Billed as only the third yellow diamond larger than 200 carats ever to appear at auction, “The Yellow Rose” could fetch $4.4 million or more as the top lot of Christie’s Magnificent Jewels sale at the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues in Geneva on May 15. The unmounted 202.18-carat gem boasts excellent polish and symmetry and a Fancy Intense Yellow color. Sourced in South Africa, the pear-shaped modified brilliant cut gem carries a clarity grade of SI1. Here are some more auction highlights: Lot 32 is a platinum pendant highlighting a pear brilliant-cut diamond of 30.02 carats. The D-color, int ..read more

In the lead-up to the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in France, luxury jeweler Chaumet and the Paris 2024 Athletes’ Commission were tasked with coming up with a medal design that would truly symbolize the City of Light. And their final concept seems to be right out of the playbook of the recent NFL and MLB championship rings, where a piece of Super Bowl turf or World Series game ball leather is actually embedded into the collectible. In this case, every one of the 5,084 medals to be awarded at the Summer Games will include at its center an 18-gram hexagonal slice of iron from the actual Eiffel Tow ..read more

A gold watch worn by John Jacob Astor, the wealthiest passenger on the ill-fated Titanic, recently set an auction record as the most expensive piece of Titanic memorabilia. An American private collector paid $1.5 million for the 14-karat gold Waltham pocket watch engraved with the initials “J.J.A.” That was nearly 10 times the high estimate established by British auction house Aldridge & Son. Astor and his new wife, Madeleine Talmadge Force, had been honeymooning in Europe and Egypt to allow the scuttlebutt surrounding their marriage to settle down in the states. The fact that Madeleine w ..read more

Welcome to Music Friday when often feature throwback tunes with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, country legend Emmylou Harris pledges eternal devotion to a noncommittal beau in her 1975 hit, “If I Could Only Win Your Love.” In the very first verse, Harris makes the case for why her love interest should take the plunge. She sings, “If I could only win your love / I’d make the most of everything / I’d proudly wear your wedding ring / My heart would never stray one dream away.” Originally written and performed by The Louvin Brothers in 1958, “If I Could Only ..read more

Did you know that Mount Erebus, the world’s southernmost active volcano, emits a continuous plume of gas and steam loaded with tiny crystals of metallic gold said to be worth about $6,000 per day, or $2.2 million per year? But before you book your tickets to Antarctica’s Ross Island to capture your share of the glittery fortune, understand that the precious particles spewing from the volcano are no larger than 20 micrometers (.02 mm) and are scattered up to 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) from the site. What’s more, the picturesque place is barely inhabitable, with today’s high temperature expec ..read more

One of the most stunning examples of May’s official birthstone is the 75.47-carat Hooker Emerald, a historic gem that was unearthed in Colombia, transported to Europe by Spanish conquistadors and subsequently mounted onto the belt buckle of an Ottoman sultan. Today, the beveled square-cut gem is set in a platinum brooch adorned with 109 brilliant-cut diamonds weighing approximately 13 carats. When Janet Annenberg Hooker donated the piece in 1977 to the Smithsonian in Washington, DC, it was valued at $500,000. Based on inflation alone, today it would be worth more than $2.5 million. If the nam ..read more

Love was in the air during the LOT Polish Airlines flight 3905 from Warsaw to Kraków last week. In a touching video posted to the airline’s Facebook and Instagram pages, we witnessed Captain Konrad Hanc, clutching a bunch of flowers and a ring box as he got down on one knee and popped the question to his flight attendant girlfriend, Paula. Hanc could hardly hold back the tears as he emerged from the cockpit to proclaim his love in front of a full cabin of passengers. “On today’s flight there is a very special person and I hope that she doesn’t expect anything,” he said. “Ladies and gentlemen ..read more

Mother’s Day 2024 jewelry sales are expected to hit $7 billion, outperforming all other retail categories by a wide margin. According to the annual survey released by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Prosper Insights & Analytics, Special Outings are projected to come in second at $5.9 billion in sales, while Electronics should rank third at $3.5 billion. Overall Mother’s Day spending is expected to reach $33.5 billion this year. That figure is the second highest in the history of the survey, following last year’s record $35.7 billion. “Mother’s Day is a time to celebrate the women ..read more

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you classic songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, we feature three-time Grammy winner Tim McGraw singing Billboard‘s #1 country hit of 1998, “Just to See You Smile.” In this song about selflessness, unconditional love and heartbreak, McGraw portrays a hard-working Texas miner who is willing to do just about anything to make his girlfriend happy — and that includes delighting her with fine jewelry. McGraw sings in the very first verse, “You always had an eye for things that glittered / But I was far from bein’ made ..read more

The 9.8mm natural quahog pearl at the center of the engagement ring Ken Steinkamp presented to Sandy Sikorski last summer continues to be a symbol of their love story. The couple just hosted a pearl-themed wedding at the famed Ocean House resort, high on the bluffs of Watch Hill, RI, and Inside Edition was on hand to chronicle the festivities. Pearl and clam iconography abounded. There were faux pearls affixed to the place settings, pearl beads decorating the champagne bottles and pearl-like candies streaming down the side of the wedding cake. At the top of the cake was an open clam revealing ..read more