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 ...
It’s cold here, too. I slept pretty well. I was considering whether I wanted to get up around 5:30 when Jake jumped on Shannon, who was sitting on my bathrobe in the hall, causing a shrieking fight.
At least they haven’t thrown up yet today.
We have choir at 9:30. I need to get dressed and make pages of lyrics!
I think I’m going to start outlining my personal history. I started writing it, but I think I’m missing some important things, so I’ll begin to put it all in order so it can be written with facts. A lot of things happened when I was growing up!
I wish I had a kitteh! Maybe I can... };o])
*e-vil grin*
If you put a little cat food on your doorstep, I bet you’d get a cat. Or a possum or a skunk!
I think of all the expense related to getting a cat and think a bird is more practical. But now, I’m faced with making room for the cage, since it’s free-standing.
I may just sell the cage...
I’ve ordered my groceries. I didn’t want to as some will be delivered as late as a week from Thursday, but I may cancel that part of the order in the meantime. I notice things are almost doubling in price, now. So much for that whopping COLA increase.
Yep !! Agree with you. Mount St Helen’s is fabulous example
I meant to tell you that the game we played on the X-Box is actually done on your phone. You just need the X-Box to link to. It’s a fun family thing, and called jackbox.tv. I’d do it again! One has to have a quick mind, and mine isn’t when I’m tired or in pain, as I was yesterday, but I do know that you would be very good at it!
I don’t play games on my phone, either.
I cleaned the stove at about 60% effort and vacuumed the floors. Maybe I’ll mop later. The stove wasn’t that bad. I washed the grates with soap and poured some boiling water on the surface around the burners and wiped up with paper towels.
I don’t either, but I made the exception yesterday because of the grandkids. Abbie is so sweet to me, very solicitous and caring. Not condescending, like PW, but real, honest care.
I gave them some Christmas decorations yesterday, and they were so happy with them. I told them I would have more for them, and that Abbie could come and raid my crochet stash.
There will be a time for the Other Folks to choose, but for now, Abbie gets to.
The little whiffets can be so darned judgmental, but also easy to influence. “Do you want to have another piece of pie like grandma?”
The little whiffets are big whiffets, being the last to leave the nest, only one is still single.
Still, being able to encourage the sweet thing married to the next grandson up will be a legacy, indeed! ;o]
(I can hardly wait, she sez, gleefully!)
Heh heh...
I did some Lego today!
Ah, LEGO.
There’s a brand that goes back. I got a set for Christmas 50 years ago.
My turkey was hiss this year. I had a 14lb bird, shot it full of Tony Chachere’s injectable marinade, rubbed it all over with Pappy’s, put it in an oven bag, then into the oven at just 170° overnight.
Finally, I took it out of the bag and then into a 475° oven for the last 15min to crisp it up on the outside. Shut off the heat and let it coast down while I finished off my dressing.
SUCCULENT on the inside. Even the breast.
And the thing was practically falling apart.
Some folks swear by one method or another. This was by far the least trouble and best result I’ve ever had.
“...turkey was hiss this year...”
A success, I mean.
Accursed auto correct... [goes off down the hall grumbling about surly tech]
When I did turkey, I just slathered the outside with Miracle Whip (more flavor than mayo) turned it breast-side down and cooked it at 250° overnight. All you need to do the next day is remove the bones, scoop up the meat with a slotted spoon and the meat will melt in your mouth. Too simple for words. And tasty!
I find it hard to use my phone for the interwebs. I have enough trouble with dyslexia when I’m in a relapse, so I don’t need Otto Korrekt. I make enough mistakes on my own. ;o]
Wowser! Chocolate kitteh for a Sunday! ¡Perfecto!
Good morning. Did you sleep well? I finally did, and it’s a good thing I had set the alarm.
The only thing I forgot to do was turn on the hot water for a few minutes. However, I decided I was going to cut my hair, and rationalized that “desperate times called for desperate measures.” My old razor comb was sitting in my little “hair crate” so I took the blade out, got one of my good glasses and sharpened the blade.
I sure don’t have very much hair left. I tried to tell PW that stress would cause hair to fall out, and she swears she’s never been under any stress because she’s Perfect, after all. I giggled inside at that. Shame on me. ;o]
After it’s dry and I’ve played with it, I’ll let you know how I did. Right now, the natural curls are showing up very nicely! They just need a little lift when my hair is dry and it will look like I have more than I do. Yay, me!
Now, I have to take the morphine and an allergy pill and get a snack. I’m thinking I’m never going to be able to take the cancer tea on a regular basis again. I keep forgetting one or more doses. Days go by before I remember, even though I have the calendar up.
I went to bed early and slept okay between trips to the bathroom. I think Jake came by at least once.
I hope your hair looks great!
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