Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you great songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title. Today, our spotlights shines on Savage Garden, an Australian pop duo that loved to open its live shows with an over-the-top, dancing-in-the-aisles rendition of "Tears of Pearls."



Pearls are referenced throughout the song to represent emotions that are so private and so precious that they are locked away for nobody to see. When the emotions can no longer be contained, they bubble to the surface resulting in "tears of pearls."

Vocalist and co-writer Darren Hayes sings, "Your kisses are like pearls / So different and so rare / But anger stole the jewels away / And love has left you bare / Made you cry / These tears of pearls."

First appearing in March of 1997 as the third track on the group's self-titled debut album, "Tears of Pearls" was finally released as the seventh and final single from the album in May of 1999. The album would go on to sell more than 12 million copies worldwide.

Bandmembers Hayes and Daniel Jones shared the writing credits for "Tears of Pearls," but the backstory reveals the collaboration was an unusual one, where Jones took directions from Hayes to achieve a "hipster-retroist" tribute to the New Wave acts of the 1980s. The resulting high-energy, theatrical "Tears of Pearls" became the song that would open Savage Garden's live shows and tours.

Formed in Logan City, Queensland, in 1994, Savage Garden earned international acclaim in the late 1990s with its chart-topping hits "I Want You," "To the Moon and Back," "Truly Madly Deeply," "The Animal Song" and "I Knew I Loved You." The group disbanded in 2001.

Please check out the official video Savage Garden performing "Tears of Pearls." The lyrics are below if you'd like to sing along…

"Tears of Pearls"
Written by Darren Hayes and Daniel Jones. Performed by Savage Garden.

And we stare each other down
Like victims in the grind
Probing all the weakness and
Hurt still left behind and we cry
The tears of pearls
We do it. Oh we do it.
Is love really the tragedy the way you
Might describe?
Or would a thousand lovers
Still leave you cold inside?
Make you cry
These tears of pearls

All these mixed emotions
We keep locked away like stolen pearls
Stolen pearl devotions we
Keep locked away from all the world

Your kisses are like pearls,
So different and so rare
But anger stole the jewels away
And love has left you bare,
Made you cry
These tears of pearls

Well I could be the tired joker
Pour my heart to get you in
Sacrifice my happiness just so I could win
Maybe cry
These tears of pearls
All these mixed emotions
We keep locked away like stolen pearls
Stolen pearl devotions we
Keep locked away from all the world

We twist and turn where angels burn
Like fallen soldiers we will learn
Once forgotten, twice removed
Love will be the death
The death of you

All these mixed emotions
We keep locked away like stolen pearls
Stolen pearl devotions we
Keep locked away from all the world



Credit: Screen capture via YouTube.com / sgvideos.

Tallulah Willis, the youngest daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, turned to Instagram on Tuesday to announce her engagement to film director Dillon Buss and to show off a stunning Asscher-cut diamond on a bold, gold band. On Wednesday afternoon, she returned to her Instagram page to share a close-up of her ring and the backstory of how it came to be.



The 27-year-old mental health advocate and fashion designer explained that when it came to picking out the perfect diamond she needed to be in control. Dillon was content to be a bystander.

"[W]hen we began talking about this seriously I told him due to my lowkey (highkey lol) obsessive, perfectionist, micro lens way of viewing special things in my life I knew I had to be in the drivers seat with this one," she wrote. "And of course Dillon understood - because that’s Dillon."

She explained how she spent a few months "furiously trying to decode the world of diamonds" with a jeweler friend who specializes in gemstones. Then she was introduced to Brooklyn-based designer Karina Noel, who assisted in the diamond search.



"[T]ogether we scoured the world. No stone left unexamined," she continued. "After much deliberation we decided on this 1910s elongated Asscher cut forged in a riverbed."

Developed in 1902 by Joseph Asscher, an Asscher cut diamond has stepped facets and cropped corners, giving it an octagonal appearance. Asscher-cut diamonds are often featured in vintage-style engagement rings and typically have 58 facets.

Jewelry-industry experts believe Willis' diamond weighs in the range of 7 to 8 carats and could be worth $300,000 or more, depending on the color, cut and clarity.

Willis explained that once the stone was secured, the next task was designing the ring. She wanted the ring to feel as if it was on a delicate finger of a "resident of Rivendell," which is a reference to a magical valley in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional world of Middle-earth.

Willis thanked Noel for putting up with her "late night FaceTimes and manic sketches."

"This is the final result," she wrote. "Group effort, so much love, and a lot of patience for a loony toons girl, I am over the moon."



On Monday, Willis and Buss had shared their proposal photos on their respective Instagram pages.

"I can finally call you my fiancée. Love you forever Buuski Lu, you are my best friend," Buss wrote.

Willis wrote that she would "with absolute most certainty" accept his hand in marriage. Later on Monday, she posted a video of her ring and added this caption: "HANDS STILL SHAKIN’ — MOMS SPAGHETTI — I’m FIANCÉNCHED."

Willis and Buss made their Instagram debut as a couple in February of 2020. The wedding date has yet to be announced.

Credits: Images via Instagram / buuski; Instagram / dillonbuss.

A team of landfill workers in New Hanover County, NC, went above and beyond the call of duty to rescue an engagement ring and wedding band that had been accidentally put out with the trash. The green-vested team worked for hours sorting through layer upon layer of garbage bags until the right one was found — just minutes before closing time.



The drama played out last week when Pam Smith was cleaning the house and realized her precious bridal jewelry was missing.

“I just was frantic that I couldn’t find my rings,” Pam told NBC affiliate WECT in Wilmington. “But, I knew in my heart I had thrown them, accidentally in the trash.”

The waste collection truck was still in the Smith's neighborhood when Pam realized her mistake. A few minutes later, Pam and her husband, Chuck, caught up with the truck, which was about 25 houses away.



“When they flagged me down, I didn’t know what was going on,” said crew member Elliott Holliday (not "Holiday" as seen in the graphic). “I just knew I saw a couple in distress.”

The Smiths told Holliday that their precious keepsake was likely in the back of his truck. The SRWS (Select Recycling Waste Services) professional could not safely dump the load right there on the street, so instead, he called ahead and alerted the New Hanover County landfill that they had a special situation.

Holliday and his partner, Kendrick Grady, were directed to a flat, open piece of land at the landfill where they unloaded the contents of their big rig.



Landfill specialist Kedar Brunson was inspired when he saw Pam Smith praying in front of his bulldozer.

"So I called my wife," said Brunson, "and we were praying with her saying ‘Lord, show this woman favor.’”

A half-dozen workers snapped into action, picking through a seemingly endless mountain of trash bags.



“It’s like we went through every bag. We went through, literally, the last bag before we found it,” said Grady. “It was truly a miracle.”



Pam Smith was so moved by the incredible efforts of the landfill workers that she penned a letter to thank them.



She wrote, in part, “The events of that day made for an eventful time in our lives and we will forever remember the compassionate and understanding way we were treated. You have very professional staff and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”

Pam Smith told WECT, “I just want people to remember there are a lot of good people on this Earth who are willing to help. And God is good.”

The New Hanover County Twitter account acknowledged the landfill workers in a special tweet on Friday.

It read, "If you need a #FeelGoodFriday - here it is. Thank you to our incredible #NHCgov Environmental Management team for going above and beyond in service to our community. We are so grateful for you and your limitless commitment to helping others!

The tweet was linked to the page on the WECT website, where the story was prominently displayed.

Credits: Screen captures via wect.com.

Seventy-seven perfectly matched cabochon-cut emerald "leaves" sprout from a diamond-studded golden branch in this stunning necklace from the Smithsonian's National Gem Collection. The piece boasts 350 carats of Colombian emeralds and provides one of the world's most unique displays of May's official birthstone.



Designed in the mid-1960s by Julius Cohen, the piece was donated to the Smithsonian by Margaret M. Sokol in 2007 and is now a permanent resident of the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC.



Emerald has been cherished for thousands of years.

More than 3,300 years ago, the biblical Aaron dazzled his followers with a gleaming breastplate fashioned with gemstones representing the 12 tribes of Israel. The very first of the inscribed gems was an emerald.

Ancient Egyptians were mining emeralds as far back as 330 BC and Cleopatra was known to favor jewelry and adornments fashioned from the mesmerizing green gem. She also reportedly gifted emeralds to visiting dignitaries as a demonstration of her generosity, wealth and power.

The Gemological Institute of America reported that when Spanish Conquistadors discovered rich sources of large, fine-quality emeralds in Colombia during the 16th and 17th centuries, the native Incas had already been using emeralds in their jewelry and religious ceremonies for 500 years.

Emerald is the most valuable variety of the beryl family and is known to display a wide variety of visible inclusions, which are referred to as “jardin” (French for “garden”). These imperfections do not detract from the stone’s beauty but, instead, give each stone a unique fingerprint and distinct character.

The name “emerald” comes indirectly from “smaragdos," the ancient Greek word for green gem. The word later evolved into the Latin "esmaraldus" and then the Middle English "emeraude."

Besides being the birthstone for the month of May, it’s also the preferred gemstone to honor 20th and 35th wedding anniversaries.

Emerald owes its delightful color to trace impurities of chromium or vanadium in its chemical composition.

While emerald rates a relatively hard 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale, the gem is more brittle than other members of the beryl family due to its natural inclusions and must be treated with extra care.

Credits: Photos by Ken Larsen / Smithsonian.

Mother’s Day spending for jewelry items is expected to reach $6.1 billion in 2021, making it the fastest-growing and highest-volume gift-giving category, according to an annual survey released by the National Retail Federation (NRF). The jewelry spending number is up from $5.3 billion in 2020, an increase of just over 15%.



Overall Mother’s Day spending in 2021 will set a record at $28.1 billion, up from $26.7 billion in 2020. Nearly 60% of that annual increase is reflected in the strength of the jewelry category, where purchases are slated to jump by $800 million.

Exactly 35% of respondents said they will be buying jewelry for their moms this year, with the average spending per person pegged at $47.76, up more than 18% from 2020. Forty-five percent of men and 27% of women said they will be gifting jewelry this Mother's Day.

“There is a lot of consumer optimism around Mother’s Day this year as more people are getting vaccinated and stimulus checks are being distributed,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “For many, this is a chance to make up for last year’s Mother’s Day when we were under lockdown.

While the portion of people reporting that they will be celebrating Mother’s Day with a gift in 2021 is consistent with previous years at 83%, this year’s gift-givers will be spending more.

The average Mother’s Day outlay is expected to be a record $220.48, up from $204.47 in 2020.

Surprisingly, consumers ages 25-34 are likely to spend the most at $367.08. The amount is $99 more than 2020. The NRF reported that in addition to buying gifts for their own moms, these younger shoppers are more likely to be buying for spouses and other recipients, such as grandmothers or friends.

The second-highest-spending age range is 35-44 ($280.19), followed by those 18-24 ($266.50) and 45-54 ($207.73).

Men are expected to outspend women significantly ($284.90 compared with $159.27).

Nearly half (49 percent) of respondents said they are planning a special Mother's Day outing, such as a brunch or other activity. While this is up slightly from last year, it is still below pre-pandemic levels.

The 2021 survey, which asked 7,818 consumers about their Mother’s Day plans, was conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics from April 1 to 9 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.1 percentage points.

Credit: Image by Bigstockphoto.com.

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you fun songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title. Today, Rascal Flatts reveals what happens when you play a country song backwards.



The fun 2006 ditty, appropriately titled “Backwards,” explains how playing a country song in reverse essentially gets you a free pass to hit the restart button on your adult life.

Sung from the point of view of an “old boy” who has been through hard times, “Backwards” delivers an up-tempo, foot-stomping laundry list of all the things he’d get back if he could magically rewrite his personal history. One of those things is a diamond ring.

Rascal Flatts’ lead vocalist Gary LaVox sings, “You get your hair back / You get your first and second wives back / Your front porch swing / Your pretty little thing / Your bling, bling, bling and a diamond ring.”

“Backwards” is the fourth track from Rascal Flatts’ five-time platinum album Me and My Gang, which sold five million copies and scored the #1 spot on the U.S. Billboard Top 200 albums chart. The song also appeared three years later on the soundtrack of Hannah Montana: The Movie, which also hit #1 on the Billboard album chart.

The song is prominently featured in a pivotal scene when Miley Cyrus’ character, Miley Stewart, arrives home to find her extended family jamming to the song in her living room. She mimics a few lines from the song and then says, “I want my life back, Dad.”

Bandmembers LeVox, Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney established Rascal Flatts in Columbus, OH, in 1999. The band is credited having charted 40 singles, 16 of which have reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs, Country Airplay and Canada Country charts.

Please check out the audio clip of Rascal Flatts performing “Backwards.” The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along.

“Backwards”
Written by Marcel Francois Chagnon and Tony Carl Mullins. Performed by Rascal Flatts.

I was sittin’ on a bar stool
In a barbecue joint in Tennessee
When this old boy walked in
And he sat right down next to me

I could tell he’d been through some hard times
There were tear stains on his old shirt
And he said, “You wanna know what you get
When you play a country song backwards?”

You get your house back
You get your dog back
You get your best friend Jack back
You get your truck back

You get your hair back
You get your first and second wives back
Your front porch swing
Your pretty little thing

Your bling, bling, bling and a diamond ring
You get your farm, and the barn
And the boat, and the Harley
First night in jail with Charlie

It sounds a little crazy
A little scattered and absurd
But that’s what you get
When you play a country song backwards

Well, I never heard it said quite like that
It hit me in the face ’cause that’s where I’m at
I almost fell flat out on the floor
He said, “Wait a minute, that’s not all
There’s even more.”

You get your mind back
You get your nerves back
Your first heart attack back
You get your pride back

You get your life back
You get your first real love back
You get your big screen TV, a DVD
And a washing machine

You get the pond, and the lawn
And the bail, and the mower
You go back where you don’t know her
It sounds a little crazy

A little scattered and absurd
But that’s what you get
When you play a country song backwards
Oh play that song!

We sat there and shot the bull
About how it would be
If we could turn it all around
And change this C-R-A-P

You get your house back
You get your dog back
You get your best friend Jack back
You get your truck back

You get your hair back
You get your first and second wives back
Your front porch swing
Your pretty little thing

Your bling, bling, bling and a diamond ring
You get your farm, and the barn
And the boat, and the Harley
First night in jail with Charlie
You get your mind back

You get your nerves back
Your first heart attack back
You get your pride back
You get your life back

You get your first real love back
You get your big screen TV, a DVD
And a washing machine
You get the pond, and the lawn

And the bail, and the mower
You go back where you don’t know her
It sounds a little crazy
A little scattered and absurd

But that’s what you get
When you play a country song backwards



Credit: Image by Redfires23, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

While 70% of consumers said their engagement ring was one of the most expensive things they owned, according to a new study from Jewelers Mutual Group, far too many will find that they are woefully underinsured if the ring becomes lost, stolen or damaged.



That's because jewelry-specific coverage is not always included in a typical homeowner or renters policy.

"Unfortunately, people often don't think about whether they have the right coverage until it's too late," said Bryan Howard, Jewelers Mutual's director of product management. "We strongly encourage folks to evaluate their options on how to protect such a significant investment as an engagement ring. With the right protection, you can feel confident that if your ring is lost, stolen or damaged, you won't have to reinvest with funds from your own pocket to repair or replace it."

According to the survey, exactly, 72% said they would be very upset if something happened to the ring and it wasn't insured, and admitted they would have peace of mind knowing their ring was protected.

Nearly half of respondents said they would be hard-pressed to pay for a replacement ring.

"The engagement ring is up there with a house or vehicle in terms of major investments," Howard added. "Unlike a house or vehicle, engagement rings (and other jewelry) are one of the smallest, most likely items to become lost. That's why insuring jewelry that has both financial and sentimental value is so important."

According to Jewelers Mutual, mysterious disappearance (or unexplained loss) is the most common reason customers file a claim. It's also a coverage not always included in a typical homeowner or renters policy, unlike a specialized jewelry insurance policy.

The Neenah, WI, insurance company recommends that consumers answer the following questions to determine whether their fine jewelry is worth insuring:

-- Would I be devastated by the loss of my ring?
-- Are there coverage limits with my current insurance?
-- Would I be able to comfortably cover the cost of a replacement?

Jewelers Mutual says that if you answered "Yes" to any of the three questions, a standalone jewelry insurance policy is worth consideration.

Credit: Image by BigStockPhoto.com.

Long Island Rail Road assistant conductor Jonathan Yellowday earned a commendation and 15 minutes of NYC-media-market fame for discovering — and quickly turning in — a ring case containing 36 diamond semi-mounts worth $107,000.



A Manhattan Diamond District jeweler lost the rings while traveling home to Long Island on the Port Washington line. The valuable case was making the trip with him because he wanted to show a variety of popular styles to a niece who is planning to get engaged.

But during the trip, the jeweler got distracted when he met up with a friend. He lost track of time and was surprised when the train arrived at his stop. He rushed through the train doors just before they closed, but left behind a plastic bag containing his ring case.

Working the 6:11 train on Thursday night was Yellowday, who noticed the unattended bag as the train came to it final stop. He collected the bag and brought it to his compartment on the train.

“I had to do a double take because I couldn’t believe what I was seeing,” Yellowday told The New York Daily News. “I actually thought they were fake until I saw the price tags.”

Even though Yellowday was at the end of his shift and the LIRR headquarters in NYC was 55 minutes away, the assistant conductor decided the best thing to do was to hand-deliver the case of diamond rings to the MTA (Metropolitan Transit Authority) police that same night.

“I found a cell phone and a wallet here and there, but nothing like this," the eight-year LIRR veteran explained. “I said I want to personally hand it over to the MTA police to make sure it didn’t get lost in transit. I didn’t think twice about it. That’s somebody’s livelihood in that box.”

The jeweler didn't realize he had left his ring case behind until Friday morning.

"I started searching the house. I thought I brought it home," he told NBC News. "I started retracing my steps and remembered I left it on the train."

He drove to a nearby LIRR station, where the station manager reported that his jewelry case had been turned in the night before.

The jeweler and his wife took the next train to NYC, where they got to retrieve the jewelry and meet the honest man who saved the day.



“I could only imagine what you were going through yesterday when you realized that you didn’t have your jewelry," Yellowday told the jeweler. "You know when you get on the 6:11 you’re in good hands.”



Yellowday and the jeweler exchanged a warm hug. Then, the assistant conductor proudly held up his commendation while posing with some LIRR bigwigs, including LIRR president Phil Eng. Later, he would enjoy a lunch date with the jeweler and his wife.



NBC reported that the jeweler plans to reward Yellowday with a custom piece of fine jewelry.

Credits: Photos by Marc A. Hermann / MTA.

On May 12, Christie's Geneva will place on the auction block a 100.94-carat, D-flawless diamond that's expected to yield between $12 million and $18 million.



Aptly named "The Spectacle," the featured lot of Christie's Magnificent Jewels auction was cut from a 207.29-carat rough stone that measured 38.0 х 37.0 х 18.0 mm and displayed a slightly grooved surface.

The stone was sourced in 2016 at the Zarnitsa kimberlite pipe in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) in the northeast of Russia. Zarnitsa is Russia's first-ever diamond deposit. The find was made in 1954, but not actively mined until 1999.



The “Diamonds of Alrosa” cutting factory in Moscow transformed the rough diamond into its current shape during an arduous, high-stakes process that took 20 months to complete. The emerald cut is incompatible with any imperfections, as its broad, stepped facets allow the observer to gaze endlessly into the clear, unobstructed depths of the gem. In jewelry circles, the emerald cut is also know as "the most unforgiving cut." The end result has to be perfect.

The 100.94-carat Spectacle is the largest diamond ever to have been cut in Russia and compares favorably with similar high-profile diamonds that have gone under the hammer at Christie's Geneva. The first is the 101.73-carat, D-flawless Winston Legacy, which sold for $26.7 million in 2013, and the second is the 163-carat, D-flawless Creation I, which sold for $33.7 million in 2017.

“We are fascinated to present this long-awaited gem," said Sergey Ivanov, CEO of Alrosa. "…this exceptional 100.94-carat, colorless, emerald-cut diamond displays a breathtaking performance, which is a natural wonder revealed by human hand."

The Alrosa CEO called The Spectacle a unique occurrence due to its astonishing size, flawless provenance and impeccable color.

The Spectacle will be available for public viewing from May 1-2 in Taipei and from May 8-12 in Geneva. The sale will take place at Geneva's Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues.

Credits: The Spectacle image courtesy of Christie's. Rough diamond image courtesy of Alrosa.

Set with 557 diamonds and 81 custom-cut blue sapphires, the Tampa Bay Lightning's 2020 Stanley Cup Championship ring boasts a gem total weight of 25 carats, the most in Jostens' history. Players and coaches finally received their highly anticipated 2020 rings on Friday night — 47 games into the 2021 season.



Normally, the team would have raised its championship banner and distributed the rings at the 2021 home opener, but the Lightning decided to hold off on the presentations until fans could participate at Tampa Bay's Amalie Arena.

Certainly, the 2020 season was like no other in NHL history. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the team played the entirety of the playoffs in the isolation of hub-cities for 65 days. Despite being separated from family, friends and fans by thousands of miles, the Tampa Bay Lightning persevered and overcame the most difficult of circumstances to be crowned the NHL’s 2020 Stanley Cup Champions.

On Friday night, the players and coaches got their first glimpse of the blingiest ring ever designed by Jostens. The 25 carats of gemstones is the highest total weight of any championship ring, in any sport, in Jostens' 124-year history.

Crafted in 14-karat white gold, the ring top features the iconic Lightning logo rendered in blue sapphires. The bolt of the logo features 12 custom-cut sapphires, which are intricately hand-set with an additional 18 custom-cut sapphires completing the logo. There are 24 diamonds brilliantly encircling the edge of the team's logo.

The Cup itself is crafted with 79 diamonds. In an interesting twist, Jostens engineered the Stanley Cup and Lightning logo to lift up from the face to reveal the word "STOCKHOLM," a nod to the city in Sweden where the Lightning participated in the NHL's Global Series. During the trip, the team won both games versus the Buffalo Sabres and also found their team identity. The inside of the Stanley Cup also features two crossed hockey sticks with a hockey puck — rendered as a singular black diamond — between them.

Encircling the logo and Cup are an additional 27 custom-cut blue sapphires, symbolic of the 27 seasons the Lightning organization has been a part of the NHL leading up to their 2020 Stanley Cup victory.

An additional 146 pavé-set diamonds adorn the ring top and flow down the edges. Along both the top and bottom edges of the ring are 12 custom-cut sapphires set in a detailed wave pattern. These waves pay tribute to Tampa Bay, which is known for its proximity to the beautiful waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

The left side of the ring features the words STANLEY CUP and the right side displays CHAMPIONS, set in raised white gold against a contrasting background of Lightning blue.



The left side of the ring also features the recipient's name created from white gold and accented with the same Lightning blue in the background. Below the name is the player's number set in diamonds within a circle that has the details of a hockey net in the background.



The right side of the ring displays the championship year date of 2020, which is separated by a banner featuring the motto "DISTANT THUNDER," which was adopted by the team to recognize their fans during their 2020 playoff run. The right side also includes the team name and Lightning logo.<

The sides of the ring are adorned with diamonds that cascade down from the top of the ring and wrap around the palm side which displays the words "GRAVY TRAIN," the title of the team's locker room victory song for the season. In total, there are 308 diamonds hand-set on the sides of the rings alone. This first-of-its-kind presentation for Jostens results in a ring that shines with brilliance from every angle.



The interior of the ring contains the Lightning logo in custom blue ceramic with the results of each of the team's 2020 playoff round victories to the right side. To the left of the logo is 216:14, the total number of overtime minutes endured by the Lightning during the playoffs and the most of any NHL team in a single post-season. The overtime minutes were equivalent to playing nearly four extra regulation games. The Lightning was also the first team in NHL history to reach the Stanley Cup Final after clinching their other three series via overtime wins.

As an added detail of personalization, Jostens included each player's signature on the interior palm side.

Credits: Images courtesy of Jostens.