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 ...
Excellent!! (DON’T DO IT, SALLY!!)
Anoreth would be so disgusted. She’s tougher than any of us.
I’m somewhat exhausted by all this, but surely another week will sort out the last of the financial issues. I will go into the apartment office with her and pay whatever it takes to clear the lease. Then she’ll owe the Organization a favor,*suspenseful doom music*.
The baking project with Frank turned out edible, if one’s standards aren’t too high.
That looks almost like a chimera on the right. Such pretty floofs!
Good morning. Did you sleep well?
I’ve decided the Fitbit is good for nothing but tracking my sleep patterns.
Yeah, I figure Anoreth will be the one person who can make Sally see the futility of the situation, even if the Organization has minor success.
*Suspenseful doom music* seems to always have been associated with Sally. But if she learns a permanent lesson from this experience, it will have been a good experience.
I had no idea why the guy at the local U-Haul was so cranky at 0815, and this morning, I got an email from one of the head offices (regional, no doubt) that said the office doesn’t open until 0900. My bad. But the hours of operation are not listed on the website.
This week will be busy, but not necessarily related to the move. Just Things.
I’m going to take advantage of the Day of Rest and do just that. The Conference gives me a good excuse, so I’ll be parked right here!! LOL!
Now, I have to go sort pills.
Yes, doom and Sally go together, sigh.
Not a bad night except the cat on the pillow. Needy Jake. I need to practice the psalm, but everything else is familiar.
Needy Jake. Odd for a cat. But he is who he is.
I got the little Christening bonnet done including the ribbon, but it still didn’t look right. Then I realized I forgot to alternate the beading stitches with “popcorn” stitches. That’s what I get for doing it from memory, but I probably couldn’t understand the directions anyway.
I’ll go to Dollar Tree tomorrow and see if I can find a small white gift bag that doesn’t look like a lunch sack.
Ahh, sounds like fun!
Sounds comical!
That is a good way to view them, IMO...
In a very remote part of rural Limestone County... closest “city” is Groesbeck... if you want big city shopping, it is off to Waco...
Wow, a lot of folks must be on the move!
I suspect it was more that I called on a weekend which was also the first of the month, and coincides with payday for a lot of folks.
I’ve had the truck on reserve for nine months (yes, that long) and wanted to finally pay for it, so the only way to do it was to call the 800 number and take care of it that way.
Ah. Thanks. I just wanted a general idea of the area. Having driven mostly major highways in TX, I’m not familiar with a lot of smaller bergs. One place I’ll never forget is Ranger!
I’m very familiar with the drive from San Antonio to Dallas!
It is not, yet, hot here. Hope it’s the same for you!
It’s only 65° at the moment, with a high expected of 85°, but it’s jacket weather for me.
In my head, I’ve packed up the last of what has to be packed, so I’m basically done! Ha-ha.
Actually, until I go to Walmart again, I won’t really be done. But SO-o-o-o close! ;o]
I ‘spose everyone will be glad when I’m done so I’ll shut up. But then you’ll get to listen to me unpack. *snort*
I like hearing about your packing accomplishments. It’s a change from local excitement such as cleaning my stove.
That’s very sweet of you to say!
It’s only in the “Accomplishments” category because in actuality, each box I pack is a small victory — a point on the plus side for me, and a point taken away from CFIDS.
So I’ll accept your compliment! Thanks!
You’re welcome. Back from Mass. Next, I’ll see if Jake wants a nap.
I forgot to mention yesterday that the Tabernacle Choir is back! It’s not a full contingent, and there was an announcement at the beginning of each session that each member has been vaccinated. They are also maintaining “social distancing,” but it looks like it amounts to one person for every two seats.
I don’t know how many members were in the audience, but the sessions are taking place at the Conference Center, so some things are trying to get back to “normal.”
It’s nice to see them in some other format than a large room that has sets for a backdrop. But they did the best they could under the circumstances.
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