Mark Loren Designs Blog

A Kansas baker warned her customers on Facebook last week to bite down gently on cookies purchased from Sis’ Sweets Cookies and Café in Leavenworth. You see, the owner's engagement diamond fell out of her ring at some point between rolling the dough and placing the uncooked treats in the oven — so there's a chance the bauble was baked right into a batch.



Baker Dawn "Sis" Monroe broadcast her alert via the store's Facebook page on the morning of Friday, April 5, just after she prepared the day's cookie dough and scoured the prep area unsuccessfully for her precious keepsake.

"Bonus if you buy cookies today. My diamond is missing," she wrote on Facebook. "My heart is beyond broken. It’s been on my hand for 36 years. If you happened find it, I would forever be in debt if you would return it. It’s a marquise cut."

She was particularly concerned about the customer who might bite down onto the precious stone, which Monroe estimates to be worth $4,000.

”Mainly ‘cause I don’t want anybody to break a tooth,” Monroe told Kansas City ABC-affiliated KMBC.

Based on the variety of cookies she prepared that Friday morning, she is certain the diamond would be one of three batches: chocolate chip, sugar or peanut butter.

She also said there might be "a ton" of free cookies for the person who returns the diamond.

The baker told KMBC that her husband had picked out the marquise-cut center stone especially for her and that she hadn't take the ring off in 36 years.

“I was crying, and all [my husband] could say was, ‘You still have me,’ so that made it all better," Monroe said.

On Thursday, April 11, Cherokee Street neighbor First City Cheese Market injected some levity into a sad situation when proprietor Ryan popped into Sis’ Sweets Cookies and Café with a "diamond" cookie. Essentially, it was an Oreo with a diamond-shaped decoration protruding from the cream center.

Monroe shared a pic of Ryan and the cookie on Facebook and wrote, "Someone came in [and] brought me a cookie with a diamond in it. It’s a Topaz! We have great neighbors. We all work together to help each other!! Love our community, it’s the best! Thanks Ryan."

The baker added a final note about the missing diamond: "NO it still hasn’t been found."

As of Sunday evening, April 14, the diamond had yet to turn up. The story, on the other hand, has gone viral and circulated around the globe — delivering unmeasurable publicity to the Leavenworth baker.

Credit: Image by BigStockPhoto.com.

Welcome to Music Friday when we feature wonderful tunes with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, introspective indie artist Briston Maroney sings about achieving his life-long dream of dating a girl with "eyes of gold" and then comes to the realization that he still feels empty in his 2017 release, "June."



He sings, "Well, I don't know, but I've been told / My woman, she's got eyes of gold / Well, I spend all day and I search all night / 'Til I see 'em in that perfect light / Oh, I'm gonna see 'em in that perfect light."

The term "eyes of gold" reflects songwriter's perception that the girl was beautiful, precious, perfect, unattainable.

According to Maroney, most people believe the song is about a college romance that ends after graduation. Throughout the song, he repeats the line, "Ain't it funny how I fell in love and then came June?"

But, in an interview with rockamag.com, Maroney revealed that the song actually reflects something "much bigger," a time in his life when many important relationships were breaking down and he didn't feel good about himself.

“I hated myself. I hated my friends, and my girlfriend at the time was so mean to me," he said. "Life had always gone up and down, but that time in my life felt different. I wrote to disconnect from everything.”

A year after releasing "June" as the first track of his Big Shot EP in 2017, he broke up with his girlfriend and dropped out of Lipscomb University in Nashville, where he studied music.

Born in Jacksonville, FL, in 1998 and brought up in Knoxville, TN, Maroney got his first taste of stardom at the age of 15, when he tried out for the 13th season of American Idol. After showing off his talent at one of the show's audition bus stops in his town, he was invited to perform in front of the American Idol judges in Salt Lake City. From there, he was sent to Hollywood as one of the 30 semi-finalists.

Maroney released his album Paradise in 2021 and followed it up with Ultrapure in 2023. The singer/songwriter will be making some high-profile appearances over the next few months: High Water 2024 (North Charleston, SC), Whale Jam 2024 (Boston, MA), Summerfest (Milwaukee, WI), Lollapalooza (Chicago, IL) and Osheaga Festival (Montreal, QC).

Please check out the video of Maroney performing "June" live at Studio C in Akron, OH, in August of 2023. The lyrics are below if you'd like to sing along…

"June"
Written and performed by Briston Maroney.

Pick up the phone to calm me down
I never got used to that ringing sound
And drinking out of the same cup
When I run low, you fill me up
Yeah, when I run low, you fill me up

So dress up in your finer things
And the smile can't hide anything
And pin the flower to my chest
And count the days that I've got left
Oh, I'll count the days that I've got left

And I don't know how we got so far away
From what I had in sight
Are you gonna sleep tonight?
And I don't know where it's gonna be a year from now
Or anyhow, how it's gonna be tonight?

Ain't it funny how I wanted this all my life?
Ain't it funny how I got it here and it don't seem right?
Ain't it funny how we all want to be someone new?
Ain't it funny how I fell in love and then came June?

Well, I don't know, but I've been told
My woman, she's got eyes of gold
Well, I spend all day and I search all night
'Til I see 'em in that perfect light
Oh, I'm gonna see 'em in that perfect light

And I don't know how we got so far away
From what I had in sight
Are you gonna sleep tonight?
And I don't know where it's gonna be a year from now
Or anyhow, how it's gonna be tonight

Ain't it funny how I wanted this all my life?
Ain't it funny how I got it here and it don't seem right?
Ain't it funny how we all want to be someone new?
Ain't it funny how I fell in love and then came June?

There you go, you let me walk away
With nothing left to say
Or think, or dream, or feel, or do, or be
Oh, but I give myself a week until I'm down on my knees
'Cause I can't find what I'm supposed to be

Ain't it funny how I wanted this all my life?
Ain't it funny how I got it here and it don't seem right?
Ain't it funny how we all want to be someone new?
Ain't it funny how I fell in love and then came June?
Ain't it funny how I wanted this, oh, all my life?
Ain't it funny how I got it here and it don't seem right?
Ain't it funny how we all want to be someone new?
Ain't it funny how I fell in love and then came June?
Ain't it funny how I fell in love and then came June?
Ain't it funny how I fell in love and then came June?
Ain't it funny how I fell in love and then came June?



Credit: Screen capture via Youtube.com / TheSummitFM.

A Botswana diamond exploration company is employing artificial intelligence (AI) to make sense of 380 gigabytes of survey data that will help identify the best places to find new deposits.



About the size of France, the landlocked Republic of Botswana in southern Africa produces more high-quality diamaonds than any other country in the world, except for Russia. Jwaneng, in southern Botswana, is regarded as the world's richest diamond mine, and Orapa, in northeast Botswana, is the world's largest diamond mine by area.

Making the monumental decision about where the country's next diamond mine should be leaves little room for error and is no easy task. In the case of Ireland-based Botswana Diamonds PLC, the decision requires the expert analysis of 260,000 files.

The exploration company's current database includes 32,000 drill hole logs, 228,000 soil sample results, 606 ground geophysical surveys and 375,000 km of airborne geophysical data.

"Our mineral database in Botswana is simply vast. Too big for timely analysis by humans," noted Botswana Diamonds chairman John Teeling. "Think of it, over 375,000 kms of geophysical data, and 32,000 drill holes logs."

The company will getting a big assist from Planetary AI Ltd Xplore, a mineral prospectivity technology that was developed in collaboration with the UK-based International Geoscience Services Limited.

According to Botswana Diamonds, Xplore is a system that uses a unique combination of semantic technology and machine learning. Semantic technology is a branch of artificial intelligence focused on understanding and representing the meaning of data, information and knowledge in a machine-readable format.

Computers can "understand" the meaning and context of geological data in much the same way a geologist would, in order to identify zones of prospective mineralization based on specific mineral deposit models.

The system acts much like a geologist, but can function quicker and more efficiently, according to the exploration company. Vast data-sets are processed though AI that finds logical gaps in the data and learns to correct them. This exercise is expected to yield fresh insights that will offer drillable targets previously unseen.

As an added bonus for Botswana Diamonds and the Republic of Botswana, the AI-supported analysis will yield information on other valuable minerals apart from diamonds.

The company acknowledges that its use of AI is in its infancy, but believes the future potential is huge.

Credit: Image by BigStockPhoto.com

During the April 7 episode of Gold Rush: White Water, Dustin Hurt and his mining team are moved to tears after pulling a near-6-ounce nugget from their Alaskan claim.



The extraordinary find — which is estimated to be worth more than $20,000 — came at a time when the crew was struggling to make ends meet. They saw the nugget as the late Fred Hurt's way of saying thanks to the team for following his crazy dream of white water gold mining.

Fred was 80 years old when he succumbed to brain cancer only four month's after being diagnosed with the disease. The veteran miner and father of Dustin was the inspiration behind Discovery Channel's second most popular show. He was an active cast member right until the end of his life.

The April 7 episode is titled "Fred's Golden Gift."



The clip, below, opens with crew member Carlos Minor trying to contain his emotions after finding the massive nugget in the sluice box of their white water mining operation.

"Holy stinking moly, man, you see the size of that nugget?" Minor asks a member of the TV production team as he points to the heavens. "I wish Fred was here to see that. I literally do. Amen, amen, double amen, oh wow!"

Dustin reminded the show's fans that Fred was the one who assembled the team and got them to their current claim.



"He's still here with us. He's helping us out. I know he'd be so proud right now," said Dustin. "So this is definitely the high that we needed today. It's been seven years just killing ourselves and now we got this badass nugget that's just kind of like a trophy."

He continued, "We stuck it out. We put in the effort. We finally figured out the right place and the right technique. We got this. Now let's do great."

The narrator then explains that Minor's discovery is proof that there's ancient gold "here for the taking."

At their camp site, the crew members gathered to celebrate the giant find, pay homage to Fred and to determine the actual weight of the giant-sized nugget.



They put the nugget on the scale and it weighed in at 5.81 ounces, which translate into a gold value of $13,671.



Dustin explained that nuggets that size deliver extra value as specimen pieces, so it may be worth almost double the spot gold price.

The 47-year-old crew leader noted that the surprising find could be just the beginning of what may be discovered at Nugget Creek.

"There were stories up until today, but it's a reality for us now that there are big nuggets in this creek," he said. "I absolutely guarantee it."



Credits: Screen captures via Youtube.com / Discovery.

Sparkling with 250 diamonds weighing a total of 4.10 carats, the Columbus Crew's 2023 MLS Cup ring celebrates the team's third championship and tells the story of an inspiring playoff campaign and a franchise steeped in soccer tradition.



The Crew’s journey to the MLS Cup was one of determination, resilience, tenacity and emotion. After multiple hard-fought matches leading up to a final showdown with defending champion LAFC, the Black & Gold emerged victorious and became one of only three clubs with three MLS titles (2008, 2020 and 2023).

“Like earning a championship, this ring is timeless and represents the meaningful moments, emotions and most importantly people who worked together to accomplish this exceptional goal, including our supporters,” said president and general manager Tim Bezbatchenko.

Designed by Jostens, the 10-karat yellow gold ring features the Columbus Crew crest rendered in diamonds against a striking black background crafted from a custom-cut onyx. The 57 diamonds in the crest are symbolic of the club’s regular season point total — a number that tied an all-time franchise record.

The three beveled golden stars sitting just above the crest are a nod to the Crew’s three MLS Cups.

To the left and right of the crest is the phrase “MLS CUP CHAMPIONS” rendered in raised gold capital letters against a black background.

To honor a fanbase that helped create a tremendous home field advantage throughout the year, Jostens added a row of nine diamonds to the top and bottom of the ring top edges. When combined the 18 diamonds represent the club-best 18 MLS home matches played in front of capacity crowds at Lower.com Field in 2023.



The left side of the ring shows the player's name in raised gold letters against the backdrop of the iconic black-and-gold isometric brand pattern that’s also featured on the Crew’s VeloCITY jersey. Just below the player's name is a jersey number rendered in diamonds. Above the name are the words COLUMBUS CREW in raised gold letters on a black background.

The right side of the ring shows the 2023 “ALL TOGETHER NOW” mantra, as well as the championship year in raised gold lettering. The 29 diamonds that make up the MLS Cup pays homage to the club's status as MLS' "First Club," which is now embarking on its 29th season. Twenty-nine is also the number of franchises currently in the MLS. (The inaugural season included 10 teams). The background of the ring's right side also utilizes the isometric brand pattern.

The story of the season continues on the inside of the ring. This is where the results from the 2023 playoffs and abbreviations of the Crew's opponents are displayed next to the Crew smokestack.

The inner palm of the ring displays the date of the MLS Cup, 12-9-23, and the exterior palm features the phrase, “IMPOSSIBLE IS AN OPINION,” which is a quote shared by head coach Wilfried Nancy that deeply resonated with the team, supporters and the city.

“We appreciate Jostens’ care, thoughtfulness and craftsmanship to help design a ring that is fitting for the Crew’s incredible story in 2023 and winning our Club’s third MLS championship,” said Crew Vice President of Soccer Administration & Operations Jaime McMillan. “As MLS’ First Club, it was important to our team that this ring properly reflected our history, season and city, and Jostens did a fantastic job of incorporating those elements into an elegant presentation.”

Credits: Images courtesy of Jostens.

Determined to keep her relationship status with pro football player Nnamdi Asomugha a secret, actress Kerry Washington pinned her engagement ring to her "undergarments" — for three years.



"I loved my ring so much, so I would sleep in it at night, and then in the morning, I would pin it to my undergarments so that nobody knew we were engaged," she told James Corden during a recent appearance on his SiriusXM show, This Life of Mine.

She explained that she took extreme measures to keep their three-year engagement and summer 2013 wedding hidden from the prying eyes of the paparazzi because they were both going through a "really crazy time."

"He had a groundbreaking, record-breaking contract... and he had been in three or four Pro Bowls, you know," she told Corden. "When I met him, he was on the cover of Sports Illustrated (August 2011), and I was on this hit show (Scandal, 124 episodes).

When Washington finally revealed her bridal jewelry in August of 2013 during a Television Critics Association event in Beverly Hills, fashion writers weren't sure if the ring was a wedding band, eternity band, engagement ring or some combination of the three.

Glamour.com contributor Kim Fusaro opined at the time, "So we finally got a glimpse at her ring finger, which is sporting a dainty diamond band stacked on top of a plain gold one. I'm not sure if the diamond band is an engagement ring {I do LOVE an eternity band engagement ring!} or if the two rings are a wedding set, but either way, I adore how gorgeously understated they are."

Prior to August 2013, however, her ring remained pinned — and out of sight.

"We kept our relationship very private when we were dating, I think mostly because we just wanted to protect ourselves and each other," the 47-year-old told Corden.

The Golden Globe winner had been previously engaged to actor David Moscow from October 2004 to March 2007, and when they broke up, the actress was inconveniently appearing on the cover of a bridal style magazine.

"I think it's really hard when people have a lot to say about your relationship," she said during the SiriusXM interview. "I had been in a really public engagement that, when it ended, I was in the unfortunate position of being on the cover of a bridal magazine, and it was a bridal magazine that came out quarterly, so for three months I walked around and I thought: 'I think I'm done talking about my personal life in the public.'"

Washington and Asomugha tied the knot during a top-secret Idaho event in June of 2013 and honeymooned at a remote resort off the coast of Zanzibar, Tanzania.

There, she collected shells that remain among her most prized possessions. She told Corden that they represent the "happiest two weeks" of her life.

"Whenever I look at that collection of shells, it reminds me of the space that we gave ourselves to start our life together as a couple in this really sacred way," she said. "You know, having this sort of very private, secretive wedding and then just jumping off into this very remote place to really begin our lives together. I love that. I love that jar. It always makes me feel so grateful for the life that I have."

Credit: Image by Daniel Benavides from Austin, TX, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons..

Welcome to Music Friday when we unravel the mysteries behind famous songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, we're bending the rules a bit to visit Carly Simon's 1972 hit, "You're So Vain," the most popular song ever to use the phrase "total eclipse of the sun."



This is a particularly timely subject because on Monday, April 8, a rare total eclipse — and the resulting "Diamond Ring Effect" — will be visible to curious sky gazers on a long, bending path that starts at the Texas/Mexico border and exits in the Maritime provinces of Canada. The next total eclipse to span North America will take place in 2045.

In the famous line from Simon's chart topper, she sings, "Well, I hear you went up to Saratoga / And your horse naturally won / Then you flew your Learjet up to Nova Scotia / To see the total eclipse of the sun."

On Monday, at exactly 4:39 pm Atlantic Daylight Time, viewers in Nova Scotia will see the extraordinary celestial display mentioned in the song. The “Diamond Ring Effect” occurs when the moon completely masks out the sun during a total solar eclipse.

Due to the rugged lunar landscape, the black outline of the moon is not smooth. Tiny beads of sunlight can still shine through in some places and not in others as the moon slowly grazes past the sun. These are called Baily’s Beads. When only one dazzling “bead” remains, momentarily, the view of the eclipse resembles a diamond ring. The ring’s glow is produced by the sun’s corona remaining dimly visible around the lunar silhouette. This phenomenon was first explained by Francis Baily in 1836.

The Diamond Ring Effect will actually happen twice on April 8. The first time will occur in the moment just before the total eclipse, and the second will occur just after the total eclipse.

Now, back to the song…

Historically speaking, Simon's reference to Nova Scotia's total eclipse seems plausible. That Canadian province did, in fact, experience a total eclipse on March 7, 1970. Simon wrote the song in 1971 and released it in November of 1972. It appears on her third studio album, No Secrets.

For 52 years, fans and music critics have wondered out loud about the identity of Simon's vain character. Was it Warren Beatty or James Taylor or Kris Kristofferson or Mick Jagger or Jack Nicholson or Cat Stevens?

In 1974, she told Modern Hi-Fi and Music: "That song is about a lot of people. I mean I can think of a lot of people. The actual examples that I've used in the song are from my imagination, but the stimulus is directly from a couple of different sources. It's not just about one particular person."

In 2012, Simon revealed to variety.com the inspiration behind the guy wearing the apricot-colored scarf in the first verse.

“In the case of ‘You’re So Vain’ I had the chorus: ‘You’re so vain/You probably think this song is about you.’ I had that written on a piece of paper a year before I got the rest of the song. I thought, ‘that’s kind of funny, it’s sort of a nice twist’ so I put it down in my notebook," she said.

"And then about a year later I was at a party at my sister’s apartment and a man walked into the party with a big long scarf and he looked at the mirror, which was right as you entered the front door, and he whisked his scarf around his neck as he saw himself and he tilted his hat slightly to the left. I thought, ‘Wow, he’s really vain…'"

Simon offered more details about the second verse while promoting her memoir Boys in the Trees in 2015. That's when she confirmed that the guy who "gave away the things he loved" was Beatty.

"Warren thinks the whole thing is about him," she said.

The guy in the third verse with the racehorses, LearJet and interest in the solar eclipse has yet to be identified conclusively. She offered a clue in her 2010 remake of "You're So Vain," where she whispers the name "David."

Some have concluded that it must be record executive David Geffen, who has owned racehorses. Simon pushed back in an email to Showbiz 411, saying that she had yet to meet Geffen when she wrote the song in 1971. On his radio show, Howard Stern claimed that Simon told him the identity of the mystery person, and it was definitely not Geffen.

So the intrigue will linger a bit longer. Simon celebrated her 80th birthday in June of 2023. Beatty is 87 and Geffen is 81.

Trivia: Jagger sings the memorable ("Don't you? Don't You?") backing vocals on the original track. He is uncredited on the album jacket.

Please check out the video of Simon's spectacular live performance of "You're So Vain." The lyrics are below if you'd like to sing along…

"You're So Vain"
Written and performed by Carly Simon.

Son of a gun

You walked into the party like you were walking onto a yacht
Your hat strategically dipped below one eye
Your scarf it was apricot
You had one eye in the mirror, as you watched yourself gavotte

And all the girls dreamed that they'd be your partner
They'd be your partner and

You're so vain
You probably think this song is about you
You're so vain (you're so vain)
I'll bet you think this song is about you
Don't you? Don't you?

You had me several years ago when I was still quite naive
Well, you said that we made such a pretty pair and that you would never leave
But you gave away the things you loved
And one of them was me

I had some dreams, they were clouds in my coffee
Clouds in my coffee and

You're so vain
You probably think this song is about you
You're so vain (you're so vain)
I'll bet you think this song is about you
Don't you? Don't you? Don't you?

I had some dreams, they were clouds in my coffee
Clouds in my coffee and

You're so vain
You probably think this song is about you
You're so vain (you're so vain)
I'll bet you think this song is about you
Don't you? Don't you?

Well, I hear you went up to Saratoga
And your horse naturally won
Then you flew your Learjet up to Nova Scotia
To see the total eclipse of the sun
Well, you're where you should be all the time
And when you're not
You're with some underworld spy or the wife of a close friend
Wife of a close friend and

You're so vain
You probably think this song is about you
You're so vain (so vain)
I'll bet you think this song is about you
Don't you? Don't you? Don't you now?

You're so vain
You probably think this song is about you
You're so vain
You probably think this song is about you
You're so vain
You probably think this song is about you



Credit: Screen capture via Youtube.com / Carly Simon.

Sammi "Sweetheart" Giancola, one of the original cast members of MTV's hit series Jersey Shore, turned to Instagram on Monday to announce her engagement to boyfriend Justin May — and to show off her new diamond ring.



The 37-year-old told her 3.8 million followers that she was the "happiest and luckiest girl in the world" and shared closeup shots of a prong-set round diamond solitaire on a thin yellow gold band.



Giancola's new bling mirrors the recent resurgence of yellow gold and solitaire settings, as reported in The Knot's 2023 “Real Weddings Study.”

In a post sprinkled with a series of emojis, including an engagement ring, red and white hearts and a "loudly crying face," Giancola wrote, "Life update: Fiancé 3.16.24. The easiest question I’ve ever answered. I’ll love you forever and then some."



And because she made the announcement on April 1, the reality star was sure to include a note that clarified that her post was “Not an April fools joke.”

May posted a similar series of pics on his Instagram page and captioned them with this sweet sentiment: "She said yes! Can’t wait to Marry my best friend! Love you so much babe! Can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you!"

Giancola was one of the original eight cast members of Jersey Shore, which ran for six seasons from December 2009 to December 2012 and spawned numerous spinoffs and sequels, including Jersey Shore: Family Vacation, which she rejoined in 2023 after a decade away from the MTV franchise.

Jersey Shore castmates were quick to jump into the comments thread of Giancola's Instagram page to add their well wishes.

Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino wrote, “Congratulations!! Love Love” punctuated by a clapping hands emoji, while Paul "Pauly D" DelVecchio added, "Ayeeeee congrats," alongside champagne and clapping hand emojis.

Giancola and May, who have been dating since 2021, have yet to pick a wedding date.

Credits: Images via Instagram / sammisweetheart.

In honor of April’s official birthstone, we shine our spotlight today on a scintillating and spectacular item from the Smithsonian National Gem Collection. Gifted to Empress Marie Louise by French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte in 1811 to celebrate the birth of their son, Napoleon II, the "Napoleon Diamond Necklace" is now an American treasure.



Before taking residence in the Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems and Minerals in Washington, DC, the 234-diamond, 260-carat neckpiece was owned for a very short time by American businesswoman and socialite Marjorie Merriweather Post.

The necklace, which was designed by Etienne Nitôt and Sons of Paris, consists of an inner circle made up of 28 old mine-cut diamonds, suspending a fringe of nine “pendeloques” (five pear shapes alternating with four ovals) and 10 briolettes.

Mounted above each pear shape is a small round brilliant diamond, while the four ovals are attached to motifs decorated with 23 smaller diamonds. Each of the 10 briolette mountings is accented with 12 rose-cut diamonds. The largest single diamond in the piece weighs approximately 10.4 carats.

According to the Smithsonian, when Marie Louise died in 1847, the necklace was given to her sister-in-law, Archduchess Sophie of Austria. The necklace was bequeathed in 1872 to the Archduchess’ son, Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria. The necklace remained in the Austrian royal family until 1948, when Archduke Ludwig’s grandson, Prince Franz Joseph of Liechtenstein, sold it to a French collector who, in turn, sold it to Harry Winston, Inc., in 1960.

Post, the heiress to the Post cereal fortune and a big fan of Napoleonic jewelry, was one of the richest women in the world when she acquired the necklace — in its original case — from Winston that same year. In 1962, she donated it to the Smithsonian Institution.

Post was not only famous for her business acumen and acts of philanthropy, she was also the original owner of Mar-a-Lago, which she built in Palm Beach, FL, between 1924 and 1927. Post died in 1973 at the age of 86. Former president Donald J. Trump acquired the 126-room, 62,500-square-foot mansion in 1985.

Credit: Photo courtesy of Smithsonian/Chip Clark and digitally enhanced by SquareMoose.

The 703-carat "L’Heure Bleu" recently earned Guinness honors as the world's largest cut tanzanite.



Carved by New York City-based artist Naomi Sarna, L’Heure Bleu was officially weighed in at the Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks & Minerals, Hillsboro, OR, by Guinness World Records adjudicator, Michael Empric.

Several years ago, Sarna was invited to travel to the tanzanite mines located in the foothills of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania — the only place in the world where the mesmerizing blue-violet gemstone is found. She was asked to create a carving for an international competition that would also benefit the Maasai people and was presented with several large tanzanite crystals that might suit her vision.

The result was Sarna's hand-carved L’Heure Bleu, a beautiful piece that would capture a First-Place Spectrum Award for carving from the American Gem Trade Association. The gem's name means The Blue Hour in French. It's a term to describe the time of twilight when there is neither full daylight or complete darkness.

The gem is mounted on a twisted sterling silver base inspired by the winds of Tanzania’s Great Rift Valley. The entire piece measures 6 inches tall, 4 3/4 inches wide and 2 inches deep.

During her trip to the ancestral land of the Maasai, the designer spent time with the Maasai women and taught them how to make wire-wrap jewelry from tanzanite. She also learned that many of the locals suffer from trachoma, a bacterial infection that causes vision loss and blindness.

Sarna pledged that when she sells her award-winning L’Heure Bleu carving, she will donate the profits to the world-renowned Portland-based Casey Eye Institute to provide eye care to the Maasai.

“The Guinness World Records brings international recognition and attention to my tanzanite carving L'Heure Bleu," stated Sarna. "This recognition gives great strength to my promise to help the Maasai with their vision difficulties.”

“The Casey Eye Institute is in Naomi’s debt," commented Dr. Andreas K. Lauer, director, Casey Eye Institute. "In the future, patients, their families and the Maasai community will feel her passion and love as they express it through their smiles and joy from improved vision.”

Credits: Images courtesy of Naomi Sarna Designs.