Carats & Karats Fine Jewelry was founded by Brenda Reichel in 1987 as a full service jeweler and personal property appraiser. Our mission to be the most educated jewelry gemologist in the Pacific Basin, providing personal service to all clients. Visit us for diamonds, colored stones, custom design jewelry and repairs. We also provide personal property appraisal services for consumers, insurance companies, estates and various court functions. 820 West Hind Dr., Ste 120 Aina Haina Shopping Center Honolulu, HI 96821 808-735-2301, 877-593-8122 CaratsandKarats.comTumblr (3.0; @caratsandkarats)http://caratsandkarats.tumblr.com/<p>Owners of Android phones and tablets, such as the Samsung Galaxy and Kindle Fire, can easily access information about the 4Cs of diamond quality, thanks to a slick new app released by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). </p> <p><img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/51565bb1df0f4ab2cd8c643fd8c1a0a5/tumblr_inline_mj44l7yvHH1qz4rgp.png"/></p> <p>The free app, called &#8220;GIA 4Cs,&#8221; engages the user with interactive features, video content and information on the GIA-created 4Cs (color, clarity, cut and carat weight) of diamond quality.</p> <p>“Bringing objective information about gems and jewelry to people when and where they want it is central to GIA’s public-benefit mission,” said Kathryn Kimmel, GIA vice president and chief marketing officer. “The Android 4Cs app puts GIA’s 82 years of innovation and research right on the screens of the most widely used smart phones in the world.”  </p> <p><img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/3517fd7e9628b314f8410c9d5f695723/tumblr_inline_mj44li60mZ1qz4rgp.png"/></p> <p>The simple-to-use app allows users to explore diamond color across the GIA D-to-Z color scale, see typical inclusions on the GIA clarity scale, and learn how the cut can significantly affect the look of a diamond. </p> <p>The new social feature in “My Diamond Wish List” encourages users to keep a record of the diamonds they’ve seen and considered while using the app, and then email, tweet, or share on Facebook the diamonds they’ve saved to their personal wish list.</p> <p>The new &#8220;GIA 4Cs&#8221; app for Android devices is downloadable for free at <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gia.en" target="_blank">Google Play</a>. It is offered in English or Simplified Chinese. The version for the iPhone and iPad, which had been released about a year ago, is also available for free at <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gia-4cs-guide/id469023195?mt=8" target="_blank">iTunes</a>.</p> <p><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carats-Karats-Fine-Jewelry-Antiques-Collectibles/58214405874" title="Carats &amp; Karats Facebook" target="_blank"><img alt="image" height="33" src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_luuapjdCVY1r2j7ub.png" width="33"/></a><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carats-Karats-Fine-Jewelry-Antiques-Collectibles/58214405874" title="Carats &amp; Karats Facebook" target="_blank"> Visit Carats &amp; Karats on Facebook</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.caratsandkarats.com" title="Carats &amp; Karats Website" target="_blank">Visit CaratsandKarats.com</a></p>http://caratsandkarats.tumblr.com/post/44537357631http://caratsandkarats.tumblr.com/post/44537357631Mon, 04 Mar 2013 07:33:26 -0500<p>Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you great tunes with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title. Today, we present Looking Glass performing the 1972 chart-topper, &#8220;Brandy.&#8221; The song is about a barmaid in a port town who pines for the return of her sailor beau. Central to the song is the symbol of their love — a locket that bears his name hanging from a braided chain &#8220;made of finest silver from the North of Spain.&#8221;</p> <p><img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/8dabc91bbcb1c539947d622ec4137961/tumblr_inline_miyopsGwjD1qz4rgp.png"/></p> <p>Some rock historians believe the Brandy character in the song was inspired by the story of Mary Ellis, a spinster from New Brunswick, N.J., who fell in love with a sea captain in the late 1700s. Legend has it that he vowed to marry her but never returned. Every day she would ride to the banks of the Raritan River and wait for his ship. Eventually she purchased a piece of land that overlooked the river where she would continue to wait for the sea captain’s return until her death.</p> <p><img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/c31f03d96968e57f184bcbdece8316ed/tumblr_inline_miyoqfGyM11qz4rgp.png"/></p> <p>Interestingly, Looking Glass was formed by four Rutger University students — including lead vocalist Elliott Lurie — in 1969 in New Brunswick, N.J., about two miles from Ellis&#8217; grave. The site remains a popular historic site and music-lover destination despite its awkward location in the parking lot of a Loew&#8217;s movie complex. </p> <p>Please enjoy the classic video at the end of this post, and the lyrics are here if you&#8217;d like to sing along.</p> <p><strong>&#8220;Brandy (You&#8217;re a Fine Girl)&#8221;</strong></p> <p>Written <span>and composed by </span>Elliot Lurie. Performed by Looking Glass.</p> <blockquote> <p><span>There&#8217;s a port&#8230; on a western bay </span><br/><span>And it serves.. a hundred ships a day </span><br/><span>Lonely sailors&#8230; pass the time away </span><br/><span>And talk about their homes </span><br/><br/><span>And there&#8217;s a girl&#8230; in this harbour town </span><br/><span>And she works&#8230; laying whiskey down </span><br/><span>They say, &#8220;Brandy, fetch another round&#8221; </span><br/><span>She serves them whiskey and wine </span><br/><br/><span>The sailors say, &#8220;Brandy, you&#8217;re a fine girl&#8221; </span><br/><span>&#8220;What a good wife you would be&#8221; </span><br/><span>&#8220;Yeah your eyes could steal a sailor from the sea&#8221; </span><br/><br/><span>Brandy&#8230; wears a braided chain </span><br/><span>Made of finest silver from the North of Spain </span><br/><span>A locket&#8230; that bears the name </span><br/><span>Of the man that Brandy loves </span><br/><br/><span>He came&#8230; on a summer&#8217;s day </span><br/><span>Bringing gifts&#8230; from far away </span><br/><span>But he made it clear&#8230; he couldn&#8217;t stay </span><br/><span>No harbour was his home </span><br/><br/><span>The sailor said, &#8220;Brandy, you&#8217;re a fine girl&#8221; </span><br/><span>&#8220;What a good wife you would be&#8221; </span><br/><span>&#8220;But my life, my lover, my lady is the sea&#8221; </span><br/><br/><span>Yeah, Brandy used to watch his eyes </span><br/><span>When he told his sailor stories </span><br/><span>She could feel the ocean fall and rise </span><br/><span>She saw its raging glory </span><br/><span>But he had always told the truth, lord, he was an honest man </span><br/><span>And Brandy does her best to understand </span><br/><br/><span>At night&#8230; when the bars close down </span><br/><span>Brandy walks through a silent town </span><br/><span>And loves a man&#8230; who&#8217;s not around </span><br/><span>She still can hear him say </span><br/><br/><span>She hears him say, &#8220;Brandy, you&#8217;re a fine girl&#8221; </span><br/><span>&#8220;What a good wife you would be&#8221; </span><br/><span>&#8220;But my life, my lover, my lady is the sea&#8221; </span><br/><br/><span>&#8220;Brandy, you&#8217;re a fine girl&#8221; </span><br/><span>&#8220;What a good wife you would be&#8221; </span><br/><span>&#8220;But my life, my lover, my lady is the sea&#8221;</span></p> </blockquote> <p><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Ep7FWnbAaCI?rel=0" width="480"></iframe></p> <p><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carats-Karats-Fine-Jewelry-Antiques-Collectibles/58214405874" title="Carats &amp; Karats Facebook" target="_blank"><img alt="image" height="33" src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_luuapjdCVY1r2j7ub.png" width="33"/></a><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carats-Karats-Fine-Jewelry-Antiques-Collectibles/58214405874" title="Carats &amp; Karats Facebook" target="_blank"> Visit Carats &amp; Karats on Facebook</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.caratsandkarats.com" title="Carats &amp; Karats Website" target="_blank">Visit CaratsandKarats.com</a></p>http://caratsandkarats.tumblr.com/post/44290230198http://caratsandkarats.tumblr.com/post/44290230198Fri, 01 Mar 2013 07:36:47 -0500<p>Yesterday, we reported the feel-good story of a woman who was reunited with her engagement ring after a kindhearted stranger did the right thing by returning her lost ring to NYC subway authorities. Today, the storyline flips upside-down as an Atlanta attorney is facing a felony charge and disbarment for allegedly failing to turn in a $10,500 diamond ring she found in a restaurant parking lot.</p> <p><img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/850a04aa13804a5dd54700db59b7e7c5/tumblr_inline_miwybwV8Gh1qz4rgp.jpg"/></p> <p>According to the <em>Augusta Chronicle</em>, Alexia Dawn Davis, 31, surrendered Tuesday to Colum­bia Coun­ty authorities after being charged with the theft of lost or mislaid property.</p> <p>Davis had found a diamond ring in the parking lot of an Augusta, Ga., Cracker Barrel restaurant on Feb. 7. Although a woman who was with Davis entered the restaurant and <span>asked what to do if she found a ring</span>, she chose not hand it to the store&#8217;s management. Instead, she said that she would report her finding to the local sheriff&#8217;s office. She didn&#8217;t and Davis didn&#8217;t.</p> <p><img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/c403afcffdfbf772fafd3d3fcc6937ea/tumblr_inline_miwyc6DzJy1qz4rgp.jpg"/></p> <p>When Jane G. Prater, 62, reported her ring missing five days later, deputies learned from restaurant employees that Davis&#8217; associate had commented about a ring.</p> <p><span>The Columbia County sheriff’s office </span><span>published surveillance video from the restaurant on Feb. 19 in an effort to identify the woman who found the ring. The same day, Davis turned the ring in, authorities said.</span></p> <p>The Atlanta attorney, who works in the public defender&#8217;s office, is now facing a felony charge because the ring is worth more than $1,500. Local statutes require that when “a person comes into control of property that they know to be lost or mislaid, they must take reasonable measures to restore the property to its owner.”</p> <p>An attorney for Davis released this statement: “No matter what shadow the Sheriff and the District Attorney’s office tries to cast upon Ms. Davis’ impeccable reputation and her motives, the legal fact is that she did not appropriate the ring for her own use, which is the crime this statute is intending to cover. When she learned who the owner was through the postings online from the Sheriff’s office, she promptly turned it in. She knew it was valuable, but she had neither sold it nor wore the ring as if it was hers.”</p> <p>According to published reports, most jurisdictions have now enacted laws requiring that the finder of lost property turn it in to the proper authorities; if the true owner does not arrive to claim the property within a certain period of time, the property is returned to the finder as his own, or is disposed of.</p> <p>If convicted of a felony, the bar association would likely ask for Davis to be disbarred.</p> <p><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carats-Karats-Fine-Jewelry-Antiques-Collectibles/58214405874" title="Carats &amp; Karats Facebook" target="_blank"><img alt="image" height="33" src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_luuapjdCVY1r2j7ub.png" width="33"/></a><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carats-Karats-Fine-Jewelry-Antiques-Collectibles/58214405874" title="Carats &amp; Karats Facebook" target="_blank"> Visit Carats &amp; Karats on Facebook</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.caratsandkarats.com" title="Carats &amp; Karats Website" target="_blank">Visit CaratsandKarats.com</a></p>http://caratsandkarats.tumblr.com/post/44214243269http://caratsandkarats.tumblr.com/post/44214243269Thu, 28 Feb 2013 07:32:33 -0500<p>A Brooklyn bride-to-be is breathing a sigh of relief after being reunited with the 3-carat diamond engagement ring she unknowingly lost in a New York City subway station — two months earlier.</p> <p><img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/774ae2b766b787502f2d942b96683e25/tumblr_inline_miv2kgW97k1qz4rgp.jpg"/></p> <p>Thanks to the honesty of a kindhearted stranger who found the ring near a ticket machine and turned it in to an equally honest station agent, Hager Elsayed&#8217;s irreplaceable treasure is back in her possession.</p> <p><img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/09edac27e5132302d871fadc6037c0dd/tumblr_inline_miv2ktqrN61qz4rgp.jpg"/></p> <p>The teacher assistant, who got engaged in May of 2012, was riding the subway this past November, when she realized her princess-cut engagement ring was not on her finger. According to ABC News, she initially thought that she had left the ring home, but she came up empty after tearing through her apartment. She concluded that the ring must have slipped off her finger on her way to work and was gone forever.</p> <p><img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/41a7ce8ae3ea82eddf2ab2c972efea44/tumblr_inline_miv2l8zZKA1qz4rgp.jpg"/></p> <p>The bride-to-be was devastated. Her fiancé, Juan Rivera, had worked overtime as a fireproofer to afford the ring, and he had gone to many different jewelry stores before finding just the perfect one. </p> <p>Then, one day this past month in a stroke of serendipity, Elsayed was passing through her regular subway station when she noticed the station agent who was on duty the day she lost her ring. </p> <p>Elsayed asked the agent, Anthony Tiralosi, if anyone in his station had found an engagement ring.</p> <p>Tiralosi gave her the good news that an elderly Asian woman, who spoke no English and didn&#8217;t leave her name, had found the ring and promptly turned it in at his booth. Tiralosi forwarded it to the MTA Lost &amp; Found.</p> <p>“As soon as I saw it, I knew the ring was worth at least $4,000,&#8221; Tiralosi told the <em>New York Post.</em> &#8220;It was a gorgeous ring. I said, ‘Gee, whoever lost this must feel sick.’”</p> <p>Tiralosa added that he never considered keeping it. “It was never even a thought,” he said. “I told my kids that night about the ring. I wanted them to know the importance of returning something that didn’t belong to them.”</p> <p>Elsayed has her ring back and couldn&#8217;t be happier. She&#8217;s also expressed gratitude to the super-honest mystery woman who turned it in. “The whole moral of the story is there are still good people out there,” she said.</p> <p><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carats-Karats-Fine-Jewelry-Antiques-Collectibles/58214405874" title="Carats &amp; Karats Facebook" target="_blank"><img alt="image" height="33" src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_luuapjdCVY1r2j7ub.png" width="33"/></a><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carats-Karats-Fine-Jewelry-Antiques-Collectibles/58214405874" title="Carats &amp; Karats Facebook" target="_blank"> Visit Carats &amp; Karats on Facebook</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.caratsandkarats.com" title="Carats &amp; Karats Website" target="_blank">Visit CaratsandKarats.com</a></p>http://caratsandkarats.tumblr.com/post/44136954194http://caratsandkarats.tumblr.com/post/44136954194Wed, 27 Feb 2013 07:47:11 -0500<p>Actresses Jennifer Lawrence and Anne Hathaway have a lot more in common than matching Oscars after a big night at the 2013 Academy Awards. Both ladies are young, talented, beautiful&#8230; and prefer to wear their jewelry backwards.</p> <p><img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/86f81298321432cdb45e3ee8b1678fe8/tumblr_inline_mit9ofQrKV1qz4rgp.jpg"/></p> <p>Sunday night&#8217;s Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress threw the fashion press for a loop when they both sauntered down the red carpet with necklaces flowing down the back, instead of the front, of their gowns.</p> <p>Lawrence, the 22-year-old who captured the Best Actress Oscar for her stellar performance in <em>Silver Linings Playbook</em>, wore a billowing Dior Haute Couture gown adorned with a 74-carat diamond necklace by Chopard. From the front, the necklace looked like a simple choker. From the back, the 150 diamonds cascaded past her waist.</p> <p><img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/e2d84bb45d19a2130a4166b2ec385c0e/tumblr_inline_mit9ovGHXV1qz4rgp.png"/></p> <p>The 30-year-old Hathaway, who was named Best Supporting Actress for her mesmerizing work in <em>Les Misérables</em>, wore a Tiffany &amp; Co. Corsage necklace that graced her shoulders and was centered between her shoulder blades, accentuating the crisscross detail on her light pink Prada gown. The necklace was shorter than Lawrence&#8217;s, but just as surprising to the fashion press, who generally gave the back necklaces mixed reviews.</p> <p>Giving a thumbs-up to Lawrence&#8217;s look, an <em>InStyle</em> columnist wrote, &#8220;Leave it to her to put a twist on elegance!&#8221; A <em>Glamour</em> headline challenged its readers: Jennifer Lawrence and Anne Hathaway wore back necklaces to the Oscars. Is this a trend worth trying?</p> <p>Also referring to the back necklace trend, a PopSugar.com writer asked her readers: &#8220;Are you feeling the role reversal of tonight&#8217;s most gorgeous jewels?&#8221; A VH1 columnist was a bit more blunt: &#8221;Do you agree with this trend or should it be thrown into the fashion rejects bin?&#8221;</p> <p><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carats-Karats-Fine-Jewelry-Antiques-Collectibles/58214405874" title="Carats &amp; Karats Facebook" target="_blank"><img alt="image" height="33" src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_luuapjdCVY1r2j7ub.png" width="33"/></a><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carats-Karats-Fine-Jewelry-Antiques-Collectibles/58214405874" title="Carats &amp; Karats Facebook" target="_blank"> Visit Carats &amp; Karats on Facebook</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.caratsandkarats.com" title="Carats &amp; Karats Website" target="_blank">Visit CaratsandKarats.com</a></p>http://caratsandkarats.tumblr.com/post/44059379414http://caratsandkarats.tumblr.com/post/44059379414Tue, 26 Feb 2013 07:57:28 -0500<p>If you&#8217;re going to be near Beverly Hills over the next few weeks, you&#8217;ll have a rare opportunity to see a small, but fabulous, exhibition of world-class jewelry once owned by Oscar-winning actress Elizabeth Taylor.</p> <p><img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/f404e089d45ad950412a317ebb170447/tumblr_inline_mirfuoBK6T1qz4rgp.jpg"/></p> <p>Among the eight signature pieces on display at Bulgari&#8217;s boutique on Rodeo Drive is the 23.44-carat emerald-and-diamond brooch that Richard Burton gave to Taylor as an engagement present. In December of 2011, the breathtaking bauble set an auction record for the highest per-carat price ever paid for an emerald. The final price was $6.57 million, or $280,000 per carat.</p> <p>Upon their marriage in 1964 (his second, her fifth), Burton followed the brooch purchase with a matching necklace whose 16 Colombian emeralds weighed in at 60.5 carats. It sold at auction for $6.1 million.</p> <p><img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/283e1971a9cb7e6e6ae06e976553862c/tumblr_inline_mirfvdUeA91qz4rgp.jpg"/></p> <p>In total, Taylor’s jewelry collection – sometimes referred to as the Crown Jewels of Hollywood – fetched $116 million to set a world record for the most valuable private jewelry collection ever sold at auction. Interesting, one of the biggest buyers during that 2011 Christie&#8217;s auction was Bulgari, as the company reacquired eight of its own designs.</p> <p><img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/a1cd0cec052a0fc84cb9658681494b3b/tumblr_inline_mirfvq5ozG1qz4rgp.jpg"/></p> <p>The actress, who died in 2011 at age 79, loved gems and jewelry so much that she wrote a book about the subject in 2002. In her memoir titled “My Love Affair With Jewelry,” Taylor wrote: “I never, never thought of my jewelry as trophies. I’m here to take care of them and to love them. When I die and they go off to auction I hope whoever buys them gives them a really good home.”</p> <p>Other items on display include the first gift Burton purchased for his bride-to-be in 1962 — the &#8220;Taylor Burton fiancée ring.&#8221; The platinum ring features a 7.4-carat rectangular-cut emerald flanked by 5.3 carats of circular and modified triangular-cut diamonds. The piece sold at auction for $3.33 million.</p> <p><img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/ac763c4fe4a4ecee60ebd4240a8b3ae6/tumblr_inline_mirfw3cMGc1qz4rgp.jpg"/></p> <p>Jewelry lovers will also get to see Taylor&#8217;s diamond-and-gold <em>sautoir</em> set with six ancient Roman coins and a Trombino diamond-and-platinum ring complete with a 25-carat sapphire.</p> <p>The exhibition, which opened on February 20, will run through March 10.</p> <p><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carats-Karats-Fine-Jewelry-Antiques-Collectibles/58214405874" title="Carats &amp; Karats Facebook" target="_blank"><img alt="image" height="33" src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_luuapjdCVY1r2j7ub.png" width="33"/></a><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carats-Karats-Fine-Jewelry-Antiques-Collectibles/58214405874" title="Carats &amp; Karats Facebook" target="_blank"> Visit Carats &amp; Karats on Facebook</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.caratsandkarats.com" title="Carats &amp; Karats Website" target="_blank">Visit CaratsandKarats.com</a></p>http://caratsandkarats.tumblr.com/post/43980069014http://caratsandkarats.tumblr.com/post/43980069014Mon, 25 Feb 2013 07:46:43 -0500<p>Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you superb songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today we feature &#8220;Leaving on a Jet Plane,&#8221; a song written in 1966 by John Denver and famously recorded by Peter, Paul and Mary. It was the trio&#8217;s biggest hit, reaching #1 on the <em>Billboard</em> chart in 1969.</p> <p><img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/5a9bd09df993532e6a7159cd6350ea98/tumblr_inline_miltcqyKoY1qz4rgp.jpg"/></p> <blockquote> <p>Mary Travers and John Denver</p> </blockquote> <p>In the video at the bottom of this post, we see the song performed by a rarely seen quartet, as Denver adds his sweet voice to the dynamic harmonies of Peter Yarrow, Paul Stookey and Mary Travers. </p> <p>Originally titled &#8221;Babe, I Hate to Go,&#8221; the love song was written by a 23-year-old Denver during a layover at the airport in Washington, D.C. He was lamenting how much he hated leaving his girlfriend when he went on tour and how he wanted to cement their relationship when he returned.</p> <p>In Denver&#8217;s original version, the lyrics promise, &#8220;When I come back, I&#8217;ll bring your wedding ring.&#8221; Interestingly, when Travers sang the lead vocals during her performances with Paul, Paul and Mary, she changed the phrase to &#8220;When I come back, I&#8217;ll wear your wedding ring.&#8221;</p> <p>Enjoy the video. The lyrics are below because we know you&#8217;ll be singing along.</p> <p><strong>&#8220;Leaving on a Jet Plane&#8221;</strong></p> <p>Written by John Denver. Performed by Peter, Paul and Mary, with John Denver.</p> <blockquote> <p>All my bags are packed, I&#8217;m ready to go<br/><span>I&#8217;m standing here outside your door</span><br/><span>I hate to wake you up to say goodbye</span><br/><span>But the dawn is breakin&#8217;, it&#8217;s early morn</span><br/><span>The taxi&#8217;s waiting, he&#8217;s blowin&#8217; his horn</span><br/><span>Already I&#8217;m so lonesome I could cry</span><br/><br/><span>So kiss me and smile for me</span><br/><span>Tell me that you&#8217;ll wait for me</span><br/><span>Hold me like you&#8217;ll never let me go</span><br/><span>(Oh baby, don&#8217;t let me go)</span><br/><span>I&#8217;m leavin&#8217; on a jet plane</span><br/><span>I don&#8217;t know when I&#8217;ll be back again</span><br/><span>Oh babe, I hate to go</span><br/><br/><span>There&#8217;s so many times I&#8217;ve let you down</span><br/><span>So many times I&#8217;ve played around</span><br/><span>I tell you now, they don&#8217;t mean a thing</span><br/><span>Every place I go, I think of you</span><br/><span>Every song I sing, I sing for you</span><br/><span>When I come back, I&#8217;ll wear your wedding ring</span><br/><br/><span>So kiss me and smile for me</span><br/><span>Tell me that you&#8217;ll wait for me</span><br/><span>Hold me like you&#8217;ll never let me go</span><br/><span>(Oh baby, don&#8217;t let me go)</span><br/><span>I&#8217;m leavin&#8217; on a jet plane</span><br/><span>I don&#8217;t know when I&#8217;ll be back again</span><br/><span>Oh babe, I hate to go</span><br/><br/><span>Now the time has come to leave you</span><br/><span>One more time let me kiss you</span><br/><span>Then close your eyes and I&#8217;ll be on my way</span><br/><span>Dream about the days to come</span><br/><span>When I won&#8217;t have to leave alone</span><br/><span>About the times, I won&#8217;t have to say</span><br/><br/><span>So kiss me and smile for me</span><br/><span>Tell me that you&#8217;ll wait for me</span><br/><span>Hold me like you&#8217;ll never let me go</span><br/><span>(Oh baby, don&#8217;t let me go)</span><br/><span>I&#8217;m leavin&#8217; on a jet plane</span><br/><span>I don&#8217;t know when I&#8217;ll be back again</span><br/><span>Oh babe, I hate to go</span><span><br/></span></p> </blockquote> <p><iframe frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/vs0iOcvndi0?rel=0" width="420"></iframe></p> <p><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carats-Karats-Fine-Jewelry-Antiques-Collectibles/58214405874" title="Carats &amp; Karats Facebook" target="_blank"><img alt="image" height="33" src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_luuapjdCVY1r2j7ub.png" width="33"/></a><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carats-Karats-Fine-Jewelry-Antiques-Collectibles/58214405874" title="Carats &amp; Karats Facebook" target="_blank"> Visit Carats &amp; Karats on Facebook</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.caratsandkarats.com" title="Carats &amp; Karats Website" target="_blank">Visit CaratsandKarats.com</a></p>http://caratsandkarats.tumblr.com/post/43720006825http://caratsandkarats.tumblr.com/post/43720006825Fri, 22 Feb 2013 08:08:40 -0500<p>On Monday we introduced you to Billy Ray Harris, a homeless man in Kansas City, Mo., who showed tremendous character by returning a diamond-and-platinum engagement ring that was accidentally dropped into his cup.</p> <p><img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/65fa2abee223b6707189cc76196550d4/tumblr_inline_mijzentAzw1qz4rgp.jpg"/></p> <p>His story drew international attention, including spots on NBC&#8217;s Today Show and CNN, and now Harris&#8217; future is looking much brighter thanks to the generosity of well-wishers from all over the world.</p> <p>Sarah Darling, the owner of the ring, and her husband, Bill Krejci, were so moved by Harris&#8217; selflessness that they started an online fund for him. As of 11 p.m. last night, Harris&#8217; page on the <a href="http://www.giveforward.com/billyray" target="_blank">GiveForward</a> web site had surpassed $16,000. The fundraiser will continue until May 15.</p> <p><img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/9904a09ef84ffe55e9ea58bad2a2d0b7/tumblr_inline_mijzf8wcOb1qz4rgp.jpg"/></p> <p>Most of the donations are in the $10 to $20 range, but one was as high as $500. The site posts comments from the donors as well as non-monetary &#8220;hugs&#8221; from supporters.</p> <p>In a &#8220;hug&#8221; posted by Tracy, she wrote, &#8220;You have such a golden heart! What a joy it is to read news like this! I hope we all get to hear updates on how you are doing! You have touched so many lives, hearts, and souls Mr. Harris!&#8221;</p> <p>“The idea was maybe to come up with a couple hundred dollars, something nice for him,” Krejci told the <em>New York Daily News</em>. “But now we’re talking about an amount that could really make a difference.”</p> <p>In explaining why he didn&#8217;t try to sell the ring, Harris told KCTV5, “My grandfather was a reverend. He raised me from the time I was 6 months old and thank the good Lord, it’s a blessing, but I do still have some character.” </p> <p><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carats-Karats-Fine-Jewelry-Antiques-Collectibles/58214405874" title="Carats &amp; Karats Facebook" target="_blank"><img alt="image" height="33" src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_luuapjdCVY1r2j7ub.png" width="33"/></a><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carats-Karats-Fine-Jewelry-Antiques-Collectibles/58214405874" title="Carats &amp; Karats Facebook" target="_blank"> Visit Carats &amp; Karats on Facebook</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.caratsandkarats.com" title="Carats &amp; Karats Website" target="_blank">Visit CaratsandKarats.com</a></p>http://caratsandkarats.tumblr.com/post/43641141668http://caratsandkarats.tumblr.com/post/43641141668Thu, 21 Feb 2013 07:44:43 -0500<p>The spectacular meteorite that exploded in a fireball over Russia&#8217;s Ural Mountains and sent shock waves through the city of Chelyabinsk on Friday may have been a blessing in disguise for its impoverished residents. When the meteorite exploded, it showered the city with thousands of tiny black stones that may be worth more than their weight in gold.</p> <p><img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/7d145c49f709f3e2b6c7d1a9a3a66782/tumblr_inline_mii63eHp7P1qz4rgp.jpg"/></p> <p>The <em>New York Times</em> reported that strangers were offering stacks of rubles worth hundreds, even thousands, of dollars to local residents for the meteorite fragments. </p> <p>NASA reported that the 55-foot, 7,000-ton meteorite was the largest known celestial body to enter the Earth’s atmosphere in 100 years. The agency characterized the meteorite as an &#8220;airburst fireball type&#8221; and predicted that it would shower untold thousands of fragments onto the surface. NASA was right.</p> <p><img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/47f3adf92d3b3d48c617ac26571a801b/tumblr_inline_mii645I1XM1qz4rgp.jpg"/></p> <p>Despite the damage and injuries caused by the meteorite&#8217;s powerful shock waves, news agencies were also reporting that the event sparked a new &#8220;gold rush&#8221; as local residents, including small children, were scrambling to retrieve the valuable fragments, many buried in deep February snows.</p> <p>Specifically, they were looking for small holes in the snow that held the celestial treasure — a polished oval black pebble encased in tiny clumps of ice, formed from the last expiring heat of their long journey.</p> <p><img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/3e23a3f4aeb88428e6f0a50e8ecc87c9/tumblr_inline_mii64tTABg1qz4rgp.jpg"/></p> <p>“All it takes is looking carefully,” eight-year-old Sasha Zarezina told a reporter on Monday. “The stones are in the snowdrifts. To find a stone you find a hole. And then you dig.”</p> <p>“They fell everywhere in the village,” said Alfia N. Zharkova, a mother of two, who has a plastic bag filled with black stones. “The children find them. Everybody who has children has piles of these.”</p> <p>Larisa V. Briyukova discovered a fist-size stone under a hole in the roof tiles of her woodshed. A stranger offered her $60, and after some haggling, Briyukova accepted $230. Later, another stranger, having seen the hole in the roof, offered her $1,300 for the stone responsible the damage, but it was already sold. </p> <p><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carats-Karats-Fine-Jewelry-Antiques-Collectibles/58214405874" title="Carats &amp; Karats Facebook" target="_blank"><img alt="image" height="33" src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_luuapjdCVY1r2j7ub.png" width="33"/></a><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carats-Karats-Fine-Jewelry-Antiques-Collectibles/58214405874" title="Carats &amp; Karats Facebook" target="_blank"> Visit Carats &amp; Karats on Facebook</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.caratsandkarats.com" title="Carats &amp; Karats Website" target="_blank">Visit CaratsandKarats.com</a></p>http://caratsandkarats.tumblr.com/post/43562620325http://caratsandkarats.tumblr.com/post/43562620325Wed, 20 Feb 2013 08:05:07 -0500<p>The ongoing construction of Thessaloniki&#8217;s modern subway system has unearthed a trove of ancient gold wreaths, which had rested undisturbed in long-forgotten, unmarked cemeteries for some 2,300 years. Excavation crews working in Greece&#8217;s second-largest city have collected nine wreaths since the subway project began in 2006.  </p> <p><img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/294b80c1ba0734bfd4f1eaba1f3dd2dd/tumblr_inline_mig8jz0IXl1qz4rgp.png"/></p> <p>According to the <em>Greek Reporter</em>, the ninth wreath was found within a large Macedonian tomb, adorning the head of its female occupant. Construction crews discovered the tomb in an ancient cemetery at what will be the Dimokratias Station stop.</p> <p><img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/55dc799b36d75fdebb80acf11dcff75a/tumblr_inline_mig8kozKln1qz4rgp.png"/></p> <p>“It’s not common. It’s an extraordinary finding,” Vasiliki Misailidou-Despotidou, director of 16th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities for Greece’s General Directorate of Antiquities, told FoxNews.com. “It happens quite seldom.”</p> <p>In an amazing testament to the enduring qualities of gold, the wreath resembling an olive branch looked virtually new despite being buried for thousands of years. It was dated to the Early Hellenistic Era, at the end of the 4th century/early 3rd century BC.</p> <p><img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/19aae43ead5b9b94c5b42d80dd82442e/tumblr_inline_mig8la0EWe1qz4rgp.png"/></p> <p>The nine Thessaloniki wreaths share a common theme. They incorporate oak, olive, vine, laurel or myrtle leaves crafted in gold on a simple gold band meant to encircle the head. The delicate wreaths were intended as adornments for royal or aristocratic burials, according to <em>Discovery News</em>.</p> <p>The Thessaloniki subway project has already yielded more than 23,000 ancient and medieval artifacts. The subway is scheduled for completion in 2017.</p> <p><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carats-Karats-Fine-Jewelry-Antiques-Collectibles/58214405874" title="Carats &amp; Karats Facebook" target="_blank"><img alt="image" height="33" src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_luuapjdCVY1r2j7ub.png" width="33"/></a><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carats-Karats-Fine-Jewelry-Antiques-Collectibles/58214405874" title="Carats &amp; Karats Facebook" target="_blank"> Visit Carats &amp; Karats on Facebook</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.caratsandkarats.com" title="Carats &amp; Karats Website" target="_blank">Visit CaratsandKarats.com</a></p>http://caratsandkarats.tumblr.com/post/43482275483http://caratsandkarats.tumblr.com/post/43482275483Tue, 19 Feb 2013 07:45:53 -0500<p>Billy Ray Harris, a 55-year-old homeless man from Kansas City, Mo., is getting national media attention — and possibly a new home — for an act of honesty inspired by the lessons taught by his reverend grandfather.</p> <p><img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/b7cc1aab8e61b7175f347d90c6c381a6/tumblr_inline_mieaoy4p1C1qz4rgp.png"/></p> <p>Last Friday, Harris was collecting spare change from passersby in his normal spot in a part of Kansas City called The Plaza. Sarah Darling happened upon Harris and emptied the spare change from her purse into his cup. Darling didn&#8217;t realize until much later that among the coins was her platinum-and-diamond engagement ring that she had taken off because it had been irritating her finger.</p> <p><span><img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/b8db1daeddfbc0d5571311e45034abe2/tumblr_inline_mieaq1CNF41qz4rgp.png"/></span></p> <p>When Harris packed up for the day, he realized that his cup contained an unusual bonus. At first, he thought the ring had to be fake. But he took it to a local jeweler, who confirmed that it was, indeed, very real.</p> <p>&#8220;The jeweler was willing to give me $4,000 on the spot,&#8221; Harris told NBC’s Today Show. &#8220;But I just couldn&#8217;t do it.&#8221; </p> <p>Harris explained to the reporter that his grandfather raised him to be honest. He knew in his heart he couldn’t take the money.<span> </span></p> <p>&#8220;My grandfather was a reverend. He raised me from the time I was 6 months old and thank the good Lord, it&#8217;s a blessing, but I do still have some character,&#8221; he said. “I am not trying to say that I am a saint, but I am no devil either.”</p> <p><img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/aba3ce4f314a192ef055d91da00bf498/tumblr_inline_mieaqxlMKl1qz4rgp.png"/></p> <p>So he held on to the ring and returned to his regular spot at The Plaza the next day. Darling realized on Saturday that her ring was gone and remembered that she had placed it in her change purse. She raced back to The Plaza to find Harris, and there he was — with her ring.</p> <p>Darling said the moment was like a &#8220;miracle,&#8221; and she rewarded Harris with all the cash she had on her.</p> <p><img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/372a49f5459f7f931a827d925a9a9885/tumblr_inline_mieardzJ8Z1qz4rgp.png"/></p> <p>Harris became an instant celebrity as his story went viral. Well-wishers visited Harris and brought him meals. More importantly, ABC&#8217;s Las Vegas affiliate KTNV is reporting that Harris&#8217; story reached his estranged sister in Texas. They hadn&#8217;t seen each other in 20 years, but she has offered him a place to stay. Harris is considering the offer.</p> <p><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carats-Karats-Fine-Jewelry-Antiques-Collectibles/58214405874" title="Carats &amp; Karats Facebook" target="_blank"><img alt="image" height="33" src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_luuapjdCVY1r2j7ub.png" width="33"/></a><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carats-Karats-Fine-Jewelry-Antiques-Collectibles/58214405874" title="Carats &amp; Karats Facebook" target="_blank"> Visit Carats &amp; Karats on Facebook</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.caratsandkarats.com" title="Carats &amp; Karats Website" target="_blank">Visit CaratsandKarats.com</a></p>http://caratsandkarats.tumblr.com/post/43395439465http://caratsandkarats.tumblr.com/post/43395439465Mon, 18 Feb 2013 07:45:33 -0500<p>Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you super songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today we feature Uncle Kracker singing his 2009 crossover hit, &#8220;Smile.&#8221; In this sing-along ditty about a head-over-heels infatuation, Kracker confesses that his new girlfriend has him dancing like a fool, forgetting how to breathe, shining like gold and buzzing like a bee.</p> <p><img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/02fe2727b4451d99439f0c8c64d8bfe3/tumblr_inline_mi8tmw9i9Y1qz4rgp.jpg"/></p> <p>The single, from the artist&#8217;s 2009 album <em>Happy Hour</em>, peaked at #31 on the <em>Billboard</em> Hot 100 chart and #6 on the <em>Billboard</em> Hot Country Songs chart.</p> <p>Raised in Michigan, Uncle Kracker — then known at Matthew Shafer — experienced a life-changing twist of fate as a 13 year old in 1987, when his older brother, Mike, brought him to a DJ competition at a local club. There, he met a 17-year-old Kid Rock, who was competing against his brother.</p> <p>Kid Rock and Shafer became best friends, and years later, in 1994, Kid Rock asked Shafer to play turntables for his band called Twisted Brown Trucker. He continued working with Kid Rock as both a DJ and as a featured vocalist on some of Kid Rock&#8217;s albums.</p> <p>In 2000, Kid Rock produced Uncle Kracker&#8217;s first album, <em>Double Wide,</em> which peaked at #7 on the <em>Billboard</em> 200 album chart.</p> <p>Check out the official &#8220;Smile&#8221; video at the end of this post. The lyrics are below if you&#8217;d like to sing along&#8230;</p> <p><strong>&#8220;Smile&#8221;</strong></p> <p>Written by Matthew Shafer, Blair Daly, J.T. Harding and Jeremy Bose. Performed by Uncle Kracker.</p> <blockquote> <p>You&#8217;re better than the best<br/> I&#8217;m lucky just to linger in your light<br/> Cooler then the flip side of my pillow, that&#8217;s right<br/> Completely unaware<br/> Nothing can compare to where you send me,<br/> Lets me know that it&#8217;s OK, yeah it&#8217;s OK<br/> And the moments where my good times start to fade<br/><br/> You make me smile like the sun<br/> Fall out of bed, sing like a bird<br/> Dizzy in my head, spin like a record<br/> Crazy on a Sunday night<br/> You make me dance like a fool<br/> Forget how to breathe<br/> Shine like gold, buzz like a bee<br/> Just the thought of you can drive me wild<br/> Ohh, you make me smile<br/><br/> Even when you&#8217;re gone<br/> Somehow you come along<br/> Just like a flower poking through sidewalk crack and just like that<br/> You steal away the rain and just like that<br/><br/> You make me smile like the sun<br/> Fall out of bed, sing like a bird<br/> Dizzy in my head, spin like a record<br/> Crazy on a Sunday night<br/> You make me dance like a fool<br/> Forget how to breathe<br/> Shine like gold, buzz like a bee<br/> Just the thought of you can drive me wild<br/> Ohh, you make me smile<br/><br/> Don&#8217;t know how I lived without you<br/> Cuz every time that I get around you<br/> I see the best of me inside your eyes<br/> You make me smile<br/> You make me dance like a fool<br/> Forget how to breathe<br/> Shine like gold, buzz like a bee<br/> Just the thought of you can drive me wild<br/><br/> You make me smile like the sun<br/> Fall out of bed, sing like a bird<br/> Dizzy in my head, spin like a record<br/> Crazy on a Sunday night<br/> You make me dance like a fool<br/> Forget how to breathe<br/> Shine like gold, buzz like a bee<br/> Just the thought of you can drive me wild<br/> Ohh, you make me smile</p> </blockquote> <p><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ffej15-Dgl0?rel=0" width="480"></iframe></p> <p><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carats-Karats-Fine-Jewelry-Antiques-Collectibles/58214405874" title="Carats &amp; Karats Facebook" target="_blank"><img alt="image" height="33" src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_luuapjdCVY1r2j7ub.png" width="33"/></a><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carats-Karats-Fine-Jewelry-Antiques-Collectibles/58214405874" title="Carats &amp; Karats Facebook" target="_blank"> Visit Carats &amp; Karats on Facebook</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.caratsandkarats.com" title="Carats &amp; Karats Website" target="_blank">Visit CaratsandKarats.com</a></p>http://caratsandkarats.tumblr.com/post/43144587759http://caratsandkarats.tumblr.com/post/43144587759Fri, 15 Feb 2013 07:53:36 -0500<p>French men are arguably the most romantic in the world. So isn&#8217;t it appropriate — even expected — that on Valentine&#8217;s Day 2013 a 35-year-old French suitor named Sebastian would make history by becoming the first man ever to propose to his girlfriend from space. Specifically, we mean the stratosphere, 30&#160;km above the Earth.</p> <p><img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/42aeaf79804bd9c2b2b12b46b16ad764/tumblr_inline_mi6m36jisx1qz4rgp.jpg"/></p> <p>Here&#8217;s how it works&#8230;</p> <p>For a modest investment of $6,700, Sebastian hired a French company called ApoteoSurprise to release into the sky a giant, unmanned helium-filled balloon, similar in size to a weather balloon.</p> <p>But instead of being loaded with weather-monitoring devices, it will be equipped with a video camera focused on a photo of the loving couple, along with Sebastian&#8217;s printed proposal (in French), &#8220;Vanessa, will you marry me?&#8221;</p> <p><img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/91bdc4530bc7a319e609c4e9da66732b/tumblr_inline_mi6m3lOd141qz4rgp.jpg"/></p> <p>During its three-hour skyward journey, the video camera will be capturing the couple&#8217;s photo/proposal against a backdrop of breathtaking and ever-changing views of the earth below.</p> <p>“At this altitude, the scenery is just amazing, and the blue planet is just the most beautiful thing ever seen,” said ApoteoSurprise founder Nicolas Garreau, whose company specializes in super-creative and super-romantic marriage proposals.</p> <p>When the balloon reaches an altitude of about 30&#160;km, it will explode, a parachute will open and the video equipment will gently return to Earth. ApoteoSurprise will recover the footage and edit it into a proposal DVD.</p> <p>The DVD message will prove to Vanessa that Sebastian was willing to go to the ends of the earth — and space — to make his proposal a one-of-a-kind, memorable experience.</p> <p>“In France, we have an expression which says that when we are really in love, we must be able to ‘unhook the moon from the sky.’&#8221; Garreau commented. &#8220;So, I said to myself, &#8216;OK, I’ll do it!&#8217;&#8221;</p> <p>Apart from ApoteoSurprise&#8217;s space proposal, there are other romantic offers from which to choose. There’s the Cinderella carriage at Moulin Rouge with a magical shoe ($2,670), an airplane displaying the proposal message on its wings while flying over Notre Dame ($5,360), and even a shower of 1,000 red roses fully covering a yacht during a VIP dinner-cruise on the Seine river ($7,380).</p> <p>Not too shabby.</p> <p><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carats-Karats-Fine-Jewelry-Antiques-Collectibles/58214405874" title="Carats &amp; Karats Facebook" target="_blank"><img alt="image" height="33" src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_luuapjdCVY1r2j7ub.png" width="33"/></a><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carats-Karats-Fine-Jewelry-Antiques-Collectibles/58214405874" title="Carats &amp; Karats Facebook" target="_blank"> Visit Carats &amp; Karats on Facebook</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.caratsandkarats.com" title="Carats &amp; Karats Website" target="_blank">Visit CaratsandKarats.com</a></p>http://caratsandkarats.tumblr.com/post/43073679349http://caratsandkarats.tumblr.com/post/43073679349Thu, 14 Feb 2013 07:54:23 -0500<p>An ultra-rare 5.3-carat fancy deep-blue diamond ring, which is expected to fetch upwards of $2.4 million, will be the top lot at Bonhams Fine Jewelry sale in London on April 24. Designed circa 1965 by Bulgari, the renowned Italian designer, the distinctive Trombino-style ring features a cushion-shaped blue diamond set horizontally. The ring is accented with pavé-set brilliant-cut diamonds and courses of baguette-cut diamonds.</p> <p><img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/2fbd853e499561c75e0532a29b1df8f1/tumblr_inline_mi567riafi1qz4rgp.jpg"/></p> <p>The upcoming sale is already causing a buzz in jewelry and auction circles. Blue diamonds are extremely rare in the market and command some of the highest prices at auction worldwide. The term “fancy” refers to the intensity of color and the rating of “fancy deep-blue” is one of the rarest — and most coveted. </p> <p>The extraordinary blue hue is derived from small atoms of boron mixing with the carbon atoms in a diamond. This anomaly affects the absorption of light passing through the stone and gives it a blue appearance. </p> <p><img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/f98280fcae415213b905ce4c150dc866/tumblr_inline_mi568316SQ1qz4rgp.jpg"/></p> <p>&#8220;Blue diamonds, especially those over 5 carats, are extremely rare to see on the market and continue to be highly sought after,&#8221; said Jean Ghika, Director of Bonhams Jewelry Department for the UK and Europe. &#8220;During the 1960s and 1970s, Bulgari was well known for its imaginative settings and use of colored diamonds. This ring epitomizes that &#8216;golden era&#8217; of elegant simplicity and we are honored to be handling the sale of such a unique gem.&#8221;</p> <p>Despite their extreme rarity, other blue diamonds have been in the news recently. In November 2012, Sotheby&#8217;s Geneva sold a 10.48-carat fancy deep-blue briolette-shaped diamond for $10.9 million. In April of 2012, Sotheby&#8217;s Hong Kong was the site of another high-profile blue diamond sale at which an 8.01-carat emerald-cut fancy vivid-blue diamond ring fetched $12.7 million.</p> <p><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carats-Karats-Fine-Jewelry-Antiques-Collectibles/58214405874" title="Carats &amp; Karats Facebook" target="_blank"><img alt="image" height="33" src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_luuapjdCVY1r2j7ub.png" width="33"/></a><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carats-Karats-Fine-Jewelry-Antiques-Collectibles/58214405874" title="Carats &amp; Karats Facebook" target="_blank"> Visit Carats &amp; Karats on Facebook</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.caratsandkarats.com" title="Carats &amp; Karats Website" target="_blank">Visit CaratsandKarats.com</a></p>http://caratsandkarats.tumblr.com/post/42998149504http://caratsandkarats.tumblr.com/post/42998149504Wed, 13 Feb 2013 07:53:23 -0500<p>Country superstar Carrie Underwood rocked the 55th annual Grammy Awards Sunday night with a magnificent diamond necklace valued at $31 million. She also snared two of the prestigious gilded gramophone statuettes.<span><br/></span></p> <p>Her show-stopping necklace, by Beverly Hills designer Johnathon Arndt, featured 381 carats of oval, pear, marquise and round brilliant white diamonds, <em>People</em> magazine reported. Roberto Cavalli designed her mermaid-style strapless gown.</p> <p><img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/689c8d0811abf9e9ede21c470f1921d3/tumblr_inline_mi39yaIGcn1qz4rgp.jpg"/></p> <p>The 29-year-old Underwood described her necklace as 318 carats of gorgeousness. &#8220;It&#8217;s heavy on my soul,&#8221; she told <em>People</em>. &#8220;I’m afraid someone is going to tackle me and steal it. It’s worth more than me.&#8221;</p> <p><img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/9c7e56950ce459b3c7f028e3f03c5917/tumblr_inline_mi39yk3vRe1qz4rgp.jpg"/></p> <p>Underwood had a great night. She wowed the audience with her performance of “Blown Away” and “Two Black Cadillacs,” wearing a full ball gown on which images were projected. She also took home prestigious Grammys in the categories of Best Country Solo Performance and Best Country Song for her hit, &#8220;Blown Away.&#8221;</p> <p>On the red carpet, Underwood proudly displayed her halo-style engagement ring, which was also designed by Arndt. It features a round flawless yellow diamond center stone encircled with smaller white diamonds, and accented with a diamond band. The ring is estimated at 5-plus carats and valued at approximately $150,000.</p> <p><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carats-Karats-Fine-Jewelry-Antiques-Collectibles/58214405874" title="Carats &amp; Karats Facebook" target="_blank"><img alt="image" height="33" src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_luuapjdCVY1r2j7ub.png" width="33"/></a><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carats-Karats-Fine-Jewelry-Antiques-Collectibles/58214405874" title="Carats &amp; Karats Facebook" target="_blank"> Visit Carats &amp; Karats on Facebook</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.caratsandkarats.com" title="Carats &amp; Karats Website" target="_blank">Visit CaratsandKarats.com</a></p>http://caratsandkarats.tumblr.com/post/42920523748http://caratsandkarats.tumblr.com/post/42920523748Tue, 12 Feb 2013 07:35:32 -0500<p>A Shoppers Trend Report released by online coupon site RetailMeNot.com confirms what most of us already knew: When it comes to Valentine&#8217;s Day gifts, women prefer jewelry by a large margin over all other categories, and men prefer&#8230; food.</p> <p><img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/b009e113d4a43feaefe9678fa2c2d7a7/tumblr_inline_mi0r2ziDNr1qz4rgp.jpg"/></p> <p>According to the national survey of 1,000 adults, 24% of women said they would love to receive jewelry, compared to a trip (18%), flowers (14%), a meal (13%) or tickets to an event (7%).</p> <p>The old proverb, &#8220;The way to a man&#8217;s heart is through his stomach,&#8221; is affirmed by the survey results. Twenty-eight percent of male respondents said they would like to receive a meal, followed by tickets to an event (19%), jewelry (15%) or a trip (12%). </p> <p>The survey also revealed that couples seem to be very much in tune with the desires of their significant others. More women than men are planning to gift a meal this year (36% vs. 23%), and more men than women plan to give jewelry (28% vs. 16%).</p> <p>And what would be the most disappointing gift to receive? Exactly 25 percent of women surveyed said that a gym membership or exercise equipment would be the biggest downer. Men, on the other hand, would be most disappointed with flowers (13%).</p> <p>The average person in a relationship plans to spend about $226 to celebrate Valentine&#8217;s Day this week, with men budgeting $287 and women about $164.</p> <p><em>The survey was conducted between January 24 and January 30, 2013, among 1,000 United States residents ages 18 and over.</em></p> <p><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carats-Karats-Fine-Jewelry-Antiques-Collectibles/58214405874" title="Carats &amp; Karats Facebook" target="_blank"><img alt="image" height="33" src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_luuapjdCVY1r2j7ub.png" width="33"/></a><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carats-Karats-Fine-Jewelry-Antiques-Collectibles/58214405874" title="Carats &amp; Karats Facebook" target="_blank"> Visit Carats &amp; Karats on Facebook</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.caratsandkarats.com" title="Carats &amp; Karats Website" target="_blank">Visit CaratsandKarats.com</a></p>http://caratsandkarats.tumblr.com/post/42838297146http://caratsandkarats.tumblr.com/post/42838297146Mon, 11 Feb 2013 07:49:00 -0500<p>Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you fabulous songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, we present the Country Music Association&#8217;s 2011 Song of the Year, &#8220;If I Die Young,&#8221; by The Band Perry. Since its release, the song has touched the hearts of countless fans, and in at least one case, saved a life.</p> <p><img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/6658e207901635e36b99d1b24d1e7819/tumblr_inline_mhvv3c4mZj1qz4rgp.jpg"/></p> <p>Written by lead vocalist Kimberly Perry, &#8220;If I Die Young&#8221; is an anthem about making the most of whatever time we are given on this Earth. In the last verse, she sings, &#8220;So put on your best, boys, and I&#8217;ll wear my pearls.&#8221; The song has sold 4.1 million digital copies, and the official video has been viewed more than 67 million times.</p> <p>Perry recounts the story of an 18-year-old girl who sent the band a necklace with a little ring hanging on it. The hand-written note accompanying the jewelry explained that the author had recently lost her best friend to cancer and that she was going through a very dark period, overcome with grief.</p> <p>The girl was contemplating suicide, but changed her mind after hearing &#8220;If I Die Young&#8221; on her car radio on the way home from work.</p> <p>Referring to the jewelry, the girl wrote, &#8220;I’m sending this to you because it&#8217;s the most important thing I own. This song literally saved my life.&#8221;</p> <p>The necklace and ring were gifts that the gravely ill girl had given to her friend just before she died. The surviving friend was so grateful that she decided to pass them along to the band. Perry now carries the mementos on tour as a constant reminder of how her song has really made a difference.</p> <p>“It’s amazing to me,” Perry said, “how folks are finding so much life in a song about death.”</p> <p>See the video at the end of this post. The lyrics are below if you&#8217;d like to sing along.</p> <p><strong>&#8220;If I Die Young&#8221;</strong></p> <p>Music and lyrics by Kimberly Perry. Performed by The Band Perry.</p> <blockquote> <p>If I die young, bury me in satin<br/><span>Lay me down on a bed of roses</span><br/><span>Sink me in the river at dawn</span><br/><span>Send me away with the words of a love song</span><br/><br/><span>Lord make me a rainbow, I&#8217;ll shine down on my mother</span><br/><span>She&#8217;ll know I&#8217;m safe with you when she stands under my colors</span><br/><span>Oh, and life ain&#8217;t always what you think it ought to be, no</span><br/><span>Ain&#8217;t even gray, but she buries her baby</span><br/><br/><span>The sharp knife of a short life</span><br/><span>Well, I&#8217;ve had just enough time</span><br/><br/><span>If I die young, bury me in satin</span><br/><span>Lay me down on a bed of roses</span><br/><span>Sink me in the river at dawn</span><br/><span>Send me away with the words of a love song</span><br/><br/><span>The sharp knife of a short life</span><br/><span>Well, I&#8217;ve had just enough time</span><br/><br/><span>And I&#8217;ll be wearing white when I come into your kingdom</span><br/><span>I&#8217;m as green as the ring on my little cold finger</span><br/><span>I&#8217;ve never known the loving of a man</span><br/><span>But it sure felt nice when he was holding my hand</span><br/><em><br/></em><span>There&#8217;s a boy here in town, says he&#8217;ll love me forever</span><br/><span>Who would have thought forever could be severed by</span><br/><span>The sharp knife of a short life</span><br/><span>Well, I&#8217;ve had just enough time</span><br/><br/><span>So put on your best, boys, and I&#8217;ll wear my pearls</span><br/><span>What I never did is done</span><br/><br/><span>A penny for my thoughts, oh no, I&#8217;ll sell &#8216;em for a dollar</span><br/><span>They&#8217;re worth so much more after I&#8217;m a goner</span><br/><span>And maybe then you&#8217;ll hear the words I been singing</span><br/><span>Funny, when you&#8217;re dead how people start listening</span><br/><br/><span>If I die young, bury me in satin</span><br/><span>Lay me down on a bed of roses</span><br/><span>Sink me in the river at dawn</span><br/><span>Send me away with the words of a love song</span><br/><br/><span>The ballad of a dove</span><br/><span>Go with peace and love</span><br/><span>Gather up your tears, keep &#8216;em in your pocket</span><br/><span>Save them for a time when you&#8217;re really gonna need them, oh</span><br/><br/><span>The sharp knife of a short life</span><br/><span>Well, I&#8217;ve had just enough time</span><br/><span>So put on your best, boys</span><br/><span>And I&#8217;ll wear my pearls</span></p> </blockquote> <p><iframe frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/7NJqUN9TClM?rel=0" width="560"></iframe></p> <p><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carats-Karats-Fine-Jewelry-Antiques-Collectibles/58214405874" title="Carats &amp; Karats Facebook" target="_blank"><img alt="image" height="33" src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_luuapjdCVY1r2j7ub.png" width="33"/></a><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carats-Karats-Fine-Jewelry-Antiques-Collectibles/58214405874" title="Carats &amp; Karats Facebook" target="_blank"> Visit Carats &amp; Karats on Facebook</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.caratsandkarats.com" title="Carats &amp; Karats Website" target="_blank">Visit CaratsandKarats.com</a></p>http://caratsandkarats.tumblr.com/post/42578388043http://caratsandkarats.tumblr.com/post/42578388043Fri, 08 Feb 2013 08:16:03 -0500<p>Actress Christina Ricci confirmed on Friday that she&#8217;s engaged to boyfriend James Heerdegen — a little secret that she&#8217;s been keeping under wraps since October. Ricci finally admitted to <em>Us Weekly</em> magazine that the three-stone bauble she&#8217;s been sporting on her left hand for the past few months is, in fact, an engagement ring.</p> <p><img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/a27f397c4baff6620de163c540538a89/tumblr_inline_mhtmxttnU21qz4rgp.jpg"/></p> <p>Unlike other A-listers who have been favoring mammoth engagement diamonds, the petite Ricci (standing 5&#8217; 1&#8221;) is rocking a style that&#8217;s classic, romantic, understated and teeming with symbolism. </p> <p>The three-stone style is the ultimate symbol of commitment, expressing enduring love like no other piece of jewelry. The romantic three-stone theme — one stone representing the past, one the present and one the future — proclaims that the couple&#8217;s love will withstand the test of time. </p> <p><img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/1d73512f05e14a1cc717f281768aaaae/tumblr_inline_mhtmy5Fxm51qz4rgp.jpg"/></p> <p>The paparazzi was able to capture a glimpse of her ring, which seems to feature a larger round diamond flanked by smaller round diamonds on either side. The setting is yellow gold.</p> <p><em>Glamour</em> weddings columnist Kim Fusaro wrote on Tuesday how much she is coveting Ricci&#8217;s ring: &#8220;I know my favorite style of engagement ring changes weekly, but my current fave is a classic three-stone ring, like Christina Ricci&#8217;s engagement ring, which offers a lot of bling without a lot of business, if that makes sense.&#8221;</p> <p>Ricci, who is best known for her work in the <em>Addams Family</em> and <em>Mermaids</em>, met Heerdegen, a camera technician, on the set of ABC&#8217;s former TV series <em>Pan-Am</em>. They had been dating since February of 2012.</p> <p>The 32-year-old actress was previously engaged to actor Owen Benjamin, but they split up in June 2009. Heerdegen has worked on more than 40 film and television productions, including <em>Sex and the City 2</em>, <em>Baby Mama</em> and <em>What Happens in Vegas</em>.</p> <p><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carats-Karats-Fine-Jewelry-Antiques-Collectibles/58214405874" title="Carats &amp; Karats Facebook" target="_blank"><img alt="image" height="33" src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_luuapjdCVY1r2j7ub.png" width="33"/></a><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carats-Karats-Fine-Jewelry-Antiques-Collectibles/58214405874" title="Carats &amp; Karats Facebook" target="_blank"> Visit Carats &amp; Karats on Facebook</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.caratsandkarats.com" title="Carats &amp; Karats Website" target="_blank">Visit CaratsandKarats.com</a></p>http://caratsandkarats.tumblr.com/post/42501018446http://caratsandkarats.tumblr.com/post/42501018446Thu, 07 Feb 2013 07:55:27 -0500<p>Breanna is not your average six-year-old football fan. She&#8217;s in love with Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt. Sadly, her grandmother told her that she had to be at least 25 years old to marry the 6 ft 5 in, 295&#160;lb NFL superstar, and this is where our story takes an interesting turn.</p> <p><img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/0a98dbc449de95a4be9ad5caa07d99b2/tumblr_inline_mhs41q5HnC1qz4rgp.jpg"/></p> <p><span>Breanna’s mom, Lindsey Bartay, documented the sad story of her lovelorn daughter with a YouTube video that was intended for family and friends.</span> In the video, a tearful Breanna says, &#8220;I just want to marry J.J. Watt.&#8221; The video, which was posted January 12, quickly went viral with views topping 719,000. One of those viewers was — you guessed it — J.J. Watt.</p> <p>Last week, the man who is arguably the NFL&#8217;s hardest hitter revealed his sensitive side when he reached out on Twitter to find the little girl&#8230;</p> <p>&#8220;Does anyone happen to know this cute little girl?&#8221; Watt tweeted. &#8220;We have to find her and turn those tears into a smile.&#8221; </p> <p><img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/9a5f1a7b25eb4a94c16a9a4d99b85008/tumblr_inline_mhs4258ZQt1qz4rgp.jpg"/></p> <p>Within two days, Watt had found little Breanna&#8217;s family and arranged for a special tour of Houston&#8217;s Reliant Stadium. Breanna was told that Watt was not available to participate in the tour, but actually he was waiting with a surprise &#8220;marriage proposal.&#8221;</p> <p>Bartay said the tour started at the gift shop, but when they entered the next room, Watt was down on one knee with a Ring Pop in his hand. He proposed to his biggest fan and asked if she would be his pretend wife for the day. Little Breanna said, &#8220;Yes.&#8221;</p> <p>He gave her a bouquet of flowers and put on his own candy ring. He presented Breanna with a white version of his #99 jersey, which was floor length on her, to serve as her wedding gown.</p> <p><img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/63e1465ac8abcdf4bcdf89e8d7beb2c2/tumblr_inline_mhs42mF96w1qz4rgp.jpg"/></p> <p>Breanna&#8217;s story reminds us of the Coca-Cola commercial starring the Pittsburgh Steelers&#8217; legendary tough guy, Mean Joe Greene. <span>In the commercial, a shy little boy in the stadium tunnel greets Greene after the big game.</span></p> <p>The boy offers the battered Greene his bottle of Coca-Cola. The defensive tackle accepts the Coke and reciprocates by tossing his game-worn jersey to the boy. The 1979 television commercial &#8220;Hey Kid, Catch!&#8221; is widely considered to be one of the best of all time.</p> <p><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carats-Karats-Fine-Jewelry-Antiques-Collectibles/58214405874" title="Carats &amp; Karats Facebook" target="_blank"><img alt="image" height="33" src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_luuapjdCVY1r2j7ub.png" width="33"/></a><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carats-Karats-Fine-Jewelry-Antiques-Collectibles/58214405874" title="Carats &amp; Karats Facebook" target="_blank"> Visit Carats &amp; Karats on Facebook</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.caratsandkarats.com" title="Carats &amp; Karats Website" target="_blank">Visit CaratsandKarats.com</a></p>http://caratsandkarats.tumblr.com/post/42425455375http://caratsandkarats.tumblr.com/post/42425455375Wed, 06 Feb 2013 07:55:04 -0500<p>The awe-inspiring work of Peter Carl Fabergé, the Russian jeweler whose creativity and craftsmanship fundamentally changed the way society looked at jewelry more than 100 years ago, is now on display at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Fabergé is most famous for the miniature jeweled Easter eggs that his House of Fabergé crafted for the Russian royal family from 1885 to 1917.</p> <p><img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/40af3b32f2f63f6053932871cb47ec15/tumblr_inline_mhpwebWKRL1qz4rgp.jpg"/></p> <blockquote> <p>Nobel Ice Egg was commissioned by Swedish industrialist Emanuel Nobel between 1913 and 1914. It is made of platinum and enamel, and is sometimes referred to as the &#8220;Snowflake Egg.&#8221;  </p> </blockquote> <p>The exhibit, titled <em>Faberge: A Brilliant Vision</em>, opened this past Friday and comprises 350 items on long-term loan from the privately held McFerrin Collection<em>.</em></p> <p>Among the highlights of the exhibit are two newly acquired Fabergé eggs — the breathtaking Diamond Trellis Imperial Egg and one of the celebrated Kelch Eggs. The exhibition also includes past favorites, such as the beautifully etched Nobel Ice Egg and the dazzling Empress Josephine Tiara.</p> <p><img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/6ade9c68e1e60afeed27aa4978d99dd2/tumblr_inline_mhpwcpHpOc1qz4rgp.jpg"/></p> <blockquote> <p>Carl Fabergé crafted this diamond tiara circa 1890. The briolette diamonds were a gift from Tsar Alexander I of Russia to Empress Josephine of France after her divorce from Napoleon Bonaparte. This piece is one of only a few tiaras ever made by Fabergé.</p> </blockquote> <p><em><img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/65df1c6f6096f63668957ff3f8ae9792/tumblr_inline_mhpwbe5Pn81qz4rgp.jpg"/></em></p> <blockquote> <p>The 1902 Kelch Rocaille Egg is made of multicolored gold, platinum, rose-cut diamonds and translucent green enamel. The egg measures 4.75 inches by 5.5 inches.</p> </blockquote> <p>Fabergé biographer Bruce Schulman wrote that Fabergé&#8217;s eggs changed the way Europe’s upper class viewed jewelry. &#8220;Until that time, many felt the value of jewelry was intrinsic, based upon the precious metals and stones,” said Schulman. “Fabergé felt that the artistic creativity and fine craftsmanship of jewelry made it art that transcended bullion value.”</p> <p><img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/4ecbb962b1ec910e331d9b7daa86f0e4/tumblr_inline_mhpwf6gTv81qz4rgp.jpg"/></p> <blockquote> <p>The Diamond Trellis Egg was crafted for Alexander III of Russia, who presented it to his wife, the Empress Maria Feodorovna<span>. </span><span>The egg is </span>carved from pale green jadeite and is enclosed in a lattice of rose-cut diamonds.</p> </blockquote> <p>During its heyday, the House of Fabergé employed more than 500 craftsmen in workshops in both Moscow and St. Petersburg, and boasted sales branches in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kiev, Odessa and London.</p> <p><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carats-Karats-Fine-Jewelry-Antiques-Collectibles/58214405874" title="Carats &amp; Karats Facebook" target="_blank"><img alt="image" height="33" src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_luuapjdCVY1r2j7ub.png" width="33"/></a><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carats-Karats-Fine-Jewelry-Antiques-Collectibles/58214405874" title="Carats &amp; Karats Facebook" target="_blank"> Visit Carats &amp; Karats on Facebook</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.caratsandkarats.com" title="Carats &amp; Karats Website" target="_blank">Visit CaratsandKarats.com</a></p>http://caratsandkarats.tumblr.com/post/42336690886http://caratsandkarats.tumblr.com/post/42336690886Tue, 05 Feb 2013 00:33:22 -0500