Music Friday: Pink Shows Off Her ‘Gold Diamond Rings’ in 2001’s ‘Get the Party Started’

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you fabulous songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, Pink shows off her style in the 2001 international blockbuster, “Get the Party Started.” In the first verse of her good-time, signature anthem, Pink gives a nod to her fashionable jewelry.

She sings, “I got lots of style, check my gold diamond rings / I can go for miles if you know what I mean / I'm comin' up so you better get this party started.”

Released as the first single from Pink's wildly popular second album called Missundaztood, “Get the Party Started” charted in 24 countries, including an ascent to #4 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and #14 on the Canadian chart. The album sold more than 13 million copies and is her most successful to date. In 2019, digital media company About.com (currently dotdash.com) placed "Get the Party Started" #1 on its list of "The Top 100 Best Party Songs of All Time."

Although “Get the Party Started” is considered Pink’s signature song, songwriter Linda Perry revealed in 2019 that she had originally offered the song to Madonna, who turned it down.

Perry also described how the song quickly came together while she was trying out her new Pro Tools recording equipment, which included numerous virtual instruments, sound effects and mixing capabilities.

"'Get the Party Started' was just me figuring out what all this stuff does," Perry told Rolling Stone magazine. "I came up with that beat, laid it down, found all these weird chords and sounds and put in the horns. Then I went back to my guitar for the wah-wahs. I was just having fun."

"I literally came up with the song in 30 minutes," she told Mix magazine in 2019.

Alecia Beth Moore (better known as Pink) was born in Doylestown, PA, in 1979. Originally a member of the girl group Choice, Pink launched her solo career in 2000 with the single, “There You Go.” The rest is history, as she has gone on to become one of the most successful and influential artists of her generation.

"When Alecia Moore debuted in 2000, pop was dominated by long-locked blonds like Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Jessica Simpson,” wrote Glamour Magazine. “Pink changed the game."

Pink has earned three Grammy Awards, seven MTV Video Music Awards, seven Billboard Music Awards and one Emmy Award. She has sold more than 90 million records worldwide.

We invite you to put on your dancing shoes and rock out with Pink as she sings “Get the Party Started.” The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along. And, yes, this is the family-friendly version of the song…

"Get The Party Started"
Written by Linda Perry. Performed by Pink.

I'm comin' up so you better get this party started
I'm comin' up so you better get this party started

Get this party started on a Saturday night
Everybody's waiting for me to arrive
Sendin' out the message to all of my friends
We'll be looking flashy in my Mercedes Benz
I got lots of style, check my gold diamond rings
I can go for miles if you know what I mean
I'm comin' up so you better get this party started
I'm comin' up so you better get this party started

Pumping up the volume, breaking down to the beat
Cruisin' through the west side
We'll be checkin' the scene
Boulevard is freakin' as I'm comin' up fast
I'll be burnin' rubber, you'll be kissin' my ends
Pull up to the bumper, get out of the car
License plate says Stunner #1 Superstar

I'm comin' up so you better get this party started
I'm comin' up so you better get this party started
Get this party started

Making my connection as I enter the room
Everybody's chilling as I set up the groove
Pumpin' up the volume with this brand new beat
Everybody's dancing and they're dancing for me
I'm your operator, you can call anytime
I'll be your connection to the party line

I'm comin' up so you better get this party started
I'm comin' up so you better get this party started
I'm comin' up so you better get this party started
I'm comin' up so you better get this party started
Get this party started
Get this party started right now
Get this party started
Get this party started
Get this party started right now

Credits: Image by Andemaya, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

'Bachelorette' Clare Crawley Says Diamond Ring Is a Symbol of Self-Love

Bachelorette Clare Crawley sparked engagement rumors when she was spotted by the paparazzi wearing a diamond ring in her hometown of Sacramento, CA, this past week — only days after the airing of the Season 16 premiere.

The intrigue surrounding Crawley's journey to find true love shook the Bachelorette Nation in early August, when a number of celebrity news outlets reported that the 39-year-old, four-time contestant had been smitten by former football player Dale Moss during the first two weeks of shooting. Insiders claimed that she had fallen in love, left the show and had to be replaced by Tayshia Adams.

Shortly after the paparazzi shots surfaced on Monday, Crawley took to her Instagram page to explain to her 660,000 followers that the diamond ring was not an engagement ring, but instead, a symbol of self-love and empowerment.

Alongside an animated selfie, she wrote: "People have noticed I wear this ring on my wedding finger, and have asked why! The truth is because it is a commitment to myself first and foremost, to embody self-love."

She went on to explain that in the past she had found herself in relationships where there was little or no reciprocity.

"And in the end would feel depleted and empty," she wrote. "This is my promise to myself, to make sure I always had enough self-love that no matter what happened, I was committed to loving myself unconditionally, and that is something no man could take away from me. @missdiamondring." She punctuated the post with a red heart emoji.

Earlier in October, Crawley spoke about the same diamond ring during an episode of Bachelor Happy Hour, a Bachelor Nation podcast.

“I wanted to get something for myself that I never have to give back to anybody, that nobody can ever take away from me, that will always be mine and that comes first over anything. So self-love and you know what? I will never ask anything of a man that I can’t get for myself.”

The Bachelorette returned to ABC on Tuesday, October 13, and it was immediately apparent that Crawley was captivated by Moss, a 32-year-old pro athlete-turned model.

“I definitely feel like I just met my husband, I’m shaking,” Crawley said during Episode 1. Not surprisingly, she gave Moss the coveted first impression rose.

She told Us Weekly that her first encounter with Moss was "breathtaking."

Crawley's odyssey continued to play out in last night's episode and viewers came away from it sensing that something big was about to go down.

Credit: Screen capture via Instagram/clarecrawley.

Queen Elizabeth II Wears Spectacular Sapphire Jewelry in New Portrait

Queen Elizabeth II is wearing a spectacular sapphire ensemble in an official portrait released by the Government of Canada. The 94-year-old monarch, who was separately proclaimed the Queen of Canada when she ascended to the British throne in 1953, is bedecked in a famous series of pieces called “The King George VI Victorian Suite.”

Included in the suite is a necklace, earrings, bracelet and tiara. Dangling from her ears and neckline is glittering sapphire jewelry gifted to Elizabeth by her father, King George VI, as a wedding day gift nearly 73 years ago.

The mid-19th century necklace was originally designed with 18 sapphire clusters, framed by round diamonds and spaced by an individually diamond. In 1952, the necklace was shortened by four links.

Seven years later, the Queen took the largest cluster and had it transformed into a hanging pendant, which doubles as a brooch. Each pendant earring highlights a large teardrop-shaped sapphire surrounded by smaller round diamonds. All the gemstones are set in gold.

In the early 1960s, the Queen added a matching sapphire bracelet to the ensemble.

On her head is the "Belgian Sapphire Tiara," which the Queen purchased in 1963. The headpiece, which is sometimes called the “Victorian Sapphire Tiara,” had been refashioned from a 19th century necklace once owned by Princess Louise of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (born Princess Louise of Belgium).

In the photo, the Queen's white dress is adorned with two important pieces of Canadian insignia: the Sovereign of the Order of Canada and the Order of Military Merit. The Order of Canada is Canada's highest civilian honor and The Order of Military Merit recognizes distinctive merit and exceptional service displayed by the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces. The Queen is its highest-ranking member.

The new portrait the Queen will be displayed in government buildings, schools and embassies in tribute to Canada's ties to the Queen through the Commonwealth.

The official photo was taken at Windsor Castle in the UK by photographer Chris Jackson, who proudly shared it on his Instagram account along with this caption: "It was an incredible honor to have the opportunity to photograph HM Queen Elizabeth II on behalf of the Canadian Government for her official Canadian Portrait that has been released today. I’ve been lucky enough to have visited Canada many times now with members of the Royal Family and have the fondest memories of the people I’ve met and the incredible, vast and beautiful country that I’ve been privileged to get to know a small part of over the years."

The Queen broke the record as the longest-reigning British monarch in September 2015. She had ascended to the throne on February 6, 1952, upon her father's death at the age of 56. The Queen received the sapphire suite when she wed Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, on November 20, 1947. The Prince turned 99 on June 10.

Credits: Photo of Her Majestic Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, by Chris Jackson/Getty Images, courtesy of the Government of Canada. Official Canadian Portrait 2019 © All Rights Reserved.

Music Friday: Young Bobbie Gentry Wears Faux Ruby Ring in 'Chickasaw County Child'

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you throwback songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, Bobbie Gentry's autobiographical "Chickasaw County Child" tells the story of the four-time Grammy winner's unlikely rise to fame despite her hardscrabble upbringing in rural Mississippi.

In the song, Gentry's mom assures the young girl that she's gonna be somebody someday. There's nothing in the world can hold her back because she's got style. The pretty girl radiates confidence and proudly wears her favorite accessory, a faux ruby ring.

Gentry sings, "Sportin' her checkered feedsack dress / A ruby ring from a Cracker Jack box / Shufflin' on down that gravel road / Barefooted and chunkin' rocks."

Later in the song, we learn that her mom's assessment was right on the mark, as the young woman — supplied with a tin can of blackstrap sorghum molasses and a Farmers' Almanac — heads to California to pursue her dreams.

The song opens a window into the life of Gentry, who was actually raised — not by her mother — but by her paternal grandparents in a home without electricity or plumbing. Gentry's parents were divorced shortly after she was born, and her mom had moved to California. Legend has it that her grandmother traded one of the family's milk cows for a neighbor's piano so the youngster could study music. Later, Gentry lived with her dad in Greenwood, MS, and learned to play the guitar and banjo.

At age 13, Gentry reunited with her mom in California. For a short time, they performed as a duo. Gentry attended UCLA as a philosophy major and supported herself by performing at nightclubs and country clubs. Later, she transferred to the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music, where she took classes in composition, music theory and arranging. In 1967, at the age of 25, Gentry recorded a demo of "Ode to Billie Joe," which she took to Capitol Records. The song would top the charts and become an international hit.

Released in 1967 as the third track of Gentry's debut studio album, Ode to Billie Joe, "Chickasaw County Child" became the signature song for the artist who would continue to celebrate her Mississippi heritage.

Trivia: When the album Ode to Billie Joe peaked at #1 on the US Billboard Top LP's chart, the album it displaced for the top position was the Beatles’ iconic Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Please check out the audio track of Gentry singing "Chickasaw County Child." The lyrics are below if you'd like to sing along…

"Chickasaw County Child"
Written by and performed by Bobbie Gentry.

Just outside of Delta country
Where the bitter weeds growin' wild
Born seven miles outside o' Woodland
Was a Chickasaw County child

An' Poppa done brung us some peppermint candy
Momma fixed a custard pie
Bought her a store-bought doll from Jackson
She's an apple of everyone's eye

Chickasaw County child
Is gonna be okay
Chickasaw County child
You gonna be somebody someday

Sportin' her checkered feedsack dress
A ruby ring from a Cracker Jack box
Shufflin' on down that gravel road
Barefooted and chunkin' rocks

Momma said "Look-a here, Dumplin'
You'll go far 'cause you got style"
Ain't nothin' in this world gonna hold her back
Her pretty Chickasaw County child

Chickasaw County child
Is gonna be okay
Chickasaw County child
You gonna be somebody someday

Leavin' the county a week from Monday
Ain't got much to pack
A tin can of blackstrap sorghum molasses
And a Farmers' Almanac

Momma done made her a brand new dress
Made of blue polka dotted silk
Two postcards from California
An' a gallon of buttermilk

Chickasaw County child
Is gonna be okay
Chickasaw County child
You gonna be somebody someday

You gonna be somebody someday
You gonna be somebody someday
You gonna be somebody someday

Credit: Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.

14.83-Carat 'Spirit of the Rose' Diamond Could Yield $38MM at Sotheby's Geneva

"The Spirit of the Rose" — a 14.83-carat fancy vivid purple-pink diamond that's so special it has its own website — is expected to fetch up to $38 million when it hits the auction block at Sotheby's Geneva on November 11.

Sourced in 2017 at Alrosa’s Ebelyakh deposit in Yakutia, Russia, the oval-shaped sparkler was cut from a rough stone that weighed 27.85 carats and remains the largest pink diamond ever mined in Russia. The smooth-surfaced alluvial stone measured 22.47 mm x 15.69 mm x 10.9 mm.

The rough diamond was named “Nijinsky” after the famed Russian ballet dancer, Vaslav Nijinsky. In keeping with the dance theme, Alrosa chose the name “The Spirit of the Rose” for the finished stone to honor the famous 1911 ballet of the same name. In French, it was called “Le Spectre de la Rose,” and its primary dancers were Tamara Karsavina and Nijinsky.

The Gemological Institute of America graded The Spirit of the Rose as internally flawless with excellent polish and very good symmetry. It’s the largest vivid purple-pink diamond ever graded by the GIA. Sotheby's has set the pre-sale estimate at $23 million to $38 million.

If it performs as expected, The Spirit of the Rose will join an elite group of high-profile pink diamonds, including the 59.60-carat “CTF Pink Star” ($71.2 million), the 18.96-carat "Winston Pink Legacy” ($50.3 million), the 14.93-carat “Pink Promise” ($32.4 million), the 15.38-carat “Unique Pink” ($31.5 million) and the 16.08-carat “Sweet Josephine” ($28.5 million).

“A large fancy vivid purple-pink, internally flawless, with perfect visual characteristics such as this one, enters the market, literally, once in a generation,” Eden Rachminov, chairman of the Fancy Color Research Foundation, told diamondworld.net in August 2019 after examining the gem. “The stone has the most desirable pink undertone dispersed perfectly, and looks much bigger in relation to its actual weight.”

“In the world of colored diamonds, pink diamonds are some of the most treasured, especially at larger sizes,” John King, GIA chief quality officer, said in a video that appears on a special website created for The Spirit of the Rose. “It’s unusual to see pink diamonds in the market over one carat today. Weighing more than 14 carats is exceptional. The color is an amazing specimen. Being also internally flawless makes it truly a unique stone.”

The Spirit of the Rose is currently on exhibit in Hong Kong, after which it will head to Singapore and Taipei before returning to Geneva ahead of the November 11 main event.

Already the world’s biggest diamond producer in terms of sheer output, Russian mining company Alrosa is looking to become a major player in the category of gem-quality colored diamonds. Alrosa’s push is coming at a time when Rio Tinto’s Argyle Mine in Western Australia — the world’s primary source for pink, red and blue diamonds — is scheduled to close.

Credits: Images courtesy of Sotheby's.