Music Friday: Pink’s Fingers Are Bejeweled With Diamonds and Gold in 2004’s ‘Trouble’

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you hit songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, Pink demonstrates how women can be feminine and tough as nails at the same time in her 2004 release, “Trouble.”

In the first verse, we learn that — despite being decked out in her finest jewelry — she's prepared to slap-down her enemies.

She sings, “No attorneys / To plead my case / No orbits / To send me into outta space / And my fingers / Are bejeweled / With diamonds and gold / But that ain’t gonna help me now.”

Co-written by Pink and Tim Armstrong, “Trouble” was the lead single from Pink’s third studio album, Try This. The song peaked at #68 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and earned a #2 placement on the Canadian Singles Chart. Overall, the song charted in 18 countries. In the official video, she rides into a one-horse town and ignites a bar brawl. That video landed Pink a 2004 Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance.

”Trouble” has been featured in many popular films, including White Chicks (2004), The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004), Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous (2005), as well as Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (2011).

Alecia Beth Moore (better known as Pink) was born in Doylestown, PA, in 1979. The artist earned her colorful nickname as a child. Apparently, whenever she got embarrassed her face would turn bright pink. By age 13, she was participating in the Philadelphia club scene and, at 14, she began writing her own songs.

Originally a member of the girl group Choice, Pink launched her solo career in 2000 with the single, “There You Go.” She has since gone on to become one of the most successful and influential artists of her generation. She has sold more than 90 million records worldwide and has earned three Grammy Awards and seven MTV Video Music Awards. In 2009, Billboard named Pink the Pop Songs Artist of the Decade and VH1 ranked her number 10 on its list of the 100 Greatest Women in Music.

“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.”

Trivia: Pink trained as a competitive gymnast between the ages 4 and 12.

Please check out the live performance of Pink singing “Trouble” at Wembley Arena, London, in December of 2006. The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…

“Trouble”
Written by Tim Armstrong and Pink. Performed by Pink.

No attorneys
To plead my case
No orbits
To send me into outta space
And my fingers
Are bejeweled
With diamonds and gold
But that ain’t gonna help me now

I’m trouble
Yeah trouble now
I’m trouble y’all
I disturb my town
I’m trouble
Yeah trouble now
I’m trouble y’all
I got trouble in my town

You think your right
But you were wrong
You tried to take me
But I knew all along
You can't take me
For a ride
I’m not a fool now
So you better run and hide

I’m trouble
Yeah trouble now
I’m trouble y’all
I disturb my town
I’m trouble
Yeah trouble now
I’m trouble y’all
I got trouble in my town

If you see me coming
Down the street then
You know it’s time to
Go (and you know it’s time to go
cause here comes trouble)

No attorneys
To plead my case
No orbits
To send me into outta space
And my fingers
Are bejeweled
With diamonds and gold
But that ain’t gonna help me now

You think your right
But you were wrong
You tried to take me
But I knew all along
You can't take me
For a ride
I’m not a fool now
So you'd better run and hide

I’m trouble
Yeah trouble now
I’m trouble y’all
I disturb my town
I’m trouble
Yeah trouble now
I’m trouble y’all
I got trouble in my town

So if you see me coming
Down the street then
You know it’s time to
Go (go-oh-oh, I got)

I’m trouble
Yeah trouble now
I’m trouble y’all

I’m trouble
Yeah trouble now
I’m trouble y’all
I got trouble in my town

I’m trouble
Yeah trouble now
I’m trouble y’all
I disturb my town
I’m trouble
Yeah trouble now
I’m trouble y’all
I got trouble in my town

Trouble in my town, yeah
Trouble in my town, yeah, yeah

Credit: Screen capture via YouTube.com/P!NK.

Martha Stewart's French Bulldogs Wear Diamond Collars for Dog Treat Launch

The internet has been buzzing about Martha Stewart's blinged-out French Bulldogs. Crème Brûlée and Bête Noire recently wore what appeared to be diamond collars to their owner's online press conference to launch a new line of CBD-infused, soft-baked treats — for dogs.

The high-profile queen of cooking and crafts is said to have a net worth of $400 million, so it is not too far fetched to believe that the pampered pooches were wearing actual diamonds.

Stewart shared snaps of the event with her Instagram fans, who were quick to comment about the canine collars.

“Where did those beautiful jeweled collars for the girls come from?” inquired dogmama52.

“Van Cleef or Cartier. I cannot remember!!” Stewart replied.

Commenting on the same post, a wave of Stewart's Instagram followers praised the domestic diva for how she treats her pups.

"All good dogs get Martha as their dog mom in their next life!" commented mazygillis.

"In my next life, I am going to be Martha’s dog!" added hollydanyliw.

Meanwhile, various online celebrity outlets attempted to confirm whether the diamond dog collars were, indeed, purchased from Van Cleef or Cartier.

"I can confirm these are not Van Cleef pieces and the Maison does not make any dog collars or do any special orders," a Van Cleef spokesperson told insider.com.

Cartier has yet to respond to insider.com's inquiry.

While Crème Brûlée's collar is dripping with stones that look very much like diamonds, the stones in Bête Noire's collar display a rainbow of colors — a characteristic of cubic zirconia, not diamonds.

So, are the doggies wearing diamonds? Only Stewart knows for sure.

While the 79-year-old Stewart is best known for her culinary and craft skills, she's also a devoted dog mom. According to woofrepublic.com, the French Bulldogs share Stewart's home with two Chow Chows, Emperor Han and Empress Qin.

Stewart claims that her new line of CBD-infused dog treats supports mental and physical well-being, reduces the effects of everyday stress and helps to maintain joint health and mobility. CBD is the active ingredient in cannabis.

Credits: Photos via Instagram / MarthaStewart48.

Tom Brady Hoists the Iconic Vince Lombardi Trophy for Unprecedented 7th Time

Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady got to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy overhead for an unprecedented seventh time after he led his Tampa Bay Buccaneers to an impressive 31-9 win over the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night. It was the quarterback’s 10th Super Bowl appearance in 21 NFL seasons.

The Super Bowl is traditionally the most-watched television show of the year, boasting more than 100 million viewers. During a spirited and emotional post-game awards ceremony, the trophy was passed from the owners to the players. Even Brady’s adorable 8-year-old daughter, Vivian, got into the act, at first, assisted by her dad, and then alone as she snuggled it like a teddy bear.

As one of the most recognizable and coveted awards in professional sports, the sterling silver Vince Lombardi Trophy stands 22 inches tall and weighs 7 pounds. The trophy has been awarded annually since 1967 and took on its official name in 1970 to honor the Green Bay Packer’s legendary football coach, who led his team to victory in the first two Super Bowls.

The trophy depicts a football in a kicking position on a tapered three-sided stand. The words “Vince Lombardi Trophy” along with the “LV” Roman numerals of this year’s Super Bowl are engraved on the piece. Also on the base is the emblem of the National Football League.

The trophy is awarded right after the big game, but it eventually makes its way back to Tiffany’s hollowware shop in Parsippany, N.J., to be engraved with the names of the participating teams, the date, location of the Super Bowl game and the game’s final score. The winning team gets to keep the trophy.

Tiffany reports that it takes four months to process and create each Vince Lombardi Trophy, as its craftsmen employ four legacy silversmith techniques, including hand soldering, spinning, chasing (hammering) and polishing.

The trophy’s unique design is credited to Tiffany & Co.’s former design chief Oscar Riedener.

According to the official Pro Football Hall of Fame website, then-commissioner Pete Rozelle was tasked with coming up with a trophy for the first-ever AFL-NFL Championship Game, which would take place in January of 1967. Former NFL Executive Director Don Weiss, in his book The Making of the Super Bowl, said Rozelle wanted the trophy to be aligned with his vision of everything about the game being first class.

Rozelle contacted Tiffany & Co., which arranged a meeting with Riedener. Ironically, the designer was a native of Switzerland and knew nothing about American football. After the meeting with Rozelle, Reidener visited the New York headquarters of the famous toy store FAO Schwartz and bought a football. The next morning he put the ball on his kitchen table, opened a box of cornflakes and stared at the football while eating his breakfast.

Upon finishing his cornflakes, he used a pair of scissors to cut up the empty box, transforming it into a three-sided trophy base atop which the football could sit. At lunch a few of days later with Rozelle and a delegation from Tiffany’s, Riedener drew a sketch of his design on a cocktail napkin. Rozelle liked it and the rest is history.

Credits: Screen capture of Tom Brady raising Lombardi Trophy via Youtube.com/NFL. Lombardi Trophy images courtesy of BusinessWire.

Music Friday: Britt Nicole Tells Her Young Fans They're Worth More Than 'Gold'

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you sensational songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title. Today, Christian pop artist Britt Nicole delivers an inspirational message about empowerment, tolerance, confidence and self-love in her 2012 mainstream hit, "Gold."

In the catchy chorus, Nicole compares her youthful fans to everyone's favorite precious metal.

She sings, "This, this is for all the girls, and boys all over the world / Whatever you've been told, you're worth more than gold / So hold your head up high, it's your time to shine / From the inside it shows, you're worth more than gold."

Later in the song, she emphasizes that it's OK to make mistakes and employs the most precious of gemstones to make her point: "Yeah, there are days that we all feel like we are messed up / but the truth is that we're all diamonds in the rough / So don't be ashamed to wear your crown."

Fans have embraced Nicole's message and frequently show up at her concerts wearing gold crowns.

The artist told Radio.com that she wrote "Gold" to address the feelings she was experiencing on a particularly bad day.

"I wasn't feeling confident in who I was," she said. "You know those days when you listen to all the negative kind of thoughts about yourself… Not only was I feeling that way, I was getting a lot of messages from fans who were writing letters and coming up to me at the shows saying, 'I'm being bullied in school. My parents are walking through a divorce. I'm struggling with cutting or an eating disorder.'"

"Gold" is the title track from Nicole's third studio album. The song hit #1 on the Billboard US Christian Digital Songs list and ascended to #28 on the Billboard US Mainstream Top 40 list. The album, Gold, was nominated in the category of Best Contemporary Christian Music Album at the 55th Grammy Awards.

Brittany Nicole Waddell was born in Salisbury, NC, in 1984. She began singing at her church at the age of 3 and performed at New York's Carnegie Hall with her high school's advanced choir group. She eventually turned down a scholarship from Belmont University in Nashville to pursue a music career.

Please check out the video of Nicole performing "Gold" to a packed crowd at the 44th edition of the EO Youth Day, which took place in the 41,000-seat Gelredome Stadium in Arnhem, The Netherlands, in 2018. The lyrics are below if you'd like to sing along…

“Gold”
Written by Jess Cates, Dan Muckala and Britt Nicole. Performed by Britt Nicole.

You were walking on the moon, now you're feeling low -ow-ow
What they said wasn't true, you're beautiful ul-ul
Sticks and stones break your bones, I know what you're feeling
Words like those won't steal your glow, you're one in a million

This, this is for all the girls, and boys all over the world
Whatever you've been told, you're worth more than gold
So hold your head up high, it's your time to shine
From the inside it shows, you're worth more than gold
(gold gold, you're gold)
You're worth more than gold
(gold gold you're gold)

Well everybody keeps score, afraid you're gonna lose
Just ignore they don't know the real you
All the rain in the sky can't put out your fire
Of all the stars out tonight, you shine brighter

This, this is for all the girls, and boys all over the world
Whatever you've been told, you're worth more than gold
So hold your head up high, it's your time to shine
From the inside it shows, you're worth more than gold
(gold gold, you're gold)
You're worth more than gold
(gold gold you're gold)

So don't let anybody tell you that you're not loved
and don't let anybody tell you that you're not enough
Yeah, there are days that we all feel like we are messed up
but the truth is that we're all diamonds in the rough
So don't be ashamed to wear your crown
You're a king you're a queen inside and out
You glow like the moon, you shine like the stars
This is for you, wherever you are

Oh, oh, yeah, yeah, oh, oh
You're gold

This, this is for all the girls, and boys all over the world
Whatever you've been told, you're worth more than gold
(so hold your head up high) so hold your head up high
It's your time to shine
From the inside it shows, you're worth more than gold
(gold gold, you're gold)
You're worth more than gold
(gold gold you're gold)
So don't be ashamed to wear your crown
You're a king you're a queen inside and out

Credit: Image capture via YouTube.com.

Birthstone Feature: 96-Carat Amethyst Stands Out in This Piece From Nat'l Gem Collection

One of the world’s most outstanding examples of February’s birthstone is the 96-carat heart-shaped stunner at the center of the "Amethyst Heart Brooch," an Edwardian-period piece that was donated to the Smithsonian in 1973 by philanthropist Miriam Hubbard Morris.

Exhibiting a deep, rich purple color, the Brazilian-sourced amethyst is surrounded by diamonds in a mounting that is fabricated in platinum with a yellow gold undercarriage. The brooch has a filigree top that imitates the heart shape with pierced work, incorporating a fleur-de-lis motif set with old European cut diamonds.

According to the Smithsonian, the brooch was likely crafted between 1901 and 1915, when jewelry of the time featured lacy filigree designs that were light and delicate like the clothing at the time, with a sense of refined elegance and luxury.

Interestingly, amethyst was often included in jewelry of this era because it was a favorite stone of Alexandra, the wife of British King Edward VII, who passed away in 1910. Edward's mother was Queen Victoria, whose refined tastes were reflected in the Victorian era.

Morris, the wife of Washington, DC, lawyer George M. Morris, passed away in 1982 at the age of 90. Her husband died in 1954 at the age of 65.

For the past 48 years, her generous donation of the "Amethyst Heart Brooch" has been a permanent resident of the National Gem Collection at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.

Amethyst is the most coveted variety of quartz, which is clear in its pure state. Amethyst owes its purple color to a few atoms of iron displacing some of the silicon in the gem’s molecular structure. These traces of iron can give amethyst a wide range of colors, from almost white to deep purple.

Amethyst has been treasured for thousands of years and is one of the oldest recorded gemstones. Amethysts have been recovered from ancient Egyptian tombs and were prized by the Greeks, Romans, Babylonians and Hebrews.

The ancient Greeks believed amethyst could reverse the effects of drunkenness. In fact, amethyst gets its name from the Greek word “amethystos,” which literally means “not to intoxicate.”

The color rating of an amethyst is determined by hue, tone and saturation. Hue is the color; tone is relative lightness or darkness of the color; and saturation relates to the color’s intensity, from dull to vivid.

Credit: Photo by Chip Clark/Smithsonian.