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 ...
Lots of the Aggravation boards are available on Etsy and eBay, and the prices vary an awful lot.
I bid on one, not thinking I had a chance at all, but got it for under $20. I don’t normally bid on anything. Surprise to me!
My phone has the option for Wifi set up, so I can use it when the need arises.
We’ve become so dependent on technology today, that when The Grid finally does go down, we’ll be lost.
The vet says I should drop Jake off tomorrow morning, so he can be stitched up.
Great way to function!
I keep trying to wean myself away, little by little, so it won't be as bad... that's my theory anyway...
Needed a wider mat to include Schumer, etc.
I figured it was a real handle.
A full length blue carpet all the way to the curb!
In other news...
*Somebody* ate all the dog food this morning. Somebody all droolly and sloppy!
Wonderful news, Nully!! I’m so glad!
I kind of figured that was going to happen. Good luck to Jake!
The Airedale was extensively used in World War I to carry messages to soldiers behind enemy lines and transport mail. They were also used by the Red Cross to find wounded soldiers on the battlefield. There are numerous tales of Airedales delivering their messages despite terrible injury. An Airedale named "Jack" ran through half a mile of enemy fire, with a message attached within his collar. He arrived at headquarters with his jaw broken and one leg badly splintered, and right after he delivered the message, he dropped dead in front of its recipient.
Lieutenant Colonel Edwin Hautenville Richardson was responsible for the development of messenger and guard dogs in the British Army. He, along with his wife, established the British War Dog School at Shoeburyness in Essex, England. In 1916, they provided two Airedales (Wolf & Prince) for use as message carriers. After both dogs proved themselves in battle, Airedales were given more duties, such as locating injured soldiers on the battlefield, an idea taken from the Red Cross.
w00t!
What is normal, anyway? It’s just a pipe dream.
w00t!
What is normal, anyway? It’s just a pipe dream.
He’ll be fine. He can be a real pain sometimes.
Thanks!
It isn’t easy. When Fatigue Disease ramps up, everything falls apart and nothing gets done.
Any day I can pretend to be human is a good day! ;o]
I love Airedales! Some friends of mine had one when I was 15 and that was the best dog!! <3
Hugs to your current Oorang Airedale!
Thanks!
Some pipe dreams are worse than others.
*tagline*
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