Skip to comments.
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)
==================================================================
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
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-60, 61-80, 81-100 ... 5,461-5,468 next last
To: null and void
My days are quite long enough.
Make them one minute longer and I will sick the dwarves on you to have them sing you the song of their people...
61
posted on
06/16/2021 8:05:10 PM PDT
by
Dead Corpse
(A Psalm in napalm...)
To: Dead Corpse
Click on the link.
Welcome to my world.
62
posted on
06/16/2021 9:24:57 PM PDT
by
null and void
(When you put bad people in charge expect bad things to happen, often in a spectacular and sudden way)
To: Dead Corpse; dakine; GOPJ; fanfan; ColdOne; Cyber Liberty; null and void; Tax-chick; Anoreth; ...
I iz ur god! Bring mousies!
63
posted on
06/17/2021 2:12:57 AM PDT
by
Tax-chick
(I found that yelling at my screen did not effect the change I sought.)
To: Tax-chick
64
posted on
06/17/2021 2:36:54 AM PDT
by
null and void
(When you put bad people in charge expect bad things to happen, often in a spectacular and sudden way)
To: null and void
LOL, excellent!
And good morning.
My lower limbs and extremities are not happy with me, after three days of camp with two more to go. I’ll give them some pills and sympathy this morning, but once I put my shoes on, they’ll have to shut up until 5:00 p.m.
65
posted on
06/17/2021 2:39:38 AM PDT
by
Tax-chick
(I found that yelling at my screen did not effect the change I sought.)
To: Tax-chick
66
posted on
06/17/2021 2:41:19 AM PDT
by
null and void
(When you put bad people in charge expect bad things to happen, often in a spectacular and sudden way)
To: null and void
They’re just like the kids, always going on like they have a really hard time in life.
“Some people’s feet and legs have to work 12-hour shifts in an Amazon warehouse, and you’re complaining about a few days of camp? Shaddup.”
67
posted on
06/17/2021 2:48:53 AM PDT
by
Tax-chick
(I found that yelling at my screen did not effect the change I sought.)
To: HKMk23
We’re always here for you, HK. We miss you when you disappear for such long periods.
68
posted on
06/17/2021 3:12:33 AM PDT
by
Monkey Face
( ~~ Your value doesn't decrease based on someone else's inability to see your worth. ~~ )
To: Monkey Face
69
posted on
06/17/2021 3:16:30 AM PDT
by
Tax-chick
(I found that yelling at my screen did not effect the change I sought.)
To: Tax-chick
A particularly fluffy specimen this morning for our new digs! Excellent choice!
Good morning.
Another day in paradise! And a Friday Eve to boot!
70
posted on
06/17/2021 3:22:20 AM PDT
by
Monkey Face
( ~~ Your value doesn't decrease based on someone else's inability to see your worth. ~~ )
To: null and void
71
posted on
06/17/2021 3:23:10 AM PDT
by
Monkey Face
( ~~ Your value doesn't decrease based on someone else's inability to see your worth. ~~ )
To: Tax-chick
I’m so sorry about your feet and legs. I have a Conair footbath if you’d like me to DarkFax it to you.
72
posted on
06/17/2021 3:24:37 AM PDT
by
Monkey Face
( ~~ Your value doesn't decrease based on someone else's inability to see your worth. ~~ )
To: Monkey Face
I put my ankle brace on and told my lower half to shut up for the day.
73
posted on
06/17/2021 4:36:53 AM PDT
by
Tax-chick
(I found that yelling at my screen did not effect the change I sought.)
To: Tax-chick
That’s right. Everyone has to work or at least look cute or tell jokes. I guess there's no room for me, then.
Unless there's no requirement that the jokes be funny.
74
posted on
06/17/2021 5:04:56 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.)
To: Tax-chick; Monkey Face; NicknamedBob; null and void; no-to-illegals; Silentgypsy; ColdOne; ...
Good morning. Happy Friday Eve!
75
posted on
06/17/2021 5:06:28 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.)
To: Tax-chick
Hang in there! Prayers are going up for you! ;o]
76
posted on
06/17/2021 5:16:30 AM PDT
by
Monkey Face
( ~~ Your value doesn't decrease based on someone else's inability to see your worth. ~~ )
To: ArGee
In our family, it’s a tradition to laugh the hardest at the unfunny jokes, so forewarned is forearmed. ;o]
77
posted on
06/17/2021 5:17:50 AM PDT
by
Monkey Face
( ~~ Your value doesn't decrease based on someone else's inability to see your worth. ~~ )
To: Monkey Face
78
posted on
06/17/2021 5:18:06 AM PDT
by
no-to-illegals
( Liberals, leftists, Rinos, moslems, illegals, lamestream media. All want America to fail and die )
To: ArGee
Good happy Friday Eve morning! I hope your day is a good one!
79
posted on
06/17/2021 5:18:31 AM PDT
by
Monkey Face
( ~~ Your value doesn't decrease based on someone else's inability to see your worth. ~~ )
To: Red Badger
80
posted on
06/17/2021 5:18:36 AM PDT
by
no-to-illegals
( Liberals, leftists, Rinos, moslems, illegals, lamestream media. All want America to fail and die )
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-60, 61-80, 81-100 ... 5,461-5,468 next last
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.
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson