'Cullinan Blue Diamond Necklace' Commemorates Largest Diamond Ever Mined

In 1910, Thomas Cullinan, then chairman of the Premier Mine in South Africa, gifted an elaborate necklace to his wife Lady Annie Francis Cullinan to commemorate the discovery of the largest gem-quality diamond ever mined.

About five years earlier, on January 26, 1905, Captain Frederick Wells was conducting a standard inspection of the Premier Mine when a glint off the wall of the mine caught his attention. At first, he thought it was a shard of glass that may have been embedded there by a miner as a practical joke. But, then he pulled out his pocket knife and pried the object from the wall.

What he extracted was the now-famous 3,106-carat Cullinan Diamond, which weighed a staggering 621 grams (1.37 pounds) and measured 98mm (3.85 inches) long, 57mm wide and 67mm tall. The chairman sold the diamond to the Transvaal provincial government, which, in turn, presented the stone to Britain’s King Edward VII as a birthday gift in 1907. Wells reportedly received a $10,000 bonus for his discovery.

In February 1908, Joseph Asscher & Co. segmented the Cullinan Diamond into nine major finished stones, each of which was given the name Cullinan and a Roman numeral. Two of the gems are in the British Crown Jewels — the Great Star of Africa (Cullinan I) at 530.4 carats and the Second Star of Africa (Cullinan II) at 317.4 carats. The other seven stones remain in the private collection of Queen Elizabeth II.

Cullinan (1862-1936) was knighted in 1910 in recognition of his contribution to industrial development of South Africa. At about the same time, the chairman presented his beloved wife, Annie (1866-1963), with the Edwardian-style "Cullinan Blue Diamond Necklace" — a feminine and elegant piece set with 243 round colorless diamonds and nine fancy intense blue diamonds. It is said that the nine blue diamonds represent the nine major stones derived from the Cullinan Diamond.

Designed in 9-karat rose gold and silver, the necklace features a detachable double-ribbon bow motif with a dangling pendant that holds the Cullinan Blue Diamond, an oval-cut, natural fancy intense blue diamond that weighs 2.60 carats. The piece's overall diamond total weight is approximately 24.11 carats.

Throughout most of its long history, the Cullinan Blue Diamond Necklace had been bequeathed to the first daughter in each generation of the Cullinan family. That tradition ended in 1992, when Anne Robinson, the great granddaughter of Thomas and Annie Cullinan, sold the necklace to jeweler Stephen Silver, president of Stephen Silver Fine Jewelry, Menlo Park, CA.

The necklace was temporarily exhibited at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC, in 1994, and then formally donated by Silver to the National Gem Collection in 2010. The Cullinan Blue Diamond Necklace is currently displayed at the Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems, and Minerals, which is part of the National Museum of Natural History.

The Cullinan Blue Diamond and the the Cullinan Blue Diamond Necklace shouldn't be confused with “The De Beers Cullinan Blue,” the 15.10-carat, step-cut, fancy vivid blue diamond that recently came within a whisker of setting a new world record for the priciest vivid blue diamond ever sold at auction.

Now renamed “The De Beers Blue” the stunner achieved a hammer price of $57,471,960 at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in late April. That was just short of the $57,541,779 achieved by the 14.62-carat “Oppenheimer Blue” at Christie’s Geneva in 2016.

Credits: Cullinan Blue Diamond Necklace image courtesy of Smithsonian / Chip Clark, and digitally enhanced by SquareMoose. The De Beers Blue diamond photo courtesy of Sotheby's.

Princess Diana's Wedding Tiara to Headline Special Exhibition at Sotheby's London

One of the most memorable tiaras of all time — the one worn by Diana, Princess of Wales, on her wedding day in 1981 — will highlight a Sotheby's London exhibition of more than 50 beautiful and storied headpieces spanning the ages. This is the UK's largest exhibition of tiaras in 20 years and is timed to coincide with Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee celebrations, marking her 70 years on the throne.

Dubbed the Spencer Tiara, Diana's wedding day headpiece is described by Sotheby's as a delicate and harmonious series of running scrolls, interspersed with star and trumpet-shaped flowers. Elements of the piece were part of a tiara fabricated for Viscountess Montagu in 1767 and subsequently passed down through generations of the Spencer family.

Diana was said to be particularly found of the heart-shaped section in the center of the tiara because it was given to her grandmother, Lady Cynthia Hamilton, as a wedding present in 1919 when she married Viscount Althorp, the future seventh Earl Spencer.

The current incarnation of the Spencer Tiara was designed by royal jeweler Garrard in 1937 and merges components from the 18th century Montagu jewelry with those from Lady Sarah Spencer’s collection. In addition to wearing the headpiece during her nuptials, Diana reportedly wore it on many subsequent occasions, including state dinners and overseas tours.

Diana's brother, Earl Spencer, loaned the cherished tiara to Sotheby's for the special exhibition. It's the first time the historic Spencer Tiara has been on display in London since the 1960s.

“The Queen’s Jubilee celebrations have given us the perfect opportunity to put on public display an outstanding selection of tiaras from noble and royal provenance, many of which have not been exhibited in decades," noted Kristian Spofforth, head of jewelry at Sotheby’s London. "The sourcing of these jewels has been a labor of love, resulting in an exhibition that showcases the best iterations within the tiara style register, through some of its most famous incarnations – including the much-loved and photographed Spencer Tiara."

Sotheby's exhibition is titled "Power & Image: Royal & Aristocratic Tiaras" and will run from May 28 through June 15 at its London showroom on New Bond Street. Admission is free. The showroom is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and weekends noon until 5 p.m. The exhibition will be closed on June 5.

Credits: Images courtesy of Sotheby's.

Music Friday: Taylor Swift's Juliet Gets Her Prince (and a Ring) in ‘Love Story’

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you awesome songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, Taylor Swift's Juliet gets her prince (and a ring) in the mega-hit, “Love Story.”

Back in 2008, an 18-year-old Swift released a semi-autobiographical song about Juliet, a teenager whose love interest is despised by her family and friends. Even though her dad forbids his daughter to date the young Romeo, Swift’s character steals away with him. The story, which is based on real events in Swift’s life, is spun with key elements from William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

But, instead of having a tragic ending, Swift’s version ends with a proposal and an engagement ring (the only part of the song that’s not based on fact). Swift sings, “He knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring and said… / Marry me, Juliet, you’ll never have to be alone / I love you, and that’s all I really know / I talked to your dad. Go pick out a white dress / It’s a love story, baby, just say, 'Yes'.”

Swift told the Los Angeles Times why she decided to put a happy ending on Shakespeare’s tragedy.

“I was really inspired by that story, except for the ending,” she said. “I feel like they had such promise and they were so crazy for each other. And if that had just gone a little bit differently, it could have been the best love story ever told. And it is one of the best love stories ever told, but it’s a tragedy. I thought, why can’t you… make it a happy ending and put a key change in the song and turn it into a marriage proposal?”

Songfacts.com reports that Swift was so excited when the pre-chorus lyrics came into her head, that she grabbed her guitar, sat on her bedroom floor and wrote the song in 20 minutes. Some of Swift fans believe the song relates to her relationship with Joe Jonas of the Jonas Brothers.

“Love Story,” which was the lead single from Swift’s second studio album Fearless, was the singer’s biggest seller (only to be surpassed by "Shake It Off" in 2014). With more than eight million copies sold worldwide, "Love Story" also ranks in the top tier of the most successful singles of all time. Music critics at the time wrote that “Love Story” established Swift as a “true princess of pop.”

Born in Wyomissing, Pa., Swift was not an average schoolgirl. By the time she was 11, Swift was already performing regularly at karaoke contests, festivals and fairs near her home in Berks County. When she was 14, her parents moved the family to Nashville, where Swift would be better positioned to pursue a career in country music. At the age of 17, Swift was topping the country charts.

Now 32 years old, Swift is one of the best-selling musicians of all time. She has sold more than 200 million records, nabbed 11 Grammy Awards and topped the Billboard Hot 100 eight times.

Please check out the video of Swift performing "Love Story" during a "Live on Letterman" concert. The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…

“Love Story”
Written and performed by Taylor Swift.

We were both young when I first saw you.
I close my eyes and the flashback starts:
I’m standing there on a balcony in summer air.

See the lights, see the party, the ball gowns.
See you make your way through the crowd
And say, “Hello, ”
Little did I know…

That you were Romeo, you were throwing pebbles,
And my daddy said, “Stay away from Juliet”
And I was crying on the staircase
Begging you, “Please don’t go”
And I said…

Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone.
I’ll be waiting; all that’s left to do is run.
You’ll be the prince and I’ll be the princess,
It’s a love story, baby, just say, “Yes”.

So I sneak out to the garden to see you.
We keep quiet ’cause we’re dead if they knew
So close your eyes… escape this town for a little while.
Oh, oh.

‘Cause you were Romeo – I was a scarlet letter,
And my daddy said, “Stay away from Juliet”
But you were everything to me,
I was begging you, “Please don’t go”
And I said…

Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone.
I’ll be waiting; all that’s left to do is run.
You’ll be the prince and I’ll be the princess.
It’s a love story, baby, just say, “Yes”.

Romeo, save me, they’re trying to tell me how to feel.
This love is difficult but it’s real.
Don’t be afraid, we’ll make it out of this mess.
It’s a love story, baby, just say, “Yes”.

Oh, oh, oh.

I got tired of waiting
Wondering if you were ever coming around.
My faith in you was fading
When I met you on the outskirts of town.
And I said…

Romeo, save me, I’ve been feeling so alone.
I keep waiting for you but you never come.
Is this in my head? I don’t know what to think.
He knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring and said…

Marry me, Juliet, you’ll never have to be alone.
I love you, and that’s all I really know.
I talked to your dad – go pick out a white dress
It’s a love story, baby, just say, “Yes”.

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.

‘Cause we were both young when I first saw you

Credit: Screen captures via YouTube / Taylor Swift.

Kourtney Kardashian Confesses That She Flattened Her New Engagement Ring

On the most recent episode of The Kardashians, Kourtney Kardashian confessed to mom Kris Jenner that she accidentally flattened her $1 million engagement ring while tidying up her closet.

In the one-minute exchange, Jenner asks to see the oval-cut diamond engagement ring that Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker gave her daughter in October during a surprise proposal at the beachfront Rosewood Miramar Hotel in Montecito, CA.

"Oh my gosh," said Jenner. "Can you believe that you are engaged? Where's the ring?"

"I am covering it because it is actually getting fixed," Kardashian responded. "This is probably one of the worst things I've ever done in my whole life."

Kardashian went on to explain how she had taken off the ring and set it on the floor while she was folding sweatshirts in her closet. She figured that it would be safe right next to her. But it wasn't.

"So, then I had to get something up above in my closet, and when I stepped down, I stepped on the ring," she winced.

The ring didn't have a chance because it was designed with an ultra-thin pavé diamond band. While dainty bands are trendy, they do require extra care because they can be bent or broken easily. The oval diamond is estimated to be as large as 15 carats with a value upwards of $1 million.

"I was like hysterically crying in my closet for like hours," Kardashian told her mom. "And then I called Travis and I was like, 'I did something really, really bad.'"

While Barker handled the news calmly, Kardashian was still an emotional wreck.

She said, "It gave me a nervous breakdown. I was like, 'This is the most beautiful thing in my entire life and how could I have done that?'"

In a cutaway confessional, Kardashian went on to explain that she felt extra guilt because of the time and effort Barker dedicated to picking the perfect stone and designing the perfect setting.

"Travis picked it out," Kardashian said. "He designed it. He looked at so many stones and [said] that this was me in a stone. So I thought that was really special."

While Season 1 Episode 5 of The Kardashians (airing on Hulu) made news on Thursday due to Kourtney's engagement ring faux pas, the Poosh founder and her new fiancé were back in the headlines on Sunday when they officially tied the knot in Santa Barbara. A Kardashian family insider told People magazine that the couple had to legally marry ahead of "their big Italian wedding, which is happening very soon."

Credits: Photos via Instagram.com / kourtneykardash.

Marc Anthony Pops the Question With 10-Carat Emerald-Cut Diamond Ring

It's official. Marc Anthony popped the question to Miss Universe finalist Nadia Ferreira with a 10-carat diamond ring during her 23rd birthday celebration at Disney World in Orlando.

The Paraguayan model revealed the ring in an Instagram Story on Thursday. In the photo, Anthony is caressing his fianceé's hand and the three-stone ring can be seen peeking out between his ring finger and middle finger. She tagged Anthony in a caption that simply read, "Engagement Party!!!" with the three exclamation points followed by a diamond-ring emoji.

The actual ring, which is reportedly worth $500,000, features an emerald-cut center stone flanked by smaller tapered baguettes. The clean, symmetrical, three-stone motif is steeped in symbolism, as it represents the model’s past, present and future.

Made popular during the 1920’s Art Deco movement, the emerald cut continues to convey an understated, regal elegance. The stepped facets allow the admirer to see clearly into the stone, revealing its perfection.

Interestingly, the ring shares the design Anthony chose for ex-wife Jennifer Lopez in 2004. That ring was reportedly designed by Harry Winston, featured a blue diamond center stone and was valued at $4 million. Lopez is currently engaged (for the second time) to Ben Affleck.

Anthony, 53, met Ferreira earlier this year and made their relationship Instagram-official with romantic vacation posts in March. Ferreira earned the title of Miss Universe Paraguay 2021 and and went on to become the 1st Runner-Up at the Miss Universe pageant in Israel in December of 2021.

Ferreira has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of positive feedback since she announced the engagement. In an Instagram snap showing the couple posing in front of Cinderella's Castle, she wrote, "I am speechless seeing all your messages of so much love and good wishes, thank you very much. What a Birthday! #23."

The caption, which was written in her native Spanish and translated above, included three fun emojis: a happy face emoji wearing a party hat and blowing a party horn, a birthday cake and a shower of gold sparkles.

The tattooed black rectangle at the base of Anthony's left ring finger masks what used to be Lopez's initials. He covered up the tat after their separation in 2011. Anthony and Lopez are the parents of 14-year-old twins Max and Emme.

Credits: Images via Instagram / nadiatferreira.