Japanese researchers have created an ultra-pure, two-inch-wide diamond wafer that has the storage capacity of 25 billion gigabytes. That's equivalent to the information on one billion Blu-ray Discs or the amount of data distributed by all the world's mobile devices in a single day.



Developed by Adamant Namiki Precision Jewel Co. and Saga University, the "Kenzan Diamond" will make its debut at the International Conference on Compound Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology in Monterey, CA, from May 9 – 12. The wafers will go into production in 2023 and could revolutionize the world of quantum computing.

Conventional computers use processors made from silicon chips, but researchers are now experimenting with diamonds as a superior substitute. A minuscule defect in a diamond crystal — know as a nitrogen-vacancy center — is the key to data storage. But, if there is too much nitrogen, it won't work efficiently.

Adamant Namiki Precision Jewel Co. and Saga University improved its production method to achieve an ultra-pure wafer with no more than three parts per billion of nitrogen, making it ideal for quantum applications.

Previous limitations in production methods allowed for diamond wafers only 4mm square (See the tiny wafer in the lower left of the image, above). These wafers were made by growing crystals on a flat substrate material. They were designed in this size because they were vulnerable to cracking.

The new 55mm wafers are grown on a step-shaped substrate, which spreads the strain horizontally and makes the wafer less susceptible to cracking even though it's much larger.

Beyond being nature's hardest naturally occurring material, diamond also achieves impressive marks when it comes to its chemical, physical and mechanical properties — and that's what's got the scientific community buzzing.

The researchers at Adamant Namiki Precision Jewel Co. and Saga University are already working on a project to double the diameter of the Kenzan Diamond to four inches.

Techradar.com pointed out that at a time when corporations are returning to tape storage to help fend off ransomware attacks, diamond wafers could provide the answer for the high-capacity storage needs of the future.

Credit: Image courtesy of Saga University

Here's the story about how an impoverished New Jersey youngster became a prima donna at the New York Metropolitan Opera, married a telecommunications executive and was gifted what was to become one of the most famous emeralds of all time.



Today, the 167-carat "Mackay Emerald" is the largest cut emerald in the Smithsonian National Gem Collection, but 91 years ago the magnificent stone was a wedding gift from ITT Corporation executive Clarence H. Mackay to Anna Case, a world renowned soprano.

The oval-shaped gem was the centerpiece of a Cartier-designed Art Deco pendant that dangled from an elaborate necklace adorned with 2,191 colorless diamonds and 35 smaller emeralds.



Case cherished the piece until her death in 1984 at the age of 96, at which time it was bequeathed to the Smithsonian, where it still resides in the Gem Hall at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC.



Case could only dream of such luxury as she grew up in near-poverty in Clinton, NJ. She spoke about having just one dress and one pair of shoes per year. In her later years, she was known to half-joke that her family was so poor that her parents couldn't even afford to give her any affection.

As a youth, she sang with her church choir and borrowed money from a local grocer to take music lessons. By 1909, at the age of 25 and against all odds, she would make her debut at the Metropolitan Opera.

Case was such an accomplished singer that inventor Thomas Alva Edison employed her voice extensively in "tone tests" of whether a live audience could tell the difference between the actual singer and a recording.

The Mackay Emerald was mined in Muzo, Colombia, a region well known for producing some of the world's finest emeralds. These green gems were used by indigenous peoples for at least 1,000 years before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadores in the 16th century.

Although spurred primarily by their passion for gold and silver, the Spanish quickly recognized the potential of the exquisite green crystals and took control of the mines. Emeralds became popular among European royalty and were shipped from the New World by the boatload. The great richness of the Colombian mines led to a glut of emeralds in Europe, triggering a brisk trade of the gemstones to the Middle East and India.

As May's official birthstone, emerald is the most valuable variety of the beryl family and is known to display a wide variety of visible inclusions, which are referred to as “jardin” (French for “garden”). These imperfections do not detract from the stone’s beauty but, instead, give each stone a unique fingerprint and distinct character.

Colombia continues to be the world’s most prolific producer of fine emeralds, constituting more than half of the global production.

Credit: Mackay Emerald photos by Chip Clark / Smithsonian, digitally enhanced by SquareMoose. Photo of Anna Case by The Library of Congress, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Sourced at the celebrated Cullinan mine in South Africa, the internally flawless, 103.49-carat, emerald-cut gem known as "The Light of Africa Diamond" will headline the New York Magnificent Jewels sale on June 8, as part of Christie’s Luxury Week.



The D-color diamond, which was cut from a 299.3-carat rough stone unearthed in January of 2021, is estimated to fetch between $11 million and $18 million.



In March of 2021, Petra Diamonds announced that it had sold the ultra-pure Type IIa stone to Belgium-based Stargems DMCC for $12.18 million. Stargems’ diamond cutters used state-of-the-art technology to map and cut the rough diamond into a polished gem that the Gemological Institute of America classified as "the pinnacle of the diamond pyramid."

(Type IIa diamonds are colorless and chemically pure with no traces of nitrogen or boron impurities. They account for less than 2% of all natural diamonds.)

The Light of Africa Diamond will be revealed at Christie’s Geneva this Friday, May 6. It will remain on exhibit in Geneva through May 11. The gem will appear at Christie’s Hong Kong from May 22 to 24, before returning to Christie’s New York from June 3 to 7.

Located at the foothills of the Magaliesberg mountain range, 37 km northeast of Pretoria, the 120-year-old Cullinan Mine has been a prolific source of large, high-quality gem diamonds. It is also one of the world’s most important sources of rare, blue diamonds.

The Cullinan Diamond Mine is responsible for producing six of the world’s largest 50 diamonds based on carat weight. These include the The Legacy of the Cullinan Diamond Mine (#45, 424.89 carats, 2019), an unnamed diamond (#39, 460.2 carats, 2009), Cullinan Heritage (#32, 507 carats, 2009), Centenary (#27, 599 carats, 1986), The Golden Jubilee (#15, 755 carats, 1985) and the granddaddy of them all — the Cullinan Diamond (#1, 3,106 carats, 1905).

The 299.2-carat rough diamond, from which The Light of Africa Diamond was cut, ranks 65 on Wikipedia's Largest Rough Diamonds list.

Another famous gem sourced at the Cullinan mine is “The Blue Moon of Josephine,” which achieved the highest per-carat price for any diamond sold at auction. When the hammer went down at $48.5 million in 2015 at Sotheby’s Geneva, the 12.03-carat, cushion-shaped gem’s per-carat price had topped out at $4.03 million.

Credits: The Light of Africa Diamond image courtesy of Christie's. Rough diamond image courtesy of Petra Diamonds.

Adam Hardin, an avid amateur diamond hunter and frequent visitor to Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas, recently landed a 2.38-carat brown sparkler — the largest found at the park this year.



About the size of a pinto bean, with a coffee brown color and irregular rounded shape, the diamond was discovered on April 10 near the East Drain of the park’s 37.5-acre search area. Treasure hunters get to keep what they find at the only diamond site in the world that’s open to the general public.

The search area is actually a plowed field atop the eroded surface of an extinct, diamond-bearing volcanic pipe. Visitors have found more than 33,100 diamonds since the Crater of Diamonds opened as an Arkansas State Park in 1972. About 260 diamonds have been registered this year, so far.



Hardin has been visiting the park for more than a decade and claims that he has found hundreds of diamonds during that time, although his most recent discovery is the first that weighed in a more than 2 carats. He used a wet-sifting method consisting of a "screen set" and a basin of water to wash away soil and separate the gravel by size. Smaller gravel is then shaken vigorously, which moves the heavier material, such as diamonds, to the bottom of the screen.

“It was right in the middle when I flipped my screen over," Hardin said. "When I saw it, I said, ‘Wow, that’s a big diamond!’”

Hardin carried his gem in a pill bottle to the park’s Diamond Discovery Center, where staff registered it as a 2.38-carat brown diamond.

Park Interpreter Waymon Cox said the stone exhibited a "metallic shine typical of all diamonds found at the park, with a few inclusions and crevices running all along the surface."

Prospectors who find the largest stones get to name their diamonds, and in this case Hardin is calling his newest treasure "Frankenstone."

“I thought of the name because it has a pretty — and kind of not-so-pretty — look to it," Hardin explained. "Us diamond miners call that 'character!'"

Hardin explained that the park's regulars enjoy the friendly competition to see who can land the largest stones.

“One of the other guys and I have been going back and forth, seeing who can find the biggest diamond," Hardin said. "I found a big one, then he got a 1.79-carat, and we were joking about who would find the next big diamond and be ‘king of the mountain.’ As soon as I found this one, I had a feeling I had him beat. Now he's trying to find a bigger one, but I'm planning on staying on top!”

Hardin’s diamond is the largest found at the park since last September 2021, when a visitor from Granite Bay, CA, discovered a 4.38-carat yellow gem on the surface of the diamond search area.

The park reported that Hardin typically sells his diamonds locally and that he also plans to sell the 2.38-carat Frankenstone.

Credits: Photos courtesy of Arkansas State Parks.

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you new tunes with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, the Seratones — fronted by gospel-trained powerhouse A.J. Haynes — remind you to "keep a diamond in your mind" in their 2022 release, "Good Day."



The song tells us that if we keep our thoughts pure and full of love — the characteristics of a diamond — then we're well on our way toward making it a good day. Haynes also believes that our society is unnecessarily distracted and stressed out by the internet and social media and that it's healthier to put our phones away, get outdoors and enjoy the simple things in life.

Haynes sings, "Keep a diamond in your mind / Don't you know that you are so divine? / Baby, you were made to shine."

In the song's last line, she emphasizes that "being in love is free."

"Good Day" is the fourth track on the band's third studio album, Love & Algorhythms. The band got a big boost at the end of April when they performed "Good Day" on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The single currently ranks #23 on the US Billboard Adult Alternative Airplay chart.

The song provides the perfect vehicle for Haynes to showcase her amazing range and booming falsetto. Haynes developed her singing talents at the Brownsville Baptist church, starting at the age of six.

Formed in Shreveport, LA, in 2013, the Seratones quickly became a favorite of the Louisiana club circuit and won the Louisiana Music Prize that same year. Paste Magazine picked the Seratones as one of the "Top 20 new bands of 2015."

The group would go on to earn national fame in 2016 with its debut album, Get Gone. The soul-rock group will be promoting its new album with a tour that will make stops in 13 states and three European countries.

Please check out the video of the Seratones' live performance of "Good Day." It was filmed at Skydeck in Nashville, TN, and featured on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

"Good Day"
Written by A.J. Haynes. Performed by the Seratones.

Good day (good day, good day, good day)

Do you really wanna get better?
Do you really want to be well? (Well, well, well)
Baby, it could be so simple
As turning off your phone
But you can turn me on.
Let’s make it a

Good day (good day, good day, good day)
Rollerskatin on the haters
Glowin up and gettin paper
with me and my family
Good day (good day, good day, good day)
Not going through the motions
Baby, you are my devotion.
Being in Love is free.

Keep a diamond in your mind.
Don’t you know that you are so divine?
Baby, you were made to shine.
You can get it how you like.
I got you, you got me.
We gon’ be alright.
Let’s make it a

Good day (good day, good day, good day)
Rollerskatin on the haters
Glowin up and gettin paper
with me and my family
Good day (good day, good day, good day)
Not going through the motion.
Baby, you are my devotion.
Being in Love is free.

This is the day that Love has made.
Rejoice and be glad in it.
Did you hear what I said, I said--
This is the day that Love has made.
Won’t you rejoice?

Good day (good day, good day, good day)
Rollerskatin on the haters
Glowin up and gettin paper
with me and my family
Good day (good day, good day, good day)
Not going through the motions
Baby, you are my devotion.
Being in Love is free.
(repeat)



Credit: Screen capture via Youtube.com / The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

The Royal Canadian Mint is about to auction "The Ultimate," a one-of-a-kind, 1 kilogram platinum coin embellished with 462 ultra-rare pink diamonds from the world-famous Argyle diamond mine. Although it has a face value of CAD$2,500, the coin is expected to fetch as much as CAD$900,000 ($697,300) at the Heffel Fine Art Auction House in Toronto on May 31.



The Mint describes the coin as a masterfully engraved work of art rendered on a canvas crafted from the purest platinum, and adorned with hundreds of the world’s rarest diamonds. The 462 pink diamonds weigh a total of 6.5 carats and each diamond carries a color grade of Fancy Vivid or Fancy Intense. The coin is crafted of 99.95% pure platinum with a proof finish. The 1-kilogram coin is equivalent to 35.27 ounces or 2.2 pounds.

The rarity of the pink diamonds featured on the coin is amplified by the fact that Rio Tinto's Argyle Mine — which famously produced between 90% and 95% of the world’s pink and red diamonds during its 37 years of production — officially ceased operations on November 3, 2020. During its long run, the mine in western Australia produced more than 865 million carats of rough diamonds, but pink diamonds represented less than 1% of that total output.

Measuring 101.6 mm (4 inches) in diameter, The Ultimate features a reverse design by Canadian artist Derek C. Wicks that brings the beauty of the cherry blossom to life and blurs the line between coin and jewelry art.



The pink diamonds add sparkle to the rose gold-plated rim and the petals of more than two dozen flowers, including the central bloom, where the gem-set blossoms form an exquisite clustered bouquet. The diamonds were painstakingly hand set by Canadian manufacturer Beverly Hills Jewelers.



The obverse features a cherry blossom field pattern and the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt.

Housed in a luxury cabinet-style case featuring a highly polished piano finish and silver hardware, The Ultimate comes with a welcome letter from the Mint’s CEO, along with a pair of gloves for safe coin handling.

The Ultimate headlines a new line of gold and platinum Opulence coins that pay tribute to the legacy of Rio Tinto's Argyle Mine. "Treasure," "Grandeur" and "Splendour" will also be offered in limited quantities.

• The 10 oz. Splendour 99.95% platinum coin has a face value of CAD$1,250 and a worldwide mintage of five.
• The 2 oz. Grandeur 99.95% platinum coin has a face value of CAD$350 and a worldwide mintage of 30.
• The 1 oz. Treasure 99.95% platinum coin has a face value of CAD$200 and a worldwide mintage of 400.

Credit: Images courtesy of The Royal Canadian Mint.

In honor of Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee marking her 70 years on the British throne, the BBC will air a documentary that includes previously unseen footage of the monarch as a young princess beaming with delight as she admires her new engagement ring.



Elizabeth: The Unseen Queen features a clip of Prince Philip's first extended visit to Balmoral — the Scottish holiday home of the royal family — in 1946, when the future queen was 20 years old and the couple's engagement was still not public. Princess Elizabeth can be seen smiling and showing the camera the 3-carat round diamond ring.

The center stone and 10 accent diamonds used in the platinum ring crafted by London jeweler Philip Antrobus Ltd. were harvested from a tiara owned by Prince Philip's mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg, who was Queen Victoria's great-granddaughter. The remaining diamonds from the tiara were made into a wide bracelet that Philip gave Elizabeth as a wedding gift.



According to Town and Country, the diamonds in Elizabeth's new jewelry dated back to the very end of the Romanov dynasty. Philip's mother had been given the tiara on her wedding day by Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra of Russia, the last rulers of the Russian Empire. It turns out that Princess Alice was a distant relative of the Russian monarchs.

The documentary will follow the monarch's life as a princess through her own eyes and her own words. The BBC has been granted special access to hundreds of private home movies shot by the Royal Family. It covers the Queen's life from childhood through her wedding in 1947 and concludes with her coronation at the age of 27 in 1953.

Elizabeth and Phillip where married for 73 years. The Duke of Edinburgh died in April 2021, just a few months before his 100th birthday. The Queen turned 96 on April 21.

BBC Studios reviewed more than 400 reels of film, privately held by the Royal Collection in the vaults of the British Film Institute (BFI). Filmmakers also listened to over three hundred of the Queen's speeches across 80 years.

"This documentary is an extraordinary glimpse into a deeply personal side of the Royal Family that is rarely seen," said Simon Young, the BBC's commissioning editor for history, "and it's wonderful to be able to share it with the nation as we mark her Platinum Jubilee."

The documentary will debut on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on May 29.

Credits: Screen grabs courtesy of BBC.

Two diamonds larger than 200 carats shared top billing at Christie's Magnificent Jewels Sale in Geneva last night. "The Rock," the 228.31-carat, pear-shaped gem touted as the largest white diamond ever to appear for sale at auction, fetched 21.68 million Swiss francs ($21.84 million), while the 205-carat, long-standing symbol of the world’s largest humanitarian network, the "Red Cross Diamond," earned 14.18 million Swiss francs ($14.29 million).



Designated as Lot 26, The Rock found a buyer within two minutes. Bidding started at 14 million Swiss francs and accelerated in increments of 500,000 until it hit 18 million Swiss francs. After three smaller bids, auctioneer Rahul Kadakia smashed the hammer down at 18.6 million. The final price, which fell in the lower range of the pre-sale estimate of 19 million to 30 million, included the buyer's premium.

About the size of a chicken egg, The Rock was accompanied by a letter from the Gemological Institute of America stating that it is the largest existing D-to-Z color, pear-shaped diamond ever graded by the laboratory. The GIA gave it a color grading of G and a clarity grading of VS1.



The Red Cross Diamond (Lot 61) entered the sale with an estimated value of 10 million Swiss francs. Bidding started at 6 million and climbed methodically upward in increments of 500,000 all the way to 10.5 million. At that juncture, auctioneer Max Fawcett allowed bids in increments of 50,000. After 11 minutes and 32 individual bids, Faucett closed the bidding at 12.05 million Swiss francs. With the buyer's premium, the final tally was 4 million Swiss francs higher than expected.

This was the third appearance of The Red Cross Diamond at Christie’s. In April of 1918, the stone was first offered for sale at Christie’s London by the Diamond Syndicate in aid of the British Red Cross Society and the Order of St John, whose symbol is the Maltese cross. A striking feature of the faceted gem is the eight-pointed Maltese Cross, which is clearly visible on the table facet of the diamond.

The cushion modified brilliant-cut diamond, which carries a color grade of fancy intense yellow and a clarity grade of VS2, was purchased by the famous London firm S.J. Phillips for a then-staggering £10,000 (approximately $786,000 today). Now 104 years later, the sale of the 205.07-carat canary yellow diamond will benefit the efforts of the International Committee of the Red Cross.



The most surprising performer of the evening was an exceptional 19th century natural pearl and diamond tiara once owned by the Fürstenbergs, one of the most important aristocratical families in the Habsburg Empire. The cleverly designed tiara was estimated to earn 400,000 to 600,000 Swiss francs. Instead, it fetched 2.39 million Swiss francs ($2.4 million), nearly four times the high estimate.

Designed by Gustav Flach in the late 1800s, the tiara could take on so many looks, depending on the elements that were added or subtracted from the original piece. By removing the diamond motives, the 23 natural pearls seemed to just hang among the hair. The wearer could remove the smaller pearls and leave the big ones, or remove all the pearls and wear the tiara with just the diamond motives. The pearls could be removed and replaced by other precious stones. What's more, each of the diamond motives could be linked together to create a necklace, or worn individually as a brooch or hair pin.

Credits: Images courtesy of Christie’s.

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you great tunes with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, country star Jana Kramer sings about her first love and how she ended up with a class ring instead of bridal jewelry in her 2015 release, "I Got the Boy."



As the song opens, Kramer describes how she spotted honeymoon pics of her high school sweetheart in the pages of a local newspaper. She reminisces about the thrill of falling in love and the big dreams they shared. But, now, all that's left of the relationship is a class ring.

Kramer sings, “I got the first kiss and she’ll get the last / She’s got the future and I got the past / I got the class ring, she got the diamond and wedding band / I got the boy and she got the man.”

“I Got the Boy” struck a personal chord with Kramer, who has always wanted to pen a song about her high school sweetheart but could never get it on paper. Fortunately, the writing team of Connie Harrington, Tim Nichols and Jamie Lynn Spears (Britney’s sister) nailed her sentiments perfectly, using jewelry to represent the difference between young love and a mature relationship.

Kramer was introduced to the song by her producer, Scott Hendricks.

“I started bawling,” she told Billboard magazine. “That’s the story. Those are the words that I couldn’t write. It was 100% true. I’m very fortunate that the song came about. It’s my life.”

Released in 2015, “I Got the Boy” is the second single from Kramer's second studio album, Thirty One. The song was certified Gold, selling a half-million copies, and ascended to #5 on Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and #56 on U.S. Billboard Hot 100. The song also charted in Canada, topping out at #22 on the Billboard Canadian Country chart and #85 on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100.

Kramer told Billboard in 2015 that the song has resonated with her fan base, even the men who see it from the opposite perspective.

“On my Twitter, people are saying things like, ‘I got the girl, not the woman.’ It goes both ways, for sure,” she noted.

Born Jana Rae Kramer in Rochester Hills, Mich., the 38-year-old singer also has an impressive resume of acting credits, including a four-year run as Alex Dupre on The WB television series One Tree Hill. She began her music career in 2012 with the release of her single “Why Ya Wanna.”

Kramer admitted to Billboard that it stung a bit when she learned that her high school boyfriend was married with two children.

“But I’ve got someone else’s ‘boy’ now,” she said, “so all’s well that ends well.”

The singer-actress was referring to former Washington Redskins tight end Mike Caussin, who she married in 2015. They had two children together, but sadly divorced in the spring of 2021.

Please check out the video of Kramer's live performance of "I Got the Boy.” The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…

“I Got The Boy”
Written by Connie Harrington, Tim Nichols and Jamie Lynn Spears. Performed by Jana Kramer.

I saw your picture in a paper, Honeymoon in Jamaica, she’s a lucky girl
You look so grown up in your black tux, from a ball cap in a pickup, seems like another world
You and me and our big dreams, falling in love
We were two kids in the backseat, all fearless and young

I got the first kiss and she’ll get the last
She’s got the future, and I got the past
I got the class ring, she got the diamond and a wedding band
I got the boy, she got the man

Yeah there’s an old you that I knew,
Fake IDs to get into those spring break bars
Back woods on a four wheel, hanging on tight, I can still feel my racing heart
And now you’re cleaned up with a hair cut, nice tie and shoes
If things were different and I had a choice, which would I choose?

I got the first kiss and she’ll get the last
She’s got the future and I got the past
I got the class ring, she got the diamond and a wedding band
I got the boy and she got the man

I got the first kiss and she’ll get the last
We each got something, the other will never have
I got the long hair, hot head
She got the cool and steady hand
I got the boy and she got the man
I got the boy and she got the man



Credit: Screen capture via Youtube.com / Jana Kramer.

It's official. Marc Anthony popped the question to Miss Universe finalist Nadia Ferreira with a 10-carat diamond ring during her 23rd birthday celebration at Disney World in Orlando.



The Paraguayan model revealed the ring in an Instagram Story on Thursday. In the photo, Anthony is caressing his fianceé's hand and the three-stone ring can be seen peeking out between his ring finger and middle finger. She tagged Anthony in a caption that simply read, "Engagement Party!!!" with the three exclamation points followed by a diamond-ring emoji.

The actual ring, which is reportedly worth $500,000, features an emerald-cut center stone flanked by smaller tapered baguettes. The clean, symmetrical, three-stone motif is steeped in symbolism, as it represents the model’s past, present and future.

Made popular during the 1920’s Art Deco movement, the emerald cut continues to convey an understated, regal elegance. The stepped facets allow the admirer to see clearly into the stone, revealing its perfection.

Interestingly, the ring shares the design Anthony chose for ex-wife Jennifer Lopez in 2004. That ring was reportedly designed by Harry Winston, featured a blue diamond center stone and was valued at $4 million. Lopez is currently engaged (for the second time) to Ben Affleck.

Anthony, 53, met Ferreira earlier this year and made their relationship Instagram-official with romantic vacation posts in March. Ferreira earned the title of Miss Universe Paraguay 2021 and and went on to become the 1st Runner-Up at the Miss Universe pageant in Israel in December of 2021.



Ferreira has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of positive feedback since she announced the engagement. In an Instagram snap showing the couple posing in front of Cinderella's Castle, she wrote, "I am speechless seeing all your messages of so much love and good wishes, thank you very much. What a Birthday! #23."

The caption, which was written in her native Spanish and translated above, included three fun emojis: a happy face emoji wearing a party hat and blowing a party horn, a birthday cake and a shower of gold sparkles.

The tattooed black rectangle at the base of Anthony's left ring finger masks what used to be Lopez's initials. He covered up the tat after their separation in 2011. Anthony and Lopez are the parents of 14-year-old twins Max and Emme.

Credits: Images via Instagram / nadiatferreira.

On the most recent episode of The Kardashians, Kourtney Kardashian confessed to mom Kris Jenner that she accidentally flattened her $1 million engagement ring while tidying up her closet.



In the one-minute exchange, Jenner asks to see the oval-cut diamond engagement ring that Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker gave her daughter in October during a surprise proposal at the beachfront Rosewood Miramar Hotel in Montecito, CA.



"Oh my gosh," said Jenner. "Can you believe that you are engaged? Where's the ring?"

"I am covering it because it is actually getting fixed," Kardashian responded. "This is probably one of the worst things I've ever done in my whole life."

Kardashian went on to explain how she had taken off the ring and set it on the floor while she was folding sweatshirts in her closet. She figured that it would be safe right next to her. But it wasn't.

"So, then I had to get something up above in my closet, and when I stepped down, I stepped on the ring," she winced.

The ring didn't have a chance because it was designed with an ultra-thin pavé diamond band. While dainty bands are trendy, they do require extra care because they can be bent or broken easily. The oval diamond is estimated to be as large as 15 carats with a value upwards of $1 million.

"I was like hysterically crying in my closet for like hours," Kardashian told her mom. "And then I called Travis and I was like, 'I did something really, really bad.'"

While Barker handled the news calmly, Kardashian was still an emotional wreck.

She said, "It gave me a nervous breakdown. I was like, 'This is the most beautiful thing in my entire life and how could I have done that?'"

In a cutaway confessional, Kardashian went on to explain that she felt extra guilt because of the time and effort Barker dedicated to picking the perfect stone and designing the perfect setting.

"Travis picked it out," Kardashian said. "He designed it. He looked at so many stones and [said] that this was me in a stone. So I thought that was really special."

While Season 1 Episode 5 of The Kardashians (airing on Hulu) made news on Thursday due to Kourtney's engagement ring faux pas, the Poosh founder and her new fiancé were back in the headlines on Sunday when they officially tied the knot in Santa Barbara. A Kardashian family insider told People magazine that the couple had to legally marry ahead of "their big Italian wedding, which is happening very soon."

Credits: Photos via Instagram.com / kourtneykardash.

Crews from the Williamson County Fire Rescue couldn't save a burning vehicle on Interstate 840 in Tennessee last week, but they were able to salvage a charred ring box hidden under a seat that contained a very special piece of jewelry.



The fact that the diamond engagement ring was the only item to survive the blaze seemed like "a sign" to Myers Hart, so he wasted no time proposing to Brooklyn Stevens on the roadside with the rescue crew documenting the event with still photos and a video.

A shocked Stevens reported that the ring was still warm from the fire when Hart slipped it on her finger.



Early last week, the high school sweethearts and Stevens' best friend had been driving a rental car just south of Nashville on Interstate 840 when they heard a loud bang. They quickly pulled over to the side of the road and realized the car was on fire.

When the Williamson County Fire Rescue crews arrived only a few minutes later, the car was already 80% consumed by flames.



Hart and the friend knew the ring was hidden in the car, but they could only watch helplessly as the fire squad worked to douse the flames.

When it was finally safe to approach the vehicle, the friend whispered to the firefighters that a ring box was hidden under one of the seats.

“We started sifting through all the ashes and everything and it was melted against the seat," Fire Engineer Steve Hopkins told NBC affiliate WSMV-TV, "and actually it was perfectly encased in the ring box. I opened it up and [the ring] looked brand new, so it was really a miracle.”

Hart had purchased the engagement ring two weeks earlier and was planning a proposal. But, now, with a charred ring box in hand, Hart went down on one knee and asked Stevens to marry him.

At first, Stevens wasn't sure how to respond, as the car smoldered nearby.

Here's how Stevens described the scene for WSMV-TV: “He gets on one knee and I’m like, ‘Here?’ and I started crying. I said, ‘Here? Right now? Like the car just caught on fire. Are you serious? I mean, yes! Yes, of course I want to. But, like the car. And he was like, 'I know.'”

Stevens said, "Yes," the two embraced and Hart placed the still-toasty engagement ring on her finger.

The Williamson County Fire Rescue posted photos of the scorched car and scenes from the unusual proposal on its official Facebook page. The agency wished the future bride and groom many years of happiness and thanked Fire Engineers Terry Burress and Hopkins, as well as Firefighter Mitchell Greenham for making the couple's Monday afternoon a little more special.

Credits: Images via Facebook / Williamson Fire-Rescue.

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you awesome songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, Taylor Swift's Juliet gets her prince (and a ring) in the mega-hit, “Love Story.”



Back in 2008, an 18-year-old Swift released a semi-autobiographical song about Juliet, a teenager whose love interest is despised by her family and friends. Even though her dad forbids his daughter to date the young Romeo, Swift’s character steals away with him. The story, which is based on real events in Swift’s life, is spun with key elements from William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

But, instead of having a tragic ending, Swift’s version ends with a proposal and an engagement ring (the only part of the song that’s not based on fact). Swift sings, “He knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring and said… / Marry me, Juliet, you’ll never have to be alone / I love you, and that’s all I really know / I talked to your dad. Go pick out a white dress / It’s a love story, baby, just say, 'Yes'.”

Swift told the Los Angeles Times why she decided to put a happy ending on Shakespeare’s tragedy.

“I was really inspired by that story, except for the ending,” she said. “I feel like they had such promise and they were so crazy for each other. And if that had just gone a little bit differently, it could have been the best love story ever told. And it is one of the best love stories ever told, but it’s a tragedy. I thought, why can’t you… make it a happy ending and put a key change in the song and turn it into a marriage proposal?”

Songfacts.com reports that Swift was so excited when the pre-chorus lyrics came into her head, that she grabbed her guitar, sat on her bedroom floor and wrote the song in 20 minutes. Some of Swift fans believe the song relates to her relationship with Joe Jonas of the Jonas Brothers.

“Love Story,” which was the lead single from Swift’s second studio album Fearless, was the singer’s biggest seller (only to be surpassed by "Shake It Off" in 2014). With more than eight million copies sold worldwide, "Love Story" also ranks in the top tier of the most successful singles of all time. Music critics at the time wrote that “Love Story” established Swift as a “true princess of pop.”

Born in Wyomissing, Pa., Swift was not an average schoolgirl. By the time she was 11, Swift was already performing regularly at karaoke contests, festivals and fairs near her home in Berks County. When she was 14, her parents moved the family to Nashville, where Swift would be better positioned to pursue a career in country music. At the age of 17, Swift was topping the country charts.

Now 32 years old, Swift is one of the best-selling musicians of all time. She has sold more than 200 million records, nabbed 11 Grammy Awards and topped the Billboard Hot 100 eight times.

Please check out the video of Swift performing "Love Story" during a "Live on Letterman" concert. The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…

“Love Story”
Written and performed by Taylor Swift.

We were both young when I first saw you.
I close my eyes and the flashback starts:
I’m standing there on a balcony in summer air.

See the lights, see the party, the ball gowns.
See you make your way through the crowd
And say, “Hello, ”
Little did I know…

That you were Romeo, you were throwing pebbles,
And my daddy said, “Stay away from Juliet”
And I was crying on the staircase
Begging you, “Please don’t go”
And I said…

Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone.
I’ll be waiting; all that’s left to do is run.
You’ll be the prince and I’ll be the princess,
It’s a love story, baby, just say, “Yes”.

So I sneak out to the garden to see you.
We keep quiet ’cause we’re dead if they knew
So close your eyes… escape this town for a little while.
Oh, oh.

‘Cause you were Romeo – I was a scarlet letter,
And my daddy said, “Stay away from Juliet”
But you were everything to me,
I was begging you, “Please don’t go”
And I said…

Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone.
I’ll be waiting; all that’s left to do is run.
You’ll be the prince and I’ll be the princess.
It’s a love story, baby, just say, “Yes”.

Romeo, save me, they’re trying to tell me how to feel.
This love is difficult but it’s real.
Don’t be afraid, we’ll make it out of this mess.
It’s a love story, baby, just say, “Yes”.

Oh, oh, oh.

I got tired of waiting
Wondering if you were ever coming around.
My faith in you was fading
When I met you on the outskirts of town.
And I said…

Romeo, save me, I’ve been feeling so alone.
I keep waiting for you but you never come.
Is this in my head? I don’t know what to think.
He knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring and said…

Marry me, Juliet, you’ll never have to be alone.
I love you, and that’s all I really know.
I talked to your dad – go pick out a white dress
It’s a love story, baby, just say, “Yes”.

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.

‘Cause we were both young when I first saw you



Credit: Screen captures via YouTube / Taylor Swift.

One of the most memorable tiaras of all time — the one worn by Diana, Princess of Wales, on her wedding day in 1981 — will highlight a Sotheby's London exhibition of more than 50 beautiful and storied headpieces spanning the ages. This is the UK's largest exhibition of tiaras in 20 years and is timed to coincide with Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee celebrations, marking her 70 years on the throne.



Dubbed the Spencer Tiara, Diana's wedding day headpiece is described by Sotheby's as a delicate and harmonious series of running scrolls, interspersed with star and trumpet-shaped flowers. Elements of the piece were part of a tiara fabricated for Viscountess Montagu in 1767 and subsequently passed down through generations of the Spencer family.

Diana was said to be particularly found of the heart-shaped section in the center of the tiara because it was given to her grandmother, Lady Cynthia Hamilton, as a wedding present in 1919 when she married Viscount Althorp, the future seventh Earl Spencer.

The current incarnation of the Spencer Tiara was designed by royal jeweler Garrard in 1937 and merges components from the 18th century Montagu jewelry with those from Lady Sarah Spencer’s collection. In addition to wearing the headpiece during her nuptials, Diana reportedly wore it on many subsequent occasions, including state dinners and overseas tours.

Diana's brother, Earl Spencer, loaned the cherished tiara to Sotheby's for the special exhibition. It's the first time the historic Spencer Tiara has been on display in London since the 1960s.

“The Queen’s Jubilee celebrations have given us the perfect opportunity to put on public display an outstanding selection of tiaras from noble and royal provenance, many of which have not been exhibited in decades," noted Kristian Spofforth, head of jewelry at Sotheby’s London. "The sourcing of these jewels has been a labor of love, resulting in an exhibition that showcases the best iterations within the tiara style register, through some of its most famous incarnations – including the much-loved and photographed Spencer Tiara."

Sotheby's exhibition is titled "Power & Image: Royal & Aristocratic Tiaras" and will run from May 28 through June 15 at its London showroom on New Bond Street. Admission is free. The showroom is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and weekends noon until 5 p.m. The exhibition will be closed on June 5.

Credits: Images courtesy of Sotheby's.

The ancient Maya are famous for erecting majestic palaces, sky-high pyramids and astronomical observatories, but did you know that they also loved to decorate their teeth with colorful gems and enjoyed excellent oral hygiene due to the all-natural glue dentists used to adhere the bling to their pearly whites?



The Maya civilization that spanned southeast Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador reached its pinnacle between 300 and 900 AD, and during that period, it was common for citizens — both rich and poor — to flash toothy smiles emblazoned with jadeite, iron pyrites, hematite, turquoise, quartz and serpentine.

Maya dentists expertly bored holes into tooth enamel and dentine and inlaid finely-shaped gems to fit the cavities. The dentists used plant-based sealants as adhesives, a technique so effective that most of the teeth recovered at Maya archaeological digs still have their stone inlays intact. The stones have held tight for more than 1,000 years.

Scientists originally believed that the Maya decorated their teeth for aesthetic or ritualistic reasons, perhaps marking a right of passage to adulthood.

But a team of researchers at the Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute in Mexico City believe that the glue-like sealant employed by dentists actually carried antibacterial properties and contributed to the society's excellent oral health. The researchers wrote that the ancient Maya believed "their breath was a link to the divine.”

Dr. Gloria Hernández Bolio and her colleagues analyzed sealants taken from eight teeth samples from different sites across the Maya empire. In all, they were able to identify 150 organic plant resin molecules, mostly from pine trees. Besides being an excellent dental adhesive, the pine resin attacks bacteria that causes tooth decay. Two of their samples contained sclareolide from Salvia plants. These are known to have antibacterial and antifungal properties.

The researchers emphasized how effective these ingredients were in promoting oral health. Study co-author, Vera Tiesler, a bioarchaeologist at the Autonomous University of Yucatán, explained that Janaab’ Pakal, the Maya king of Palenque, had nearly all of his teeth intact and none showed signs of decay when he died in 612 AD at the age of 80.

These findings were recently published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports.

Credit: Image by https://www.flickr.com/photos/101561334@N08/, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.

In 1910, Thomas Cullinan, then chairman of the Premier Mine in South Africa, gifted an elaborate necklace to his wife Lady Annie Francis Cullinan to commemorate the discovery of the largest gem-quality diamond ever mined.



About five years earlier, on January 26, 1905, Captain Frederick Wells was conducting a standard inspection of the Premier Mine when a glint off the wall of the mine caught his attention. At first, he thought it was a shard of glass that may have been embedded there by a miner as a practical joke. But, then he pulled out his pocket knife and pried the object from the wall.

What he extracted was the now-famous 3,106-carat Cullinan Diamond, which weighed a staggering 621 grams (1.37 pounds) and measured 98mm (3.85 inches) long, 57mm wide and 67mm tall. The chairman sold the diamond to the Transvaal provincial government, which, in turn, presented the stone to Britain’s King Edward VII as a birthday gift in 1907. Wells reportedly received a $10,000 bonus for his discovery.

In February 1908, Joseph Asscher & Co. segmented the Cullinan Diamond into nine major finished stones, each of which was given the name Cullinan and a Roman numeral. Two of the gems are in the British Crown Jewels — the Great Star of Africa (Cullinan I) at 530.4 carats and the Second Star of Africa (Cullinan II) at 317.4 carats. The other seven stones remain in the private collection of Queen Elizabeth II.

Cullinan (1862-1936) was knighted in 1910 in recognition of his contribution to industrial development of South Africa. At about the same time, the chairman presented his beloved wife, Annie (1866-1963), with the Edwardian-style "Cullinan Blue Diamond Necklace" — a feminine and elegant piece set with 243 round colorless diamonds and nine fancy intense blue diamonds. It is said that the nine blue diamonds represent the nine major stones derived from the Cullinan Diamond.

Designed in 9-karat rose gold and silver, the necklace features a detachable double-ribbon bow motif with a dangling pendant that holds the Cullinan Blue Diamond, an oval-cut, natural fancy intense blue diamond that weighs 2.60 carats. The piece's overall diamond total weight is approximately 24.11 carats.

Throughout most of its long history, the Cullinan Blue Diamond Necklace had been bequeathed to the first daughter in each generation of the Cullinan family. That tradition ended in 1992, when Anne Robinson, the great granddaughter of Thomas and Annie Cullinan, sold the necklace to jeweler Stephen Silver, president of Stephen Silver Fine Jewelry, Menlo Park, CA.

The necklace was temporarily exhibited at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC, in 1994, and then formally donated by Silver to the National Gem Collection in 2010. The Cullinan Blue Diamond Necklace is currently displayed at the Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems, and Minerals, which is part of the National Museum of Natural History.



The Cullinan Blue Diamond and the the Cullinan Blue Diamond Necklace shouldn't be confused with “The De Beers Cullinan Blue,” the 15.10-carat, step-cut, fancy vivid blue diamond that recently came within a whisker of setting a new world record for the priciest vivid blue diamond ever sold at auction.

Now renamed “The De Beers Blue” the stunner achieved a hammer price of $57,471,960 at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in late April. That was just short of the $57,541,779 achieved by the 14.62-carat “Oppenheimer Blue” at Christie’s Geneva in 2016.

Credits: Cullinan Blue Diamond Necklace image courtesy of Smithsonian / Chip Clark, and digitally enhanced by SquareMoose. The De Beers Blue diamond photo courtesy of Sotheby's.

Of the largest 50 rough diamonds ever discovered, seven have come from Lesotho, a tiny, landlocked kingdom at the southern tip of Africa. Despite its diminutive size (Maryland is larger), Lesotho produces a remarkable number of large, Type II, top-quality stones. (Type II diamonds are extremely rare, colorless and chemically pure with no traces of nitrogen impurities.) The kingdom's diamond mines generate more dollars-per-carat than any other diamond-producing country.



Last week, Lucapa Diamond Company unveiled a 204-carat white diamond from its Mothae mine in Lesotho. It is the eighth diamond of 100+ carats and third of 200+ carats to be recovered from the sky-high mine since commercial production began in January 2019.

The Mothae kimberlite mine is situated at an altitude of 2,900 meters (1.8 miles) above sea level in the Maluti Mountains. Lucapa has a 70% stake in the mine, with the remainder owned by the Government of the Kingdom of Lesotho.

Lesotho is also home to the prolific Letšeng Diamond Mine, which is co-owned by Gem Diamonds, Ltd., and the government of Lesotho.

The country's biggest diamond finds to date include the Lesotho Legend (910 carats), Lesotho Promise (603 carats), Lesotho Brown (601 carats), Letšeng Star (550 carats), Lesotho Legacy (493 carats), Light of Letšeng (478 carats) and the Letšeng Icon (439-carats).

The Australia-based Lucapa Diamond Company also operates the high-value Lulo mine in Angola. Lulo is best known for producing a 404-carat oblong rough diamond that was eventually cut by de Grisogono into a D-flawless, 163-carat emerald-cut stunner that became the centerpiece of an emerald and diamond necklace. That piece fetched $33.7 million at Christie’s Geneva in November of 2017.

According to diamonds.net, Lucapa will sell the 204-carat stone to the Graff-owned subsidiary, Safdico, which is contracted to buy all Mothae rough for a 2 1/2-year period. The agreement also allows Safdico to purchase up to 60% of the output of Lucapa’s Lulo mine.

Credit: Photo courtesy of Lucapa Diamond Company.

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you awesome songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, a reflective Justin Bieber sings about seizing the moment and pursuing one's dreams in his uplifting treatise, “All In It.”



Co-written by Bieber, Jason Boyd, Mark Jackson, Mason Levy and Josh Gudwin, the 2015 tune reminds us that we all have potential to do great things — if we are willing to put in the extra effort.

Bieber sings, “If you got a diamond for all of your passion / Diamond for your dedication / You could be icy like cake / Icy for every occasion / Gotta go hard, yeah / Still don't condone it / Love is a component / You’re the only opponent / Gotta seize the moment.”

“All In It” is featured as a bonus track on Bieber’s fourth studio album, Purpose. The album, which spawned three U.S Billboard Hot 100 chart toppers, was a tremendous commercial and critical success. MTV called the album “lyrically revealing and sonically appealing.” Fans agreed, as the album made its debut at #1 on the U.S. Billboard 200, selling 649,000 copies in its first week of release.

For Bieber, the year leading up to the album's release was a time of soul-searching after a tumultuous period of broken relationships and eyebrow-raising behavior. Throughout the 18 compelling tracks of Purpose, Bieber admits his mistakes and challenges himself to be a better man.

Born in London, Ontario, Canada, in 1994, Justin Drew Bieber loved to perform as a kid. In early 2007, he placed second in a local singing competition. Bieber’s mom, Pattie, posted a video of his performance on YouTube, and then added videos of her 12-year-old son singing covers of various R&B songs. It’s been reported that music executive Scooter Braun accidentally clicked on one of Bieber’s videos — thinking he was watching a 20-year-old doing a cover of Aretha Franklin’s “Respect.” The impressive performer was, in fact, the pre-teen Bieber.

Braun tracked down the youngster in Canada, and with the permission of Bieber’s mom, introduced him to singer-songwriter Usher, who soon became his mentor. Bieber was then signed by record executive L.A. Reid and the rest is history.

Now 28 years old, Bieber has sold an estimated 150 million records, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He’s earned two Grammy Awards, 18 American Music Awards, 26 Billboard Music Awards, 23 Teen Choice Awards and a record 21 MTV Europe Music Awards.

We hope you enjoy the audio track of “All In It.” The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…

“All In It”
Written by Justin Bieber, Jason Boyd, Mark Jackson, Mason Levy and Josh Gudwin. Performed by Justin Bieber.

Don’t do nothin’ ‘less your heart’s in it
Heart’s in it, heart’s in it
Don’t do nothin’ ‘less you’re all in it
All in it, all in it

If you got a 20 for all of your tries
Twenty for all of the times
The times you got back up, woah
Could be a billionaire in a year
That’s how you gotta think ’til you’re there
On the regular

If you got a diamond for all of your passion
Diamond for your dedication
You could be icy like cake
Icy for every occasion
Gotta go hard, yeah
Still don't condone it
Love is a component
You’re the only opponent
Gotta seize the moment

And don’t do nothin’ ‘less your heart’s in it
Heart’s in it, heart’s in it
Don’t do nothin’ ‘less you’re all in it
All in it, all in it
Come again each time
‘Til the water runs dry
Oh don’t do nothin’ ‘less you’re all in it
All in it, all in it

Oh, oh
Oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
All in it, all in it

If I had a guitar missing five strings
A guitar with only one string
I could only play one song, ooh
A simple melody
Simple enough to make the world sing
Strong enough to make your mood swing
You know what I mean

If you got a diamond for all of your passion
Diamond for your dedication
You could be icy like cake
Icy for every occasion
Gotta go hard, yeah
Still don't condone it
Love is a component
You’re the only opponent
Gotta seize the moment

And don’t do nothin’ ‘less your heart’s in it
Heart’s in it, heart’s in it
Don’t do nothin’ ‘less you’re all in it
All in it, all in it
Come again each time
‘Til the water runs dry
Don’t do nothin’ ‘less you’re all in it
All in it, all in it

Oh, oh
Oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh

All in it, all in it

See, growing up, I
I always felt like I had to be the best at everything
Cause I, I just didn’t think I was good enough
And, and maybe if I was good at something that I’d get recognition from that but
I quickly found out that I wasn’t gonna get the recognition that I wanted or that I needed because
Because people aren’t perfect and by not being perfect you sometimes can disappoint people
And with God it’s like he’s perfect
And he never disappoints
So I just get my recognition from him
And give him recognition



Credit: Image by Joe Bielawa, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

The Royal Mint has just produced the largest coin in its 1,100-year history to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II's historic 70-year reign.



>About the size of a small pizza, the one-of-a-kind Platinum Jubilee coin is made of .999 gold and weighs an astonishing 15 kilograms (33.1 pounds). The coin carries a denomination of £15,000, but the value of the precious metal alone is £776,595 ( $982,000).

Instead of being struck between two dies like a standard coin, this 220-millimeter-wide collectible was cut into a solid gold ingot by a high-speed precision milling machine before the processes of burnishing, polishing and frosting were carried out by hand to highlight key design elements. The process took nearly 400 hours of refinement using state-of-the-art engraving and laser technology.

A private UK collector commissioned the coin, which features a bespoke commemorative design that had been personally approved by The Queen, according to The Royal Mint.

“As the largest UK coin to date, the scale and diameter of the piece has allowed us to push the boundaries of minting to produce an exceptional level of relief and detail," said Paul Morgan, Technical Manager at The Royal Mint. "It is a true testament to the expertise and skills of our in-house design and production teams, and their ability to collaborate with the finest artists. The combination of traditional craftsmanship and modern technology has produced a truly one-of-a-kind piece of art.”

The private collector has been a long-standing customer of The Royal Mint and an enthusiastic investor in coins marking moments throughout The Queen’s reign.

"The latest and greatest in my collection is the Platinum Jubilee coin, designed by John Bergdahl and brought to life in 15 kilograms of solid gold," the collector said in a statement. "The beautiful design stands apart as a fitting tribute to Her Majesty’s service to our nation and the craftsmanship is simply breathtaking, ensuring a once-in-a-lifetime moment will live on in history on a UK coin.”

The reverse side depicts a crowned EIIR cypher surrounded by roses, daffodils, thistles and shamrocks, representing the United Kingdom. It also includes a symbolic privy mark of the St. Edward’s Crown worn during Elizabeth's coronation in 1953, positioned above the number "70," in recognition of Her Majesty’s momentous celebration.

On the obverse side of the coin, a special commemorative design depicting The Queen on horseback is engraved on the precious metal.

The Royal Mint has told the story of The Queen’s reign on UK coins since her accession to the throne in 1952, including five definitive portraits of Her Majesty.

Credit: Image courtesy of The Royal Mint.