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 ...
I checked with Lin’s and more walking sticks won’t be in until August, so I just got the water (I have to have at least a half-case extra on the tea cycle) and came home.
As I was leaving to come home, though, I saw an ambulance heading west out of town. I stopped at Sinclair to get gas, and heard another ambulance, probably from the station close to Casey’s and as I was headed home, there was one more coming from the next town over, I think.
There must have been something on the Southern Parkway, but its a new stretch of road and I have no idea where it goes, just that it seems to end on S.R. 9. I guess this means the 4th holiday has started.
I also got my power bill, but it looks suspiciously like my last power bill. Things that make you go, “Hmmm...”
Stuff got shifted, but my arms hurt! At least I now have room to maneuver the laundry cart come Monday morning. It’s been hard to lift with wet clothes in it, trying to squeeze it together enough so I could get it into the bathroom.
Happy day!
I may not be done in the kitchen, though! I think I can make it a little easier to get to what I want if I move a couple more things around. Yay, me!
Maybe in a bit, I’ll head for the bedroom and bag up some clothes. There are three “jumbo” bags and one will hold my heavy blanket! (My only blanket.) I think things will fit together nicely!
Cheated death again. The Check Engine light came on during the James Adventure to the library, but I decided we could make it back home, which we did. I also called Pat and told him to walk to work and plan on walking home. The weather should be nice.
Since it’s Saturday of a holiday weekend, there’s no point in taking it to the mechanic until Tuesday. Maybe it’s just a “sensor,” like the last time.
The check engine light came on in Henderson about two weeks after I had had the BB SUV serviced. I found out they had not changed the oil, had not filled the washer reservoir, had not added anti-freeze to the radiator and it’s a miracle the engine hadn’t frozen up on me.
I took it some place else and had them do what was needed but the engine light has never shut off. I told Kevin about it and he said that you have to expect a Check Engine light to stay on after 100,000 miles or more!
Speaking of the BB SUV, did you get the plate put on the wall?
Heh.
When I got back from my errands, I wrote down the figures of the odometer and the amount of gas I got *ERK* and then came in the house. I decided a few minutes ago that I would go out and bring the water in and couldn’t find my car keys. Nowhere.
I spent a few minutes looking but then I wondered if I left them in the car. Sure enough, laying on the passenger seat. The key safe has always been hard to open, so I had to come back in and use a knife to jimmy it far enough to open it with my hands.
I don’t know where my other extra keys are, but it’s a good thing this extra set was easy to get to! *sheesh* I think I’m getting tired.
I went to nap with Jake. He was so desperate that he got mad at me for taking too long to lie down and arrange the blanket. Sheesh, guys!
Tom is baking.
Glad you sorted it out with the keys. Also, I haven’t put the license plate up yet. Things keep coming up. Maybe I’ll remember to have a boy hammer it tomorrow.
Jake just turned up, probably thinking Tom must be making something with meat.
Look, DC! You missed the first one!!
I wish I could bake. Matter of fact, I wish I could do almost anything normal, but that’s not going to happen until I get settled. Darn it.
Usually, I’m very careful with keys of any kind, but I just got distracted. I’m looking for an excuse to do nothing, and tomorrow is it!
Poor Jake! LOL! What’s Tom baking? Something tasty?
Blueberry cake. Jake has gone back to bed.
Oh, my goodness! That sounds decadent! I may want that recipe...asap, actually! LOL!
I will ask Tom.
He says, “Once Upon a Chef,” Lemon Blueberry Poundcake.
Thanks, Tom! :o]
That sounds even better, actually, with the lemon...and it being a poundcake...
Oh, my goodness! My mouth wants that! Now I want to get moved so I can unpack my mixer and my baking stuff!
Out of here for the night. The schlepping wore me out more than I expected it to, but it’s done, and so am I!
See you tomorrow! Enjoy your evening and your Lemon Blueberry Poundcake!
It fell apart when he turned it out of the pan. Tom says it’s because my loaf pans are really old, which is true. It will not stop it from being eaten!
I’ve never seen an ugly, tasty dessert go into the trash!
I would probably be the first to begin dishing it out!
It was good, in a fallen-apart way. Tom plans to take the driving brothers to “Nothing Bundt Cakes” later this morning. I told him to try to get here by 10:00.
Sweet little celebrator!!
Good morning.
I’ve got the chills this morning, but I’m going to try and go to church, anyway.
I’m glad the cake was tasty. When we had food failures, we just put them in bowls, poured milk on them and ate them with a spoon!
Milk, ice cream, ketchup ... the right topping can make just about any cooking outcome edible.
I hope you get to feeling better and can go to church. Fireworks started last night here; we had to extract Shannon from under the salvia. We’ll make sure she’s inside earlier tonight.
It looks like all the young (and young-ish, in the case of the over-30) are coming over later.
I will go to church. I’ve had my shower and feel a little better and will drink my tea in the next few minutes.
Because of the extreme drought, Dogpatch Utah has canceled fireworks. I don’t think Vegas will, but it will depend on which way the wind is blowing and how strongly.
I have to finish dressing and then listen to a talk and then get ready for church. I tweaked my left hip sometime in the last two days and it’s a little wonky right now. I could always take a cane and pretend to be the old woman I am! ;o])
A cane is also useful for clobbering ;-).
People on NextDoor are complaining that the fireworks upset their dogs, but freep that. Your vet - the one who spayed or neutered your **** dog - can sell you a tranquilizer.
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