Skip to comments.
See the 'Star of India,' decades after it was nabbed in a heist [NYC]
https://www.livescience.com ^
| JUNE 11, 2021
| By Mindy Weisberger - Senior Writer
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 ...
TOPICS: Business/Economy; Education; History; Travel
KEYWORDS: allankuhn; aluminium; aluminiumoxide; aluminum; aluminumoxide; bluestarsapphire; chromium; corundum; godsgravesglyphs; heist; iron; jackmurphy; magnesium; murfthesurf; sapphire; srilanka; starofindia; startrekiv; titanium; undead; vanadium
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 3,401-3,420, 3,421-3,440, 3,441-3,460 ... 5,461-5,468 next last
To: Tax-chick
Watch out for armadillos!
3,421
posted on
10/13/2021 1:55:48 PM PDT
by
ArGee
(This is a tagline. This is only a tagline. Had it been a post, it would have been told to look up.)
To: ArGee
3,422
posted on
10/13/2021 2:10:35 PM PDT
by
Tax-chick
(Nature, art, silence, simplicity, peace. And fungi.)
To: ArGee; zzeeman
‘Face has arrived on Amarillo.
3,423
posted on
10/13/2021 2:39:35 PM PDT
by
Tax-chick
(Nature, art, silence, simplicity, peace. And fungi.)
To: Tax-chick; dakine; GOPJ; fanfan; ColdOne; Cyber Liberty; null and void; Anoreth; Monkey Face; ...
3,424
posted on
10/14/2021 2:24:53 AM PDT
by
Tax-chick
(Nature, art, silence, simplicity, peace. And fungi.)
To: Tax-chick; Monkey Face; NicknamedBob; null and void; no-to-illegals; Silentgypsy; ColdOne; ...
Good morning, everyone.
Happy Friday Eve!
3,425
posted on
10/14/2021 4:18:00 AM PDT
by
ArGee
(This is a tagline. This is only a tagline. Had it been a post, it would have been told to look up.)
To: ArGee
Happy Thor’s Day, ArGee. How are you?
3,426
posted on
10/14/2021 4:21:13 AM PDT
by
Tax-chick
(Nature, art, silence, simplicity, peace. And fungi.)
To: ArGee; Tax-chick; zzeeman; Allegra
Heading for the other end of OK today. The truckers on I-40 are insane!
Off to breakfast, then offline. All y’all have a good day! T-c will keep you up to date, for which I thank you, T-c!! <3
3,427
posted on
10/14/2021 4:45:24 AM PDT
by
Monkey Face
(~~ My housekeeping style is best described as: There appears to have been a struggle. ~~ FB ~~)
To: Tax-chick
Good. I was able to get back to my Wednesday evening on-line Bible study last night. We had one woman who seemed to hope someone would give her money, but otherwise it was a good discussion about the Rich Ruler. We’ll be continuing that discussion next week.
It’s not a rapidly moving Bible study.
3,428
posted on
10/14/2021 4:46:22 AM PDT
by
ArGee
(This is a tagline. This is only a tagline. Had it been a post, it would have been told to look up.)
To: Tax-chick
How are things in NC? Family and cats all doing well?
3,429
posted on
10/14/2021 5:20:07 AM PDT
by
ArGee
(This is a tagline. This is only a tagline. Had it been a post, it would have been told to look up.)
To: ArGee; zzeeman; null and void; Silentgypsy
‘Face asks for your prayers that her son will decide they can stop in Oklahoma City instead of trying to push on through to Arkansas today!
3,430
posted on
10/14/2021 6:01:14 AM PDT
by
Tax-chick
(Nature, art, silence, simplicity, peace. And fungi.)
To: Tax-chick
OK!
(see what I did there?)
3,431
posted on
10/14/2021 6:16:26 AM PDT
by
null and void
(As usual, the GOP was either totally unprepared for the onslaught or complicit in the tyranny)
To: Tax-chick
We moved a lot in the 90s and early 2000s, but we’ve been here for 18 years. My next move will be to my retirement apartment (near the library, my church, and a bar) or into the ground, whichever comes first. A Hobbit house?
3,432
posted on
10/14/2021 6:22:51 AM PDT
by
null and void
(As usual, the GOP was either totally unprepared for the onslaught or complicit in the tyranny)
To: ArGee; All
3,433
posted on
10/14/2021 6:25:09 AM PDT
by
zzeeman
("We can evade reality, but we cannot evade the consequences of evading reality." )
To: ArGee
That is very true!
3,434
posted on
10/14/2021 6:25:35 AM PDT
by
zzeeman
("We can evade reality, but we cannot evade the consequences of evading reality." )
To: Monkey Face
You have a good day too, enjoy the journey!
3,435
posted on
10/14/2021 6:27:54 AM PDT
by
zzeeman
("We can evade reality, but we cannot evade the consequences of evading reality." )
To: null and void
3,436
posted on
10/14/2021 6:28:41 AM PDT
by
zzeeman
("We can evade reality, but we cannot evade the consequences of evading reality." )
To: null and void
3,437
posted on
10/14/2021 8:07:21 AM PDT
by
Tax-chick
(Nature, art, silence, simplicity, peace. And fungi.)
To: ArGee
Yes, we are all doing fine. I had a James Driving Adventure this morning with no real scares.
3,438
posted on
10/14/2021 8:08:53 AM PDT
by
Tax-chick
(Nature, art, silence, simplicity, peace. And fungi.)
To: null and void
Lol
What I think of when I see this thread still going
3,439
posted on
10/14/2021 8:09:37 AM PDT
by
wardaddy
(Too many uninformed ..)
To: Tax-chick
It could be worse, you know. You could have opted to become a driving instructor.
My F-I-L still goes on the road with students at 89. Nothing much phases him anymore.
3,440
posted on
10/14/2021 8:22:06 AM PDT
by
ArGee
(This is a tagline. This is only a tagline. Had it been a post, it would have been told to look up.)
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 3,401-3,420, 3,421-3,440, 3,441-3,460 ... 5,461-5,468 next last
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.
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson
