NYCFC Players Finally Receive Their 2021 MLS Cup Championship Rings

A little more than seven months after capturing their first-ever MLS Cup with a thrilling 4-2 shootout win over the Portland Timbers, members of the New York City Football Club finally received their 2021 championship rings during a ceremony last Thursday night.

Designed by Baron, the rings incorporate gemstone representations of the official team colors — light blue, dark blue and orange.

The ring top features the club’s “NYC” monogram logo — rendered in bezel-set, custom-cut dark blue gems — surrounded by round colorless diamonds and the "MLS Cup Champions" wordmark.

The right side of the ring pays homage to the team’s “UNDENYABLE” (the NY purposely outlined) slogan in yellow gold. Positioned above the slogan are the iconic NYCFC smokestacks, which are set off after every goal at home games to animate the crowd. Below the slogan is the date of the championship win — 12-11-21. Along the shoulder of the ring is a row of light blue gems.

The left side of the ring shows the player's name in raised white gold above the historic MLS Cup trophy embellished in yellow gold and accented with colorless diamonds. Within the trophy is the player's number, also in raised white gold. As with the other side, the shoulder of the ring is adorned with a row of light blue gems.

On the inside of the ring, an engraving shows the names of NYCFC’s playoff opponents along with the score of each game. The shank is set with seven stones representing the years the club has been in the league. Six are colorless diamonds, but the seventh is an orange stone representing the team's first-ever MLS Cup title.

During the championship game, the Portland Timbers evened the score at 1-1 with a dramatic 94th-minute equalizer at their home field, Providence Park. After a scoreless overtime session, the outcome was finally decided by a suspenseful shootout that saw NYCFC goalkeeper Sean Johnson stopping two Timbers attempts.

Prior to receiving their rings on Thursday, representatives of the team got to ring the Closing Bell at the Nasdaq MarketSite in Times Square.

The 2021 MLS championship marked the first title for a New York sports franchise since the New York Giants won Super Bowl XLVI following the 2011 season. What's more, no New York team had won a soccer championship since the New York Cosmos pulled off the feat in 1982.

Credits: Images courtesy of Baron Championship Rings 2022.

Marvel's Infinity Gauntlet Featuring 6 Precious Stones Is Now a Real-Life Collectible

The Infinity Gauntlet featuring the Six Infinity Stones from the Marvel Universe is now a real-life collectible, thanks to a collaboration between Marvel and East Continental Gems. The six precious stones boast a combined total weight of more than 150 carats and are valued at $25 million.

The one-of-a-kind collectible was unveiled last week at the Marvel booth at San Diego Comic-Con.

Worn by Thanos, one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe, the gauntlet is embedded with colorful gems, each imbued with a unique special power related to Time, Space, Reality, Mind, Power and Soul.

“There has never been anything as exciting and interesting in the Marvel Universe than the prized Infinity Stones, and as a fourth-generation jeweler and fan, I am honored that Marvel entrusted us with the monumental task of curating the Infinity Gem Collection for our universe,” said Adam Mirzoeff, President of East Continental Gems.

Mirzoeff told The Hollywood Reporter that as he watched Avengers: Endgame with his kids he became intrigued by how the gemstones of the gauntlet played such a critical role in the plot line.

“When I saw the Time Stone onscreen and how meaningful it is to the entire narrative of the Marvel universe, for me, it was very meaningful to be watching that with my children,” Mirzoeff told The Hollywood Reporter.

Then he wondered if Marvel had an actual set of Infinity Stones.

When he learned the answer was "No," Mirzoeff got to work assembling the gems that would make up the Infinity Collection, assigning a specific stone to each special power.

He told The Hollywood Reporter, “I had to reach into my safe and our collection and think, ‘Which stone is worthy of the title?'”

To represent The Time Stone, Mirzoeff selected a Colombian emerald weighing just under 23 carats. The untreated, emerald-cut gem carries documentation from four gem laboratories and was unearthed at the turn of the last century. In the Marvel Universe, The Time Stone has the ability to manipulate time, even in places beyond time.

The Space Stone is a cushion-cut, 30-plus-carat sapphire that was sourced on the island of Madagascar. The Space Stone allows its user to exist in any location, move throughout different realities, warp or rearrange space and teleport across planes regardless of the laws of physics or magical barriers.

The Reality Stone is an oval-shaped, natural ruby from Mozambique that weighs more than 15 carats. Marvel explains that tasks, realities, concepts, visions — things that would normally be impossible to realize — are made possible with the Reality Stone. And they can be done on a universal scale. In other words, aside from the power to will anything in or out of existence, it can retroactively create alternate realities around those changes.

The Power Stone is an oval-shaped, natural amethyst weighing more than 35 carats. The Power Stone allows its users to access and manipulate all forms of energy as well as enhance their own physical strength and durability. This jewel also boosts the effects of the five other stones. The ultimate power behind the Power Stone — and why it sits at a place of honor on the Infinity Gauntlet — does not necessarily come from the stone itself, but from how the it interacts with the others.

The Soul Stone is a cushion-cut spessartite weighing more than 35 carats. The first of all the stones to appear in Marvel lore, The Soul Stone served as inspiration for all the rest. It can manipulate the soul and essence of a person, control life and death and contains a pocket dimension called the Soul World.

The Mind Stone is a high-clarity, intense-color, rectangular brilliant-cut yellow diamond weighing nearly 35 carats. The Mind Stone allows its user to heighten abilities, such as telepathy and telekinesis, and — when combined with the Power Stone — access all minds in existence concurrently.

At San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel teased the fact that East Continental Gems will be issuing a limited-edition Reality Stone in September 2022 as part of a future collection. More details will be announced at a later date.

Credits: Images courtesy of Marvel / East Continental Gems.

Queen Elizabeth II's Iconic Jewelry Goes on Display at Buckingham Palace

Many of the most notable and recognizable items from Queen Elizabeth II's jewelry collection — including the breathtaking and historic Diamond Diadem — are now on public display in Buckingham Palace as part of a 10-week exhibition.

The special presentation titled "Platinum Jubilee: The Queen’s Accession" celebrates the start of the 96-year-old monarch's historic reign and centers upon 24 official portraits of The Queen taken by the photographer Dorothy Wilding, alongside items of jewelry worn by Her Majesty for the portrait sittings. Some of the items are on public display for the first time.

Wilding began taking photographs of members of the Royal Family in the 1920s. In May 1937, she became the first official female royal photographer when she was appointed to take the portraits at the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.

Ten years later, in July 1947, Wilding was called upon to capture the official engagement portraits for Princess Elizabeth and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, and in February 1952 she was commissioned to take the first official photographs of the new Queen Elizabeth, just 20 days after the Accession.

The series of photographs that Wilding took during two sessions in 1952 have become some of the most enduring images of Queen Elizabeth II and many have formed the basis for the profiles and silhouettes that we see on stamps and coins to this day.

Among the amazing jewelry items on display is a sapphire and diamond Cartier bracelet, which was given to Elizabeth by her father, King George VI, on her 18th birthday in 1944.

Another birthday gift was the South Africa necklace, given to Princess Elizabeth for her 21st birthday by the Government and Union of South Africa. The necklace originally consisted of 21 brilliant-cut diamonds, but in 1952 it was shortened. The six removed stones were made into a matching bracelet, which is also be on display.

One of Her Majesty’s most recognizable jewels is The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara. The diamond tiara was a gift to the future Queen Mary, on the occasion of her marriage to the future King George V in 1893.

Queen Mary, in turn, gave the tiara as a wedding present to her granddaughter, Princess Elizabeth, in November 1947, along with the Dorset Bow Brooch and a pair of diamond bangles. The bangles, which are on display for the first time, are thought to have been made in India, where traditionally one would be worn on each wrist to signify matrimony.

Another wedding gift was the Nizam of Hyderabad necklace. The Nizam (ruler) of Hyderabad had instructed Cartier in London to allow Princess Elizabeth to select a wedding gift herself. This platinum necklace set with approximately 300 diamonds was what she chose. The Queen wore the necklace for her second sitting with Dorothy Wilding in April 1952, and it was these photographs that were chosen to form the basis of Her Majesty’s image on postage stamps from 1953 until 1971.

According to The Royal Collection Trust, the second sitting was coordinated so that additional portraits could be taken of The Queen wearing a coronet, as this was deemed to be more appropriate for official use on coins and postage stamps.

A crown could not be worn because the official Coronation was not to take place until June 2, 1953, so the Diamond Diadem (top photo) was selected. Originally created for George IV’s extravagant coronation in 1821 and set with 1,333 brilliant-cut diamonds, the Diamond Diadem was worn by The Queen on the day of her Coronation and has been worn by Her Majesty on her journey to and from the State Opening of Parliament since the first year of her reign.

The Queen’s final sitting with Dorothy Wilding took place in May 1956, shortly before Wilding retired. The Queen is shown wearing the Vladimir Tiara, which was made for Grand Duchess Vladimir of Russia around 1874 and sold by her daughter to Queen Mary in 1921.

Inherited by The Queen in 1953, the tiara is unusual in that it can be worn in a variety of ways, as its pendant emeralds can be removed or substituted for pearls.

“The Platinum Jubilee: The Queen’s Accession” runs through October 2, 2022.

Credits: Images courtesy of Royal Collection Trust / © All Rights Reserved.

LA Rams' Super Bowl Rings Contain 20 Carats of Diamonds, Turf and Game Ball Leather

The Super Bowl LVI rings presented to the Los Angeles Rams' players, coaches and staff on Thursday set a record for the highest diamond carat weight in the history of NFL championship rings while pushing the envelope of conventional design.

Certainly, each ring pops with 20 carats of white diamonds, along with custom-cut blue and yellow sapphires set in white and yellow gold. But what really stands out is a top that spins off to reveal a miniature SoFi stadium complete with remnants of actual field turf and a snippet of game ball leather.

Jason Arasheben, CEO of Jason of Beverly Hills, described how he and Rams' team members immersed themselves in the design process. It was important for Arasheben to really understand the dynamics of the team, the season and the city.

Arasheben explained, "We spent an entire day at SoFi Stadium. The first thing I said was, 'What can you get me from the game? The field? Ball? What else?" I didn't just want it to be historical in design, but have physical elements from the event as well. It all adds value and authenticity, creating a one-of-a-kind piece of memorabilia."

The ring commemorates the Rams' historic 23-20 Super Bowl win over the Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium, the stunning $5 billion state-of-the-art complex that officially opened in September of 2020. The ring's 20-carat total weight is a nod to the 2020 grand opening. It was only the second time in NFL history that a team has won the Super Bowl in their home stadium. (NFL fans know that Super Bowl locations are planned many years in advance.)

The face of the ring features the Vince Lombardi Trophy, comprised of one marquise stone and a trophy base rendered in .12 carats of round diamonds to represent the team's 12 regular season wins. The palm trees on either side of the Trophy celebrate Los Angeles and consist of .26 carats of diamonds representing the franchise's 26 total postseason wins. The Rams' LA logo features special-cut blue and yellow sapphires.

Given the significance of SoFi Stadium to the Rams and the story of the entire 2021 NFL season, the shape of the Super Bowl LVI ring mimics architectural and design elements of the stadium, including the tall columns that support the translucent canopy roof. The .23 carats of diamonds on the stadium columns represent the 23 points scored in the Super Bowl to secure a Rams victory.

With a simple twist, the removable top opens to reveal a miniature of SoFi Stadium's bowl, complete with the Infinity Screen. The green turf is rendered with paint infused with pulverized remnants of the actual turf used during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. The underside of the removable top features an interpretation of SoFi Stadium's translucent, new-generation plastic roof surrounded by a piece of a Super Bowl LVI game ball.

With their rings turned sideways, players can look right through to the other side, as well as peek in on the inner bowl of the stadium and check out the messaging on the Infinity Screen. The actual Infinity Screen by Samsung is suspended 122 feet above the field and boasts the largest LED content playback system ever deployed. The 70,000 square-foot, dual-sided video board comes to life with nearly 80 million pixels spaced 8 millimeters from center to center.

One side of the ring features the player's name with their number adorned in diamonds. The name is featured on a plate that mimics the extreme horizontal shape of the Infinity Screen. Below the player's number is the team’s “We Not Me” motto.

The other side of the ring shows the Super Bowl LVI final score of 23-20, as well as the NFL Shield and Super Bowl LVI logo. "WORLD CHAMPIONS" is featured on a plate that also mimics the shape of the Infinity Screen.

The 1.12 carats of round diamonds on the top of the ring represent January 12, honoring a key recurring date in Rams history: On January 12, 2016, the Rams were approved to move back to Los Angeles; on January 12, 2017, the Rams hired Head Coach Sean McVay, and on January 12, 2019, the Rams beat the Cowboys for their first playoff victory after returning to LA.

The underside of the ring features all the final scores of all the playoff games of the 2021 season, including Super Bowl LVI.

The team just released a four-minute video that presents an insider's look at the design and fabrication of the Rams' Super Bowl LVI Ring. You can see it here…

Credits: Images courtesy of Jason of Beverly Hills.

Music Friday: Gypsies Claim, 'If You Wear Golden Earrings Love Will Come to You'

Welcome to Music Friday when we frequently feature throwback songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, music legend Willie Nelson sings his rendition of the haunting love song, “Golden Earrings.”

Originally performed by Murvyn Vye in the romantic 1947 spy film of the same name, “Golden Earrings” tells the story of how golden earrings take on mystical qualities when they are worn by a man.

The song begins like this: “There’s a story the gypsies know is true / That when your love wears golden earrings / He belongs to you.”

The next verse states: “An old love story that’s known to very few / But if you wear these golden earrings / Love will come to you.”

Now, if you’re wondering why a guy is wearing golden earrings, the answer lies in the plot of the movie… On the eve of World War II, a British colonel, played by Ray Milland, escapes from the Gestapo to the Black Forest and poses as the beau of a beautiful gypsy (Marlene Dietrich) to elude his captors.

As Les Adams outlined for IMDB.com: “She pierces his ears for dazzling golden earrings, stains his skin, dresses him in [gypsy] clothes and teaches him to read palms. His disguise is perfect and he emerges unharmed from several encounters with Nazi patrols.”

Over the past 69 years, “Golden Earrings” has been covered by no fewer than 50 artists, including Peggy Lee (who scored a hit in 1947), Bobby Darin (1964) and Nelson (1983).

In Nelson’s rendition, the line “He belongs to you” is changed to “She belongs to you.”

“Golden Earrings” was the sixth track on Nelson’s album Without a Song, a release that ascended to #3 on the U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums chart. The album also ranked #54 on the U.S Billboard 200.

Willie Hugh Nelson was born in Abbott, TX, in 1933, and during his 66-year career has demonstrated a wide range of talents. The American icon is a musician, singer, songwriter, author, poet, actor and activist. He has recorded 97 studio albums and appeared in more than 30 films and television shows. At 89 years old, he still has an active touring schedule.

This summer, he will be appearing in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Virginia, New Hampshire, New York, Georgia, North Carolina, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey and California.

He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1993, won the lifetime award of the Library of Congress in 2015 and was honored by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the “100 Greatest Singers” and “100 Greatest Guitarists” of all time.

Please check out the video of Nelson performing “Golden Earrings.” The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…

“Golden Earrings”
Written by Victor Young, Ray Evans and Jay Livingston. Performed by Willie Nelson.

There is a story the gypsies know is true
That when your love wears golden earrings,
She belongs to you.

An old love story that’s known to very few,
But if you wear these golden earrings,
Love will come to you.

By the burning fire, they will glow with ev’ry coal.
And you feel desire whisper low inside your soul.

So be my gypsy,
Make love your guiding light,
And let this pair of golden earrings
Cast their spell tonight.

By the burning fire, they will glow with ev’ry coal.
And you will hear desire whisper low inside your soul.

So be my gypsy,
Make love your guiding light,
And let this pair of golden earrings
Cast their spell tonight.

So be my gypsy,
Make love your guiding light,
And let this pair of golden earrings
Cast their spell tonight.

Credits: Willie Nelson photo by Flickr user @giovanni, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Lucky Charms' Limited-Edition Cereal Features Diamond-Shaped 'Magic Gems'

A 15-second commercial for Lucky Charms breakfast cereal reveals the magical story behind the new rainbow-speckled, diamond-shaped marshmallow charms that have been added to the limited-edition summertime rollout.

The "Magic Gems" commercial opens with two young explorers looking for Lucky the Leprechaun in a dense jungle.

"Where's Lucky," asks the boy.

"I know he's around here somewhere," answers the girl as he she peers down the void of a hollowed out tree stump.

The camera's point of view dives deep underground, where we see Lucky collecting a gleaming white Magic Gem to help him navigate a goblin's den.

Lucky says, "Rainbow Gems, you are the spark with your rainbow sparkles. I can see in the dark."

The back of the cereal box explains the fantastical backstory, that "Magic Gems have been stowed away in the goblin's den for centuries and hold the power of rainbow vision to see in the dark, helping whoever finds them navigate their way through the darkest of places."

As generations of Lucky Charms fans already know, the cereal contains colorful marshmallow charms, each of which bestow upon Lucky their own special powers: hearts (power to bring things to life), shooting stars (power to fly), horseshoes (power to speed things up), clovers (luck, but you never know what kind of luck you’ll get), blue moons (power of invisibility), rainbows (instantaneous travel from place to place), balloons (power to make things float) and unicorns (power to bring color to the world).

Food reviewers have generally given the "Magic Gems" edition of Lucky Charms a collective thumbs up, although they agreed that the taste of the rainbow-speckled, diamond-shaped "gem" was indistinguishable from the other marshmallow charms.

It's hard to imagine that Lucky Charms is celebrating its 58th year in the General Mills lineup.

The sweet treat was a conceived by product developer John Holahan, whose prototype was a mixture of Cheerios cereal pieces mixed with chopped up fragments of his favorite candy — Circus Peanuts.

According to General Mills, Lucky Charms debuted in 1964 with oat cereal in the shapes of bells, fish, arrowheads, clovers and X’s, complemented by marshmallows in the shapes of green clovers, pink hearts, orange stars and yellow moons.

Today, the marshmallow pieces in Lucky Charms are officially called “marbits.” Of the original marbits, only the pink hearts remain.

Trivia: Lucky the Leprechaun was replaced in 1975 by a character named Waldo the Wizard. Waldo's gig didn't last long. Lucky reclaimed his spot less than a year later.

Credits: Lucky Charms box photo via luckycharms.com. Lucky Charms commercial screen capture via Youtube / 325 Entertainment.

Newlywed Jennifer Lopez Gives Us a Peek at Her Platinum Wedding Band

Snuggled under the covers and wearing a simple platinum band on her left hand, a makeup-free Jennifer Lopez proclaimed herself a married lady Monday morning with a casual pic and one-word Instagram caption that read "Sadie!"

Following their high-profile April engagement, Lopez and long-time love Ben Affleck tied the knot at the Little White Wedding Chapel late Saturday night in Las Vegas.

"Sadie, Sadie" is a song from the 1960s musical Funny Girl. After marrying Nick Arnstein, Fanny Brice (wonderfully portrayed by Barbra Streisand) sings, "Mrs. Arnstein, Mrs. Arnstein what a beautiful, beautiful name / Sadie, Sadie, married lady / See what's on my hand / There's nothing quite as touching / as a simple wedding band."

Dishing to the fans of her On the JLo newsletter, Lopez offered some details about her unpretentious wedding and what she called "the best night ever."

"We read our own vows in the little chapel and gave one another the rings we'll wear for the rest of our lives," she wrote.

We're assuming that the couple opted for matching platinum bands.

While her off-the-charts, 8.5-carat natural green diamond engagement ring is said to be worth somewhere between $5 million and $10 million, Lopez's platinum band probably carried a price tag of $1,000, according to Jenny Luker, president of Platinum Guild International USA.

"Jennifer's wedding ring is a classic and timeless style! It looks like a wide, domed platinum band," she told hellomagazine.com. "Jennifer's ring is a beautiful symbol of her love and commitment to Ben because platinum is precious, rare and lasts a lifetime."

The A-listers rekindled their romance in early 2021 and got engaged in early April 2022, nearly 20 years after the 52-year-old singer/actress accepted the 49-year-old Affleck’s first proposal in November of 2002. At that time, the actor and filmmaker presented Lopez with a 6.1-carat pink diamond from Harry Winston. Lopez returned the ring when the couple broke up in 2004.

In a 13-second video shared with the fans of her On the JLo newsletter in April, a teary-eyed Jennifer Lopez gazed down at her cushion modified brilliant-cut green diamond flanked by two colorless trapezoid diamonds and whispered, “You’re perfect.”

Affleck had chosen a green diamond because the color holds a special place in Lopez’s heart.

“I always say the color green is my lucky color,” Lopez affirmed in an earlier newsletter item. “Maybe you can remember a certain green dress (Versace, 2000 Grammys). I’ve realized there are many moments in my life where amazing things happened when I was wearing green. It may be a coincidence, maybe not. But as I took a better look, I realized there are no coincidences.”

Credits: Wedding band image via Instagram / jlo. Engagement ring images via onthejlo.com.

Nick Cannon's Engagement Ring Post on Instagram Sends Internet Into a Frenzy

Nick Cannon's Instagram post from this past Thursday sent the Internet into a frenzy as his 5.9 million followers and countless fans wondered if he was really engaged to model Bre Tiesi, or if the post was just a clever publicity stunt.

The Wild 'n Out host shared a photo of the couple embracing along with a closeup image of him opening a ring box containing a massive pear-shaped diamond. The caption read, "I said I would never do it again but… Finally doing what the world wants me to do…" He punctuated his sentiments with an engagement ring emoji.

By Friday evening, Cannon had come clean on Entertainment Tonight, admitting that he and Tiesi were not engaged. The teaser was intended to promote the official music video for his new release, "Eyes Closed." He told the viewers of ET that the song about “just going in with your eyes closed and being a hopeless romantic.”

In the video, Cannon and Tiesi are enjoying a romantic getaway in a luxury suite. He has the ring box hidden behind a potted plant on the dresser. The scene starts in the morning, but he doesn't get the courage to pop the question until that evening. The large pear-shaped stone is prominently shown as the couple embraces on the balcony with the city lights in the background. (In real life, Cannon and Tiesi are in a relationship and she is pregnant with his eighth child.)

Cannon confessed to BET that filming a video about getting engaged was "very scary" and that tying the knot again wasn't part of his near-term plans.

"That's a big step, especially [with] all that I got going on in my life. Just the hint of it shocked the world," he told BET. "If imma do that, I got to be really ready and prepared."

The "Eyes Closed" video ends with Cannon dressed in a white suit, playing a white grand piano. Eagle-eyed fans will notice that he seems to wearing his famous $2 million diamond-encrusted shoes — the same patent leather Tom Fords that he donned for the season finale of NBC's America's Got Talent in September of 2014.

Valued at $2 million and dripping with 14,000 full-cut diamonds set in white gold, the slip-ons were ordered by Cannon to deliver a “wow factor” to the Season 9 finale.

At the time, Beverly Hills jeweler Jason Arasheben told Matt Lauer of the Today Show that the shoes took 2,000 man-hours to create and feature 340 carats in diamonds. Lauer, who modeled the diamond loafers during the broadcast, joked that his calves were getting a workout.

“They are heavy,” Lauer said.

Cannon has publicly stated the shoes will eventually be sold, with he proceeds going to charity. For now, they seem to remain part of his extensive shoe collection.

In June 2017, Cannon showed off his diamond footwear for an online episode of Complex Closets. He revealed that he owns stunt-double shoes decorated with Swarovski crystals. They look similar to the diamond shoes, except for a thin strip of black leather that wraps the heel. The stunt-double shoes allow him to walk around freely without having to worry about extra security.

Credits: Nick Cannon "Eyes Closed" images via Instagram / Nick Cannon. Cannon at the piano screen capture via Youtube.com / Nick Cannon. Diamond shoes image via Instagram / jasonofbeverlyhills.

24,679-Gem Stunner Obliterates Record for 'Most Diamonds Set in One Ring'

India-based jewelry manufacturer SWA Diamonds just obliterated the Guinness World Record for the "Most Diamonds Set in One Ring" with its head-turning creation — "The Touch of Ami" — which sparkles with an astonishing 24,679 gems.

Inspired by the graceful, undulating layers of the pink oyster mushroom, SWA's design nearly doubled the number of natural diamonds employed by the previous record holder.

Indian jeweler Harshit Bansal had held the Guinness Record in this category since December 2020. His piece, dubbed “The Marigold – The Ring of Prosperity," turned heads with an eight-layer floral ring set with 12,638 diamonds.

SWA noted that the pink oyster mushroom symbolizes immortality, longevity and eternity. "Ami" is the Sanskrit word for immortality.

Rijisha TV, a post graduate in lifestyle accessory design from the National Institute of Design, is credited with conceiving "The Touch of Ami," a grueling process that took 90 days to achieve, according to SWA.

A five-minute video provided by SWA shows how "The Touch of Ami" came to be, from conception to completion. The manufacturer shares behind-the-scenes footage of how the origin sketches evolved into computer-aided designs. And then SWA takes the viewer through model making, casting, assembly, polishing and plating processes.

"Most Diamonds Set in One Ring" is a popular category for Guinness World Records. There have been five title holders since July of 2018. Just when you think you can't possibly fit any more diamonds onto a single ring, these designers have continued to push the boundaries.

Ranked 3rd - "The Divine – 7801 Brahma Vajra Kamalam" (October 2020). India-based jeweler Kotti Srikanth designs a 7,801-diamond ring inspired by the rare Brahma Kamalam flower, which is native to the Himalayas.

Ranked 4th - “Lotus Temple Ring” (August 2019). Lakshikaa Jewels of Mumbai fabricates the 7,777-diamond “Lotus Temple Ring,” which takes its inspiration from the famous Lotus Temple in Delhi.

Ranked 5th - "Lotus Ring" (July 2018). Indian jewelers Vishal and Khushbu Agarwal set 6,690 diamonds into an 18-karat rose gold ring that resembles a lotus flower.

SWA Diamonds is a brand owned by Capestone, one of South India's largest manufacturers of gold, diamond, and platinum ornaments based out of Karathode, Kerala, India.

Check out SWA's video below…

Credits: "The Touch of Ami Ring" pics courtesy of SWA Diamonds. Pink oyster mushroom photo by transcendancing, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Music Friday: How 'Diamond Ring' Lyrics Nearly Derailed Lynn Anderson's 'Rose Garden'

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you great throwback songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title. Today, we recount the story of how country music legend Lynn Anderson nearly lost an opportunity to record what would become her signature song — "Rose Garden" — due to the "diamond ring" lyrics in the second verse.

Anderson was a big fan of "Rose Garden," a tune penned in 1967 by Joe South and recorded by South and two other male artists from 1967 through 1969. She wanted to cover it for an upcoming album, but her producer (and husband) Glenn Sutton was adamant that "Rose Garden" was not a "girl's song" because of a key line that went like this: “I could promise you things like big diamond rings / But you don’t find roses growin’ on stalks of clover / So you better think it over.”

"I had objected to it because it was a man's song and I didn't wanna do it, but she kept bringin' it in with her – she loved it," Sutton told author Michael Kosser in the book, How Nashville Became Music City U.S.A (2006).

As luck would have it, Anderson had some extra time left in one of her studio sessions, and Sutton finally relented — with a few conditions. He insisted on adding an up-tempo arrangement accompanied by a mandolin player and a full string section.

Columbia Records executive Clive Davis was so impressed with the recording that he insisted the song be released as a single in October of 1970 for the country and pop markets.

The song not only topped the U.S. Billboard Country chart, but it also reached #3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and became a major hit internationally. It went to #1 in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland and Norway. “Rose Garden” is considered one of the most successful country crossover songs of all time.

Anderson told the Associated Press in 1987 that “Rose Garden” was perfectly timed to appeal to the youth of 1970.

“It was popular because it touched on emotions,” Anderson said. “It was [released] just as we came out of the Vietnam years and a lot of people were trying to recover. This song stated that you can make something out of nothing. You take it and go ahead.”

The song’s reprise, “I never promised you a rose garden,” essentially means “I never told you it was going to be easy.”

In 2019, Rolling Stone magazine included "Rose Garden" on its list of the "20 Songs That Defined the Early Seventies."

“Rose Garden” netted Anderson a Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance in 1971, while South picked up two Grammy nominations, one for “Best Country Song” and the other for “Song of the Year.”

Born in Grand Forks, N.D., Lynn Rene Anderson generated crossover hits throughout the 1970s and 1980s, and continued to tour until her death in July 2015 at the age of 67.

Singer Dolly Parton said at the time, “Lynn is blooming in God’s Rose Garden now. We will miss her and remember her fondly.”

Check out the video of Anderson's terrific live performance of “Rose Garden” in 2011. The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along. Enjoy!

“Rose Garden”
Written by Joe South. Performed by Lynn Anderson.

I beg your pardon
I never promised you a rose garden
Along with the sunshine
There’s gotta be a little rain some time
When you take you gotta give so live and let live
Or let go oh-whoa-whoa-whoa
I beg your pardon
I never promised you a rose garden

I could promise you things like big diamond rings
But you don’t find roses growin’ on stalks of clover
So you better think it over
Well if sweet-talkin’ you could make it come true
I would give you the world right now on a silver platter
But what would it matter
So smile for a while and let’s be jolly
Love shouldn’t be so melancholy
Come along and share the good times while we can

I beg your pardon
I never promised you a rose garden
Along with the sunshine
There’s gotta be a little rain some time

I beg your pardon
I never promised you a rose garden

I could sing you a tune and promise you the moon
But if that’s what it takes to hold you
I’d just as soon let you go
But there’s one thing I want you to know
You better look before you leap, still waters run deep
And there won’t always be someone there to pull you out
And you know what I’m talkin’ about
So smile for a while and let’s be jolly
Love shouldn’t be so melancholy
Come along and share the good times while we can

I beg your pardon
I never promised you a rose garden
Along with the sunshine
There’s gotta be a little rain some time,
I beg your pardon
I never promised you a rose garden

Credit: Photo by Mikiesmonkey, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.