Posted on 06/11/2021 11:51:04 AM PDT by Red Badger
At 563 carats, the Star of India is the world’s largest gem-quality blue star sapphire, and is approximately 2 billion years old. (Image credit: D. Finnin/Copyright AMNH)
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What does the legendary Star of India — a 563-carat star sapphire the size of a golf ball — have in common with a 35-million-year-old petrified redwood slab; a massive cluster of sword-like crystals that looks like it came from "Game of Thrones;" and a 5-ton (4.5-metric ton) stone pillar that can "sing?"
You can see all of them, along with 5,000 other amazing stones, in the newly renovated Mignone Hall of Gems and Minerals at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in New York City, which is reopening after a four-year closure on Saturday (June 12). There, one-of-a-kind precious gems appear alongside odd-looking rocks — some of which date to billions of years ago — that have been uniquely warped and twisted by extreme temperatures and pressures.
Individually and together, these objects tell a story of the diverse geologic processes that shape minerals on Earth's surface and deep inside our planet, beginning when the world was young and continuing to this day, museum representatives told Live Science.
Related: 13 mysterious and cursed gemstones
The Star of India, which formed about a billion years ago, was discovered in Sri Lanka in the 18th century. It is one of the best-known gems in the world, in part because it was famously and brazenly stolen from AMNH in 1964, along with several more of the museum's prized stones, by a pair of thieves named Jack "Murf the Surf" Murphy and Allan Kuhn, Smithsonian reported in 2014, on the heist's 50th anniversary. (The one-of-a-kind sapphire was recovered and went back on display in 1965).
(Excerpt) Read more at livescience.com ...
Exactly!
I even still have the original info card that came with it, touting its 10 year guarantee! (I could send $5 for repairs to the manufacturer in Ohio, then, too!)
The company is no longer in business and finding a similar cart is a job for supergoon. Luckily, I found one on Overstock.com that is similar but high-impact plastic, rather than tubular steel. It won’t be nearly as much fun... ;o]
If it works for a while, that will be good.
I’m not abusive with things, because my dear mother taught me to take care of my things. Of course the Pioneers used to say, “Use it up, wear it out, make it do or go without.”
Yeah. Like that. ;o]
Not just the Utah Pioneers, but lots of other people in less abundant times said that.
I think some people in today’s world need to know exactly what it means, but the saying has been around for a very long time.
I cleaned out my sock drawer.
I gave the dead cart a eulogy and folded it up as best I could. I think it would cost me more than $5 to send it to the manufacturer for burial, so I’ll have to give it as good a burial as I can in the dumpster in the dead of night to avoid anyone taking it and getting hurt when they tried to use it.
In a little while, I’ll check the Thing for length in minutes and then try to make some unobtrusive cuts, if necessary.
I’m watching “Attenborough And The Sea Dragon,” and it’s very interesting. About a possible new species of the Icthyosaur.
I recommend it!
Millennials don’t know anything about conservation.
My daughter has a friend who dries dishes with paper towels.
Srsly!!!
FReep mail appears to be empty.
Sorry. This is a day when the brane is functioning on sluggish.
It was meant for someone else of another gender.
I’m surprised I haven’t done that more often.
My bad. :slinking off to my corner, now:
The cats are throwing up today. I think Shannon did the most recent one, but I’m not positive. It’s been Jake several time. We’re all too hot, I think.
I don’t feel all that great today, myself, but I’ll stop short of spewing.
Actually, I should probably go clean the bathroom. Mrs Murphey complains when her quarters aren’t pristine. I may talk her into waiting until tomorrow.
We just saw Tom the Mocker (probably Mrs. Tom) teaching Tom Jr. to fly.
Probably a one-shot deal, here.
Get it while you can, ‘cuz ol’ Joe Stolen is set to make it a necessity item tomorrow.
home.astound.net/~play4keeps@astound.net/img/ccard-2020.pdf
YES, the auto-formatter treated it weird.
Just Copy/Paste into your browser and snag the PDF.
You are going to want it.
OH.
And ANOTHER thing: “Snitches get stitches.”
So, be on your best behavior.
Thank you for your service.
At this point, I’ll stick with honesty. I may even go with, “I can be stoopider than government. I will have them bury me in a mask just in case I might infect someone at my funeral who is vaccinated.”
Thank you! I think.
I’m with ArGee on this one.
Advocate dishonesty?
MOI?
I’m just getting the form out there in prep for everyone to stampede the providers. They’re probably gonna run out of forms, so you’d better have one of your own.
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