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 ...
Lord of the Flies is about a bunch of young boys who get stranded on an island without any adults around. Their civilization quickly devolves into barbarism.
If a group of men were stranded in the same way the result would probably be the same, but maybe a little slower.
Oh, yes. No wonder I was so “Ho-hum” when I read it. In my experience, boys were about one step away from barbarism at any given moment. Except maybe the farm boys, and they were two steps... ;o]
Kitteh is invisible.
What kitteh?
Good morning. Did you sleep well?
Walmart and Walgreen’s are calling my name today, and I must obey. At least, if I want to continue on the plain of existence.
I’ll drink my tea then fold the clothes and I’ll be ready to go. Sitting here is the best part of my mornings. :o]
Good morning. Not too badly, thanks. Jake is choosing the outdoors rather than nights on my pillow.
Good luck on your excursions!
Thanks!
I had a dream about driving in a foreign country, and it really stressed me out. I think it was because we were talking about the wide straight streets here, compared to other places.
Doesn’t Jake usually prefer outdoors on nice nights? The “Hunting Moon” thing and all that.
The last thing I want is to shop this morning. I’m wondering if I might be better off for a while to just order the stuff and go pick it up. The delivery is OK, but I’m not sure I like having things delivered by strangers.
You could give it a try. You don’t always get exactly what you order, though.
Walmart was good the two times I ordered last winter, because the site wouldn’t let me put anything in my cart that was out of stock.
I wasn’t impressed with the delivery service. I tried it, thinking I could go that route and sell the Tracker (I can always get a ride to church!) but the $8 fee wasn’t taken out for over a week after the delivery was made and that scared me.
Come to think of it, I could get a ride to Walmart, too, if I begged.
As I understand it, there is to be a 6.2% COLA raise for us seniors for next year, and with luck, that means I won’t have to scrabble so hard to make ends meet. At least, if I’m in Dogpatch. ;o]
W00t!! How did I miss that??? :o0
Headed out the door!
Don’t die!
Good morning. Happy Twosday.
Beware invisible kittehs.
Good morning. It’s raining here again. The kittehs are offended.
I promise, I didn’t! It takes me about 30 minutes to shop, making sure I get from one end of the store to the other at least once, get the stuff I need, drool on a few things I don’t need but want, and then get through the check stand and out the door. Seven minutes to come home, 10-15 minutes to unpack the grocks and put them away, and I’m done.
So. I’m looking out at another gray day, and I think it’s smoke again.
Good morning.
Invisible kittehs are easier to deal with than invisible Patricks. ;o]
It’s a gray day here, too, but not presently raining.
The library has gone back to everyone wears a mask.
Yes, the library here has gone back to masks.
It’s just hazy, here, but with that acrid tang.
I was out running the streets, with the library as a stop, but didn’t accomplish the media mailing because I had more to do with the stuffing than I thought I did. Unngh.
So I’m home and wish I hadn’t taken my max for the pain killer because I could sure use some more right about now.
We’ll probably go to the library tomorrow. Tom had to get the oil changed on his car today, and then he has both brothers’ driving adventures.
I’m so glad Tom is helping to take the stress off of you in the Driving Adventure School.
Tell him I said, “Thanks!”
Tom is more useful than some Other Brothers one might mention. He starts school on Monday, but he’ll be able to drive brothers until he has a new job.
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