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See the 'Star of India,' decades after it was nabbed in a heist [NYC]
https://www.livescience.com ^ | JUNE 11, 2021 | By Mindy Weisberger - Senior Writer

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 ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Education; History; Travel
KEYWORDS: allankuhn; aluminium; aluminiumoxide; aluminum; aluminumoxide; bluestarsapphire; chromium; corundum; godsgravesglyphs; heist; iron; jackmurphy; magnesium; murfthesurf; sapphire; srilanka; starofindia; startrekiv; titanium; undead; vanadium
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To: Monkey Face

Leaving at 7:00, which is soon. I’m about to put my boots on, after which my feet aren’t allowed to complain until I get home!


921 posted on 07/16/2021 3:42:52 AM PDT by Tax-chick (I found that yelling at my screen did not effect the change I sought.)
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To: Tax-chick

Yes, that is soon. I’ll wish you a good day then, and maybe I’ll see you when you get back! Or not. One of us might be distracted or in bed, with or without a cat!


922 posted on 07/16/2021 3:51:07 AM PDT by Monkey Face (If opportunity isn't knocking, install a door! ~~ sign on a sporting goods shop in Hurricane ~~)
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To: ArGee

Congrats on the new job, ArGee!
:)


923 posted on 07/16/2021 4:08:40 AM PDT by moose07 (The Internet. Nuggets of useful stuff between layers of Trolls and Pizdets.)
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To: Tax-chick; Monkey Face; NicknamedBob; null and void; no-to-illegals; Silentgypsy; ColdOne; ...

Happy Friday!

Kitteh doesn’t look ready for it.

Ready or not, here Friday comes!


924 posted on 07/16/2021 4:48:46 AM PDT by ArGee (This is a tagline. This is only a tagline. Had it been a post, it would have been told to look up.)
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To: moose07

Thanks, Moose! It’s still for the gubmint, but they have managed what they were looking for. They have all the money to spend right now.


925 posted on 07/16/2021 4:49:52 AM PDT by ArGee (This is a tagline. This is only a tagline. Had it been a post, it would have been told to look up.)
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To: moose07

Hiya, Mooseie!

How are things these days?


926 posted on 07/16/2021 5:55:11 AM PDT by Monkey Face (If opportunity isn't knocking, install a door! ~~ sign on a sporting goods shop in Hurricane ~~)
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To: ArGee

Καλή Παρασκευή!

Kitteh doesn’t look ready for anything, but Friday’s here, whether we’re ready or not!


927 posted on 07/16/2021 6:02:00 AM PDT by Monkey Face (If opportunity isn't knocking, install a door! ~~ sign on a sporting goods shop in Hurricane ~~)
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To: Monkey Face

Хорошая пятница

Good day to you ‘Face. :)
Things aren’t too bad at the moment, thanks.
I trust ‘Face is in fine fettle this day? :)

Have just been in one of those “Mother of all Boredom” meetings.

The rain system that flooded Germany and London missed us by inches. It appeared in the Atlantic and headed east as if it was on a mission...most odd. Almost propelled.


928 posted on 07/16/2021 6:41:36 AM PDT by moose07 (The Internet. Nuggets of useful stuff between layers of Trolls and Pizdets.)
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To: moose07

I just caught a glimpse of that while I was surfing the news, and it reminded me of the rains and flooding of about 25-30 years ago which they suffered. It may have been longer ago, but it was devastating.

The rain does that here, being propelled. It’s called “flash flooding.” Evil thing, that.

I’m doing OK, thanks!


929 posted on 07/16/2021 7:01:09 AM PDT by Monkey Face (If opportunity isn't knocking, install a door! ~~ sign on a sporting goods shop in Hurricane ~~)
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To: Tax-chick

Awwww....


930 posted on 07/16/2021 10:23:33 AM PDT by Silentgypsy (In my defense, I was left unsupervised.)
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To: ArGee; Tax-chick; HKMk23; Monkey Face; NicknamedBob; Darksheare; no-to-illegals; moose07; ...

Hey, y’all


931 posted on 07/16/2021 10:25:57 AM PDT by Silentgypsy (In my defense, I was left unsupervised.)
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To: Silentgypsy

Hi, there!

How’re you doing?


932 posted on 07/16/2021 10:56:59 AM PDT by Monkey Face (If opportunity isn't knocking, install a door! ~~ sign on a sporting goods shop in Hurricane ~~)
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To: Monkey Face

Good afternoon, world.


933 posted on 07/16/2021 12:21:56 PM PDT by ArGee (This is a tagline. This is only a tagline. Had it been a post, it would have been told to look up.)
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To: ArGee; Tax-chick

It is, isn’t it? Almost quitting time on your side of the coast. Um... Rockies.

I’m fighting hard to stay awake, after the almost three-hour interruption I got in my sleep last night, thanks to my Favorite Daughter. Unngh.

I’m going to try and hang in for another hour but I may not make it!


934 posted on 07/16/2021 12:36:53 PM PDT by Monkey Face (If opportunity isn't knocking, install a door! ~~ sign on a sporting goods shop in Hurricane ~~)
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To: Silentgypsy; ArGee; Monkey Face

D’afternoon, epople. Home from the range, where the heat index was well over 100. Last time I looked at the forecast, the chance of rain was over 50% between now and bedtime.

Tomorrow, I have to be there at 10:00, and I’ll get home a little after 5:00.


935 posted on 07/16/2021 1:30:22 PM PDT by Tax-chick (I found that yelling at my screen did not effect the change I sought.)
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To: Tax-chick

I thought the phrase was “home *on* the range.”

Anyway, glad you survived the heat index. Good luck with the rain. Maybe knocking some of that humididididity out of the air will help with tomorrow.


936 posted on 07/16/2021 1:46:35 PM PDT by ArGee (This is a tagline. This is only a tagline. Had it been a post, it would have been told to look up.)
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To: ArGee

It hasn’t rained yet. If it does, we’ll be steaming in the oven tomorrow.


937 posted on 07/16/2021 2:42:03 PM PDT by Tax-chick (I found that yelling at my screen did not effect the change I sought.)
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To: no one in particular

What kind of rodent is used for hamburger?


938 posted on 07/16/2021 8:44:05 PM PDT by null and void (Our two party system is not two views fighting. There is only one view. Government needs more power!)
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To: null and void

A dead one.


939 posted on 07/17/2021 3:29:41 AM PDT by Monkey Face (If opportunity isn't knocking, install a door! ~~ sign on a sporting goods shop in Hurricane ~~)
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To: Monkey Face; dakine; GOPJ; fanfan; ColdOne; Cyber Liberty; null and void; Tax-chick; Anoreth; ...

940 posted on 07/17/2021 3:31:10 AM PDT by Tax-chick (I found that yelling at my screen did not effect the change I sought.)
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