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 ...
But it never really ended... it would let up and just be a mist from time to time, but I don't think that I actually saw the sun peaking through until I was well into Arkansas... annoying aspect of that trip...
Sounds like it keeps things “interesting” often!
Good for Malcom.
I remember my Dad telling me, “If you get drunk, and you call me to come pick you up, I’ll be unhappy. But if you drive home that way I’ll wear you out. So you’d better call.”
True dat. Ready or not.
When I lived in Houston I stayed late to work one day, not hearing any reports that a Tropical Storm was expected to hit that evening. So I drove home in Tropical Storm Allison.
Allison went back out into the gulf after drenching Houston, then turned around and hit again. I was fortunate enough not to have to drive in it that time, but the storm drains were still too full to handle the downpour so there was a lot of flood damage in the city.
I left that weekend to visit my family (I was looking for work to follow them to a different city.) When I landed I heard a report that what was left of Tropical Storm Allison might hit the next day, depending on which way it went.
Fortunately, it went the other way and I didn’t have to go thorugh it 3 times.
I’ve been in tropical storms, and that’s what this reminded me of. Glad to know that’s what it was and not something we couldn’t get out of.
It’s always interesting to me to hear stories of other people and their similar experiences.
Tom finally called with a request to be driven from his house to his car. I have to take the kids to the science team meeting soon, so I sent Patrick (a brother) with some library books to return and my card to pick up my reserve items. He’ll probably go straight to work afterward, 2 - 11 shift, but I’ll be okay without the new library books until tomorrow.
These storms can be amazing... minds of their own!
It is nice of him to stop off for them!!
He forgot to take the returns, but I can send him with them later today.
Awww... A little marmalade for breakfast!
Good morning. I hope you slept well.
We’ll be unloading the truck today, and I’ll feel more unsettled than ever to see my things going into storage once more. I hope it’s not for too long.
The people here are very different from what I left behind. Kevin took me to lunch yesterday at this “diner” and it was packed to the rafters. As soon as he said the word “mom” to the waitress, she bent down and gave me a massive hug.
I’ll have a lot of things to learn here...
I’m glad the new folks are making you welcome!
I hope it’s not long, as well, before you’re in your new home. Try to rest!
The problem I’m faced with now is the lull between getting packed and loaded and being able to move in. The stress of this whole thing is showing up because my guard is down. There is nothing to do to keep me busy and keep my mind off of it.
If I were in a hotel, I could at least sleep when I felt the need, but here, I can’t do anything but let the CFIDS take over “ahead of time.” This is not good, no matter how I try to make it so.
So, it begins with dizziness, chills, fever, nausea, irritability, hallucinations, and lethargy. And it will get worse in the coming week(s.)
Unnngh.
Yes, but I knew this would happen when I decided to make the move. It doesn’t make it easier. It just means that it will be a long time getting settled. I don’t care. I just want to get in the place.
I hope it will go quickly and with no additional complications. At least you and your stuff are there in the city, if not the rooms!
Let me know if you need your own place to stay until the apartment is ready. I totally get it!
It’s looking like it may come to that. I just don’t know how to tell them. I need to be able to isolate myself and just let the disease take it’s course again. Fighting it only makes it worse.
But I’ll know more by Monday. I may even know more by tomorrow.
You tell them, “In order to get through the stress and overexertion of the move in the best shape possible, I really need to rest and be in a quiet space over the next few days. It’s important for you to have your normal lives, too, and not have extra stress and disruption because I’m on a different schedule. After all, I’ve moved from a different time zone!”
Or words to that effect.
Thanks! It’s good to have guidelines that can be adjusted to fit the occasion!
Like I said, I’ll know by Monday, for sure.
I don’t want them to see me at my worst. I don’t want ME to see me at my worst! ;o]
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