An Aussie prospector struck it rich when his metal detector pinpointed the location of an 87-ounce gold nugget that was buried barely six inches under the surface near the famous gold-bearing town of Wedderburn in Central Victoria.

 

The “Fair Dinkum” nugget has a precious metal value of nearly $102,000, but 42-year-old Mick Brown from Kerang, Australia, believes his nugget will be worth twice that much to the right collector.



"Sometimes they do say, “Gold is worth twice its weight in gold if it's a really nice looking nugget,’" he told The Age.



Brown is confident his nugget will earn top dollar. “It’s got good grooves and moves,” he said.

In October 2014, a 97-ounce gold nugget found with a metal detector in Northern California’s fabled Gold Rush Country was sold to an anonymous buyer for $400,000.

Gold prospectors like to name their memorable finds, and Brown is no exception. He’s calling his nugget “Fair Dinkum,” an Aussie term that means “for real.”

Brown told The Age that when people feel its weight they say, "Fair dinkum this is huge.”

The lucky Aussie must thank his wife for encouraging him to get out of the house on the day he found the nugget. According to Brown’s account in The Age, he was irritable because he was a couple of weeks into giving up smoking. His wife advised him to leave the house for some fresh air. He ended up traveling 64 miles south to Wedderburn — a location he had prospected before.



Brown described how his metal detector reacted to the huge chunk of gold in the ground. “That just blew me ears off, as you can imagine,” he said, referring to the alert signal from the device.



After digging down only about six inches, he was able to grab onto the horn-like protrusions of the “Fair Dinkum” nugget and pulled it from the ground.

At first he thought it was a big blob of copper, but then he realized it was gold. He “cracked a can” (drank a beer) to celebrate.

Brown did not reveal the exact location of his find for fear of starting a gold rush. He wasn’t shy, however, about showing off the “Fair Dinkum” nugget.

"[Am I supposed to say,] 'Yeah, I've found a nugget, but you can't look at it?'" he quipped. "It's cool [to show it], and it's given everyone a good little rev up."

Brown reported that with the money earned from the sale of the nugget he will purchase a home spa for his wife and four daughters.

Despite his big payday, Brown is still motivated to bring home an even bigger nugget one day. "There are some big 10 kilo jobs out there," he said.

Brown’s “Fair Dinkum” — although sizeable — is far from the largest nugget to emerge from the Aussie countryside. In 1981, the 256-ounce “Pride of Australia” was unearthed nearby in Mosquito Gully, just north of Wedderburn.  Images: Screen captures via 9NEWS, Australia    http://joantaras.com

An Aussie bride interrupted her own wedding ceremony to perform an impressive rendition of Meghan Trainor’s brand new doo-wop-inspired release, “Dear Future Husband,” a song that lists a number of factors her beau needs to know about her before tying the knot.



Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you great songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Despite the fact that “Dear Future Husband” was officially released only three days ago, fans of Trainor are already familiar with the ditty’s sing-along catchphrase, “Buy me a ring, buy-buy me a ring, (babe).”

The bride from Adelaide, Tiffany Turner, is a huge Meghan Trainor fan — so much so that she decided to interrupt the clergywoman at her own wedding to serenade her husband-to-be William Banton with a few lyrical words of wisdom.



The picturesque wedding ceremony at the Old Wisanger School on Kangaroo Island in South Australia started as many others, with the clergywoman stating, “Ladies and gentlemen, William and Tiffany have declared before us that they will live together in matr--.”

But, before she could complete the word “matrimony,” Turner cut in.

“Vicky,” she said. “I forgot something...”



Then, one of Turner’s bridesmaids helped her secure a head-worn microphone, the music started and the rest is YouTube history.

Turner’s performance of “Dear Future Husband” became a viral hit on the video-sharing website, with more than 121,000 views. What’s even more impressive is that Meghan Trainor herself saw the video and offered the couple her best wishes via Twitter.



On January 19, Trainor tweeted, “Congrats you too,” although she probably meant to say, “Congrats, you two.” Nevertheless, the talented bride — who happens to be the proprietor of kids party entertainment company “Bop Till You Drop” — was floored by the response.

“Feeling famous, love it!” Turner commented on Twitter.

“Dear Future Husband” is the third single released from Trainor’s studio album Title, which made its debut in January at the top of the Billboard 200 Album chart.

Turner’s cover of Trainor’s soon-to-be Top 40 hit is guaranteed to make you smile. Check out the video and lyrics below. We’re also providing a second video of Trainor’s original version. The official music video has yet to be released, but the audio-only version has been viewed 25.5 million times. Enjoy.

"Dear Future Husband"Written by Meghan Trainor and Kevin Kadish. Performed by Meghan Trainor.

Dear future husband,
Here's a few things
You'll need to know if you wanna be
My one and only all my life

Take me on a date
I deserve it, babe
And don't forget the flowers every anniversary
'Cause if you'll treat me right
I'll be the perfect wife
Buying groceries
Buy-buying what you need

You got that 9 to 5
But, baby, so do I
So don't be thinking I'll be home and baking apple pies
I never learned to cook
But I can write a hook
Sing along with me
Sing-sing along with me (hey)

You gotta know how to treat me like a lady
Even when I'm acting crazy
Tell me everything's alright

Dear future husband,
Here's a few things you'll need to know if you wanna be
My one and only all my life
Dear future husband,
If you wanna get that special lovin'
Tell me I'm beautiful each and every night

After every fight
Just apologize
And maybe then I'll let you try and rock my body right
Even if I was wrong
You know I'm never wrong
Why disagree?
Why, why disagree?

You gotta know how to treat me like a lady
Even when I'm acting crazy
Tell me everything's alright

Dear future husband,
Here's a few things
You'll need to know if you wanna be
My one and only all my life (hey, baby)
Dear future husband,
Make time for me
Don't leave me lonely
And know we'll never see your family more than mine

I'll be sleeping on the left side of the bed (hey)
Open doors for me and you might get some kisses
Don't have a dirty mind
Just be a classy guy
Buy me a ring
Buy-buy me a ring, (babe)

You gotta know how to treat me like a lady
Even when I'm acting crazy
Tell me everything's alright

Dear future husband,
Here's a few things
You'll need to know if you wanna be
My one and only all my life
Dear future husband,
If you wanna get that special loving
Tell me I'm beautiful each and every night

Future husband, better love me right





Images: Youtube screen captures, Facebook/TiffanyBanton

An Argyle pink diamond represents the sun setting behind an iconic 1,500-year-old boab tree in a brand new — and strikingly unusual — 22-karat pink gold coin unveiled Tuesday by The Perth Mint.



Each coin in the limited mintage of 500 is hand set with a round .04-carat pink diamond. This is the first time a diamond has been incorporated into the design of an Australian legal tender gold coin.  (See coin jewelry at http://joantaras.com/Bracelets/double-chain-coin-bracelet)



Named “Kimberley Sunset,” the stunning two-ounce coins celebrate the Kimberley region of Western Australia, where spectacular sunsets ignite the evening sky with vivid pink, orange, red, purple and blue hues.

Kimberley is also home of Rio Tinto’s Argyle mine, which has produced 90% of the world’s pink diamonds, but is expected to cease operations in about five years.

The 22-karat pink coins are made from 91.67% gold and 8.33% copper. (The copper gives the coin its the pink color). Each coin contains two ounces of pure gold.

Each proof-quality coin has a denominational value of $500, but costs $6,000 to purchase.

The face of the coin features a beautiful high-relief rendering of a boab tree, which famously live 1,500 years or longer in the Aussie wilderness. The pink diamond is set just above the horizon on the left side of the coin. Etched sunrays radiate from the gem. Around the edge of the coin is the phrase “KIMBERLEY SUNSET," the year "2015," and the designation “2oz FINE GOLD.”



The coin’s obverse features the Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Elizabeth II encircled by the Queen's name, the country of origin and the monetary denomination of "500 DOLLARS."



Each coin is housed in a black designer case and is accompanied by a numbered certificate of authenticity.



Images: The Perth Mint, YouTube screen capture

When Queen Elizabeth II was coronated in 1953, the president and people of Brazil presented her with a necklace and matching pendant earrings that glistened with aquamarines and diamonds.



The Queen was so enamored of the gifts that the parure soon grew to include a bracelet, brooch and tiara. Today, the Queen’s aquamarine jewelry is the world’s most famous ensemble featuring March’s official birthstone.

Legend states that it took the Brazilians one full year to collect the nine perfectly matched square-cut aquamarines and larger aquamarine drop pendant that made up the platinum necklace gifted to the Queen in 1953.

Her Majesty loved the gift so much that she commissioned the royal jeweler Garrard to create a matching tiara in 1957. The tiara’s three large aquamarines were each detachable and could double as brooches. The large central stone of the tiara was originally the pendant that dangled from the necklace gift of 1953.

One year later, the Brazilian government further delighted the British monarch with an add-on gift that included a lavish bracelet featuring seven large aquamarines set in a cluster of diamonds, and a square aquamarine brooch accented with diamonds.

The tiara underwent a transformation in 1971 when it was redesigned to include four aquamarine-adorned scroll ornaments that were given to the Queen by the Governor of São Paulo in 1968.

According to a web site that reports on the Queen’s style, Elizabeth II has worn the aquamarine parure — both the full ensemble and elements of it — “quite often.”

In September, Elizabeth II will become the longest reigning monarch in British history, surpassing the record held by her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria.  Joantaras.com

Images: Royal Collection

In Dunedin, Fla., two city workers are being hailed as "angels" for their heroic efforts in aiding a widow who accidentally flushed her cherished engagement ring down a toilet only two weeks after losing her husband to cancer.



When Steve and Cindy Pike married in 1979, Steve couldn’t afford to buy the ring of Cindy’s dreams. But, in October 2014, as the retired sheriff’s deputy battled multiple myeloma, he proudly presented his wife with a princess-cut diamond ring set in yellow gold with diamond accents on the band, according to FOX 13 in Tampa.



"Thirty-five years later, he saved up enough money to get me my engagement ring that he had always wanted to give me," Cindy said.

On January 29, Steve succumbed to his five-year fight with the aggressive blood disease and the ring became an even more important symbol of their love and life together.



Then, only two weeks later, Cindy did the unthinkable. She accidentally dropped her new engagement ring in the toilet, and in one flush, it was gone.

"It just went down and I screamed, thinking I'll never see this ring again," she told FOX 13.

A local plumber told her there was no hope to get her ring back, but her friends advised her to call the City of Dunedin.



City workers Jeff Givens and Brad Young arrived at her home with a plan — a plan they would implement on their own time.

Four hours after their shift had ended, the dedicated city workers were back at Cindy’s house, running a flexible camera into her sewer line to try to view where the ring may have ended up. Eventually they found what they were looking for.

"At that point, I felt pretty good that we were going to get it," Young said.

They dug a four-foot deep hole in her backyard to access the main pipe. Then, using a plastic bag as a filter and a high-power hose, they flushed her system.

Then Cindy got the news she’d hoped for. “Brad came to the door and said, ‘We see the ring,’” Cindy said.



“To me, they’re my angels and always will be," she said. "And I think we’ll always be friends.”

Cindy offered a monetary reward, but the men wouldn't take it.

"Knowing what she was going through and in the stress that she was under, it meant a lot to me to be able to help her out," Young told FOX 13.

The workers said that Cindy actually helped their efforts by not allowing any water to run in the house after the ring went down the toilet.  joantaras.com

Screen captures via FOX 13

Attendees of the recent Doha Watch and Jewellery Exhibition in Qatar got a first-hand look at Fabergé’s extraordinary $2 million “Pearl Egg,” the first “imperial class” egg released by the design house in nearly 100 years.



Set in white and yellow gold and gleaming with a mother-of-pearl exterior, the egg is adorned with 139 natural white pearls, 3,305 diamonds and carved rock crystal. Mimicking the way an oyster opens to reveal a cultured pearl, the Fabergé egg opens to reveal a unique, 12.17-carat grey natural pearl sourced from the Arabian Gulf.



A special feature of the egg is that its entire outer shell rotates on its base, which simultaneously opens six sections to unveil the tiny treasures inside.

The House of Fabergé collaborated with the Al-Fardan family of world-renowned pearl collectors to design the unique “imperial class” egg — just in time for the forthcoming centenary marking the last Fabergé Imperial Eggs ever delivered. The natural pearls adorning the egg were hand selected by Hussain Ibrahim Al-Fardan from his personal collection.

“I have a passion for natural pearls and it took me many years to build my current collection gathering some of the most extraordinary pearls in the world," said Al-Fardan. "Fabergé has a great history in making jewelry for royalty, and a truly precious Fabergé Egg is a luxury treasure and the symbol of a long-gone era of opulence. This is why I partnered with Fabergé to combine these two traditional treasures: the Fabergé Egg and natural Arabian Gulf pearls, to create an exceptional piece.”

Peter Carl Fabergé and his company designed 50 bejeweled eggs for the Russian Imperial Family from 1885 to 1917. Alexander III and Nicholas II commissioned the most famous “Imperial” eggs as Easter gifts for their wives and mothers. The meticulously crafted objets d’art were produced up until the Russian Revolution, when the Fabergé family fled Russia.



Until last year, eight of the 50 Imperial Easter Eggs had been unaccounted for. Then in March 2014, we learned that a Midwestern scrap metal dealer made the find of a lifetime when he unknowingly scooped up one of the missing Fabergé Imperial Eggs at a flea market for just $14,000.



The buyer’s original intention was to make a quick profit by melting down the egg for its gold content, but he soon realized that he possessed a Fabergé egg that dated back to the late 19th century.

The unnamed scrap dealer sold the egg to an anonymous collector for an undisclosed price, presumed by experts to be upwards of $33 million.

Images: “Pearl Egg” via Faberge; Flea market egg courtesy of Wartski.