made its debut in 2018, Libeskind said his tree-topper was inspired by the beauty of starlight — something that radiates meaning and mystery into the world.

“The Star is a symbol that represents our greatest ambitions for hope, unity and peace,” he said in 2018. “I am tremendously honored to collaborate with Swarovski on the Star, and with the entire design team, to bring cutting-edge innovation and design to crystal technology.”

The current star replaced a more diminutive Swarovski Star that had been in service since 2004. That star weighed 550 pounds and was studded with 25,000 crystals, about 8% of the tally of the current star.

This year's Rockefeller Center tree is an 82-foot-tall, 50-foot-wide Norway Spruce from Queensbury, NY, about 200 miles north of Manhattan in the Hudson Valley. It weighs in at a formidable 14 tons.

The tree was hoisted into position on Saturday, November 12, and was soon wrapped with more than 50,000 multi-colored LEDs strung over five miles of wire. The formal tree lighting took place during a live NBC broadcast on November 30.

Rockefeller Center officially began its tree-lighting tradition in 1933, when a Christmas tree was erected in front of the then-RCA Building and covered with 700 lights. The lighting ceremony has been broadcast live since 1951.

If you're planning to be in Manhattan in the near future, there's still time to experience this bucket-list spectacle. The tree will remain lit at least until January 6. Rockefeller Center's website has yet to officially announcement when the tree will be taken down, but other sites are reporting that it will be Sunday, January 15.

So, what happens to the 14-ton tree when the season is over? Since 2007, the wood has been donated to Habitat for Humanity. The tree is milled, treated and made into lumber, which is then used to build homes for people in need.

The heartwarming gesture inspired a children's book called The Carpenter’s Gift, which was written by David Rubel and illustrated by Jim LaMarche. It was published in 2011 in collaboration with Habitat for Humanity.

Credits: Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree photo by Anthony Quintano from Mount Laurel, United States, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Photo of Nadja Swarovski and Daniel Libeskind with the Swarovski Star in 2018 by Bryan Bedder Getty for Swarovski (PRNewsfoto/Swarovski).

Music Friday: 5 Golden Rings Shine in Viral Mashup of 'The 12 Days of Christmas'

It's Music Friday, and with Christmas only two days away, we're excited to bring you one of the most viral holiday-season songs of all time — Straight No Chaser’s witty and masterfully arranged rendition of “The 12 Days of Christmas.” To date, the original version of the a cappella group’s “12 Days” has been viewed on YouTube more than 25 million times.

As most of us know, the jewelry reference in this sing-along classic comes on the fifth day of Christmas when “my true love gave to me, five golden rings.”

Straight No Chaser’s “12 Days” is famous for its comic infusions of other songs, such as “I Have a Little Dreidel” and Toto’s “Africa.” SNC’s version was inspired by a 1968 comic arrangement of the song by Richard C. Gregory, a faculty member of The Williston Northampton School, a boarding school in western Massachusetts.

Originated on the campus of Indiana University in 1996, Straight No Chaser owes its worldwide fame to a video of a 1998 "12 Days" performance that was first posted to YouTube in 2006. That video went viral and caught the attention of Atlantic Records CEO Craig Kallman, who signed the group to a five-album deal in 2008.

“The 12 Days of Christmas” appeared as the eighth track from the group’s 2008 debut studio album, Holiday Spirits, which peaked at #46 on the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart.

The classic version of the song can be traced to England in 1780, when is was published as a chant or rhyme. The standard tune associated with it is derived from an arrangement credited to English composer Frederic Austin in 1909. Interestingly, he’s the one who came up with the idea of prolonging the phrase “five… golden… rings…”

Straight No Chaser is currently on the final leg of a 61-city "25th Anniversary Celebration" tour that started in Kitchener, Ontario, at the beginning of June and ends in Portland, OR, on New Year's Eve.

Please check out the video of Straight No Chaser performing “The 12 Days of Christmas” during the group's reunion tour in 2008.

Credit: Promotional photo via sncmusic.com.

45-Carat Sapphire Atop Miss Universe Crown Symbolizes Brighter Future

The 45-carat, pear-shaped, royal blue sapphire atop the brand new Miss Universe "Force for Good" crown symbolizes female empowerment, positive change and the hope for a brighter future.

More than 500 million viewers will marvel at the extraordinary headpiece when the current Miss Universe, India's Harnaaz Sandhu, crowns her successor at the 71st Miss Universe pageant in New Orleans on January 14. The event will be broadcast in more than 190 countries and territories.

Set with 993 gems and said to be worth $5.5 million, the crown was unveiled Monday in Bangkok by Fred Mouawad, the fourth generation co-guardian of the luxury Mouawad brand, along with Anne Jakkaphong Jakrajutatip, the new Thai owner of the Miss Universe Organization.

A video produced by Mouawad and posted to the Miss Universe Instagram page explains the interplay between the white diamonds on the base of the crown and the blue sapphires that dominate the top of the crown.

Reflecting the concept that significant change does not happen in an instant, but only after a sustained effort over time, the base of the crown is set with white diamonds symbolizing the status quo. The abstract serpent-like motif adorning the rim represents the status quo and barriers to change. These are outnumbered and dominated by the rippling waves above, as ultimately the force for good emerges victorious.

The video includes an animation that exaggerates the undulating, serpent-inspired design of the base. See the screen capture, above.

As the eye moves upward from the base, the color gradient changes from the glistening white of diamonds to the warm blue of sapphires, deepening in intensity towards the pinnacle of the crown, where the deep royal blue color of the 45-carat sapphire symbolizes goodness and hope for a brighter future.

"As we are stepping into the new era of women's empowerment," said Jakrajutatip, "[Miss Universe] will continue to be a global organization run by women for women with a promise to serve as an inspirational platform that celebrates diverse women, supporting them to realize their ambition and build self-confidence, while evolving the brand over time to be more relevant and appealing to the next generation."

Commented Mouawad, "The Mouawad Miss Universe Force for Good crown is a work of extraordinary craftsmanship, featuring 110 carats of blue sapphires and 48 carats of white diamonds in a design that evokes the organization's belief in a future forged by women who push the limits of what's possible and the incredible women from around the world who advocate for positive change."

You can check out the Mouawad-produced video at the Miss Universe Instagram page. Click this link.

Credits. Screen captures via Instagram / MissUniverse.

Ancient Mummies With Solid Gold Tongues Discovered in Egyptian Necropolis

Egypt’s Supreme Council for Archaeology recently unearthed ancient mummies with solid gold tongues in their mouths at a site 40 miles north of Cairo on the Nile Delta.

Archaeologists believe the mummies' actual tongues had been replaced by golden replicas during the embalming process so the deceased could communicate with Osiris, the Egyptian god of the underworld. Also discovered on the bones of several mummies were solid gold flakes, scarabs and lotus flowers.

The gold-tongue mummies were found during newly extended excavations of the Quewaisna necropolis that had been first explored in 1989. Salvaged items from the site — including amulets, figurines and pottery — have been dated from 300 BCE to 640 CE, and cover the Ptolemaic and Roman periods of Egyptian history. The mummies are believed to be more than 2,000 years old.

This wasn't the first time Egyptian archaeologists encountered golden tongues. In 2021, archaeologists made similar discoveries in both the coastal metropolis of Alexandria and the small village of El Bahnasa, about 130 miles south of Cairo.

It is likely that Egyptian embalmers equipped the deceased with golden tongues so they could better navigate the afterlife. It is well known that Egyptian mummies have been entombed with personal possessions and valuable items, such as food and wine, furniture, clothing, pottery and jewelry.

But the gold tongues are likely connected to Osiris, the Lord of Silence, who enforced a strict rule of speechlessness in the underworld. Ancient Egyptians may have believed that a golden tongue would allow the deceased to communicate with Osiris without making a sound.

The ancient Egyptians described gold as “the flesh of the gods” and believed the gleaming element possessed spiritual powers. Gold was also associated with Ra, the Sun God, who was the king of the deities and the father of all creation. He was the patron of the sun, heaven, kingship, power and light, according to egyptianmuseum.org.

Credits: Images courtesy of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

Music Friday: Engagement Rings Top the Crofts Sisters' Christmas Wish Lists

Welcome to a special holiday edition of Music Friday when we bring you fun and festive songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, Crofts Family siblings Callie, Colette and Devri make their best pitch for engagement ring gifts in their 2014 release, “Merry Christmas, Marry Me.”

Employing the close-harmony style reminiscent of The Andrews Sisters, the Crofts girls deliver a lyrical marriage proposal to boyfriends who won’t take the plunge. In the official video, the sisters adopt the look and sound of the swing and boogie-woogie eras.

They sing, “I hear those church bells ringing for the season / But they give me starry eyes / And I’ve got an empty finger right here to put a ring on / Darling, if you ever get wise.”

Written by Callie Crofts, “Merry Christmas, Marry Me” appeared as the seventh track on the Crofts Family album titled Sparrow in the Birch: A Crofts Family Christmas.

The Crofts Family, which hails from the tiny town of Firth, ID (pop. 530), is led by patriarch Vincent Crofts, who encouraged his daughters to develop their musical talents at a young age. It’s been reported that their country home looks like a scene from a vintage Christmas card.

By age 12, Callie Crofts was already an accomplished songwriter and guitar player. As an adult, she persuaded her family to finally produce the Christmas album they had always wanted to record. The 2014 release would include a number of holiday favorites that the girls sang as children, as well as two original tunes written by Callie.

One reviewer wrote that the voices of the Crofts girls are “pure and angelic with harmonies that hold your emotions hostage.”

Please check out the official video of the Crofts Family performing “Merry Christmas, Marry Me.” The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…

“Merry Christmas, Marry Me”
Written by Callie Crofts. Performed by the Crofts Family.

Merry Christmas, marry me a thousand times
I wanna know you’re mine, mine
So baby please don’t let no

No-good honey steal a kiss
Under the mistletoe
Merry Christmas, love me ’til the end of time
I wanna hang your stocking next to mine
When we’re ninety-nine

I hear those church bells ringing for the season
But they give me starry eyes
And I’ve got an empty finger right here to put a ring on
Darling, if you ever get wise

Merry Christmas, marry me a thousand times
I wanna hang your stocking next to mine
When we’re ninety-nine

Merry Christmas, I don’t need a present
Wrapped up with a shiny bow, no no
You know what I’m wishing for
So don’t you make me wait anymore

Merry Christmas, and honey if you cause a scene
When you get down on one knee
It won’t bother me

I hear those church bells ringing for the season
But they give me starry eyes
And I’ve got an empty finger right here to put a ring on
Darling, if you ever get wise

Merry Christmas, love me ’til the end of time
I wanna hang your stocking next to mine
When we’re ninety-nine

I hear those church bells
Ringing for the season
But baby we could ring ’em
For a whole different reason
Merry Christmas, marry me a thousand times

Credit: Screen capture via YouTube.com.

Bridal Jewelry Picked From 20 Tons of Trash With Help of Surveillance Video

By reviewing surveillance video, the general services director of a transfer station in Windham, NH, was able to narrow down the location of a garbage bag containing a bridal set that had been accidentally thrown away.

Kevin Butler had mistakenly discarded the rings that his wife of 32 years had just cleaned and wrapped in a white napkin to dry. In the Windham community, residents can opt to have their trash picked up at the curbside or they may deliver the trash directly to the local transfer station.

In Butler's case, he hand delivered the trash to the station. General Services Director Dennis Senibaldi knew that their surveillance video would provide vital clues as to exactly when and where Butler dropped off his garbage.

“That in itself was amazing," Butler told The Washington Post. "If we didn’t have that surveillance camera, there’s no way we would have found it. There was so much trash.”

After viewing the video, Dennis Senibaldi, his crew and Butler spent the next 30 minutes sorting through a trailer that contained 20 tons of very disgusting and smelly garbage.

Specifically, they were looking for a grey-handled white bag that contained particular items that the Butlers has just thrown away — celery stalks and yogurt cups.

Senibaldi described Butler's demeanor as "a little frantic."

“I could clearly see in his eyes that he was definitely stressed,” he told The Washington Post. “There’s a lot of meaning in those rings for him and his wife.”

When they finally found the grey-handled bag (with some celery sticks protruding from the side), the team was encouraged. But, as they sorted through the bag's contents, the mood changed as there were no rings to be found.

“As we were going through the bag that we knew was his, he actually said, ‘It's not in here.’ And I said, ‘No, there's a couple little pieces left,'” Senibaldi told WMUR-TV. “I had my rubber gloves on, I moved a few items out of the way and saw literally the very last napkin and I opened it up.”

Tucked inside that napkin were Cindy Butler's engagement ring and wedding band, precious keepsakes that totaled 2.5 carats in diamonds.

A relieved Kevin Butler jumped to his feet and hugged Senibaldi.

Commenting on his 30 minutes sorting through nasty trash, Butler told WMUR-TV, "Wouldn’t recommend anyone else do it. But, you know, to get the rings back, I would do it a thousand times over.”

Butler and his wife thanked Senibaldi and his crew by hosting a pizza lunch the following weekend.

Check out WMUR-TV's report at this link.

Credits: Screen captures via Youtube.com / WMUR-TV.

Auction of Mitzi Perdue's 'Atocha' Emerald Yields $1.2MM to Benefit Ukraine

Philanthropist and humanitarian Mitzi Perdue’s 400-year-old historic emerald hit the auction block at Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels Sale in New York last week and the results were stellar. Despite a modest pre-sale high estimate of $70,000, the 5.27-carat emerald mounted on a gold band drew a winning bid of $1.2 million with all the proceeds going to benefit humanitarian efforts in Ukraine.

The emerald in its rough form had been salvaged from the galleon named Nuestra Señora de Atocha, which sank along the reefs near the Florida Keys in 1622 after getting caught in a storm. The ship was making its return trip to Spain with a hull full of treasure collected from Bolivia, Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, the Caribbean and the Andes. The bounty included 24 tons of silver ingots, 180,000 silver coins, 125 gold bars and discs, 70 pounds of emeralds and a cache of precious natural pearls.

Lost for 363 years, the Atocha was finally discovered in 1985 by treasure hunter Mel Fisher with the assistance of some high-profile benefactors, such as chicken magnate Frank Perdue. Fisher and his team would eventually recover artifacts with an estimated value of more than $1 billion, and Perdue was awarded a portion of the spoils, most of which he donated to Delaware Tech and the Smithsonian.

One item that he decided to keep was a rough emerald that he would have cut into a 5.27-carat finished stone and mounted in an engagement ring for the love of his life, Mitzi. He proposed with the octagonal-shaped, step-cut gem in 1988.

"My late husband was the most philanthropic person I ever knew," Perdue told Town & Country, "and I was certain that he'd be pleased with this use of his gift."

Regarding her emotional connection to the emerald, she told T&C that the "sentimentality reaches to the outer galaxies."

"But when I was deciding whether to do it or not, I was thinking, 'Oh, this ring has the possibility of saving people from a lot of suffering," she said.

On her website, the human rights activist, who also happens to be the heiress to the Sheraton Hotels fortune (her dad co-founded the chain), explained that the proceeds from the sale of her engagement ring will purchase warm clothes, flashlights, small generators and other items requested by the Mayors of Lviv and Kyiv.

In addition, some of the funds will go to rehabbing buildings on the Ukrainian border, where women can be counseled before they cross.

"Human traffickers prey on the vulnerable," she wrote, "and during the Ukraine war, traffickers lurk on Ukraine’s borders, targeting women and children. The goal is to keep them from making a decision that may cost them their lives."

Perdue has developed a deep fondness and respect for the Ukrainian people.

"I spent five days there," the 81-year-old Harvard grad told T&C. "My first night was in a bomb shelter, so it was eventful, but I came away with just infinite admiration for the people of Ukraine and their strength, their backbone and courage."

In addition to supporting Ukraine with the proceeds from the sale of her engagement ring, Perdue also pledged all the proceeds from her new book, Relentless: Mark Victor Hansen.

Credits: Ring image courtesy of Sotheby's. Photo of Mitzi and Frank Perdue courtesy of Mitzi Perdue.

Music Friday: Kelly Clarkson Wants a Canary Diamond or Red Ruby for Christmas

Welcome to a special holiday edition of Music Friday when we bring you great songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, Kelly Clarkson sings about the glittery items on her Christmas wish list in the 2013 favorite “4 Carats.”

In this tune penned by Clarkson and three collaborators, the “Original American Idol” temporarily casts aside her squeaky clean image and implores Santa to make her Christmas Eve, "4 carats, please."

She proclaims that she’s been good all year and deserves a “shiny” gift. Specifically, she has her heart set on a canary yellow diamond or red ruby. And, yes, size matters. The baubles have to weigh in at 4 carats.

In the catchy refrain, she sings, “Like a diamond ring / Just a little something from Tiffany’s / Or a big ruby / You know red has always looked good on me.”

Later in the song, as the clock strikes 2 in the morning, Clarkson is concerned that Santa may have forgotten her.

This is when she coos about fancy yellow diamonds: “Mm, something sparkly / Yellow canaries / Ooh yea yea / Mm, I’m waiting patiently / Santa don’t forget me / Ooh don’t forget me!”

Clarkson told Billboard magazine that “4 Carats” was inspired by Eartha Kitt’s “Santa Baby” (1953) and Madonna’s “Material Girl” (1984). The end result was a mashup of the two. Music critics generally praised the song for its memorable pop hook and bouncy melody.

“4 Carats” appeared as the 12th track on Clarkson’s popular Wrapped in Red Christmas album, which was certified platinum after selling more than one million copies. The album peaked at #3 on the US Billboard 200 chart and the single reached #30 on Billboard's Holiday Digital Songs chart.

Born in Ft. Worth, TX, in 1982, Kelly Brianne Clarkson rose to fame in 2002 after winning the inaugural season of American Idol. In a career spanning 20 years, Clarkson has sold 25 million albums and 45 million singles worldwide, making her the second-best-selling American Idol contestant to date, just behind Carrie Underwood.

Clarkson served as a coach on The Voice from its 14th season ( February 2018) to its 21st season ( September 2021). She's expected to return for Season 23 (March 2023). She also has hosted her own daytime talk show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, since September of 2019.

Please check out the audio track of Clarkson’s “4 Carats.” The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…

“4 Carats”
Written by Kelly Clarkson, Cathy Dennis, Livvi Franc and Gregory Kurstin. Performed by Kelly Clarkson.

The door’s unlocked
And you don’t even have to knock
Or you can use the fireplace
I’ll be waiting either way

You come and go
And no one is supposed to know
But ever since you caught my stare
You know I know that you are real

Well Santa I’ve been thinking
And I’m just in needin’ one thing
You to bring me, something shiny

Like a diamond ring
Just a little something from Tiffany’s
Or a big ruby
You know red has always looked good on me

I won’t tell (I won’t tell) anyone
Anyone
I’ve been good all year long
Oh Santa make my Christmas Eve
4 carats please

Oh oh
Oh

It’s getting late
I know you have your rounds to make
But I’ve been waiting up for you
And now the clock has just struck 2

I’m looking out my windows
Looking for a red nose
My heart’s sinking
Don’t forget me

Oh my diamond ring
Just a little something from Tiffany’s
Or a big ruby
You know red has always looked good on me

I won’t tell (I won’t tell) anyone
Anyone
I’ve been good all year long
Oh Santa make my Christmas Eve
4 carats please

Oh oh
Oh oh

Mm, something sparkly
Yellow canaries
Ooh yea yea
Mm, I’m waiting patiently
Santa don’t forget me
Ooh don’t forget me!

Oh my diamond ring
Just a little something from Tiffany’s
Or a big ruby
You know red has always looked good on me

I won’t tell (I won’t tell) anyone
Anyone
I’ve been good all year long
Oh Santa make my Christmas Eve
4 carats please

Oh oh
Oh oh
Oh oh
Oh oh

Credit: Photo by Marc Piscotty, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Diamond and Gold Donations Point to a Bright Season for The Salvation Army

Early season donations of valuable diamond jewelry and gold coins are signaling a bright holiday season for Salvation Army chapters across the country.

The Salvation Army’s bell-ringing season starts each November and runs through Christmas Eve. Most of the donations come in the form of pocket change and paper money, but each year the well known charitable institution is excited to promote instances of anonymous benefactors generously dropping precious items into the iconic Red Kettles.

In Hopkinton, MA, for example, a generous resident sneaked a diamond ring worth more than $1,000 into The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle outside the Price Chopper supermarket on West Main Street.

A stunned Salvation Army volunteer discovered the 12-stone, 14-karat white gold ring while sifting through the day's donations, according to Boston TV station WHDH.

The volunteer brought the ring to a local jeweler, who verified that it was, indeed, fine jewelry and confirmed a four-figure valuation.

“When we get generous donations like this, it certainly helps our overall effort, so we really appreciate whoever the person was who deposited this ring in the kettle,” Kevin Polito, a Milford Corps. Salvation Army Captain, told the news outlet.

In the Detroit area, an anonymous patron recently dropped a rare, 1980 South African gold Krugerrand into a kettle at a Kroger supermarket near St. Clair Shores. The 1-ounce, pure gold coin carries a value of nearly $1,800.

According to Detroit TV station WXYZ, the latest gold coin donation marked the 10th consecutive year that a gold Krugerrand has been deposited in a Red Kettle in that community.

About 475 miles southwest, in Evansville, IN, Salvation Army volunteers were delighted to retrieve a gold coin from a Red Kettle in front of the West Side Walmart. Salvation Army officials told 14news.com that the donation occurred on a "matching day," when all kettle donations for the weekend were matched by an unnamed philanthropist, up to $10,500.

The Salvation Army Red Kettle Program can track its origins to 1891, when Salvation Army Captain Joseph McFee struggled with the reality that so many poor individuals in San Francisco were going hungry. During the holiday season, he resolved to provide a free Christmas dinner for the destitute and poverty-stricken. His only hurdle was a tall one — funding the project.

According to The Salvation Army’s official website, McFee’s red kettle idea was inspired by his days as a sailor in Liverpool, England. There, he remembered an iron kettle called “Simpson’s Pot” into which passers-by tossed a coin or two to help the poor.

The next day, McFee placed a similar pot at the Oakland Ferry Landing at the foot of Market Street. Beside the pot, he placed a sign that read, “Keep the Pot Boiling.” He soon had the money to see that the needy people of the area were properly fed at Christmas.

According to a Salvation Army press release, Red Kettle volunteers didn’t become bell ringers until 1900, when a young cadet named Amelia from New York City bought a 10-cent bell to ring. The bell was a huge success and drew attention and donations from those who passed. Not long after, all the cadets had bells to ring.

Now in its 131st year, the Red Kettle Campaign is one of the longest-running and most recognizable fundraising efforts in the world. Red Kettles are now used worldwide and can be found in Korea, Japan, Chile and throughout Europe.

During its Christmas season campaign, approximately 25,000 bell ringers, young and old, brave the elements to help The Salvation Army raise money for local community programs. The Salvation Army serves more than 30 million Americans each year.

Credits: Images courtesy of The Salvation Army.

Reveling in Pure Joy, 'Viva Magenta' Is Pantone's 2023 Color of the Year

Described as a "new animated red that revels in pure joy," Viva Magenta was just named Pantone's Color of the Year for 2023.

According to The Pantone Color Institute, Viva Magenta is inspired by cochineal, a red dye derived from the dried bodies of female cochineal insects. Cochineal dye was used as early as the second century BC by the Aztecs and Mayans. Incidentally, it takes 70,000 cochineal insects to make one pound of dye.

"In this age of technology, we look to draw inspiration from nature and what is real," said Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director, Pantone Color Institute. "PANTONE 18-1750 Viva Magenta descends from the red family, and is inspired by the red of cochineal, one of the most precious dyes belonging to the natural dye family as well as one of the strongest and brightest the world has known."

Pantone said its 2023 Color of the Year is powerful and empowering — a new animated red that revels in pure joy, encouraging experimentation and self-expression without restraint. It's an electrifying and boundary-less shade that is manifesting as a stand-out statement.

Consumers who embrace Viva Magenta-inspired fashion items will be accessorizing with fine jewelry featuring ruby, garnet, tourmaline, spinel and red beryl.

Viva Magenta takes the reins from 2022's Very Peri, a dynamic periwinkle blue hue with an intense violet-red undertone. Veri Peri was a brand new Pantone color, and its selection marked the first time the international color authority cooked up a color and then instantly designated it as the Color of the Year.

To arrive at the selection each year, this global team of color experts at the Pantone Color Institute comb the world looking for new color influences. This can include the entertainment industry and films in production, traveling art collections and new artists, fashion, all areas of design, aspirational travel destinations, new lifestyles, play styles or enjoyable escapes as well as socio-economic conditions. Influences may also stem from new technologies, materials, textures and effects that impact color, relevant social media platforms and even upcoming sporting events that capture worldwide attention.

The Pantone Color Institute originally created the Pantone Color of the Year educational program in 1999 to engage the design community and color enthusiasts around the world in a conversation around color.

"We wanted to draw attention to the relationship between culture and color," said Laurie Pressman, Vice President of the Pantone Color Institute. "We wanted to highlight to our audience how what is taking place in our global culture is expressed and reflected through the language of color. This thought process rings just as true today just as it did back in 1999."

Typically, Pantone’s yearly selection influences product development and purchasing decisions in multiple industries, including fashion, home furnishings and industrial design, as well as product packaging and graphic design.

Here are the Pantone Colors of the Year dating back to 2010…

PANTONE 17-3938 Veri Peri (2022)
PANTONE 17-5104 Ultimate Gray (2021)
PANTONE 13-0647 Illuminating (2021)
PANTONE 19-4052 Classic Blue (2020)
PANTONE 16-1546 Living Coral (2019)
PANTONE 18-3838 Ultra Violet (2018)
PANTONE 15-0343 Greenery (2017)
PANTONE 13-1520 Rose Quartz (2016)
PANTONE 15-3919 Serenity (2016)
PANTONE 18-1438 Marsala (2015)
PANTONE 18-3224 Radiant Orchid (2014)
PANTONE 17-5641 Emerald (2013)
PANTONE 17-1463 Tangerine Tango (2012)
PANTONE 18-2120 Honeysuckle (2011)
PANTONE 15-5519 Turquoise (2010)

Credits: Images courtesy of Pantone.

Music Friday Tribute: Why 'The Chain' Was So Special to Christine McVie

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you fabulous songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, we feature Fleetwood Mac's iconic 1977 hit, "The Chain," a song that represents the band's strength, love and resilience despite five decades of personal and professional obstacles.

For Christine McVie, who passed away this week at the age of 79, “The Chain” was more than a song. It was a very special silver chain bracelet given to her by fellow band member Stevie Nicks.

“Stevie gave me this chain,” she told The New Yorker in 2015. “It used to have a diamond feather on it. It’s a metaphor, you know. That the chain of the band will never be broken. Not by me, anyways. Not again by me.”

Even though Fleetwood Mac enjoyed enormous success, McVie had left the band in 1998 after being overwhelmed by a fear of flying. The other band members, including Nicks, Mick Fleetwood, John McVie and Lindsey Buckingham, continued to tour, but the band did not seem complete without Christine McVie.

Finally, at the age of 71, McVie came to the realization that she missed the audience. She wanted to tour again and asked each of her former mates, individually, if she could rejoin the band. Each was thrilled to have her back, although Buckingham maintained one caveat: She couldn’t waltz in and waltz back out again. She had to be in it “for the whole nine yards.”

McVie agreed, worked with a psychiatrist to get her past her phobia, and rejoined the band just in time for their 33-city North American tour, which opened in September of 2014.

Every Fleetwood Mac concert starts off with the steady, thumping, rhythmic instrumental lead-in to “The Chain,” the only song on the 1977 Rumours album to be credited to all five band members. The song was literally spliced together from combinations of several previously rejected elements.

The song originally represented the internal fractures — both romantically and professionally — of the band members, but eventually came to symbolize their triumph in staying together.

The Rumours album sold more than 45 million copies and is one of the best selling albums of all time. In total, the band has sold more than 120 million albums worldwide.

Born in Lancashire, England, in 1943, McVie developed her love for music at the age of 11 and continued her classical training until she was 15. She originally studied sculpture at the Moseley School of Art in Birmingham and had aspirations of becoming a teacher.

But her professional interests started to change when she was asked by two friends to join a band called Sounds of Blue. After college, she played keyboards and sang background vocals for the blues band Chicken Shack under the name Christine Perfect.

Christine married Fleetwood Mac bassist John McVie in 1968 and joined his band in 1970 as a singer and keyboardist. Despite divorcing in 1976, the couple continued to maintain a close friendship and professional partnership.

Her Fleetwood Mac bandmates were collectively heartbroken after learning that McVie died on November 30 after a brief illness.

Mick Fleetwood wrote on Instagram, "Part of my heart has flown away today. I will miss everything about you Christine McVie. Memories abound… they fly to me."

Please check out the video of Christine McVie and Fleetwood Mac performing “The Chain.” The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along.

“The Chain”
Written by Stevie Nicks, Mick Fleetwood, Christine McVie, John McVie and Lindsey Buckingham. Performed by Fleetwood Mac.

Listen to the wind blow
Watch the sun rise

Run in the shadows
Damn your love, damn your lies

And if you don’t love me now
You will never love me again
I can still hear you sayin’
You would never break the chain
(Never break the chain)

And if you don’t love me now
(You don’t love me now)
You will never love me again
I can still hear you sayin’
(Still hear you sayin’)
You would never break the chain
(Never break the chain)

Listen to the wind blow
Down comes the night

Run in the shadows
Damn your love, damn your lies

Break the silence
Damn the dark, damn the light

And if you don’t love me now
You will never love me again
I can still hear you sayin’
You would never break the chain
(Never break the chain)

And if you don’t love me now
(You don’t love me now)
You will never love me again
I can still hear you sayin’
(Still hear you sayin’)
You would never break the chain
(Never break the chain)

And if you don’t love me now
(You don’t love me now)
You will never love me again
I can still hear you sayin’
(Still hear you sayin’)
You would never break the chain
(Never break the chain)

(Yea, keep us together)
Run in the shadows
(Yea, keep us together)
Run into the shadows
(Yea, keep us together)
Run into the shadows
(Yea, keep us together)
Run in the shadows
(Yea, keep us together)

Credit: Photo by Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Sarasota Suitor Takes Headlong Plunge, Becomes an Overnight Sensation

The video of Scott Clyne's comical headlong dive into Sarasota Bay to retrieve a fumbled engagement ring box earned the Florida resident an appearance on the Today show, 1.6 million Likes on TikTok and viral online coverage by numerous outlets, including the Daily Mail, People and Brides.

On his Facebook page, Clyne used this caption to summarize the video of his marriage-proposal-gone-awry: "This is 100% real. 100% my luck. 100% will never forget…"

On Saturday, November 12, everything was in place for Clyne to deliver an epic proposal to his girlfriend of eight years, Suzie Tucker. The sunset was stunning, the bay was picturesque and rose petals littered the bow of the boat, where Clyne and his girlfriend posed with their arms spread wide as if they were reenacting the iconic scene from Titanic.

But, seconds later, the perfect moment turned into an implausible disaster when Clyne reached into his back pocket and fumbled the box containing Tucker's engagement ring. The box bounced off the deck and into the bay.

Instantly, Clyne followed the box into the water with a dive that was so comical that he later captured a frame of the exact moment his head and torso disappeared into the water, leaving his legs sticking straight up. That pic is his new Facebook profile picture.

Fortunately, the ring box had some buoyancy, so Clyne was able to grab it before it sunk. You can see the full video here…

Clyne's friend helped him get back into the boat, where the soaking wet suitor continued with his bended knee proposal and, despite the mishap, Tucker said, "Yes."

Clyne told the Daily Mail that the corner of the ring box got caught up on top of his pocket, causing it to slip out of his hands.

"Everything was a blur after that," he told the outlet. "I panicked and reacted by lunging for the ring box before it could sink, not caring if I fell into the water. Luckily, I was able to recover the ring!"

Even though it's always risky to pop the question on a body of water, Clyne was determined to go ahead with the boating proposal.

"We absolutely love boating and I couldn't imagine proposing any other way," he said.

Clyne told the Today show that he originally intended to propose to Tucker in September while the couple was on vacation in the Florida Keys. Hurricane Ian put the kibosh on that plan, so Clyne moved the proposal to November.

After the successful Sarasota proposal, Clyne decided to stick with his plans to take Tucker out for a celebratory dinner.

"I didn’t bring an extra pair of clothes," he told the Today show audience, "so I attended dinner soaking wet.”

Credit: Illustrative image by Bigstockphoto.com.

Coin Analysis Confirms Existence of Obscure Third-Century Roman Emperor

An obscure third-century Roman emperor, once written out of the history books as a fictional character, was likely the real deal, according to researchers at University College London.

By using microscopes, ultraviolet imaging and infrared spectroscopy, researchers led by Professor Paul Pearson determined that the fine scratch marks on the surface of coins bearing Emperor Sponsian's likeness proved that they were in circulation 2,000 years ago and couldn't be modern forgeries. The findings were recently published in the journal PLOS 1.

The only historical reference to Emperor Sponsian is a portrait of him that appeared on a small cache of gold coins discovered in Transylvania 309 years ago. At first, the coins were believed to be genuine, but by the mid-1800s that opinion had flipped 180 degrees.

Henry Cohen, a scholar at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, declared in 1863 that the Sponsian coins were "very poor quality modern forgeries." Cohen described the obverse of the coin as "barbaric and strange" and pointed out that the coins were cast instead of struck. (Casting was a method used by forgers.) The Sponsian coins were also unusually heavy compared to similar Roman coins of that period.

At the time, historians surmised that if the coins were fake, Sponsian was likely a fake character, as well.

The Sponsian coins discovered in 1713 eventually found their way to the Hunterian Museum at Glasgow University, where they remained locked away in a cupboard.

That's until Professor Pearson decided to revisit the mystery of Emperor Sponsian and the crudely designed coins.

Pearson and his team discovered that the Sponsian coins all bore similar patterns of microscopic wear apparent on authentic coins of the third century. A chemical analysis of the dirt caked on the coins confirmed they had been buried for a prolonged period of time.

The wear marks confirmed that the coins were handled in countless transactions over an extended time period and that they were used as a part of a monetary economy, Pearson reported.

"What we have found is an emperor," Pearson told the BBC. "He was a figure thought to have been a fake and written off by the experts. But we think he was real and that he had a role in history."

So, if Sponsian really existed, why don't we know more about him?

Researchers believe that Sponsian was a Roman army officer who was in charge of a remote province called Dacia, in what is now Romania. It was the year 260 AD, and Dacia was physically cut off from Rome during a period of chaos, civil war and a pandemic.

It is believed that Sponsian was "on an island" and had no way of communicating with the supreme command, so he did what he had to do in order to protect the civilian and military populations. One of those things was to declare himself emperor and another was to mint coins so the province could have a functioning economy.

This would theoretically explain why the Sponsian coins were so unlike other coins minted by the Romans at that time.

Credit: Image © 2022 Pearson et al. Sponsianus, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Romance in the Air: Tomorrow Marks the Beginning of 'Engagement Season'

Thanksgiving Day marks the start of “engagement season,” the romantic time of the year that stretches from tomorrow until Valentine’s Day. The period accounts for just 23% of the calendar, but claims nearly 40% of all marriage proposals.

Facebook has famously reported that about 2.5 million of its 240 million US users change their status to “engaged” in an average year. And that number aligns neatly with The Knot's estimate that 2.6 million weddings would take place in 2022.

The average length of an engagement is about 14 months, so the couples getting engaged in the current season (2022-2023) will likely exchange their vows in 2024.

For many years, Christmas Day has been the most popular day to get engaged, followed by a wintry mix of favorites that included Christmas Eve, Valentine’s Day, New Year’s Day and New Year’s Eve.

Due to COVID-related travel restrictions in the winter of 2020, Christmas Day lost its long-standing top spot to Valentine's Day, according to WeddingWire’s 2021 Newlywed Report, which covered engagement-related activities throughout the full year of 2020.

In that report, Cupid’s Day was followed by New Year’s Day, Christmas Day, Christmas Eve and the Fourth of July (Independence Day). Interestingly, a bunch of warmer weather weekend dates, such as June 20th, September 12th, October 10th and May 16th cracked the Top 10 list in 2020, presumably because of the prevalence of COVID-inspired fresh air proposals.

But now with most restriction lifted, it's safe to assume that the long-standing favorites should climb back to the top of the list.

About 19% of all proposals take place during the month of December, which is more than twice as popular as any other month. The reason for December's dominance is the fact that couples love to get engaged on the days leading up to Christmas all the way through New Year's Eve, which is still officially December 31 until the ball drops.

Here's a rundown of the traditional Top 10 days to pop the question…

Christmas Day. Christmas is a time when families and friends come together from far and wide to celebrate the spirit of the season. It's the perfect time to pop the question because loved ones are present to participate in the festivities.
Christmas Eve. A joyful time to share a festive meal, sit in front of a fireplace and open a package or two ahead of Christmas Day.
Valentine’s Day. The one day each year set aside for lovers is also an ideal time to pop the question.
New Year’s Day. Is there a better way to start off the New Year?
New Year’s Eve. Say goodbye to 2022 and hello to 2023 with the one you love - and a ring.
Day Before Valentine’s Day. When getting engaged on Valentine’s Day may be too obvious, jumping the gun by 24 hours is a strategy to preserve the element of surprise.
Saturday Before Christmas Eve.
Two Saturdays Before Christmas Eve.
December 23rd (Day Before Christmas Eve).
Fourth of July (Independence Day). It’s fun, festive, patriotic and the only date in the Top 10 list that finds itself outside of “engagement season.”

An “Engagement Expectations” study conducted by The Knot and De Beers Group exactly one year ago revealed that 96% of pre-engaged women wanted to have some involvement in the selection of the engagement ring and would not want the proposal to be a total surprise.

Three-fourths of pre-engaged women have thought a lot or some about their engagement ring and most noted they would prefer personalized and unique engagement rings.

A Wedding Wire study confirmed that 72% of respondents worked as a couple to choose an engagement ring and a third of respondents shopped for the ring together.

Credit: Image by Bigstockphoto.com

69-Year-Old Treasure Hunter Unearths Medieval Wedding Ring on English Farm

Armed with a powerful XP Deus metal detector, 69-year-old David Board took another stab at a long-forgotten hobby. It had been nearly 50 years since Board scoured the beaches of Dorset on England's southwest coast in the hopes of recovering valuable treasure. He hadn't found much back then, but a family friend encouraged him to try his luck again since he was newly retired.

Board got permission to search the pasture of a local farm near Thorncombe. The farmer was an employer and friend for many years. Board had driven a milk tanker for his operation.

On his third pass through the field, Board got a strong signal near a footpath. At a depth of 5 inches, he exposed what at first glance seemed to be a candy wrapper. But then looking more closely he realized it was a muddy piece of metal and stashed it in his top pocket.

"It was once I got home and washed it off that we realized it was a lot better than we thought," he told CNN.

The Finds Liaison Officer Lucy Shipley took the ring to the British Museum and confirmed that it was Medieval in date. The stunning piece is now known as "The Lady Brook Medieval Diamond Ring," a very rare example of what high-end bridal jewelry looked like in the late 1300s.

Board told BBC News that this was a "once in a lifetime" discovery.

“This ring is in almost perfect condition and has an inverted diamond set into the raised bezel so that it comes to a point," explained Nigel Mills, Consultant (Coins and Antiquities) at Noonans, where the ring will be auctioned later this month. "The hoop is composed of two neatly entwined bands symbolizing the union of the couple."

Inside the band is an inscription in French "ieo vos tien foi tenes le moy," translating as "I hold your faith, hold mine."

The property on which the ring was discovered had been acquired by Henry de Broc (or de la Brook) from Reginald de Mohun (1206–1258), Feudal baron of Dunster in Somerset. The baron had inherited this land from his first wife, Hawise Fleming, daughter and heiress of William Fleming. It then passed by descent through the Brook family, coming into the possession of the wealthy landowner Sir Thomas Brook (c.1355-1418).

The auction house noted that, due to the exceptionally fine quality of this ring, it was quite possibly the wedding ring given by Sir Thomas Brook to his wife Lady Joan Brook for their marriage in 1388.

Noonans noted that the ring reflects the medieval notions of chivalry and courtly love that were at their zenith at that time.

The ring is expected to fetch up to £40,000 ($47,000) when it's offered for sale by the London-based auction house Noonans Mayfair on November 29, 2022. The proceeds will be split between Board and the landowner, according to BBC News.

Board said he will use his share of the money to help his partner's daughter secure a mortgage.

Credits: Images courtesy of Noonans Mayfair.

FIFA World Cup Trophy Is Crafted in 18K Gold With Green Malachite Accents

On December 18, after four weeks of heart-thumping soccer matches, members of a single national team will emerge as champions and experience one of the ultimate thrills in professional sports — raising aloft the 18-karat gold FIFA World Cup Trophy. Four years ago in Russia, that honor went to the squad from France. This year in Qatar, 31 teams will be vying to unseat the defending champs.

The coveted trophy, which is 14.5 inches tall and depicts two human figures holding up the earth, is made of 11 pounds of 18-karat gold and features two rows of green malachite at the base. The trophy is estimated to be worth $20 million, although the actual precious metal value is closer to $231,000.

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For years, FIFA, the governing body of soccer, had said the trophy was made of solid gold, but that claim hasn’t held up to scrutiny and it’s very likely that it has a hollow center.

Martyn Poliakoff of the United Kingdom’s Nottingham University did the math and determined that, based on its dimensions, a FIFA trophy made of solid gold would weigh an unwieldy 154 pounds. Gold is nearly 20 times as dense as water, and to get some perspective on just how heavy that is, consider this… A standard gold bar measures just 7 x 3 5/8 x 1 3/4 inches, but weighs more than 27 pounds.

The winning team will be taking home a gold-plated replica of the actual trophy. The real one will remain in the possession of FIFA. The bottom of the base bears the engraved year and name of each FIFA World Cup winner since 1974. The names are not visible when the cup is standing upright.

The tournament takes place every four years, usually during May, June or July in the northern hemisphere. The average high temperature in Qatar during the summer is 107 degrees, so the tournament was moved to the November - December timeframe when the average high temperature is a more comfortable 75 degrees.

It is estimated that five billion people will be tuning in for the World Cup this winter. That's up from 3.5 billion in 2018.

For the past 92 years, there have been only two designs for the FIFA trophy. The current one was conceived by Italian artist Silvio Gazzaniga and presented for the first time in 1974.

In describing his design, Gazzaniga said, “The lines spring out from the base, rising in spirals, stretching out to receive the world. From the remarkable dynamic tensions of the compact body of the sculpture rise the figures of two athletes at the stirring moment of victory.”

In 1970, the Brazilians got to keep the previous version of the trophy — the Jules Rimet Cup — when the team captured its third world title.

Rimet, the founding father of the FIFA World Cup, had stipulated 40 years earlier that any team that won three titles could have the cup permanently. FIFA made good on that promise in 1970, but in 1983 the cup was stolen in Rio de Janeiro and never seen again.

The Jules Rimet Cup, which was originally called “Coupe du Monde,” was designed by French sculptor Abel Lafleur and depicted the goddess of victory holding an octagonal vessel above her. It was 13.7 inches tall and weighed 8.4 pounds. It was made of gold-plated sterling silver, with a base of lapis lazuli.

In 1966, an earlier version of the Jules Rimet Cup was stolen from a public display in London just before the Brits were about to host the World Cup. It was discovered seven days later at the bottom of a suburban garden hedge by a clever canine named Pickles.

During World War II, the Jules Rimet Cup spent some time in a shoebox under the bed of FIFA vice president Dr. Ottorino Barassi, who feared it might fall into the hands of the Adolf Hitler and the Nazis.

Brazil currently holds the record for the most FIFA World Cup victories (5), followed by Italy and Germany with four wins each. Favored teams in the current tournament include Brazil, Argentina, France and England.

The North American triumvirate of the US, Canada and Mexico will co-host the next FIFA World Cup games in 2026.

Credits: Photo of 2018 FIFA World Cup champions photo by Kremlin.ru, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Photo of French footballer Djibril Sidibé holding the FIFA World Cup Trophy in 2018 by Антон Зайцев, CC BY-SA 3.0 GFDL, via Wikimedia Commons. Photo of FIFA World Cup Trophy by Revol Web, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Music Friday: Patsy Cline Sings, 'I’ve Got Your Class Ring, But She's Got You'

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you classic songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, Patsy Cline plays the role of a jilted lover who reminisces about a special class ring and other cherished mementos of a relationship gone bad in her 1962 chart-topper, "She's Got You."

She sings, “I’ve got your class ring that proved you cared / And it still looks the same as when you gave it, dear / The only thing different, the only thing new / I’ve got these little things, she’s got you.”

Songwriter Hank Cochran told Cline biographer Ellis Nassour that in 1961 he called the country star and told her he’d just written her next #1 hit. Cline invited Cochran to come over to her house and play the song on guitar.

She immediately fell in love with the song and learned it that same night. Excitedly, she called her producer, Owen Bradley, and sang it to him on the phone. At that point, Cline and Bradley were certain they had a winner — and they did.

Originally a #1 country hit for Cline in 1962, “She’s Got You” has been covered by an all-star group of music artists, including Rosanne Cash, LeAnn Rimes, Timi Yuro, Jimmy Buffet, Lee Ann Womack and Loretta Lynn.

And the song still has legs.

A 17-year-old Emily Ann Roberts sang "She's Got You" on The Voice in September of 2015. The Season 9 finalist's rousing rendition earned accolades from coach Blake Shelton and helped launch her career. “She’s Got You” was so well received by the viewers of The Voice that the song made it into the iTunes Top 10 and ascended to #21 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.

Born Virginia Patterson Hensley in 1932, Cline is often cited as one of the most influential vocalists of the 20th century and the first country music artist to cross over to pop. Just one year after "She's Got You" was released, Cline tragically died in an airplane crash near Camden, TN. She was 30 years old.

We know you will enjoy the audio track of Cline's performance of “She’s Got You.” The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…

“She’s Got You”
Written by Hank Cochran. Performed by Patsy Cline.

I’ve got your picture that you gave to me
And it’s signed with love, just like it used to be
The only thing different, the only thing new
I’ve got your picture, she’s got you

I’ve got the records that we used to share
And they still sound the same as when you were here
The only thing different, the only thing new
I’ve got the records, she’s got you

I’ve got your memory, or has it got me
I really don’t know, but I know it won’t let me be

I’ve got your class ring that proved you cared
And it still looks the same as when you gave it, dear
The only thing different, the only thing new
I’ve got these little things, she’s got you

I’ve got your memory, or has it got me
I really don’t know, but I know it won’t let me be

I’ve got your class ring that proved you cared
And it still looks the same as when you gave it, dear
The only thing different, the only thing new
I’ve got these little things, she’s got you

Credit: Image by Shanecollinswiki, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Softball Team Finds Diamond Ring Under Tornado Debris, Proposal Ensues

In the aftermath of a terrifying tornado that flattened their home near Hopewell, TX, Dakota Hudson and his girlfriend, Lauren Patterson, were thankful to be alive. They survived the ordeal by taking shelter in their bathroom, holding each other and praying as the twister shook their new home from its foundation.

Once the storm had passed, Hudson told his girlfriend of seven years that he had been planning to propose and that the tornado had consumed the engagement ring that he had hidden in the back closet their now-obliterated house.

"I told her, I was like, 'I lost your engagement ring and your wedding band,' and she told me it was alright," he recounted to local TV station KXII. "All she needed was me."

On Tuesday of last week, the Paris Junior College softball team volunteered to do some salvage and cleanup work for the devastated community and was randomly paired with the young couple.

Hudson hinted to the girls that if they could find the engagement ring, he would proposal on the spot.

"I guess when you tell 20 girls that you’re looking for an engagement ring they’re going to make sure you’re engaged by the end of the day," Hudson told a Fox4 reporter. "They did not let up. They all came out there and they were all workhorses. The amount of work they were able to put in to help us out was phenomenal."

After hours of digging through debris, clues started to emerge. Some of the girls found pieces of the ring box scattered in different areas. Then about an hour later, outfielder Kate Rainey made the discovery of a lifetime.

“I was just kind of digging through the mud in this certain particular spot, and I kept digging there,” Rainey told KXII. “I don’t know why. I felt [that I was] led to dig right there. I found a little piece of a metal circle, and it was not [just] metal. It was gold. I didn’t believe it. When I found it, I was like, ‘there’s no way I just found it.’”

The engagement ring had been torn from its box and traveled seven yards from its original hiding place in the closet. The tornado had buried the ring two inches under ground.

Rainey ran the ring over to Hudson who washed it off with bottled water and then, true to his word, got down on one knee and proposed to Patterson amidst the tangled remains of what used to be their home. Patterson immediately said "Yes" and the couple embraced to the cheers of the Paris Junior College softball team.

“All the glory goes to God,” Hudson told KXII. “I wasn’t going to wait anymore.”

Head coach Shelby Shelton commented on her Facebook page that the proposal was "truly one of the most remarkable things we have witnessed."

"Congrats to the newly engaged couple!," she wrote. "Our girls can’t wait to attend the wedding."

Credits: Team and proposal photos via Shelby Shelton / Facebook. Photo of couple via Lauren Patterson / Facebook.

Serendipity: Couple Mines 10th Anniversary Diamond at Arkansas State Park

In a wonderful example of serendipity, Jessica and Seth Erickson of Chatfield, MN, mined their own 10th anniversary diamond at Arkansas’s Crater of Diamonds State Park.

The couple had recently embarked on an 11-state road trip to celebrate their anniversary milestone and was excited to schedule a stop at the only diamond site in the world that’s open to the general public. The 37½-acre search field at the Murfreesboro park is actually the exposed eroded surface of an ancient diamond-bearing kimberlite pipe and amateur miners get to keep what they find.

The Ericksons arrived at Crater of Diamonds early on a Friday morning and spent the first few hours of their visit collecting material in the north section of the search field. By 11 a.m. they were wet sifting at the North Washing Pavilion with the assistance of some knowledgeable park regulars.

The regulars offered the Minnesota couple tips on how to properly sift their material using two screens — one with a quarter-inch mesh and the second with a 1/16th-inch mesh. The two-stage sifting process washes away the fine dirt and allows the smaller gravel to fall through the first screen and into the second.

According to park staff, about three-fourths of all diamonds registered at the Crater of Diamonds are found by wet sifting.

Although most diamonds are found after flipping gravel from the second screen onto a flat surface, Seth first spotted a metallic-looking gem in the bottom of the first screen. He knew right away it was a diamond and excitedly showed Jessica. Diamond, of course, is the official 10th anniversary gemstone.

According to park officials, it is very unusual to catch a diamond in the top screen of a screen set. The mesh size of the top screen is typically used to catch and remove bigger pieces of gravel – not diamonds. The average diamond size found wet sifting is a quarter of a carat. Typically, larger diamonds are found by surface searching.

The Ericksons placed their tea-color gem in a clear vial and walked it to the park’s Diamond Discovery Center, where park staff registered it as a 1.90-carat brown diamond about the size of a pony bead, a glass or plastic bead often used in children's crafts.

Many people who find diamonds at Crater of Diamonds State Park choose to name their gems. The Ericksons called their gem "HIMO," derived from the initials of each of their children.

So far this year, 581 diamonds have been registered at Crater of Diamonds State Park. An average of one to two diamonds are found by park visitors each day. Since the Crater of Diamonds opened as an Arkansas State Park in 1972, visitors have found more than 33,000 diamonds.

Credits: Photos courtesy of Crater of Diamonds State Park.

Music Friday: Teardrops Turn Into Precious Gems in Kelita's Song of Inner Healing

Welcome to Music Friday when we often bring you uplifting songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, Canadian recording artist Kelita performs “Tears,” an inspirational song about inner healing and overcoming adversity.

In this song, Kelita compares herself to a sparrow with broken wings. But, instead of accepting her fate of never being able to “fly,” she describes how the Holy One will take away the pain by cradling her teardrops in His hand and transforming them into precious stones.

She sings, “Shimmering diamonds, rubies of red / Bright as the blood that my dear Savior shed / Emeralds of green, sapphires of blue / He’ll take away your teardrops / Turn them into jewels.”

“Tears” first appeared in 2000 on Kelita’s Naked Soul album, a work that earned her a nomination for a Juno Award (Canada’s version of a Grammy) for Best Gospel Album. Kelita also included the song as the final track of her Heart of a Woman album in 2010.

Born Kelita Haverland in Alberta, Canada, the singer/songwriter/actress/comedian draws her strength from having overcome a series of seemingly insurmountable life challenges. As a child, she suffered physical abuse at the hands of a sibling. Her alcoholic father committed suicide and then her mother died from cancer. Her abusive sibling later died from a heroin overdose, and Kelita nearly lost her own life in a terrible auto accident.

Kelita’s official website explains that the artist writes, sings and speaks what is gleaned from her own life experiences. From a relentless life of tragedy to triumph, the lessons are shared with a transparency and honesty that engages, encourages and inspires. Her ability to touch and penetrate the hearts of audiences is what drives her success.

Kelita helped launch the career of an aspiring 19-year-old singer name Eilleen (Shania) Twain. The teenager from Timmins, Ontario, sang backup on Kelita’s hit song, “Too Hot to Handle.” Twain has gone on to become one of the best-selling artists of all time with more than 100 million records sold worldwide.

Please check out the audio clip of Kelita singing “Tears.” The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…

“Tears”
Written and performed by Kelita Haverland.

Tiny little sparrow fell from the tree
Sometimes I feel that little wounded sparrow is me
Tiny broken wings that never will fly
I wonder does her little heart know how to cry

Does her heart know how to cry
Are her tears gently falling inside
Crying tears she’s been trying to hide
Does her heart know how to cry like mine

Warm velvet words poured like sweet honey from his tongue
Until tonight I’d never heard the Holy one
He said that he would cradle every teardrop in His hand
He’d take away the pain and turn them into precious gems

Jesus knows the tears that you’ve cried
And he has seen them falling inside
Crying tears you’ve been trying to hide
Jesus knows the tears that you’ve cried like mine

Shimmering diamonds, rubies of red
Bright as the blood that my dear Savior shed
Emeralds of green, sapphires of blue
He’ll take away your teardrops
Turn them into jewels

Jesus knows the tears that you’ve cried
And he has seen them falling inside
Crying tears you’ve been trying to hide
Jesus knows, Jesus knows,
Jesus knows the tears that you’ve cried like mine

Credit: Promotional image via kelita.com.

World's Largest Faceted Citrine at 20,200 Carats Seems to Have Vanished

The sunny yellow November birthstone you see here is the world’s largest faceted citrine — an oval-cut, 20,200-carat marvel that vanished from the public eye in 2012.

Named for what was once its host city, the “Malaga” had been selected as one of the “Special Exhibition Gems” of the Programa Royal Collections. It was 2010, and the curated collection of 24 world-class gems was expected to attract huge crowds to the Art Natura Malaga, a natural science museum on Spain’s Costa del Sol.

The mammoth rough citrine crystal that would be transformed into the Malaga was unearthed in Mina Gerais, Brazil, in 1990. Due to the risks, complexity and special equipment required to cut and polish the stone, it remained in its original form for 19 years. Finally, in 2009, a team of Brazilian gem cutters took on the formidable challenge of shaping the stone — with startlingly beautiful results.

Rarely does nature present a citrine crystal that could yield such a large faceted stone. Typically, citrine crystals are found in geodes and measure just a few centimeters in size. When they are found in larger formations, the quality is usually lacking and those specimens are used as decorative items.

The internally flawless Malaga citrine measured 20 x 15 x 10 centimeters (7.87 x 5.90 x 3.93 inches) and was set to take up permanent residency at Art Natura alongside other extraordinary citrines, including the previous record holder, the oval-cut, 8,200-carat “Sol del Sur” (Southern Sun) and the 6,705-carat, emerald-cut “Soledade” (Solitude).

Art Natura boasted one of the world’s largest collections of museum-quality gemstones. In all, the collection comprised more than 500,000 carats, and each gem represented the best in its class in terms of size, purity and color.

All the excitement surrounding the opening of Art Natura Malaga came to a screeching halt during the fall of 2012, when legal disputes between the museum's owners and the Malaga City Council forced the complex to close.

Art Natura Malaga continues to have a website and a Facebook page, but both properties seem to be stuck in November of 2012. Sadly, the internet hasn't provided any clues as to the whereabouts of the Malaga citrine or its supersized citrine cousins. In the meantime, we'll just have to relish that special time a decade ago when the Malaga citrine was a rock star.

Credit: Courtesy photo by Programa Royal Collections, 2010.

Colossal 187,775-Carat Cluster of Emerald Crystals Could Set Price Record

The Kafubu Cluster, a colossal 187,775-carat matrix of individual and intertwined emerald crystals, is expected to set a Gemfields' price record at the mining company's rough tender in mid-November.

The impressive, 82.8-pound specimen was extracted in March 2020 from the Chama pit of the famous Kagem emerald mine in Zambia. Kagem is believed to be the world’s most prolific emerald mine.

“Rarity is one of the factors that makes emeralds hold such a special value in many cultures around the world, but the combination of this crystal cluster formation, the overall quality and the sheer enormity of the Kafubu Cluster is something I never thought possible,” commented Jackson Mtonga, Kagem's assistant sort house manager.

What's unique about the formation is that it's made up almost entirely of hexagonal emerald crystals. Hardly any other minerals are present.

According to the mining company, the Kafubu Cluster displays all the desired characteristics that an emerald should possess, including a vivid green color that glows and shines. The cluster also presents various levels of crystallization that will allow a cutter to create a collection of gems, ranging from fine-quality faceting material to cabochons and beads for everyday fun.

Gemfields believes the Kafubu Cluster could be transformed into tens of thousands of carats of commercial-to-fine-quality cut emeralds. There is also a possibility that the winning bidder will choose to preserve it in its natural form.

The Kafubu Cluster owes its name to the Kafubu river, which forms the natural southwest boundary of the Kagem property. Gemfields noted that the name Kafubu honors the unique landscape in which the colossal cluster was formed.

Gemfields, which owns 75% of the Kagem mine in a partnership with the Zambian government, noted that emeralds from Kagem tend to have a higher iron content than emeralds from other origins. This means they are less fragile and have fewer surface-reaching fractures.

Given its size and quality, it is likely that the Kafubu Cluster will be the most expensive single emerald piece ever sold by Gemfields. Viewing of the spectacular piece began last week at Gemfields' London headquarters. Bidding is set to close on November 17.

Credits: The Kafubu Cluster images courtesy of Gemfields.

Music Friday: Beatles Sing, ‘Give Back Your Ring to Me, And I Will Set You Free’

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you great throwback songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. In today’s selection, John Lennon of The Beatles performs the lead vocals to “Anna,” the third track of the legendary group’s 1963 debut studio album, Please Please Me.

In the song, Lennon woefully accepts the fact that his girlfriend is in love with another man. He also insists on the return of the shining symbol of his affection, singing, “Anna, just one more thing girl / You give back your ring to me / And I will set you free / Go with him.”

Written and originally recorded by Arthur Alexander, “Anna” was a favorite of Lennon, who recommended that The Beatles cover it for Please Please Me.

When Alexander released his version 60 years ago in September 1962, it peaked on the Billboard chart at a modest #68. Less than a year later, it would be included on one of the most famous albums of all time — a work that would launch the careers of The Fab Four.

The album Please Please Me was released in the UK in March 1963 and in the U.S. in January of 1964 by Vee-Jay Records under the name Introducing… The Beatles.

Interestingly, the U.S. version stalled for nine weeks at #2 on the Billboard album chart. The #1 album during the same period was Meet The Beatles on Capitol Records.

Music critics noted that Lennon’s raspy vocals on “Anna” reflected a “tortured pain.” One explanation is that Lennon had a terrible cold during the historic session of February 1, 1963, when The Beatles recorded 11 songs in 10 hours.

Another oddity about the song is its subtitle (Go to Him). The lyrics of both Alexander’s and The Beatles’ versions clearly state, “Go with him.”

The Beatles went on to become the best-selling band in history, with 177 million certified records in the US and 600 million records worldwide. In 2004 and again in 2011, the group topped Rolling Stone magazine's list of the Greatest Artists in History.

The two surviving Beatles are Paul McCartney (80) and Ringo Starr (82). John Lennon was shot and killed by an obsessed fan in New York City in 1980. He was 41. George Harrison died of lung cancer in 2001 at the age of 58.

We invite you to enjoy the audio track of Lennon and The Beatles performing “Anna.” As a bonus, we've also included Alexander's original version. The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along.

“Anna (Go to Him)”
Written by Arthur Alexander. Performed by The Beatles.

Anna, you come and ask me girl
To set you free, girl
You say he loves you more than me
So I will set you free
Go with him
(Anna)
Go with him
(Anna)

Anna, girl, before you go now
I want you to know now
That I still love you so
But if he loves you more
Go with him

All of my life I’ve been searching for a girl
To love me like I love you
Oh, now
But every girl I’ve ever had
Breaks my heart and leaves me sad
What am I, what am I supposed to do?
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

Anna, just one more thing girl
You give back your ring to me
And I will set you free
Go with him

All of my lifeI’ve been searching for a girl
To love me like I love you
But let me tell you now
But every girl I’ve ever had
Breaks my heart and leaves me sad
What am I, what am I supposed to do?
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

Anna, just one more thing girl
You give back your ring to me
And I will set you free
Go with him
(Anna)
Go with him
(Anna)
You can go with him girl
(Anna)
Go with him

Beatles Version 1963

Arthur Alexander Original Version 1962

Credit: The Beatles with Ed Sullivan by CBS Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.