Alexa Ray Joel, Daughter of Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley, Dishes on Her 'Ridiculously Exquisite Ring'

Singer-songwriter Alexa Ray Joel, the 32-year-old progeny of rock legend Billy Joel and former supermodel Christie Brinkley, rang in the New Year with big news of her engagement to restauranteur Ryan Gleason.

Joel turned to Instagram on Monday to share details of the romantic proposal, along with a great shot of her vintage-inspired engagement ring. We're estimating that the emerald-cut center stone is approximately 2 1/2 to 3 carats and is likely set in platinum or 18-karat white gold.

In recounting how Gleason popped the question, Joel wrote, “He said to me: ‘Before I met you, my world was in black and white. You colored it in between the lines.’ It was the most beautiful thing anybody’s ever said to me. How could I possibly say no to that?!?!”

She also revealed her reaction to seeing her engagement ring for the first time...

“So I was completely taken off-guard, dumbstruck, and shell-shocked- and FOR ONCE in my life, I had absolutely no words, and I couldn’t speak," she wrote. "I just kept staring at this ridiculously exquisite ring — and he was just hysterically laughing at me!!!”

Gleason's Instagram page summed up his feelings in five words: "Luckiest guy in the world!!!!"

The surprise proposal took place during a tropical getaway, which coincided with Joel celebrating her 32nd birthday on December 29. One day later, Gleason was on Instagram, posting a photo of his girlfriend, along with the following caption: "Happy Birthday to the strangest girl I know. You make this world such a better place. I love you so much!"

One of his followers, wormadette, wrote this insightful comment, "You’re in Love, You’ve been dating for over 3yrs, you’re both in your 30’s....show her the ring!!"

And he did.

Joel's dad, Billy, and mom, Christie, were married from 1985 to 1994.

Billy Joel's heartwarming "Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)" was written for Alexa when she was seven years old.

Credits: Images via Instagram/AlexaRayJoel.

Here's a First Look at the XXIII Olympic Winter Games Gold Medal; Can You Guess What It's Worth?

With the new year upon us and the Winter Olympics in South Korea right around the corner, it's time to take a close look at the medals that will be awarded at the Games and noodle out what they're really worth.

Designed by Seoul-based Sukwoo Lee, the gold, silver and bronze medals to be awarded from February 9 - 25 at the XXIII Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang will range in weight from 586 grams for a gold medal to 493 grams for a bronze medal. At today's spot price, the gold medals — if they were, in fact, made of pure gold — would be worth $26,974 each.

The truth is that the gold medals contain just 6 grams of pure gold and 580 grams of 99.9% silver, resulting in an actual precious metal value of about $624. The silver medals contain 580 grams of 99.9% silver ($348), and the bronze medals are made of 493 grams of copper ($4.93).

Yes, there was a time when Olympic gold medals were made of solid gold, but the last ones were awarded in Stockholm, Sweden, way back in 1912.

Starting in 1916, the International Olympic Committee mandated that gold medals be made mostly of silver, and gilded with exactly 6 grams (0.211 ounces) of 24-karat gold. The IOC also required the medals to be at least 60mm in diameter and 3mm thick. The Pyeongchang medals are 92.5mm (about 3.6 inches) wide. The thickness of the coins range from 4.4mm to 9.42mm.

Lee's design was inspired by the texture of tree trunks, with the front bearing the Olympic rings and dynamic diagonal lines that reflect both the history of the Olympics and the determination of the participants. The reverse displays the winner's sports discipline, event and the Pyeongchang 2018 emblem. In total, 259 sets of the medals have been made.

The bark-like ridges on the face of Lee's design are made from extrusions of three-dimensional Hangeul consonants. Hangeul, which dates back to the 15th century, is the Korean alphabet and the foundation of Korean culture. The Hangeul letters extend to the edges of the coins and can be read around the rims.

The ribbons are made from gapsa, a traditional South Korean fabric. They are light teal and light red in color and embroidered with Hangeul patterns and other designs.

The medal comes with a wooden case designed with curves witnessed in Korean traditional architecture. The case will house the medal, medal description, the IOC badge and a medallist note.

The Winter Games in Pyeongchang will be followed by the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics. Although the medal designs have yet to be revealed, the organizers are imploring environmentally conscious citizens to unload their old cell phones in a recycling effort to amass enough precious metal to create 5,000 gold, silver and bronze medals.

Credits: Images via pyeongchang2018.com.

Music Friday: Journey's Steve Perry Sings About a 'Band of Gold' in the 1996 Hit, ‘When You Love a Woman’

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you chart-topping songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title. Today we feature Journey’s romantic, Grammy-nominated anthem, “When You Love a Woman.” In the memorable refrain, lead vocalist and songwriter Steve Perry sings, “When you love a woman, you can see your world inside her eyes,” and compares a joy that lasts forever to “a band of gold that shines.”

Originally released in 1996 as the third track and lead single from the group’s Trial by Fire album, “When You Love a Woman” quickly ascended to #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary chart and topped out at #12 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. In 1997, the song earned a Grammy nomination in the category of Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group.

Former members of Santana and 1960s psychedelic rock band Frumious Bandersnatch formed Journey in San Francisco in 1973. After a long string of hits, the group disbanded in 1987 only to reunite in 1995. When lead singer Steve "The Voice" Perry went down with a hip injury and was unable to tour in 1998, the group made numerous — and mostly unsuccessful — attempts to fill Perry’s very big shoes.

In 2007, original band member Neal Schon was viewing Journey covers on YouTube when a video by Filipino Arnel Pineda caught his attention. Pineda had a golden voice similar to Perry’s and Journey had their man. He has been singing lead vocals for Journey ever since. Former lead singer Perry continues to tour apart from the band at the age of 68.

In April of 2017, Perry rejoined his bandmates for a special celebration that saw the group inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Journey is one of the best-selling bands of all time, with worldwide sales of more than 100 million records.

We invite you to enjoy the soaring vocals of Perry in the official video of “When You Love a Woman.” The video has been viewed more than 27 million times. The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along...

“When You Love a Woman”
Written by Steve Perry, Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain. Performed by Journey.

In my life I see where I’ve been
I said that I’d never fall again
Within myself I was wrong
My searchin’ ain’t over… over
I know that…

When you love a woman
You see your world inside her eyes
When you love a woman
You know she’s standin’ by your side
A joy that lasts forever
There’s a band of gold that shines waiting somewhere…oh yeah

If I can’t believe that someone is true
To fall in love is so hard to do
I hope and pray tonight
Somewhere you’re thinkin’ of me girl
Yes I know…I know that

When you love a woman
You see your world inside her eyes
When you love a woman
You know she’s standin’ by your side
A joy that lasts forever
There’s a band of gold that shines waiting somewhere…oh

It’s enough to make you cry
When you see her walkin’ by
And you look into her eyes

When you love a woman
You see your world inside her eyes
When you love a woman
Well you know she’s standin’ by your side
A joy that lasts forever
There’s a band of gold that shines
When you love a woman…
When you love, love, love, love
When you love a woman
You see your world inside her eyes

Credit: Screen capture via YouTube.com.

Shy Guy Dresses Like Santa to Surprise Girlfriend With Over-the-Top Marriage Proposal

A self-described shy guy who prefers to stay out of the spotlight surprised his science teacher girlfriend with a Santa-themed marriage proposal in front of a gym full of screaming middle schoolers.

Dressed like Saint Nick, Chris Garrett walked onto the court during the Rainbow Lake Middle School's teachers-versus-students volleyball game. He took the microphone from the game's announcer and told the crowd, "I have a pretty busy journey ahead of me."

While the crowd of students and teachers were probably thinking of a journey that included toys for the local kids of Spartanburg, S.C., Garrett had something completely different in mind.

"I have a very special gift I need to give to a very special person," the disguised Garrett said.

At that point, seventh-grade teacher Traci Thompson was ushered onto the court, where the faux Santa removed his beard, got down on one knee, pulled a ring box from his pocket and presented his girlfriend with an oval-shaped diamond ring.

"Will you marry me?" Garrett asked.

Thompson said, "Yes," and the crowd erupted in cheers for the couple.

“It’s a special moment,” Garrett said. “She’s the girl of my dreams.”

During a post-ceremony interview, Thompson admitted that Santa's voice sounded familiar.

“I’m still like, in shock,” Thompson told goupstate.com. “I remember thinking, ‘Who is that Santa?’”

Thomas noted that the proposal caught her off guard because her boyfriend is a mild-mannered, behind-the-scenes type of guy.

"This literally would have been the last way I would have expected [the proposal] to happen," she told NBC affiliate WYFF4.

Garrett admitted he prefers to stay "out of the lights like this," but wanted to do something extra special.

“This way, she can share it with everyone here, her family, the kids,” Garrett told goupstate.com.

Summing up what she saw as a perfect proposal, Thompson told her boyfriend of three years, and now fiancé, "You did so good.”

Credits: Screen captures via wyff4.com.

Homeless Man Returns 'Good Mother Ring' to Grateful Owner Who Accidentally Gave It Away

A homeless man on Vancouver Island is being praised as a hero for his selfless efforts to return a valuable diamond ring to a woman who had mistakenly donated it with her loose change to another homeless man.

When Trinda Gajek visited Nanaimo on Vancouver Island recently, she came upon a young man who looked to be down on his luck. She offered to help him out and emptied the contents of her zippered change purse into his hands.

What she didn't realize until much later was that among the coins was a cherished diamond band that her adult children had purchased for her when they were teenagers. They called it a "good mother ring."

Devastated by the loss, the Salt Spring Island resident returned to the location where she had met the young man, but he was nowhere to be found.

Still hopeful that she might be reunited with the white gold band adorned by baguette diamonds across the top, she told her story on Facebook and then turned to the local media for help.

In reporting the story, CHEK News interviewed a number of homeless people in the area, including 52-year-old Raymond Ahlstrom. He seemed to connect with Gajek's plight and promised to do what he could.

"I'll put my energy into that one," he said.

“He totally took on my cause. He did not need to do that,” Gajek told huffingtonpost.ca. “He made it his mission to go out into his community and get my ring back.”

Ahlstrom enlisted the help of a friend, who drove him to a few locations where he believed the young man might be. In short time, Ahlstrom had not only located the young man, but also secured Gajek's ring. The CHEK News reporter noted that the young man gave back the valuable ring without question because it was Ahlstrom who asked for it.

On the day Ahlstrom was set to reunite Gajek with her ring, CHEK News was on hand to document the encounter.

"Do you feel good today?" CHEK News asked him. "Yeah," Ahlstrom said with teary eyes. "Yeah I do."

Gajek greeted Ahlstrom with a warm hug.

"Thank you so much," she said. "That is awesome."

"Here it is," he said.

"That's my ring," she said. "Wow."

Gajek insisted on giving Ahlstrom a cash reward. She also planned to reward the young man for his honesty.

“The ring really could have ended up anywhere,” she told huffingtonpost.ca. “I’m thrilled to have it back.”

She called the unlikely recovery of her ring "a real Christmas story."

Credit: Screen captures via cheknews.ca.