Say what you will about the King of Pop, his contribution to the world of pop culture is undeniable. The popular yet controversial singer, who died unexpectedly last week under suspicious circumstances, was more than just a best selling recording artist and a performer – he was a fashion leader and innovationist.

After being a child star in the 70s, he only truly became the King of Pop with the release of Thriller in the 80s, a most dangerous time for pop icons fashion-wise. But he made it work. In his 1983 video for Billie Jean, Michael shocked the audience with his outfit, which was comprised of black pants, a Fedora hat and a single white glove. The famous glove was made of silver-tone metal and embedded with 3 rhinestones. This image was so outrages in those days that children who showed up to school wearing a single glove were suspended.

Throughout the years, as he grew from platform shoes and big afro hair to leather penny loafers and shiny gold-plated army jackets, Michal developed an expensive taste. This passion cost him dearly, in one lawsuit that was filed against him (one of many), by a trendy jewelry store in Beverly Hills, which claimed that Michael had taken a $1.45 million diamond encrusted watch from the store and never paid for it.

As years went by, while Michael Jackson's status as a celebrity remained solid, his financial state deteriorated and he was forced to auction off many precious items, including the iconic white glove. Meanwhile, fans from around the world are looking desperately for Michael Jackson jewelry items, such as MJ bracelets, earrings and chains, not to mention Michael Jackson posters, T-shirts, wristwatches, sunglasses and rare album covers, of course.

After over a decade of not performing, Michael Jackson was set to perform in a comeback tour, and for that purpose he decided to wear a suit covered by 300,000 Swarovski crystals, bearing some 50 different shapes and 27 different colors. This outfit cost him over a million pounds. Even in his worst moments, Michael was keen on making an appearance.

Jackson's evolution of fashion is strikingly similar to that of another musical king – Elvis Presley. When Elvis started in 1950s, he wore zoot suits or pegged pants, which were typical African-American clothes. However, by the 1970s, Elvis had switched to flashy suits with big collars and capes. Elvis was also a big fan of jewelry, and had an immense collection of rings, necklaces, and even employed a personal jeweler.

Perhaps one of the reasons that Lisa Marie married Michael Jackson was because reminded her of her father. Unfortunately, while both were fortunate enough to achieve such a level of success, both seem to have suffered the same ill fate.

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A large Lake County "Diamond" has been discovered with a clear image of the Virgin Mary and Child; Lake County Diamonds are rare, non-crystalline quartz nuggets, found in only one place in the world, Clear Lake, California

A resident of Clear Lake, CA, the Rev. Dr. Douglas Van Dyke, D.D., has found a large, rare Lake County Diamond with the image of the Virgin Mary and Child clearly visible in the body of the gem.

The Rev. Van Dyke says, "We believe this to be a miracle from God. The gemstone has a very strong, positive energy which can be easily felt by holding or even touching the stone."

The teardrop-shaped gem is about 1" (2.54 cm) high and 5/8" (1.7 cm) wide and will be put up for auction in the near future. Proceeds will go to Rev. Van Dyke's caregiver organization, Lake County Care Group, a registered California not-for-profit corporation.

Lake County Diamonds

Lake County, in Northern California, is home to some rather unusual semi-precious stones found nowhere else in the world, known locally as "Lake County Diamonds." They are not, of course, real diamonds, but rather an unusual clear volcanic glass made of almost pure silica.

The nuggets are quartz, but they have no crystalline structure whatsoever, making them very unusual. Lake County Diamonds were formed in large deposits of basalt which were ejected from Mount Konocti volcano during an ancient eruption. Over time the basalt, which is a soft mineral, weathers away, exposing the quartz nuggets on the surface. original stone

Lake County Diamonds are usually 7.5-8 on the Mohs scale, (Diamonds are 10), and are capable of cutting glass. They are commonly used in jewelry, either as rough stones or faceted, which gives them a sparkle comparable to that of real diamonds.

The gem is for sale. It will be auctioned on eBay in the near future.

    Send inquiries to:

    Wayne Gravelle
   

A special post written by: Yehuda Kassif 

Part 3 

As we further explore the history and fait of the Russian crown jewels, it is important to note that the mystery of the missing jewels is not just a story about exquisite jewelry, but also about a great personal tragedy of the Romanov family.

When Czar Nikolai II, along with his wife Alexandra and their five children, left the palace where they were imprisoned on their way to Tobolsk in Siberia, they took with them a train car filled with their belongings. At some point, just before some of the Czar's family was moved from Tobolsk to Yekaterinburg in the Ural Mountains, Alexandra managed to give monks from a local monastery two or three crates filled with jewels.

At a later stage, when the monastery was attacked by Bolshevik revolutionaries, the monks handed the jewels to a local farmer. The man was then captured and tortured and revealed the whereabouts of one of the crates. The single crate was found and catalogued by the Soviets. The fait of the two additional crates is still unknown and researchers estimate that they have never been found.

Later, when the revolutionaries tried to assassinate Alexandra by firing squad, the bullets that were directed at her did not kill her at first. The bullets were stopped by jewelry pieces and gemstones that were sown to the inside of the girdle Alexandra was wearing in the hope of escaping with them.  

After Alexandra was assassinated, the jewels she was wearing were found. Most of them were of little significance, but some were extremely precious pieces such as a cross set with emeralds, and several loose diamonds.

When the White Russian forces, which fought the Bolsheviks during the civil war, approached Yekaterinburg in an effort to investigate what had happened to the Czar and his family, they were taken to a mine pit where the Romanoff's family belongings had been dumped. The jewels that were hidden in the clothing were discovered and then catalogued. They were then attached to Sokolov's report after his investigation into the assassination of the Czar and the Romanoff family. 

All of the belongings that were found in the mine pit, together with other belongings from the house where the family was assassinated, were gathered and sent to Vladivostok, which was, at the time, the only escape route out of Russia. The White Russian forces intended to ship the entire lot to the late Czar's relatives living in Britain. However, when the crates were opened in Vladivostok, all of the belongings were found – except for the jewels.

Until today, it is unknown who stole the jewels or where they were hidden. The tragedy of the House of Romanoff has left gaping holes in the mystery of the Russian crown jewels and it is entirely possible that in some point in the future, more pieces of the puzzle would be found, which could help solve this century-old mystery. 

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