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 ...
Did you ever contemplate the future of the kids who are members of the Perpetually Offended and need their safe spaces? Do they actually believe that stuff or are they trying to put one over on us? Or is it a plan by the powers that be to create a generation of incompetents? Wow.
W00t!
It’s a difficult question. I think some of them are just play-acting and will knock it off when they get a real job, but at the higher socio-economic levels, they find their way into institutions that support the delusions.
By institutions that support the delusions, do you mean big family businesses or just very liberally-slanted organizations?
During Cub Scout day camp, I was running some craft activities and one of the Scouts moaned and said, “This doesn’t sound like fun!” I said, “You don’t have to do it. Go sit over there at the other table or lie down on the grass.”
He looked surprised, and I said, “My job is to get out the materials and show you what you can do, not to make you do it. And stop moaning - it’s lower class.” That got a bigger look of surprise, but he ended up sitting at the other table talking to someone else.
Mostly the big institutions, universities and foundations and other businesses that afford to carry “sensitive” employees. Also government at every level. Some family business, I suppose, depending on their profitability.
Thank you.
You’re welcome. It’s going to be interesting times for younger people.
I remember that.
So happy to be retired at this point. I wouldn’t know how to get a job. The young people in this area largely migrate to cities for work. Grandson #1 is thinking ahead about enhancing his skillsets because his job would be easy to automate. In some areas, human interface is needed.
Yes, the job market is in flux. The problem with human interface is that you have to deal with people who don’t think they have to treat workers like human beings.
I miss so much of real life.
Good morning Peeps. I hope everyone slept well.
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Just posting a tagline...
Almost looks like Sparkle.
Good morning again.
I have to get dressed and get started on a letter.
Another day. At least I got some sleep last night. I don’t know how good it was, but it was sleep.
This rescue kitten’s name is Bashful, and she was adopted after some care in the foster home.
Good morning! Jake was out all night, so I slept okay, all the way to 6:30!
I’m going to do my prayers and then have breakfast and then practice the psalm for the weddings.
I’ve been checking for things on Facebook and gloriosky, there were no nasty comments! No ugly followers! Nothing but the usual suspects. But then, Thursday, I went in and changed my settings to “only friends” and blocked everyone else. ;o]
So now, I have to get busy and write that letter!
That’s good news. You shouldn’t have to deal with obnoxious people!
Letter has been written and mailed, and I’ve made a trip to Lin’s and now the rest of the day is mine.
-*_
If I could remember what I was doing before I went all spaced-out and began to surf again. I think I started to check the balance in my account after my trip to Lin’s and then I went “shopping” because the account balance was so depressing. “Shopping” was depressing, too, so here I am, back to thinking I’m in control of my life! HAH!
Two Spanish weddings were successfully accomplished. James and Vlad report that Tom came by and took them for Driving Adventures.
My feet hurt.
Excellent for the Spanish weddings you took part in and the Driving Adventures that you didn’t have to take part in.
I’m very sorry that your feet hurt!
I’m getting tired now, but I’m going to try and hang in there for another 30 minutes, though I really don’t want to.
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