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Three Texas boaters missing for more than a week were reunited with their families early Sunday after they were found alive, sitting on top of their capsized catamaran 180 miles from land, the Coast Guard said.
Tressel Hawkins, one of three men stranded on a capsized catamaran in the Gulf of Mexico for more than a week, said the boat overturned so quickly they didn’t have time to make an emergency call on the radio.
The find comes one day after the Coast Guard ended their search for 28-year-old Curtis Hall of Palacios, 43-year-old Tressel Hawkins of Markham and 30-year-old boat owner James Phillips of Blessing.
Their ordeal began when Watchstanders at Sector Houston-Galveston received a call from the Matagorda Police Department reporting the men overdue from a fishing trip. Coast Guard aircraft, cutter and small boat crews had searched approximately 86,000 square miles, but could not find the boaters.
Saturday night, a pleasure boat found the men floating out at sea. The three men were reportedly found sitting on top of their capsized 23-foot-Sea Chaser Catamaran.
The boaters were found sitting on top of the capsized 23-foot-Sea Chaser Catamaran owned by James Phillips of Blessing.
Crewmembers from the Affordable Fantasy vessel rescued the missing men. A small boat crew from Coast Guard Station Port Aransas met the Good Samaritan vessel approximately 50 miles offshore, where the men were transferred on board a Coast Guard 45-foot small boat. The men were then transported to Station Port Aransas where they were reunited with family.
The men said they survived the ordeal at sea by sharing two gallons of water and peanut butter crackers. They sheltered themselves from the heat with nearby floating debris.
The rescuers treated the men to a hearty welcome-home meal. They dined on rib-eye steaks, baked potatoes and salad once they came ashore. These men are truly the diamonds of Texas. Their shining heroism is brilliant and we are grateful they are not safe.
What a jerk! An eBay bidder from Japan who agreed to pay $4.6 million for the mausoleum crypt above Hollywood sex symbol Marilyn Monroe has backed out of the deal.
The Los Angeles Times reported the winning bidder e-mailed seller Elsie Poncher Monday, shortly after receiving an invoice, and called off the sale.
“I am awfully sorry, but I need to cancel this because of the paying problem,” the message said.
The 11 other bidders who offered to pay at least $4.5 million for the tomb at California’s Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park were told they had 24 hours to make an offer, the Times said.
The crypt currently is occupied by Poncher’s husband Richard, who died 23 years ago at 81. He reportedly bought the crypt and one beside it from baseball great Joe DiMaggio, Monroe’s ex-husband, in 1954.
The Times said Elsie Poncher plans to pay off the more than $1 million mortgage on her Beverly Hills home with the money she earns from the eBay sale, then move her husband’s remains to the other crypt, which had been intended for her. She is expected to be cremated after she dies. Who would have ever thought a tomb would cost more than a 7 carat flawless diamond ring?
The bidding for the tomb reportedly started at $500,000 Aug. 14.
Montana’s Yugo sapphires are a little known American treasure. The cornflower blue stones are only found in remote portions of Montana and are prized for their deep color. Jewelry pieces made using these stones will be auctioned off to benefit Montana’s Special Olympics program in an upcoming event. The pieces include a bolo tie worn by Montana’s Governor Brian Schweitzer as well as a variety of sapphire and diamond rings, diamond earrings and diamond pendants. An online auction has already begun and the highest online bid will be the opening bid on items at a live auction as part of the Montana Sports Legends Dinner and Auction on October 3.
The auction item shown above includes a trillion cut Yogo sapphire that is over one carat along with matching earrings featuring sapphires and diamonds set in yellow and white gold. The lot has a total value of $24,000. Online bidding ends September 30.
Dear Whiteflash Sales Team,
We just wanted to thank you and everyone at Whiteflash for your role in our big day. The wedding rings are absolutely beautiful. We’ve attached a couple pictures from the big day.
Kind regards,
Kathleen and Hongkai
Whiteflash Diamond Solitaire
Engagement Rings at Whiteflash.com
The term “bling” is everywhere these days, but it’s nothing more than a new way to refer to the sparkle that comes from high-quality, well-cut diamonds. It may seem like an easy task to determine whether a stone has been cut well because it will sparkle, right? Well, yes and no. “Bling” can be manufactured, turning a not-so-great diamond into something designed to fool you into thinking it’s a winner.
When purchasing stones—either loose diamonds or ones already set into mountings—you have to be wary of low-quality stones that retailers are trying to pass off as high-quality choices. But don’t worry. Whiteflash.com is dedicated giving you a true diamond education through this and many other articles in our extensive online library. So come on, it’s time to get schooled in bling!
A diamond is just a hunk of potential until it’s been cut, and the cut can make the difference between a “so-so” diamond and one that is truly exquisite. At Whiteflash.com, our seasoned professionals know exactly how to cut a diamond to ensure maximum sparkle. Some retailers will give you a song and dance—complete with props—in an attempt to sell you a lower quality diamond. Don’t be fooled by tricks such as bringing out official-sounding “luminosity detectors” or a jeweler who cuts more facets into a stone in an effort to convince you that it reflects more light.
It’s especially important to know the cut and quality of a diamond when you’re choosing a piece of jewelry intended to spotlight a sole stone–such as a diamond solitaire ring or a diamond pendant. It’s similarly vital to choose a high-quality diamond for an engagement ring. It will be worn every day, and no matter how good the owner’s intentions are in the beginning, most women will admit that they don’t have theirs cleaned by a professional very often. But a high-quality diamond will sparkle and give off lots of light even with a layer of soap scum on it.
Among the finest choices is a “hearts & arrows” cut. The name comes from the shapes reflected from the diamond at different angles. When viewed upside down, eight symmetrical heats appear. When you turn the diamond over, you’ll see eight radiating arrows at the crown. These designs come from cutting a stone so exactly that facet reflections overlap, creating kaleidoscope patterns.
Any diamond looks pretty good in lots of sunlight. It’s in low-light situations—a candlelight dinner, in a darkened theatre—where hearts & arrows really shines. Rainbow flashes and unmistakable fire is what you’ll see, and you’ll be glad you didn’t settle for anything less.
The pros at Whiteflash.com weren’t content to simply rest on the laurels of other jewelers, however. Whiteflash ACA really is a step beyond anything you may have seen before. We’re so sure you’ll agree that it’s simply extraordinary that we include a toolkit complete with a compact magnifying viewer with every Whiteflash ACA purchase.
When it comes to selecting a top-quality diamond—whether it’s a diamond wedding ring or a diamond tennis bracelet—make sure you’re dealing with an experienced, scrupulous retailer that only sells truly outstanding diamonds. Remember that science—not deceptive marketing—is the key to great bling.
A Destination Wedding with Whiteflash.com
Dear Whiteflash Sales Team,
We are settling back into our routine here in New Zealand and I just wanted to take a minute to thank you for all your efforts to have my diamond engagement ring repaired and shipped back to me so quickly. Your team did a fantastic job and I was so happy to board my plane home with my diamond ring on!
Thank you again for the outstanding service!
Sincerely,
Karen
A Destination Wedding with Whiteflash.com
Photography by Happily Ever After
Weddings are beautiful and unforgettable celebrations but all the resources that go into orchestrating one can make quite an environmental impact. Fortunately, with your big day approaching there are countless opportunities to make eco-conscious decisions that will not only make your day ‘green’ but even more special. Here are some tips you can use to create a beautiful, environmentally conscious ceremony and reception.
Planning:
- Use local vendors, including an organic caterer who uses all local ingredients. This will reduce carbon emissions and support your local economy. Green wedding planners are also growing in popularity throughout the country.
- Recycle everything! This includes everything from mailing out wedding invitations printed on recycled paper with soy inks.
Jewelry
1. With jewelry you can indulge responsibly by wearing jewelry containing conflict-free diamonds and gemstones
Ceremony:
- Peruse your local farmers markets or organic florist shops for potted plants to add some natural color to your ceremony. When the wedding is over, give these plants away as wedding favors or you can even donate them to a local hospital or retirement home, along with any bouquets you don’t want to save.
- Put a new spin on traditional wedding favors by letting each guest choose an environmental charity you will donate to in their name.
- Share your love in the splendor of a natural setting that highlights just how beautiful our planet is. Imagine having your ceremony during a beautiful day at the park or a spectacular sunset at the beach.
Reception:
- Rent or buy instead of using disposable dishware and linens. If your organic caterer does not provide this service, this is another small step that you can take to make a huge impact.
- Encourage guests to carpool and have your ceremony and reception at one location to cut down on car emissions.
Honeymoon:
- Register for a green honeymoon with an ecotourism site like Elevate Destinations. Feeling guilty about all of those carbon emissions you will use by flying to your honeymoon? Your guests can offset them by planting a tree in your honor. Just visit Carbon Footprint.
Not only will you feel great about throwing a huge party with a smaller environmental impact, but hopefully your guests will take the lessons learned from your wedding and implement them elsewhere. Let’s do our part for eco-conscious living!
“My Baby!” That’s what acclaimed violinist Hahn-Bin reportedly exclaimed upon have his prized possession returned. The 22-year-old Korean musician was returning to his Chinatown apartment in Manhattan from the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and apparently left the 18th-century instrument, reportedly worth some $600,000, in the cab, along with his credit card. Hahn-Bin returned home, took a shower, and then realized what had happened. He called the taxi company, who used GPS tracking devices to locate the cab in which he rode, called the driver and woke him up to confirm that the instrument was in his possession. The violin was then returned to its owner, who is now preparing for his debut at Carnegie Hall in October.
Believe it or not, that’s not even the most valuable instrument ever left in a New York yellow cab. Not by a long shot. In 2001, cellist Lynn Harrell left a $4 million, 328-year-old Stradivarius in her cab, two years after Yo-Yo Ma left his $2.5 million, 266-year-old cello in a cab as well. Like Hahn-Bin, their instruments were returned to them, and they probably never left them out of their sight again. Well it might not be a flawless diamond engagement ring but these are some precious pieces!
Radiant Cut Diamonds
The Radiant diamond was introduced in 1977. It was designed to have the best qualities of both round brilliant and emerald cut diamonds. The diamond’s shape has the outer lines and cut corners of the emerald’s crown while enjoying triangular faceting like the round on the pavilion. This causes it to be an emerald shape with more pin flash sparkle than the traditional step-cut emerald. It is identified on GIA reports as a ‘cut-cornered square mixed cut.’
Applications
Trimmed corners make the radiant diamond a versatile shape for diamond jewelry since it looks equally appealing set with square or round side-stones. Side by side radiant diamonds have a distinctive geometric look, as the edges meet, creating ‘Vs’ where the cut corners occur. In an eternity application, length-to-width ratios must be precisely matched (see configurations below).
Radiant Diamond Assessment
Unlike round diamonds, the performance of fancy shaped diamonds cannot be predicted using only proportions or static reflector photography. Experienced sellers can recommend a favored range of parameters, and it is possible to make broad conclusions from photography and reflector images, but these shapes must be seen live for decisive evaluation. For this reason it is imperative to work with an expert you trust on princess selection. Our favored range for the radiant cut diamond incorporates a slightly higher crown range than the princess cut diamond and a smaller table. Appropriate depth is slightly less than standard princess depth, though practical limits depend on length-width ratio. Average girdle thicknesses of Thin, Med or Slightly Thick are desirable. Too thick and too much of the diamond’s weight is hidden in the girdle. Too thin and there could be a durability issue, though the radiant diamond doesn’t have vulnerable corners like a traditional princess cut diamond.
Radiant Diamond Configurations
Radiants vary in their degree of squareness. The length-to-width ratio describes the diamond’s face-up rectangular appearance. Square appearing diamonds have a length-to-width ratio between 1 and 1.05. For a more rectangular shape length-to-width ratios at or greater than 1.10 are recommended.
The radiant diamond’s crown is similar to that of the princess cut diamond and shape of the emerald cut diamond. The similarities are easily seen.
History of the Radiant Diamond
The original radiant diamond design was developed and patented in 1977 by Henry Grossbard. After 17 years of holding the patent the Grossbard family began permitting others to cut the shape. Precursors to the radiant cut were the princess cut diamonds and barion cuts.
Diamond Rough
Every piece of diamond rough is different and some pieces will finish best as a shape other than round. The diamond cutter makes decisions based on what will make the most attractive diamond while allowing most yield from the diamond’s rough. The radiant cut diamond works well with steep rough and much of the material best suited for square shapes may finish better as a radiant or princess diamonds, rather than a square baguette or emerald cut.
Expert Selection
It is critical to work with a diamond expert you trust on locating and selecting the best diamond available, particularly in fancy shapes – which must be seen to be decisively assessed.
The famous Hope Diamond which is in the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History is getting reset to mark the 50th anniversary of its donation to the museum by jeweler Harry Winston. The 45.52 carat blue diamond will be reset by the House of Harry Winston in one of three possible modern settings. You can vote on your favorite at the Smithsonian website. The voting continues through September 7 and the diamond in its new setting will be revealed in conjunction with the world premiere of the Smithsonian Channel’s documentary “Mystery of the Hope Diamond” in March 2010. The setting is only temporary. The diamond will be returned to its original setting by the end of 2010 which makes me wonder why they are doing it in the first place but I suppose that this is one piece of jewelry that need never be evaluated in terms of resale value.
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