Doggy diamonds
An English woman mourning her dead pets has had a diamond ring constructed from their ashes.
When Sue Rogers from Devon, England learnt of LifeGems, a company that makes diamonds from the cremated remains of humans and animals, she knew exactly what to do with the ashes that she has previously kept in a vase on her mantelpiece.
The woman now keeps a tangible reminder of her Old English sheepdog Lucky, golden retriever Sam, and tomcat, Patch on her finger.
Rogers paid approximately $AU8,000 for the ring made from carbon extracted from the animals' ashes - a price she believes to be well worth it:
"My animals meant the world to me," Rogers explained, "and even though they are gone, they are still with me. It's a beautiful ring and such a brilliant idea."
To produce the stone, a small amount of carbon from each set of ashes was heated at temperatures up to 3,000 degrees Celsius to form a rough diamond.
The stone was then cut, polished and certified before being set into a gold band for Rodgers to wear on her finger.
Lindsay Lohan's kinky bling
Lindsay Lohan has been spotted purchasing a pair of diamond-set gold handcuffs in Los Angeles.
According to an article in M&G, the 20-year-old actress spent $US820 late last year at Fred Segal, a Beverly Hills store.
The handcuffs are most likely for personal use given Lohan's recent revelation that she is seeking to date several different men and avoid monogamous relationships.
"I don't want to put myself in the position where I'm in a monogamous relationship right now," Lohan said.
Mammoth diamond discovery
A miner has discovered a 143-carat diamond in a river in north-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where usually only diamonds of between one and three carats are to be found, according to the president of the Congolese Federation of Gold and Diamonds, John Tokole.
"This is the first time anything this big has been found here," Tokole said. According to an industry official, the diamond sold for $1.4 million.
Signing up
A US jeweller has created a Sharpie marker set with 1,300 Swarovski crystals and 65 perfect-cut Hearts on Fire diamonds.
Unveiled in Miami by State Street Jewelers, the Celebrity Edition Sharpie was auctioned on February 6.
The pen is worth more than $US10,000 and forms part of Sharpie's Autographs for Action program, which hopes to secure one million autographs nationwide. In exchange, Sharpie will donate $US1 million in supplies and funds to charities, community organisations and schools across the US.
Super-sized sapphire
A 69.53-carat sapphire priced at approximately $US417,000 is now up for sale in the US.
The proposed sale has sparked huge interest: "You have to not only be wealthy to own this, you have to be lucky to have the opportunity to purchase it," said Michael Arnstein, gem-cutter and a representative of vendor, Natural Sapphire Co..
Discovered in 1952, the oval-shaped, brilliant-cut sapphire has its origin in the gem mines of Sri Lanka. In its rough form, the stone weighed 129-carats, yielding 80-carats in its first cutting.
It was then sold to a British family and held in private ownership until the late 1990s. Following this, it was re-cut into a more perfect shape with better symmetry to improve its light and colour reflection.
Groom steals his bride's jewellery
An Indian groom-to-be has stolen his fiancé's wedding jewellery just weeks before they tied the knot - but she still wants to marry him.
The bride's father set-aside jewellery worth $1,737, only to have it stolen from his home in Dharavi, Mumbai.
With no leads, but with a strong suspicion the theft was an inside job, police questioned all occupants.
Despite claims from the family that their daughter's fiancé only occasionally visited, police detained the would-be groom, who later confessed.
The loot was recovered after being stored with a friend of the thief. The groom is now serving prison time.
Diamonds used in support role
A Hearts on Fire (HOF) Diamond Fantasy Bra valued at $US6.5 million set tongues wagging at the annual Victoria's Secret Runway Show late last year.
Supermodel Karolina Kurkova paraded the bra, which boasted 800 carats of diamonds. Complementing the lingerie was a $US350,000 HOF diamond belt that adorned the model's panties. The bra was made with over 2,000 super-ideal-cut HOF diamonds.