In a video that's currently tearing up the internet, Culinary Institute of America student Alex O’Brien Yeatts redefines the term "rock candy" as he takes a hammer and cleaver to a giant chocolate geode. After five powerful hits, the boulder-like object cracks in half to reveal a gorgeous formation of sugar crystals that could easily be mistaken for amethysts.
Yeatts worked with fellow student Abby Lee Wilcox on a six-month school project to create a series of chocolate geodes, the largest of which weighed 50 pounds.
The 20-year-old Yeatts told Insider how he and his associate poured tempered chocolate into egg-shaped molds and then filled these shapes with colorful, concentrated sugar syrup. Over the next six months, the pair carefully rotated the eggs on a daily basis to ensure maximum crystal growth. As the syrup slowly evaporated, it transitioned from a liquid to a solid.
"During the process, you don't know what's going on inside the eggs," Yeatts told Insider. "You know they're growing, but you don't really know what they're going to look like until you crack them open."
The moment of truth couldn't have been more spectacular.
"You could kind of see everybody's jaw drop," Yeatts told Insider. "It was a pretty incredible moment."
The purple crystals were beautifully formed and the colors were vivid. A bit of the syrup was still in liquid form. Eleven other chocolate geodes yielded equally stunning results in colors that included deep purples and rich oranges.
Yeatts, a baking and pastry student at the Hyde Park, N.Y.-based school, posted a series of candy geode photos and videos on his Instagram page.
Also, check out the video by Insider, below.
Credits: Images via Instagram/alex.yeatts. Screen captures via YouTube.com.
Welcome to Music Friday when we often bring you golden oldies with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, we climb into our Wayback Machine and transport ourselves 60 years into the past, where a 17-year-old Ray Stevens has just signed a deal with Capitol Records' subsidiary, Prep Records.
For his first single, the teenager releases "Silver Bracelet," which tells the story of a simple, yet significant, piece of jewelry that symbolizes his devotion to his new girlfriend. Penned by Stevens, the song is an adorable look at love from the young man's point of view.
He sings, "A silver bracelet / My silver bracelet / This simple token I do give / A silver bracelet / My silver bracelet / To show my love will ever live."
He goes on to describe how he had his girlfriend's name engraved on the front and his on the back: "Turn it over there is mine / Forever let it shine."
Stevens wrote about the origin of "Silver Bracelet" on his official website. His family had moved to Atlanta in 1956, and while still in high school, Stevens (then Ray Ragsdale) got his first big break when he met radio personality and Georgia Tech football broadcaster, Bill Lowery.
"He was looking for talent to write songs," he wrote. "I went out to his house and I said, ‘My name is Ray Ragsdale and I’m going to learn to write songs for you.’ He said, ‘Okay lad, go to it.’"
Stevens continued, "I borrowed a little tape recorder from a friend. I got the key to the lunch room, which also served as the assembly hall, from the principal. The room had a very high ceiling and a piano on a little stage. I went there one Sunday by myself and made a demo of a song that I and a friend had written called, 'Silver Bracelet.' I took it to Bill and he liked it. He called Ken Nelson at Capitol Records, who was coming to Nashville a lot during those days to produce records. Ken liked the song and signed me to a contract with Prep Records.”
The success of "Silver Bracelet" helped launch a stellar career that has seen the artist release more than 40 studio albums and 93 singles. His two most popular tunes were "The Streak" (1974), a novelty song about streaking, and "Everything Is Beautiful," a 1971 Grammy winner for Song of the Year.
Born in Clarksdale, Ga., in 1939, Stevens started piano lessons at the age of six. His mom insisted he practice at least an hour each day. At 15, he sang and played piano in a band, the Barons, and they performed all over the area for the American Legion, the Elks and private parties.
Please check out this rare audio track of "Silver Bracelet." The lyrics are below if you'd like to sing along...
"Silver Bracelet"
Written and performed by Ray Stevens.
A silver bracelet
My silver bracelet
This simple token I do give
A silver bracelet
My silver bracelet
To show my love will ever live
I had your name engraved on the front
In letters of my heart's design
Turn it over there is mine
Forever let it shine
Wear my bracelet, please wear my bracelet
Wear it proudly on your arm
So everyone can see
Your heart belongs to me
Whoa, don't ever lose my silver bracelet
My silver bracelet
This simple token I do give
A silver bracelet
My silver bracelet
To show my love will ever live
Cherish this token
Though small it may be
May it always remind you of me
Let no other take my place
Let none my name erase
This tiny trinket is such a small part
Of the love I hold in my heart
Won't you say you love me too
No one else will ever do
Whoa, don't ever lose my bracelet
Silver bracelet
Brawny, brazen thieves broke into Berlin's Bode Museum just after 3 a.m. on Monday and bolted with the "Big Maple Leaf," a Canadian-minted coin weighing 220 pounds and worth $4.4 million.
Measuring 20.8 inches in diameter, the coin was unveiled in 2007 as the world's largest. While the original remained in a high-security vault in Ottawa, five others were minted and sold to private interests. The Bode Museum had acquired its version of the Big Maple Leaf in 2010 and put it on display in a bulletproof glass box.
The obverse depicts the image of Queen Elizabeth II and the reverse features the image of Canada's national symbol, the maple leaf.
German police reported that the thieves used a ladder to enter the museum through a second-floor window in the back of the building, which lies along railroad tracks. Their target was on the first floor, so after smashing the case they had to manhandle the massive coin across the museum, up one flight of stairs and then out the second-floor window.
It's not clear whether the thieves climbed down with the coin or tossed it from the window. Authorities also believe the robbers used a wheelbarrow to transport the coin to the getaway vehicle. Authorities did not reveal whether any alarms were set off or if they have security video of the crime taking place.
The museum houses one of the most important numismatic collections in the world, totaling about 500,000 items, but no other coins or artifacts were touched during the robbery.
Big Maple Leaf was minted from .99999 fine gold and has a face value of 1 million Canadian dollars ($747,000). The actual worth is much higher based on today's gold price. The 100 kg of gold is equivalent to 220 pounds or 3,527 ounces. At $1,252 per ounce, the commodity value of the gold alone is $4.4 million.
An ex-Mountie told the Toronto Star that the massive one-inch-thick coin may already have been melted down.
Despite the seriousness of the crime, The Mississauga News couldn't resist delivering this clever quip on its Twitter page: "Good luck finding a vending machine that will take that sucker."
In what has been labeled as a "true game-changer" for the colored-gemstone market, a Switzerland-based laboratory is using DNA-based nanoparticles to mark emeralds with an invisible imprint that will provide proof of their origin anywhere along the supply chain.
The particles, which are smaller than 100 nanometers in size, will be applied to rough emerald crystals at mining sites. The particles are so small that they can only be seen with an electron microscope. A human hair, by comparison, is 100,000 nanometers wide.
Gübelin Gem Lab explained that the particles will remain intact throughout the cleaning, cutting, polishing and setting processes. What's more, they will have no effect on the appearance or properties of the gemstones. For now, Gübelin will be focusing on emeralds because the particles are able to adhere to the natural fissures unique to the gemstone.
“This technology offers all stakeholders along the entire supply chain, from the miner to the final customers, proof of the exact source of emeralds, instilling confidence and creating trust,” said Daniel Nyfeler, Gübelin’s managing director. “It enables a new level of transparency for the gemstone trade.”
Gübelin is calling its ground-breaking traceable technology the "Emerald Paternity Test" due to the fact that each mine will have a unique DNA tag.
Partnering with Gübelin to test the nanotechnology is Gemfields, the London-based majority owner of Kagem, the world’s largest emerald mine in Zambia.
“Embracing innovation, technology and increased transparency is at the heart of our approach," noted Ian Harebottle, chief executive officer of Gemfields. "We were therefore thrilled to assist Gübelin in the testing of this new technology, and we are very excited about the outcome as it offers a multitude of benefits to the industry and the consumer.”
With the assistance of New York City sanitation workers, a desperate couple waded through 800 disgusting trash bags to find two "priceless" platinum rings that had been accidentally thrown away.
"I felt really helpless," NYC apartment dweller Shannon Lombardo told WABC-TV. "It wasn't so much about the [value] of the rings. It was what they represented."
How the custom, vintage-style rings ended up in the trash is not an unusual story.
Lombardo, a mother of two, had cleaned the rings and left them to dry on a paper towel. One distraction later and they were on their way to city landfill.
"I think I got distracted with the kids," she said. "I think I just crumpled it up, and I didn't feel the weight of [the rings] and I threw them out."
When she realized her rings were missing — and probably in the trash — she immediately called 311, which is the city's non-emergency hotline.
A dispatcher connected Lombardo with the New York City Sanitation Department, which agreed to hold off the pickup at her Upper West Side apartment building until she could check the dumpster for her bags. When that effort proved fruitless, her next step was to visit a trash depot in nearby Fairway, N.J. — the last stop before the New York City waste is transported to landfills.
Decked out in protective gear and assisted by two sanitation workers, Lombardo and her husband of nearly nine years, James, immersed themselves in a yucky, smelly, unimaginably nasty mountain of trash bags. The bags had been dumped by the sanitation truck associated with serving their address.
James' strategy was to slit open random bags, looking for anything with an address on it. Within a half hour, he had found an address that matched his building.
With the search field narrowed, the couple soon found their trash bag. Nestled in a paper towel were Shannon's engagement ring and wedding band.
“Sure enough, there it was,” Shannon told the New York Daily News. “I was shocked. I just couldn’t believe that it really happened... Everyone was excited. I don’t know who was more excited.”
The recovered rings have taken on a new meaning in the lives of Shannon and James. They symbolize love overcoming seemingly unsurmountable circumstances. They also represent the generosity and kindness of strangers.
"It's pretty incredible what these guys do, not only the jobs they do on a daily basis, but the fact that they went above and beyond," Shannon told WABC-TV. "It's very humbling and I'm so grateful that the city has this department."
Added James, "We live in the greatest city in the world. It's truly amazing."
Sekou Callender, a sanitation worker who assisted in the search, offered the couple a little romantic advice: "I said that it's a great time for them to renew their vows."
Credits: Screen captures via abcnews.go.com. Photos via the New York Department of Sanitation.
On Thursday, Australia Post will release a dazzling collection of colorful stamps illustrated with native gemstones — the golden sapphire, pink diamond, rhodonite and fluorite. The stamp issue is titled "The Rare Beauties: Extraordinary Gemstones."
What all four gems have in common is that they are housed in the mineral collection of the Australian Museum in Sydney.
"Australian gemstones are admired and valued worldwide," noted Australia Post Philatelic Manager Michael Zsolt. "We trust these beautiful and striking stamp designs will appeal to everyone, especially collectors and gemstone enthusiasts."
Australia Post clarified that two of the gemstones — the golden sapphire and the pink diamond — represent stones that are cut and polished to be used in precious jewelry, while the rhodonite and fluorite are valued more often as "collector stones."
The 7-carat golden sapphire shown on the $1 stamp has been in the Australian Museum collection since 1984. The original rough stone was mined near Anakie, Queensland.
“The color is intense and the stone is quite large," gem specialist Gayle Sutherland said in an interview with Australia Post Collectables. "It’s a stunning stone. The cut has emphasized the depth of color, while ensuring the stone is lively and brilliant. This stone comes from an area in central Queensland that is renowned for its fine golden sapphires.”
One of the two $2 stamps honors Australia's role as the world's most prolific supplier of pink diamonds. The material comes primarily from the Argyle Mine in the East Kimberley region of Western Australia. It is believed that pink diamonds owe their color to the effects of intense pressure and heat while they were still deep within the earth. These factors caused distortions in the diamond’s crystal lattice that influence the way the diamond absorbs green light, thus reflecting a pink hue.
The rhodonite shown on the $1 stamp became part of the Australian Museum collection in 2002. Weighing more than two carats, the material from which it was cut came from Broken Hill, New South Wales.
"The rhodonite is remarkable for its rich red color combined with transparency," said Sutherland, who co-wrote a prestige booklet as part of the stamp issue. "Rhodonite is commonly a pink, opaque material suitable for carving. This stone is from... one of the few places in the world where rhodonite of such quality has been found. This material is now only available from old collections.”
Australia Post noted that the fluorite on the $2 stamp is a perfectly faceted stone weighing 147 carats. It was cut in 2001 from a rough gem that has been part of the Australian Museum collection since 1918. The material originated at Rumbsy's Mine in New England, New South Wales.
"The fluorite is a gemstone for collectors," added Sutherland. "Its beauty is fragile, and this stone needs particular care whenever handled and displayed."
The release of the gemstone stamps is perfectly timed to coincide with the dates of the Melbourne 2017 International Stamp Exhibition, which is scheduled to run from March 30 to April 2.
The four stamps were designed by Gary Domoney of Visua, a Melbourne-based visual communication and brand strategy agency.
Welcome to Music Friday when we often bring you throwback songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today we zoom back to the summer of 1965 — a time of hippies, bell bottoms, flower power and a chart-topping duo named Sonny & Cher singing "I Got You Babe."
In this love song about a young couple willing to challenge societal norms, Cher famously tells Sonny, "So let them say your hair’s too long / ‘Cause I don’t care, with you I can’t go wrong." In the jewelry reference, Sonny sings, “I got flowers in the spring. I got you to wear my ring.”
Written by Sonny Bono, "I Got You Babe" was the duo's biggest single and signature song. It ascended to #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and charted in 18 countries, including Singapore, Switzerland and Zimbabwe.
Sonny revealed in a 1966 interview that the song was inspired by first-hand experiences.
"I know what it is like to be kicked around because you dress differently," Sonny told Musical Express. "I know what it is like to see the girl you love hurt because a hotel refuses you admission because of your dress. I know what it is like to have that one person stand by you. There are a lot of other people who have experienced these things and I'm trying to put our feelings into words for everyone."
Despite being named one of the greatest duets of all times by both Billboard and Rolling Stone magazines, "I Got You Babe" was nearly thrown on the scrap heap.
Apparently, Ahmet Ertegun, the head of Atco Records, didn't really care for the song, and was planning to relegate it to the "B" side of Sonny & Cher's single, "It's Gonna Rain."
Even Cher admitted that she was hardly enthusiastic when she sang it for the first time. Sonny agreed to change the key in the bridge to suit Cher's range and then she loved it.
Sonny was sure they had a hit, but Ertegun was still not convinced. Sonny pitched the song to the program director of Los Angeles radio station KHJ. He made a deal that allowed the station to have the song exclusively if they played it once an hour.
The station's listeners couldn't get enough of "I Got You Babe" and Ertegun finally agreed to publish it as the "A" side.
“I Got You Babe” had a key role in the 1993 movie, Groundhog Day, as Bill Murray, playing an arrogant TV weatherman, finds himself reliving February 2 in a perpetual time loop. Every morning at exactly six o’clock Murray wakes to the clock-radio playing the Sonny & Cher ditty.
Check out the video of Sonny & Cher performing “I Got You Babe.” The lyrics are below, but you probably already know the words. "They say we're young and we don't know…"
“I Got You Babe”
Written by Sonny Bono. Performed by Sonny & Cher.
[HER:] They say we’re young and we don’t know
We won’t find out until we grow
[HIM:] Well I don’t know if all that’s true
‘Cause you got me, and baby I got you
[HIM:] Babe
[BOTH:] I got you babe I got you babe
[HER:] They say our love won’t pay the rent
Before it’s earned, our money’s all been spent
[HIM:] I guess that’s so, we don’t have a pot
But at least I’m sure of all the things we got
[HIM:] Babe
[BOTH:] I got you babe I got you babe
[HIM:] I got flowers in the spring I got you to wear my ring
[HER:] And when I’m sad, you’re a clown
And if I get scared, you’re always around
[HER:] So let them say your hair’s too long
‘Cause I don’t care, with you I can’t go wrong
[HIM:] Then put your little hand in mine
There ain’t no hill or mountain we can’t climb
[HIM:] Babe
[BOTH:] I got you babe I got you babe
[HIM:] I got you to hold my hand
[HER:] I got you to understand
[HIM:] I got you to walk with me
[HER:] I got you to talk with me
[HIM:] I got you to kiss goodnight
[HER:] I got you to hold me tight
[HIM:] I got you, I won’t let go
[HER:] I got you to love me so
[BOTH:] I got you babe
I got you babe
I got you babe
I got you babe
I got you babe
