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 ...
See? It didn’t meet with the approval of the CEO for a reason! LOL!
Well, if DP does show up with a new tree, there may be someone who has need of an old tree, so it most likely won’t be a waste.
Good for Tom and his new hat of Night Driving Supervisor!
I suspect the insurance here is a little higher than what I was paying. The bad thing is that when I cancelled the car insurance, the renter’s insurance was automatically cancelled as well, but I didn’t know that. So we drove every one of those 1600+ miles with only the insurance that I purchased with the U-Haul. Scary, now. But we arrived safely, and that’s all I care about. The renter’s insurance can be reinstated.
Not sure about the registration but I’ll talk to FS and PW to find out what their rates are for their individual vehicles, just to get an idea. I want everything ready when the car is.
That sounds great! What a relief...
Thanks!
Well, it will be when it’s up and running, but meanwhile, I have a lot of things to do, including get my DL changed while I’m at the revenue office. Or wherever they issue those things here...
I’m looking forward to a whole different set of stresses! :o]
Those babies got some full tummies! Sweet!
Good morning.
Did you sleep well?
And did DP come back with lights? Or a new tree?
My only plans for today are to go with FS to pick up the first car part, but whatever else gets done will be flying by the seat of my pants.
Maybe I’ll unpack something! What a plan!
Not bad, thanks. I was asleep when my alarm went off!
Humph day is better with two (or more).
This was our evening yesterday. It was fun, but our pup thought it needed more dogs.
Wow, that’s dizzying!
I’m going to clean the stove.
And a Hmph Day to you with LOLZ!
Have you counted all the cat-things? More dog-bells?
My goodness. It seems you’re always cleaning the stove. You must have a large, messy family. ;o]
And the tree? Sorry, but I can’t start my day until I know your tree is up and all the lights work.
The tree is up and the lights now work. We’ve put on some glitter ornaments that Kathleen made at the Knights of Columbus party.
A clean stove is a happy stove.
Or something.
When it’s fully decorated, I’d like to see it, please!
Now, I’m going to go make my bed and put away the clothes I didn’t fold yesterday.
Of course. I’m not in the mood for decorating right now. Maybe after a nap. Frank and Kathleen are giving Jack the dragon a bath.
Anthropomorphism isn’t your strong suit, ArGee. Stick with dogs. ;o]
FS is going to make a cover for my stove top so I have more counter space. How one is expected to mix batches of goods for baking with 18” of counter with cupboards overhead to bonk your noggin on is beyond me. NEVER have I been in senior housing that had counter space large enough to work on. </rant
My small appliances are unpacked and all I have to do is remember where I put everything. Hmmm...
Hoping that all are doing well this midweek morn...
Good morning.
Great tagline!
Whenever it’s decorated!
There is a lawn crew here, blowing the leaves into piles and then scooping them up with a vacuum and emptying the bag into a cart. They haven’t gotten to my side, yet, but I’m sure the stink of gas fumes will be terrible.
Now I’m going to work on a Christmas project. Just because I have to in order to get it finished by Friday evening.
It’s going well. It’s kind of a strange midweek since I wont be owrking Friday.
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.