Re -Train Your Brain To Happiness: 25 Things You Didn't Know About Jewelry

November 19, 2014

For most of history people have worn, traded, and given worth to rare jewels and gemstones. Even if you consider yourself an expert on the topic, however, you'll probably still find something interesting in these 25 things you didn't know about jewelry.

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In some cultures people would swallow pearls whole to relieve sickness

The largest pearl ever found was 14 pounds

Tiffany and Co. engagement rings had a price tag of $40 in 1896

The Queen of England's jewelry collection is worth an estimated $57 million dollars.
(I think they mean her personal collection and not the Crown Jewels. Still, I'm sure it is worth more than that!)

The Heart of the Ocean, from James Cameron's "Titanic" was not completely fictitious -- it is believed that a rather large sapphire went down with Titanic on that fateful night.

All diamonds turn to graphite over an extremely long period of time.

While diamonds are one of the hardest substances in nature (although recent research has proved otherwise), synthetic nanomaterials have been created that are much harder.

Although diamonds are hard, they are not strong. If you hit one with a hammer it will shatter.

Engagement rings were declared necessary for marriage by Pope Nicholas I in 860 A.D.
(Ed: not necessarily with diamonds.)

Opals can actually be up to 30% water.

Cartier introduced platinum to jewelry in 1896.

Extremely high quality emeralds are more valuable than diamonds.

Pure gold is always yellow and changes color when different metals are added to it.

One of the largest sapphires is known as the Star of Asia, which is currently housed at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.

All the gold ever mined in the history of the world can be compressed into an 18-yard cube, roughly 1/10 of the Washington Monument.

There are 10 billion tons of gold in all the oceans.

Pearls are only formed in 1 out of every 10,000 oysters.

One in a million mined diamonds become jewelry.

The U.S. is the world's largest consumer of diamonds.

3 out of 4 American brides receive engagement rings with gold and diamonds.

All diamonds are over 3 billion years old.

The most expensive piece of jewelry created for a movie was Nicole Kidman's necklace in Moulin Rouge. It is expected to sell for $1 million.

The twelve birthstones came from the twelve tribes of Israel.

Wedding bands are worn on the "ring finger" because people used to believe that there is a vein connecting to the heart within it.

After millions upon millions of years, it is assumed that the Sun will become one large diamond-star!

With thanks to You Tube and Billionaires Australia

A few related posts:
The Most Expensive Coloured Diamonds in the World
"Pink Star" Diamond sells for record $89m

Elizabeth Taylor's famous pearl sells for $11.84m at NYC auction

Sotheby's to sell 400-year-old diamond - The Beau Sancy

Christie's To Auction 'Perfect' Diamond: Mined in Botswana

White diamond set to fetch record $39 million at Sotheby's auction

Archduke Joseph Gem To Fetch At Least $15m at Auction