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 ...
I figure the opportunity to go over things in far too much detail was probably reassuring to mothers who are new to this. I kept my professional manner on (except for a jaw drop at each, “We’ll just go over this really fast!” but I wasn’t in most people’s line of sight ;-).
Good morning. Happy Friday.
Kitteh looks to Friday with hope that after the weekend it will get better.
So sorry, kitteh.
I don’t like being talked down to. At the least, she could have asked if anyone had any questions, rather than just assuming everyone was an idiot.
But then, I just people by what I would do were I in their places. But maybe she just doesn’t really know how to conduct a meeting of intelligent people. I mean their kids are in Envirothon, fer cryin’ out loud!
They had lots of questions, few of them really significant at this point, but many generating lots of pointless discussion when I could have been in bed with Jake.
Oh, well, done with it for now.
James is in a fuss because I put the computer away until he has completed some assignments. Addict.
Yes, you’re right of course. On all of the above.
You could always threaten the two Jameses with haircuts...
Good happy Friday morning to you, ArGee!
I hope you’re settling into your job a little. That will be strange, trying to adjust to your current schedule. Good luck on it, though!
As soon as James turn 18, I can threaten them with Self-Supporting Adult Life.
LOL! I love it!!
What a great mom you are!
Got any 8s?
Nagdabbit! Missed it.
I’m settling in. I just don’t like having to work from here when it’s the same as working from home until they’re 100% back in the office.
I’ve done several loads of laundry. I got behind because I was out all evening yesterday.
Ooops!
Yes, but that will never work, ArGee. It’s too logical.
(You DID say this was a government program you’re working on, right?)
I’ve made the bed.
I’m very tired, so I’m doing not much of anything. A nap sounds good, though.
I’ve had to put ice on my right knee again
Sorry about your knee!
I’ve been working on Envirothon with Kathleen. She’s a non-competing (because too young) participant, on the, “You don’t get the teenbros unless I can bring Kathleen,” principle.
Thanks. It’s just arthritis, again.
LOL! I love it! You never know what she will absorb! Did her boots come?
Whenyerrightyerright.
I told someone earlier if it makes sense we shouldn’t be doing it.
Well, it IS a government office... Logic never comes into play. One could even be fired for displaying logic!
Yes, the boots and the large bag of cat food came.
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