Music Friday: Unlucky-in-Love Liam Gallagher Is Shining Like a 'Diamond in the Dark'

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring new brand new tunes with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title. Today, former Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher laments his recent separation from a long-time love in the 2022 release, "Diamond in the Dark."

In the song he co-wrote with Michael Tighe and Andrew Wyatt, Gallagher uses gemstone imagery to paint a picture of a forlorn romantic suffering from loneliness, confusion and depression.

He sings, "I’m shining like a diamond in the dark / I’m floating like a lion in the ark / I’m walking round in circles through the park / And no tough talk will erase you."

The diamond in the dark represents something that could be beautiful and brilliant, but has failed to reach its potential. In fact, a diamond in the dark doesn't shine at all, because diamonds can only sparkle in the presence of light.

Released as the fourth single from Gallagher's third solo album, C'mon You Know, "Diamond in the Dark" has met with critical acclaim. Faroutmagazine.co.uk called the song "a top-down, driving anthem while basking in the summer sun with a slice of psychedelia thrown in for good measure." The album charted in 17 countries, including the coveted #1 spot on the UK Albums chart and #16 position on the Billboard US Top Album Sales chart.

Gallagher rose to fame during his successful 18-year run (1991 to 2009) as the frontman for the British rock band, Oasis. The group's biggest hit, "Wonderwall" (1995), sold 2.4 million copies.

The 49-year-old native of Manchester, England, launched his solo career in 2017 and received the MTV Europe Music Award for "Rock Icon" in 2019.

Please check out the video of Gallagher's live performance of "Diamond in the Dark." The lyrics are below if you'd like to sing along…

"Diamond in the Dark"
Written by Liam Gallagher, Michael Tighe and Andrew Wyatt. Performed by Liam Gallagher.

I left LA today
I’m on another plane
I spent too much time on the dark side of your door
I spent the night awake
Had all that I could take
I might not see those baby blue eyes anymore

Come on
I’m shining like a diamond in the dark
I’m floating like a lion in the ark
I’m walking round in circles through the park
And no tough talk will erase you
Now I know how many holes it takes, too
And I really don’t know how to shake these memories

And there’s a fire in the sky
And baby there’s red dawn in my eyes
And all the meanings got so twisted since you're gone
And I guess I’ll hope you fine
But really you know I hope you’re crying
And there’s a million things to say since you been gone

Come on
I’m shining like a diamond in the dark
I’m floating like a lion in the ark
I’m walking round in circles through the park
And no tough talk will erase you
Now I know how many holes it takes, too
And I really don’t know how to shake these memories

Desperate eyes
Don’t recognize the warning signs
Alibis
They won’t keep you warm at night

So come on
I’m shining like a diamond in the dark
I’m floating like a lion in the ark
I’m walking round in circles through the park
And no tough talk will erase you
Now I know how many holes it takes, too
And I really don’t know how to shake these memories

Now I know how many holes it takes to
And I really don’t know how to shake these memories

Credit: Photo by Thesupermat, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Marvel's Infinity Gauntlet Featuring 6 Precious Stones Is Now a Real-Life Collectible

The Infinity Gauntlet featuring the Six Infinity Stones from the Marvel Universe is now a real-life collectible, thanks to a collaboration between Marvel and East Continental Gems. The six precious stones boast a combined total weight of more than 150 carats and are valued at $25 million.

The one-of-a-kind collectible was unveiled last week at the Marvel booth at San Diego Comic-Con.

Worn by Thanos, one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe, the gauntlet is embedded with colorful gems, each imbued with a unique special power related to Time, Space, Reality, Mind, Power and Soul.

“There has never been anything as exciting and interesting in the Marvel Universe than the prized Infinity Stones, and as a fourth-generation jeweler and fan, I am honored that Marvel entrusted us with the monumental task of curating the Infinity Gem Collection for our universe,” said Adam Mirzoeff, President of East Continental Gems.

Mirzoeff told The Hollywood Reporter that as he watched Avengers: Endgame with his kids he became intrigued by how the gemstones of the gauntlet played such a critical role in the plot line.

“When I saw the Time Stone onscreen and how meaningful it is to the entire narrative of the Marvel universe, for me, it was very meaningful to be watching that with my children,” Mirzoeff told The Hollywood Reporter.

Then he wondered if Marvel had an actual set of Infinity Stones.

When he learned the answer was "No," Mirzoeff got to work assembling the gems that would make up the Infinity Collection, assigning a specific stone to each special power.

He told The Hollywood Reporter, “I had to reach into my safe and our collection and think, ‘Which stone is worthy of the title?'”

To represent The Time Stone, Mirzoeff selected a Colombian emerald weighing just under 23 carats. The untreated, emerald-cut gem carries documentation from four gem laboratories and was unearthed at the turn of the last century. In the Marvel Universe, The Time Stone has the ability to manipulate time, even in places beyond time.

The Space Stone is a cushion-cut, 30-plus-carat sapphire that was sourced on the island of Madagascar. The Space Stone allows its user to exist in any location, move throughout different realities, warp or rearrange space and teleport across planes regardless of the laws of physics or magical barriers.

The Reality Stone is an oval-shaped, natural ruby from Mozambique that weighs more than 15 carats. Marvel explains that tasks, realities, concepts, visions — things that would normally be impossible to realize — are made possible with the Reality Stone. And they can be done on a universal scale. In other words, aside from the power to will anything in or out of existence, it can retroactively create alternate realities around those changes.

The Power Stone is an oval-shaped, natural amethyst weighing more than 35 carats. The Power Stone allows its users to access and manipulate all forms of energy as well as enhance their own physical strength and durability. This jewel also boosts the effects of the five other stones. The ultimate power behind the Power Stone — and why it sits at a place of honor on the Infinity Gauntlet — does not necessarily come from the stone itself, but from how the it interacts with the others.

The Soul Stone is a cushion-cut spessartite weighing more than 35 carats. The first of all the stones to appear in Marvel lore, The Soul Stone served as inspiration for all the rest. It can manipulate the soul and essence of a person, control life and death and contains a pocket dimension called the Soul World.

The Mind Stone is a high-clarity, intense-color, rectangular brilliant-cut yellow diamond weighing nearly 35 carats. The Mind Stone allows its user to heighten abilities, such as telepathy and telekinesis, and — when combined with the Power Stone — access all minds in existence concurrently.

At San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel teased the fact that East Continental Gems will be issuing a limited-edition Reality Stone in September 2022 as part of a future collection. More details will be announced at a later date.

Credits: Images courtesy of Marvel / East Continental Gems.

LA Rams' Super Bowl Rings Contain 20 Carats of Diamonds, Turf and Game Ball Leather

The Super Bowl LVI rings presented to the Los Angeles Rams' players, coaches and staff on Thursday set a record for the highest diamond carat weight in the history of NFL championship rings while pushing the envelope of conventional design.

Certainly, each ring pops with 20 carats of white diamonds, along with custom-cut blue and yellow sapphires set in white and yellow gold. But what really stands out is a top that spins off to reveal a miniature SoFi stadium complete with remnants of actual field turf and a snippet of game ball leather.

Jason Arasheben, CEO of Jason of Beverly Hills, described how he and Rams' team members immersed themselves in the design process. It was important for Arasheben to really understand the dynamics of the team, the season and the city.

Arasheben explained, "We spent an entire day at SoFi Stadium. The first thing I said was, 'What can you get me from the game? The field? Ball? What else?" I didn't just want it to be historical in design, but have physical elements from the event as well. It all adds value and authenticity, creating a one-of-a-kind piece of memorabilia."

The ring commemorates the Rams' historic 23-20 Super Bowl win over the Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium, the stunning $5 billion state-of-the-art complex that officially opened in September of 2020. The ring's 20-carat total weight is a nod to the 2020 grand opening. It was only the second time in NFL history that a team has won the Super Bowl in their home stadium. (NFL fans know that Super Bowl locations are planned many years in advance.)

The face of the ring features the Vince Lombardi Trophy, comprised of one marquise stone and a trophy base rendered in .12 carats of round diamonds to represent the team's 12 regular season wins. The palm trees on either side of the Trophy celebrate Los Angeles and consist of .26 carats of diamonds representing the franchise's 26 total postseason wins. The Rams' LA logo features special-cut blue and yellow sapphires.

Given the significance of SoFi Stadium to the Rams and the story of the entire 2021 NFL season, the shape of the Super Bowl LVI ring mimics architectural and design elements of the stadium, including the tall columns that support the translucent canopy roof. The .23 carats of diamonds on the stadium columns represent the 23 points scored in the Super Bowl to secure a Rams victory.

With a simple twist, the removable top opens to reveal a miniature of SoFi Stadium's bowl, complete with the Infinity Screen. The green turf is rendered with paint infused with pulverized remnants of the actual turf used during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. The underside of the removable top features an interpretation of SoFi Stadium's translucent, new-generation plastic roof surrounded by a piece of a Super Bowl LVI game ball.

With their rings turned sideways, players can look right through to the other side, as well as peek in on the inner bowl of the stadium and check out the messaging on the Infinity Screen. The actual Infinity Screen by Samsung is suspended 122 feet above the field and boasts the largest LED content playback system ever deployed. The 70,000 square-foot, dual-sided video board comes to life with nearly 80 million pixels spaced 8 millimeters from center to center.

One side of the ring features the player's name with their number adorned in diamonds. The name is featured on a plate that mimics the extreme horizontal shape of the Infinity Screen. Below the player's number is the team’s “We Not Me” motto.

The other side of the ring shows the Super Bowl LVI final score of 23-20, as well as the NFL Shield and Super Bowl LVI logo. "WORLD CHAMPIONS" is featured on a plate that also mimics the shape of the Infinity Screen.

The 1.12 carats of round diamonds on the top of the ring represent January 12, honoring a key recurring date in Rams history: On January 12, 2016, the Rams were approved to move back to Los Angeles; on January 12, 2017, the Rams hired Head Coach Sean McVay, and on January 12, 2019, the Rams beat the Cowboys for their first playoff victory after returning to LA.

The underside of the ring features all the final scores of all the playoff games of the 2021 season, including Super Bowl LVI.

The team just released a four-minute video that presents an insider's look at the design and fabrication of the Rams' Super Bowl LVI Ring. You can see it here…

Credits: Images courtesy of Jason of Beverly Hills.