Mili The Giraffe Helps Missouri Man With Surprise Marriage Proposal at Dickerson Park Zoo

Mili the Giraffe, one of the most popular attractions at Dickerson Park Zoo, literally stuck her neck out to help a Missouri man with a surprise marriage proposal.

Cody Hall had arranged for him and his girlfriend, Makayla Blankey, to get a behind-the-scenes tour of the zoo in Springfield, Mo. The special access would give the couple an intimate look at how the zookeepers feed and train the friendly 15-foot-tall giraffe.

What Blankey didn't know was that Hall had conspired with zoo spokesperson Joey Powell to enlist Mili as the central figure in a unique and truly unforgettable marriage proposal. The animal would be fitted with a lanyard necklace, and dangling from the necklace would be the engagement ring.

The zoo had always been a place of wonder for Hall and he dreamed of proposing to Blankey at the zoo since the day he realized that she was the one.

"They showed us the training exercise, getting Mili to point at a big tennis ball with her nose," Hall said. "Then they gave Makayla a tree branch to feed the giraffe, and when it craned its neck out, the ring was hanging."

Hall detached the ring from the lanyard and got down one knee to pop the question. Mili seemed to be enjoying the romantic moment as she dipped her head toward the couple.

"Marriage was something we had talked about, so I knew she'd say, 'Yes,'" Hall told the Springfield News-Leader. "But it's a different feeling when you ask the question and she says, 'Yes.' It's still surreal."

Hall and Blankey, both from Willard, Mo., are planning a spring 2018 wedding.

Zoo officials joked that Mili should be part of that special day.

"Congrats to Cody and Makayla," noted a photo caption on the zoo's official Facebook page. "We think Mili should be your honorary ring bearer on your big day."

On her Facebook page, Blankey posted a photo of her and her boyfriend embracing at the entrance of the Dickerson Park Zoo. Her caption read: "I'm so in love." She also posted a group shot with Mili posing in the background.

In a gracious thank-you note on the zoo's Facebook page, Hall wrote, "The zoo was a place of wonder and special to me before, but now Dickerson Park Zoo, you all hold a very dear and special place in my life which I'll never forget. I can't thank you all enough."

"I dreamt of this as soon as I knew that Makayla was the one for me," he added. "You turned my dream into a reality and your generosity touched me in such an unexplainable way. I cannot wait until the future when we can bring our own family to the zoo and share the wonder, knowledge and kindness you all have shown us.

Credits: Images via Facebook.com/DPZoo; Facebook.com/makayla.blakey.

163-Carat D-Flawless Diamond Is the Largest Ever to Appear at Auction

On November 14, Christie's Geneva will offer for sale the largest D-flawless diamond to ever hit the auction block. The 163.41-carat emerald-cut diamond was cut from a 404.20-carat rough named “4 de Fevereiro," which was discovered at Angola's Lulo mine in February 2016.

It was bought by de Grisogono founder Fawaz Gruosi and unveiled to clients at the company’s annual party during the 2016 Cannes film festival in May, according to Town & Country.

The rough diamond was studied in Antwerp and cut in New York. There, a team of 10 diamond-cutting specialists pooled their talents to map, plot, cleave, laser-cut and polish the gem into a stunning 163.41 carat emerald-cut stone.

The transformation began on June, 29, 2016, when an 80-year-old master diamond cleaver, Ben Green, performed a cut along a grain line. After 11 months of work, the polished stone was ready to be sent to the Gemological Institute of America, where it earned its D-flawless, Type IIa grade. Type IIa diamonds are the purest of all diamonds because they are composed solely of carbon with virtually no trace elements in the crystal lattice.

The diamond is now the centerpiece of an asymmetrical necklace, featuring cascading pear-shaped emeralds on the left side and cool, white emerald-cut diamonds down the right. The company chose to use emeralds in the design because the green color symbolizes good luck. The final concept, named "The Art of de Grisogono," was one of 50 proposed by the firm's design team and took more than 1,700 hours to complete.

“I never thought I would work with a 163.41-carat diamond of this quality,” Gruosi noted in a Christie’s press release. “I have never had a problem finding creative ideas, but this time there was the immense pressure of ‘dressing’ such an amazing diamond. I couldn’t do something very simple or that has already been seen. I needed a design that is outside-the-box.”

Added Rahul Kadakia, International Head of Christie’s Jewels, “Over our 251-year history, Christie’s has had the privilege of handling the world’s rarest and most historic diamonds. The sensational 163.41-carat perfect diamond suspended from an elegant emerald and diamond necklace propels de Grisogono into a class of their own.”

“4 de Fevereiro" means February 4th in Portuguese, and the name is associated with an Angolan national holiday marking the start of an armed struggle for independence in 1961. The 404.20-carat rough is the largest gem-quality rough diamond ever discovered in Angola.

The fabulous necklace will embark on an exhibition tour, with stops in Hong Kong, London, Dubai, New York and Geneva. The auction is set for November 14 at 7pm GMT at the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues in Geneva.

Credits: Images via PRNewsfoto/de GRISOGONO; Christie's.

Music Friday: Fed-Up Girlfriend Demands a Shiny Ring and a Walk Down the Aisle in the 'Little White Church'

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you fun songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, Karen Fairchild of Little Big Town demands an engagement ring and a walk down the aisle in the up-tempo 2010 country hit, "Little White Church."

Fairchild portrays a young woman who is fed up with her boyfriend — a "charming devil" with a "silver tongue." He's been skirting a marriage commitment for far too long, and now Fairchild needs to lay down the law. From here forward, he won't be riding this "gravy train" until he buys her a shiny ring and takes her down to the little white church.

She sings, "You've been singing that same old song / Far too long, far too long / Say you'll buy me a shiny ring / But your words don't mean a thing."

Co-written by Little Big Town band members Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, Jimi Westbrook and Phillip Sweet, along with Nashville-based songwriter Wayne Kirkpatric, "Little White Church" was inspired by a phrase jotted down in Fairchild's notebook.

Sweet told songfacts.com that a writing session turned into an avalanche of creativity when they started working on "Little White Church."

"And it came together pretty fast," Sweet said. "Karen had the idea written in her book... because you drive around [Franklin] Tennessee and you see all these beautiful, quaint, picturesque, little white churches all over the place."

Fairchild wanted the song to incorporate a bluegrass-inspired musical form called "call and response," which can be heard in the rousing "take me down, take me down" chorus.

"Little White Church" is the lead single from Little Big Town's album The Reason Why. The song climbed to #6 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and had crossover success on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, topping out at #59.

In the official music video, Fairchild portrays a bride on her wedding day. As she's walking on a country road toward the town's little white church, she's joined by her band members. Meanwhile, Fairchild's deranged mom gags her fiancé, ties him up and hides him in the trunk of a car.

Check out the video to see how it all turns out. The lyrics are below if you'd like to sing along...

"Little White Church"
Written by Jimi Westbrook, Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, Phillip Sweet and Wayne Kirkpatrick. Performed by Little Big Town.

You've been singing that same old song
Far too long, far too long
Say you'll buy me a shiny ring
But your words don't mean a thing
No more calling me baby
No more loving like crazy

Till you take me down (take me down)
You better take me down (take me down)
Take me down to the little white church
Take me down (take me down) take me down (take me down)
Take me down to the little white church
Take me down

You can't ride this gravy train
Anymore, anyway
There's a price for keeping me
I might be cheap, but I ain't free
No more calling me baby
No more loving like crazy

Till you take me down (take me down)
You better take me down (take me down)
Take me down to the little white church
Take me down (take me down) take me down (take me down)
Take me down to the little white church
Take me down

Come on

Charming devil, silver tongue
Had your fun, now you're done
Mama warned me 'bout your games
She don't like you anyway

No more calling me baby
No more loving like crazy
No more chicken and gravy
Ain't gonna have your baby

Till you take me down (take me down)
You better take me down (take me down)
Take me down to the little white church
Take me down (take me down)
You better take me down (take me down)
Take me down to the little white church
Take me down to the little white church (take me down)
Take me down (take me down to the little white church)
Take me down (take me down)
You better take me down (you better take me down)
Take me down to the little white church
Take me down (take me down)
You better take me down (take me down)
Take me down to the little white church
Take me down (take me down)
You better take me down (take me down)
Take me down to the little white church
Take me down to the little white church, take me down to the little white church

Credit: Screen capture via YouTube.com.

Graff's $53M Purchase Reunites 1,109-Carat Lesedi La Rona With Her 373-Carat Sibling

British billionaire and diamantaire Laurence Graff paid $53 million for the 1,109-carat Lesedi La Rona, the largest gem-quality rough diamond discovered in more than a century. Graff's purchase marks the poignant reunion of two of the world's largest and most high-profile diamonds. You see, Graff had already paid $17.5 million for the 373.72-carat "chunk" that fractured from her sibling during the mining process.

Lucara Diamond Corp. and Graff closed the deal with a handshake after more than a year of negotiations. The 79-year-old founder of Graff Diamonds had purchased Lesedi La Rona's smaller sibling at Lucara’s Exceptional Stone Tender in May. That price was $46,827 per carat, just slightly lower than the $47,777 per-carat price paid for Lesedi La Rona. 

“We are thrilled and honored to become the new custodians of this incredible diamond," noted Graff in a statement. "Our highly skilled team of master craftsmen will draw on many years of experience of crafting the most important diamonds, working night and day to ensure that we do justice to this remarkable gift from Mother Nature."

What the tennis-ball-sized Lesedi La Rona will ultimately yield after the cutting and polishing process is still a mystery.

"The stone will tell us its story. It will dictate how it wants to be cut and we will take the utmost care to respect its exceptional properties," Graff added. "This is a momentous day in my career, and I am privileged to be given the opportunity to honor the magnificent natural beauty of the Lesedi La Rona."

The largest gem-quality rough diamond of all time is the 3,106-carat Cullinan Diamond. It was discovered in South Africa in 1905 and eventually cut into nine major pieces and 96 smaller brilliant-cut diamonds. The largest of the polished diamonds, the Great Star of Africa, weighed 530.4 carats and is now part of the British Crown Jewels.

Back in June of 2016, Lucara Diamond Corp. was confident that Lesedi La Rona, which means "our light" in Botswana’s Tswana language, would fetch at least $70 million when it went under the hammer during a stand-alone sale at Sotheby’s London.

The diamond went unsold when bidding stalled at $61 million. Then, in the summer of 2017, Lucara officials lamented that Lesedi La Rona might be "too big to sell" and contemplated slicing it into smaller parcels.

At first blush, it appears as if Graff made a great deal at $53 million. By comparison, the 813-carat Constellation — also sourced from Lucara's Karowe mine in Botswana and nearly 300 carats lighter — sold for $63 million in May of 2016. In fact, Lesedi La Rona, the Constellation and the Graff "chunk" were all found within 72 hours of one another in November of 2015.

All three stone are rated Type IIa, the purest of all diamonds because they are composed solely of carbon with virtually no trace elements in the crystal lattice.

Graff is no stranger to the world of magnificent diamonds. In 2006, he bought the 603-carat uncut Lesotho Promise for $12.4 million. Also among his treasures are the D-flawless 102.79-carat Graff Constellation, the 118-carat vivid fancy yellow Delaire Sunrise diamond and the internally flawless 23.88-carat Graff Pink.

Credits: Images courtesy of Graff Diamonds, Lucara Diamond Corp.

KC Man Who Fumbled Ring Into Pond Earns a Redo on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' AND Gets Original Ring Back

The forlorn boyfriend who famously fumbled an engagement ring into the pond at Kansas City's Loose Park earned a redo on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Tuesday. Seth Dixon got to propose to Ruth Salas in front of a national TV audience on a set that mimicked the wooden footbridge where the original proposal took place.

The redo came as a complete surprise for the couple, who thought that they were being invited to Los Angeles by ABC to be interviewed on 20/20. That all was a ruse to get the couple to attend the taping of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, where the host invited them onto the stage. He recounted their story and showed the original "oops" video, where — in mid proposal — the engagement ring flies out of the ring box, bounces on the bridge decking and falls through the slats into the murky pond below. Despite the valiant efforts of the couple and many friends, the ring could not be found.

The video went viral and triggered scads of proposal-gone-wrong headlines around the world.

Kimmel didn't only provide the venue for the high-profile redo, but also made sure the couple had a new engagement ring. The ring, presented by celebrity jeweler Neil Lane, featured an oval-cut center stone accented by 100 smaller diamonds in a halo setting.

Dixon's redo proposal went off without a hitch.

“We’ve been together for four years,” he said. “You’re the love of my life. We’ve had ups and downs, and we’ve gotten through it all. We know this day’s been coming for a long time. And I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

Then it got down on one knee.

“Will you marry me?”

“Yes,” Salas said.

What the ABC studio audience didn't know at the time of the taping was that back at Loose Park in Kansas City, metal-detector enthusiast Michael Long had successfully pulled the original ring from the mucky bottom of the pond. The resident of Springfield, Mo., had seen the couple's viral video on Facebook and made the 170-mile trip to Loose Park three separate times to dive for the ring.

“I wanted to make sure they got it back before somebody else found it and had the opportunity to not give it back,” Long told Kansas City TV station KSHB.

Dixon, an Uber driver, and Salas, a substitute teacher, got word of the good news while they were in California and told the producers of 20/20 that the ring was found.

Dixon described the events on his Facebook page...

"Throughout the week, we [had] been in constant communication with 20/20 and they have been made aware that we found the ring, but it wasn't in our possession yet," he wrote. "We have been completely honest with them during this entire process. Even with them knowing everything, they still decided to bless us with a new ring. After the show, we again mentioned the ring situation. They again said they wanted us to keep the new ring! All of the staff at Jimmy Kimmel Live! have been AMAZING and we are so thankful for them! They have been nothing but a blessing to us!"

Dixon also acknowledged the kindness and tireless efforts of a complete stranger.

"A BIG THANKS to Michael Long for offering his services to help us find the original ring!" he wrote. "We truly appreciate you going out of your way to find our ring and returning it to us. Many people searched for the ring, but you are the one who found it. We greatly appreciate your service! We recommend Michael to everyone as a professional treasure hunter! Thank you again!"

The couple plans to wed on October 21 and it's still not clear whether Salas will be wearing the original ring or the new one provided by the show.

Check out the video of Dixon's "redo" proposal on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. And, yes, Dixon and Salas happen to be wearing the same outfits (right down to the shoes) from the original "oops" video.

Screen captures via YouTube.com/Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Facebook.com/Staci Dabney’s Photography. Recovered ring via Facebook/Seth Dixon.