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 ...
I may find cheaper insurance, but I have to do this with what I know, first. I can cancel and find something a little more in keeping with my budget, but I’m thinking Tornado Alley has a lot to do with the rates... Jus’ sayin’
Once I get the vehicle registered, I can look around for cheaper, maybe FS’s insurance agent. We’ll see. For now, it is what it is.
I’m not sure I ever heard what was non-functional in the motor vehicle.
They actually gave me an appointment just “around the corner” from me, so I think it’s quite similar to what I dealt with in Utah — a satellite office close to home. Not within walking distance, but close, just the same.
She was quite surprised when she told me who she was with and got my response. All I could say was, “Oh, THANK you!”
At the moment, the entire vehicle is non-functional.
FS will be working on it in the coming weeks, when he has time, but I need to get it registered and insured. The insurance is taken care of, the registration isn’t.
The tow-truck driver said, “Dead battery?” I said, “Dead everything.” The head and other things were in the cargo area on some cardboard, waiting to be reassembled with a new gasket. And now, there are other parts that need to be gotten, as well as oil and a filter, so non-functional it is. I only have to pay $10 for the registration until it’s road-worthy.
Oh, that’s really convenient, then. Too bad it’s not walking distance, but it would be dark at 7:30 a.m. anyway.
I’m waiting for FS to text back to make sure the time is OK. She said she also has an 8:30, but I prefer the early times, before the pain has time to really set in.
By the time I’m done and have a prescription in hand, it will be close to 0900, anyway. He can leave for work and I can walk home from Walgreen’s.
I just found out there is a Christmas special on “Death In Paradise,” and Duane is back! The “murderee” is Anthony Calf of “New Tricks” fame. I just started watching, so I don’t know if it’s longer or not. What fun!
$10 isn’t that bad for now.
We looked at the Highlander. We wanted a 3-row vehicle but there was something about it that didn’t sit quite right with the Mrs, so we got a Pilot.
I wanted an Explorer, but she felt the hood was too hard to look over. She’s not too tall.
Maybe a little lobby music is in order...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFbKKsEoQNg
You’re welcome.
[Sorry. No aquarium]
DP was watching it last night, but it’s extra long, so we went to bed halfway through. Duane is looking older, but still spry. I didn’t recognize the dead guy.
the dead guy was the Chief Inspector for the New Tricks gang long about the beginning of the second or third season and stayed until almost the end. Different hair style in DiP, but still...
He also played in a couple of episodes of Doc Martin. I think the first one was one of the movies, then did a couple of the series, before he went to New Tricks.
The “special” wasn’t that much longer, I don’t think. But my perception is skewed, these days.
The Highlander is a little bigger than what I was hoping for, but seat height is the most important thing. I need to be able to get in and out of it without too much effort. If it’s too high, I have trouble getting in because the knees don’t like climbing. If it’s too low, I have trouble getting out because the spine doesn’t cooperate. So this was available, the price was “right” and I already have a mechanic who will tell me the truth and not charge me an arm and a leg to fix it!
I’m 5’9” so hoods aren’t that big a deal once I can gauge the distance to the roadbed.
Are you kidding us? Ten hours??
I don’t like even two bars of that song so being stuck in an elevator/lobby/mortuary with it on a loop would finish me off big time!
I hope you had a great Christmas!
Oh, my. I think I’ll save that for another day.
I took Vlad to Walmart because we were out of diet cola.
Interesting. I was just thinking about that song over the weekend, but the Sammy Davis, Jr. version which was a little bit jazzier.
I wasn’t, but we played the Petula Clark version from the Muppet Show.
I’ve almost succeeded in staying awake until dark. Maybe another half hour. Tom will arrive and take his brothers on Night Driving Adventures.
FS called and said we could go to O’Reilly’s and get the current parts and that with luck, the machine he needed to install it would be there by the time he got home.
It was a nice interlude but didn’t last long. When I got back, one of my neighbors called to me as I was picking up my mail, and when I walked over, she handed me a container of homemade potato soup. It’s not as good as mine, but it’s still tasty, and I didn’t have the fuss of making it, so I’m grateful!
Then FS sent me a photo of what he was doing (YAY!) and I couldn’t recall if he had picked up the can of Engine Restore 4, or not, because I didn’t, even though I paid for it. He did. It will go in the crankcase when he adds oil.
He was surprised about the insurance cost, so when I suggested we see his agent, he seemed to think the current prices could be taken down a few dollars. I told him I had a while before that had to happen, so it’s sort of in the works.
Also, he said the appointment at the pain clinic was a good thing, and early was good so he could get to work. Things are moving, even if some areas are moving slower than I would like.
Then I got side-tracked again, and well... time just slips by me. I think I might be getting tired, but it’s way too early to head for bed!
I’m coming along. Tom is out with Vlad, and James will go at 7:00. I hope they can get at least 3 hours in this week. February 1 is the day!
If you’re used to taking naps, going without can be pretty rough.
I’m going to get something to eat, then I’ll check back in a while.
Good for Tom! February 1 isn’t that far away, so the byos need to really pay attention.
Anyway, I’ll be back in a while! ;o]
Christmas was satisfying.
Had all my kids over.
Put out cheeses and crackers.
#2 Son brought his fresh-minted fiancée.
Put out a ham dinner for everyone.
Everyone got gifts.
Everyone was stuffed.
The Martinelli’s lasted throughout.
It was a Merry Christmas.
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.