Music Friday: Marina Diamandis Wants a Proposal and a 'Big Diamond Ring' in 2012's 'Primadonna'

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you exciting songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title. Today, Marina Lambrini Diamandis, better known as Marina and the Diamonds, stays true to her name in the 2012 international hit, “Primadonna.”

In this song about a self-absorbed diva who “wants the world,” the sassy 32-year-old Welsh recording artist tries to coax a marriage proposal and a giant-size sparkler from her suitor.

She sings, “Would you do anything for me? / Buy a big diamond ring for me? / Would you get down on your knees for me? / Pop the pretty question right now baby.”

Diamandis created her stage name by incorporating her first name with the translation of her surname, which means “diamonds” in Greek. She explained that “the Diamonds” part of “Marina and the Diamonds” does not refer to her backing band, but to her fans.

"Primadonna" was the lead single from the 32-year-old artist's second studio album, Electra Heart. MTV Buzzworthy critic Sam Lansky described "Primadonna" as “a monster song,” and fans across the globe agreed. The song was an international sensation, reaching the top five in three countries and charting in 13. Within the first few hours of its release in March of 2012, the song became a worldwide trending topic on Twitter.

Born in Brynmawr, Wales, Diamandis moved to London as a teenager to pursue a music career. In 2009, at the age of 24, she placed second in the BBC's "Sound of 2010" competition. That success led to her debut studio album, The Family Jewels.

The official video at the end of this post has been viewed on YouTube more than 68 million times. The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along...

“Primadonna”
Written by Marina Diamandis, Julie Frost, Lukasz Gottwald and Henry Walter. Performed by Marina and the Diamonds.

Primadonna girl, yeah
All I ever wanted was the world
I can’t help that I need it all
The primadonna life, the rise and fall
You say that I’m kinda difficult
But it’s always someone else’s fault
Got you wrapped around my finger, babe
You can count on me to misbehave

Primadonna girl,
Would you do anything for me?
Buy a big diamond ring for me?
Would you get down on your knees for me?
Pop the pretty question right now baby
Beauty queen of the silver screen
Living life like I’m in a dream
I know I’ve got a big ego
I really don’t know why it’s such a big deal, though
I’m sad to the core, core, core
Everything is a chore, chore, chore
When you give I want more, more, more
I wanna be adored

(Chorus)
Cause I’m a primadonna girl, yeah
All I ever wanted was the world
I can’t help that I need it all
The primadonna life, the rise and fall
You say that I’m kinda difficult
But it’s always someone else’s fault
Got you wrapped around my finger, babe
You can count on me to misbehave

Primadonna girl
Fill the void up with Celluloid
Take a picture, I’m with the boys
Get what I want cause I asked for it
Not because I’m really that deserving of it
I’m living life like I’m in a play
In the limelight I want to stay
I know I’ve got a big ego
I really don’t know why it’s such a big deal, though
Going up, going down, down, down
Anything for the crown, crown, crown
With the lights dimming down, down, down
I spin around

(Chorus x 2)
Cause I’m a primadonna girl, yeah
All I ever wanted was the world
I can’t help that I need it all
The primadonna life, the rise and fall
You say that I’m kinda difficult
But it’s always someone else’s fault
Got you wrapped around my finger, babe
You can count on me to misbehave

Cause I’m a primadonna girl, yeah
All I ever wanted was the world
I can’t help that I need it all
The primadonna life, the rise and fall
You say that I’m kinda difficult
But it’s always someone else’s fault
Got you wrapped around my finger, babe
You can count on me to misbehave
Primadonna girl

Credit: Screen capture via YouTube.com.

Blue Diamond Owned 300 Years Ago by the Queen of Spain Fetches $6.7MM at Sotheby's Geneva

A 6.16-carat blue diamond owned more than 300 years ago by Elisabeth Farnese, Queen of Spain, fetched $6.7 million at Sotheby's Geneva yesterday. The winning bid crushed the auction house's pre-sale high estimate by more than $1.7 million.

The historic "Farnese Blue" was originally presented in 1715 as a wedding gift to the Spanish Queen by the governor of the Philippine Islands.

Secreted away in a royal jewelry box, the pear-shaped, fancy dark grey-blue diamond traveled across Europe for centuries, as the Queen’s descendants married into Europe’s most important dynasties.

For 300 years, the gem would stay in the same family, but would never be seen in public. In fact, except for close relatives and the family jewelers, no one knew of its existence.

Recently, the diamond emerged on the market for the first time and was highly touted by Sotheby’s in the run-up to the Geneva auction. In fact, the Farnese Blue headlined a promotional tour that made stops in Hong Kong, London, New York, Singapore, Taipei and Geneva.

As the final lot of yesterday's auction, the Farnese Blue didn't disappoint. Bidding started on Lot 377 at $3.6 million and advanced rapidly in $100,000 increments. After four minutes, the final price of $6.7 million had beaten the pre-sale high estimate by more than 34%.

The Farnese Blue was the most historic lot of the auction, but was not the highest priced.

Two magnificent diamonds, each weighing more than 50 carats, were the auction's top performers.

Lot 373 featured a round, brilliant-cut diamond weighing 51.71 carats. Set in a ring, the D-color diamond boasts the highly coveted Type IIa purity grade and flawless clarity. The ring sold for $9.2 million, just slightly more than its pre-sale high estimate of $9.1 million.

An oval diamond weighing 50.39 carats highlighted the highly anticipated Lot 350. This diamond also carried a D-flawless grade and a Type IIa purity classification. The diamond ring, which went into the auction with a pre-sale estimate of $6.9 million to $7.6 million, sold for $8.1 million.

Credits: Diamond images courtesy of Sotheby’s. Elisabeth Farnese image by Louis-Michel van Loo [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.

Class Ring Lost in Missouri Cave 57 Years Ago Finds Its Way Back to Stunned Owner

Archaeologists at the Smallin Civil War Cave in Ozark, Mo., recently recovered a 1960 class ring that had been lost for 57 years and returned it to its stunned owner.

Workers had demolished an old wooden platform at the popular historic site and were planning to replace it with a new concrete one. With the old platform out of the way, historical surveyors were able to explore a previously inaccessible part of the cave's stream bed. Metal detectors led them to some very interesting discoveries — including one that had profoundly changed the life of Peggy McLaughlin.

"We were finding bullets, we were finding some change from different time periods and then we found the ring," Eric Fuller, archaeologist for the Smallin Civil War Cave, told NBC affiliate KY3. "We always have history in here, I just never expected it in the form of a class ring."

Fifty-seven years earlier, McLaughlin lost her Osage High School class ring during a Civil War-themed field trip to the cave that had been arranged by her history professor. At the time, she was a freshman at Evangel University.

McLaughlin told the Springfield News-Leader that she enjoyed exploring the cave, and barely noticed how cold her hands were. After walking some 200 feet into the cave, the young woman suddenly felt her loose-fitting class ring slip from her finger.

The ring had fallen into the cave's rocky stream bed and she realized that the prospects of getting it back were slim to none.

When the freshman returned to campus later that day, she told her boyfriend, Gene Grounds, about the loss of her cherished ring — a ring she had owned for only four months.

The boyfriend responded, “Maybe we will just have to replace that ring.”

Two weeks later, he presented McLaughlin with an engagement ring.

McLaughlin and Grounds were married and had two children.

The class ring that was partly responsible for Gene Grounds' marriage proposal lay dormant in the stream bed for next 57 years. Then, during the demolition of the old viewing platform, an old wooden plank was cleared from the stream bed. Underneath was McLaughlin's Osage High School ring.

"It was a surreal moment when I found it," historical surveyor Chadwick Oldham told the Springfield News-Leader. "I saw an Osage Indian on it, but of course they didn't have class rings."

Once the calcite was cleaned from the ring, it was clear that it was from the 1960 graduating class of Osage High School at Osage Beach, Mo. Oldham and his wife, Jackalyn, posted photos of the ring to the Osage High School alumni page. A few days later, McLaughlin spotted her ring and arranged to have it returned.

McLaughlin told the Springfield News-Leader that the return of her long-lost ring has brought back many fond, wonderful memories.

She was excited to get it back on her finger.

"It was still loose," she said, laughing.

Credits: Ring photo by Smallin Civil War Cave. Screen captures via KY3.com.

Music Friday: 'This Ring Is a Symbol of My Love,' Sings Ron Isley of The Isley Brothers

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you romantic songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, Ron Isley of The Isley Brothers sings about the symbolism of bridal jewelry in the group's release, "Brazilian Wedding Song (Setembro)."

Written by Brazilian composers Ivan Lins and Gilson Peranzzetta, "Brazilian Wedding Song (Setembro)" became a frequent request for wedding day playlists after a sweet rendition by The Isley Brothers appeared on their 1992 Tracks of Life album.

The song is essentially a groom's wedding vow — using jewelry references to describe his solemn pledge of love and devotion.

Isley sings, "I pledge all my love to you always / Don't you know this ring / This ring is a symbol of my love / Grant us blessings from above oh, oh / Who cherish all the magic of our days."

In the next verse, gold chains symbolize the couple's eternal bond... "Oh Lord, oh Lord, here I stand / Golden chains around our hearts / Vow to death we'll never part."

Often cited as the group that has enjoyed one of the "longest, most influential, and most diverse careers in the pantheon of popular music," The Isley Brothers became the first band to score a Top 50 hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in six consecutive decades.

Originally from Cincinnati, the group was established in 1954 as a gospel trio consisting of brothers O'Kelly Isley, Jr., Rudolph Isley and Ron Isley. Soon they landed a spot on Ted Mack's Amateur Hour, where they won the competition and took home the grand prize — a watch. With their new-found fame, they began touring all over the eastern U.S., performing in a variety of churches.

The brothers moved to the New York City area in the late 1950s. In 1959, the brothers celebrated their first big hit, "Shout," a song that would become a cultural phenomenon nearly two decades later when it was performed by Otis Day and the Knights in the 1978 fraternity house film National Lampoon's Animal House.

The Isley Brothers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992, and in 2010, Ron Isley received a "Legend Award" at the Soul Train Music Awards. The 76-year-old is still actively touring.

Trivia: A then-21-year-old Jimi Hendrix played on The Isley Brothers' stage shows in 1964.

Please check out the audio track of The Isley Brothers performing "Brazilian Wedding Song (Setembro)." The lyrics are below if you'd like to sing along...

"Brazilian Wedding Song (Setembro)"
Written by Ivan Guimaraes Lins and Gilson Peranzzetta. Performed by The Isley Brothers.

Today is the day to say I do
Yes, I promise to be true

I pledge all my love to you always
Don't you know this ring
This ring is a symbol of my love
Grant us blessings from above oh, oh
Who cherish all the magic of our days

Oh Lord, oh Lord, here I stand
Golden chains around our hearts
Vow to death we'll never part
From this day as one we'll start our lives

Oh Lord, here I stand
With my heart out in my hand
Rich or poor, I am your man
I'm your lover and friend for life
Ooh

So much love, so much love, girl
So much love, girl, la, la, la, la
Today, today, today is the day to say I do
Yes, I promise to be true

I pledge all my love to you always
Don't you know this ring
This ring is a symbol of my love
Grant us blessings from above oh, oh
Who cherish all the magic of our days

And I can hear them when they play
Our Brazilian wedding song

Credit: Screen capture via YouTube.com.

Rising Star Andrew Benintendi Assists Red Sox Fan With Surprise Marriage Proposal

Rising star Andrew Benintendi of the Boston Red Sox had a memorable day at the ballpark on Saturday. Not only did he go 3-for-5 with a triple and double in the Red Sox's 6-5 victory over the Texas Rangers, but he also earned an assist with a very romantic pre-game marriage proposal.

During batting practice at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas, a couple from Arkansas — dressed in his-and-her Red Sox regalia — was among a small group of devoted fans allowed on the field to meet the players. Little did the woman know that her boyfriend had plotted a special on-field proposal with the help of a former Arkansas Razorback.

Benintendi, who was born in Cincinnati and played college ball in Arkansas, went up to a woman in the meet-and-greet line and presented her with a baseball that he pulled from his back pocket. Written in bold marker across the ball were the phrases, "Turn Around" and "Will You Marry Me."

The stunned woman spun around to see her boyfriend on bended knee with an engagement ring box in his hand.

The man nervously fumbled with the ring and asked the woman to marry him. Major League Baseball cameras captured the special moment when she said "Yes" and he slipped the ring on her finger.

Under the caption, "It's hard not to be romantic about baseball," the Red Sox organization posted the proposal video to its Twitter page.

One clever fan commented, "Takes a brave man to have @asben16 give his lady a ball that says "Will you marry me?" I'd be like, well I barely know you but what the hell! You only live once!"

The 23-year-old Benintendi told NESN’s Guerin Austin that it was "pretty cool" to be part of the marriage proposal.

Benintendi was drafted by the Red Sox in 2015 and joined the major league team in August of 2016. In his first full year, Benintendi was the second-place finisher for the American League's Rookie of the Year.

Screen captures via Twitter/Red Sox.