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)
==================================================================
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 ...
Congratulations! I sometimes have to pull myself together during the talks I give, too.
I didn’t need credit. Helping a friend is its own reward.
I like the changes you made since the last time I saw the text. It all sounded very “you,” and that’s important for the connection with the listeners.
No, you didn’t “need credit,” but the talk was too good for me to have done it without help, considering the symptoms that were listed.
So that was why I added the phrase.
That makes sense!
I was surprised at how many people came up to me afterwards, some to just tell me they were impressed, others to tell me thanks, and some to tell me I had said what they could never have put into words.
One little gal was the first to come up, and never said a word, just hugged me. Her face looks about 12 but her body says she was 20. I think the must be the “Ward Hugger.” Anyway, more people would have said something but they couldn’t get to me. I couldn’t get out of the chapel, and there was a class to get to.
That’s great. Hopefully more people will say Hi in future now that you’ve been introduced.
And now, I’m taking myself down the hall. This is the culmination of three weeks’ of stress for me, and tomorrow is laundry day, so I’m gone. See ya in the morning!
Sleep well!
I hope I will and I hope you do, too! See you tomorrow!
I did, thanks, but right in the middle of Scripture Study, I realized that I had left a sentence of off my g-g-granddad’s comment. It was OK as it was, but it was crucial to the crowd I was talking to. CFIDS at work. What the whole thing was about.
I woke up this morning to find a text from another person in the congregation, thanking me. I was surprised at how many MEN came up to me afterwards. They outnumbered the women 2-to-1.
The laundry is done, waiting for me to hang it up, but I have a letter to finish and then I’ll get busy.
You were obviously effective, and therefore, the missing sentence couldn’t have been crucial. It’s a tautology!
Good luck with the wash!
Yes, it obviously wasn’t crucial to the outcome, but that’s CFIDS. So. Onward and upward.
Now to go hang clothes, since I’ve had my tea.
How is Tom feeling?
What time do you leave today?
Tom said he was feeling about 80% yesterday. He spent most of the afternoon reading a book on the sofa. We will leave midday today. We’ve got the advance food-prep done, except maybe chopping more scallions, and the gear boxes have been checked (by James) and rechecked (by Tom).
I’ll get the kids up soon.
When I see tiny kittehs I really want to bring one home.
The laundry is done and the bed has been made, so I could go in and take a nap if I wanted to! Maybe later, because I don’t think I can go full tilt today.
It almost makes me wish I could go camping again, but it’s no fun alone!
I’m glad Tom is feeling better. He wouldn’t enjoy the campout if he wasn’t feeling up to going, and I’m sure he wouldn’t want to stay home.
Good morning. Happy Monday.
It looks like it’s going to be a hot week for this part of the country. Highs will be near 90 fs.
It seems there could be more exciting topics, but if he enjoyed it ...
*snicker*
Good morning. Happy Monday!
Excellent rejoinder!
Good happy Monday morning to you, ArGee.
Is this the week you work remotely?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.