14.82-Carat Vivid Orange Diamond Sells for $35.5M, Crushes Records at Christie’s Geneva Auction

“The Orange,” a magnificent 14.82-carat fancy vivid orange diamond, lived up to its pre-auction hype yesterday when it sold for $35.53 million and crushed two world records at Christie’s Magnificent Jewels event in Geneva. The gem had been estimated to sell in the range of $17 million to $20 million.

The last time an orange diamond of this quality hit the auction circuit was 2011 when a 4.19-carat vivid orange diamond fetched $2.96 million at Sotheby’s Hong Kong. “The Orange” bested that sale price by a factor of 12, and its price per carat of $2.395 million established a new high for any diamond of any color.

Another record could fall tomorrow at Sotheby’s Geneva when “The Pink Star” hits the auction block. The 59.60-carat flawless vivid pink diamond is estimated to fetch more than $60 million, which would be the highest price ever paid for a gemstone at auction.

“The Orange,” an almond size, VS1 clarity, pear-shape stunner, is the largest orange diamond ever graded by the Gemological Institute of America. The diamond owes its extremely rare, natural orange color to a faint trace of nitrogen in its chemical composition.

According to Forbes.com, several bidders at the auction venue — the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues — competed with phone bidders for the privilege of owning the rare orange gem. The bidding started at 10 million francs (about $10.89 million) and quickly escalated to 20 million francs. The record-setting bid of 32.65 million francs was met with applause from many of the 200 gem lovers in attendance.

The winning bid was equivalent to $31.6 million, but the official final price was $35.53 million after fees and commissions.

Miss Venezuela Fumbles Bejeweled Miss Universe Crown in Front of TV Audience of One Billion

Jubilation nearly turned to humiliation for the newest Miss Universe, Gabriela Isler of Venezuela, when she fumbled — but didn’t drop — her red and white bejeweled crown in front of an international TV audience of one billion. All the drama went down in exactly 10 seconds.

As the credits rolled during the exciting culmination of the annual pageant, last year's winner, Olivia Culpo of the U.S., placed the coveted crown on Isler's head. An instant later, an unidentified show official (wearing a black dress and Cleopatra necklace) tried to lower the Miss Universe sash over the 5’10” Isler’s head. But the sash got hung up on the crown, dislodging it and sending it cascading forward.

TV viewers around the world held their collective breath as the glittery crown seemed to be doomed. Reacting quickly, Isler and Culpo trapped the falling crown against Isler’s body before any damage was done. Culpo repositioned the crown on Isler's head and the new Miss Universe laughed off the moment as if nothing scary had just happened. Of course, she started her procession with her left hand secured tightly to the crown.

If the crown had met a more violent fate, there’s no telling how many of its 1,371 decorative stones would have scattered across the Moscow stage where the dramatic events took place on Saturday night.

In the Miss Universe pageant, winners get to keep their crowns, which are designed with 416 carats of diamond simulants and synthetic rubies set in 544 grams (about 1.2 pounds) of white gold and platinum. Diamond Nexus Labs has been crafting the crown since 2009.

The 25-year-old Isler is the third Venezuelan in the past six years to have won the Miss Universe pageant. This is an extraordinary accomplishment considering the elite competition. This year, Isler bested 86 contestants from all corners of the globe.

Jesse Owens’ 1936 Olympic Gold Medal Could Fetch More Than $1 Million When It Hits the Auction Block Later This Month

One of four gold medals won by American Jesse Owens during the 1936 Olympic Games in Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany is expected to fetch $1 million or more when it hits the auction block later this month.

Owens’ performance in Berlin was one of the most significant in Olympic history because Hitler was convinced the Games would showcase what he believed was the superiority of the Aryan race. Instead, the 23-year-old black American embarrassed the German dictator by dominating his athletes with decisive wins in the 100- and 200-meter dash, the long jump and as a member of the 4x100 meter relay team.

Due to the historical significance of the medal, and because the whereabouts of Owens’ other three are unknown, this one could fetch more than $1 million, according to SCP Auctions’ president David Kohler.

"We think this is a seven-figure piece," Kohler told ESPN.com. "We expect to see a good deal of international interest and could see some institutions bidding. This is so much bigger than a piece of sports memorabilia. It's a piece of history."

The online auction house, which specializes in sports rarities, will be accepting bids from November 20 through December 7.

The 55mm medal features Giuseppe Cassioli's famous "Trionfo" design, which was showcased on the Summer Olympic medals from 1928 through 1968. The obverse depicts Nike, the Greek Winged Goddess of Victory, holding a palm in her left hand and a winner’s crown in her right, with the Colosseum in the background. The reverse shows a jubilant crowd carrying a triumphant athlete.

Owens, who passed away in 1980, had given the gold medal to his good friend, entertainer Bill “Bojangles” Robinson. The medal came to the auction house via the estate of Robinson’s wife, Elaine Plaines-Robinson.

Owens’ medal could break the record for the highest price ever paid at auction for Olympic memorabilia. In April 2013, $865,000 was the winning bid for the silver cup earned by the 1896 Olympic marathon champ. The custom of awarding gold, silver and bronze medals didn't take hold until the 1904 Olympics.

Interestingly, the last Olympic gold medal made of pure gold was awarded in 1912. Starting in 1916, the gold medals were made from gilded silver (92.5% silver, plated with six grams of gold).

Owens’ 1936 gold medal weighed 71 grams. So, at today’s valuations, the precious metal content would be worth $49 in silver and $272 in gold.

Music Friday: Promise Ring Can’t Stop Michael Jackson’s Girlfriend From Chasing After Other Boys in 1970’s ‘The Love You Save’

Let’s take a musical voyage back to the summer of 1970, when The Jackson Five were burning up the Billboard Hot 100 charts with four consecutive #1 hits. Each of the songs has stood the test of time, but “The Love You Save” qualifies for our Music Friday feature because it includes an important reference to a promise ring.

In the song, a 12-year-old Michael Jackson is maddened by a girlfriend who can’t seem to shake her cheating ways. When they were little kids, she was always chasing after the boys. Now that she’s older, a promise ring from Michael is not enough to keep her faithful.

Jackson sings, “When we grew up you traded / Your promise for my ring / Now just like back in grade school / You're doin' the same old thing.”

Music historians believe that the emphatic “stop” at the beginning of “The Love You Save” is a nod to The Supremes’ “Stop! In the Name of Love,” which was released on the Motown label in 1965. Diana Ross, the lead singer of The Supremes, is often credited with having discovered The Jackson Five (also on Motown).

“The Love You Save” was the third of four rapidly released chart-toppers by The Jackson Five in 1970. The others included “I Want You Back,” “ABC” and “I’ll Be There.” These songs are often mashed and merged in still-popular Jackson Five medleys.

The founding members of the Jackson Five included brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael. During a successful run from 1964 to 1990, The Jackson Five (later to be called The Jacksons) amassed international legions of screaming fans and sold more than 100 million records, making them one of the most successful groups of all time.

We hope you enjoy the neat clips at the end of this post. The first video, captured from the Diana! Special in 1971, features a 13-year-old Michael Jackson and his brothers singing “The Love You Save.” We've also added a bonus clip of a grown-up Michael and his brothers performing the same tune 12 years later at Motown's 25th Anniversary gala. The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along.

“The Love You Save”
Written by Deke Richards, Freddie Perren, Alphonso Mizell and Berry Gordy Jr.  Performed by The Jackson Five.

Stop, you better save it
Stop, stop, stop, you better save it, woo
Do do do do do ...

When we played tag in grade school
You wanted to be it
But chasin' boys was just a fad,
You crossed your heart, you'd quit
When we grew up you traded
Your promise for my ring
Now just like back in grade school
You're doin' the same old thing

Stop, the love you save may be your own
Darlin' take it slow
Or some day you'll be all alone
You better stop
The love you save may be your own
Darlin' look both ways before you cross me
You're heading for a danger zone

I'm the one who loves you
I'm the one you need
Those other guys will put you down
as soon as they succeed

They'll ruin your reputation
They'll label you a flirt
The way they talk about you
They'll turn your name to dirt, oh.

Isaac said he kissed you, beneath the apple tree
When Benjii held your hand he felt electricity
When Alexander called you, he said he rang your chimes
Christopher discovered you're way ahead of your time

Stop, the love you save may be your own
Darlin' take it slow or some day you'll be all alone
You better stop
The love you save may be your own
Darlin' look both ways before you cross me
You're headed for a danger zone
Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on...

"S" is for save it
"T" is for take it slow
"O" is for oh, no
"P" is for please, please don't go

The love you save may be your own
Some day you may be all alone
Stop it
Save it girl
Baby, ooh
You'd better stop
The love you save may be your own
Please, please or some day, some day baby
You'll be heading for a danger zone
(All alone)

I'm the one who loves you
I'm the one you need
Those other guys will put you down
As soon as they succeed

Ooh, stop, the love you save may be your own oh baby
You better stop it, stop it, stop it girl or someday you'll be all alone

The way they talk about you
They'll turn your name, turn your name
Stop, the love you save may be your own
Don't you know, don't you know
Some day baby you'll be heading for a danger zone
(All alone)

Those other guys will put you down
As soon as they succeed
(Fade Out)

Pack of 16 Precious Pugs Participate in Picturesque Proposal in NYC’s Central Park

Londoners Ed Grant and his pug-obsessed girlfriend, Alexandra Justins, were in New York City recently enjoying what was supposed to be a simple four-day getaway. What Justins didn’t realize was that her romantic boyfriend had much bigger plans in store. 

On a crisp Sunday afternoon in Central Park, the couple had meandered to the highest point of the picturesque Bow Bridge when they were greeted by a sniffling pack of 16 adorable pugs, each one tethered to a giant red heart-shaped Mylar balloon.

Justins wondered out loud what the balloons were for, but before she got an answer, Grant dropped to one knee. Amidst the clamor of the 16 pooches and the fast-growing crowd of curious onlookers, he asked Justins to be his wife. The ecstatic bride-to-be said, “Yes,” and the crowd cheered.

The exciting pug encounter was no happenstance. Grant had contacted a local pug meet-up group, whose New York and New Jersey members were pleased to bring their dogs to Central Park to participate in the memorable event.

Justins absolutely adores pugs, and although she doesn’t have one of her own, they light up her world, according to an account in the Bark Post.

“I have never seen Alex happier than when she sees a pug, so I thought I would make her super happy [by seeing 16 at once], and then I hoped even happier by proposing to her!” Grant told TODAY.com.

Justins was touched by the kindness of the pug owners — strangers who were willing to go out of their way to make her day special. “I was totally overwhelmed and I could not believe that Ed had organized everything,” Justins told TODAY.com. “It made an incredibly special moment even more memorable.

After the proposal, 10 pug owners joined the newly engaged couple for celebratory drinks. Each of the pugs earned a commemorative tag that read, “I helped at the ‘Pug Proposal’ 2013.”

Although the couple’s apartment doesn’t allow for a pug companion, as soon as they move to a larger place there will be a wrinkly new addition to the family. The pug will be named “Bow” in honor of the Bow Bridge and their very special Central Park engagement.