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I thought you'd like to read about these worldwide industry records and interesting facts about the diamond and jewelry industry. Though my Tucson jewelry store is not as old and my jewelry collections are not quite as rare and valuable, I do have some stunning custom designs. Please enjoy:

1. The first known instance of a man giving an engagement ring to a woman was in 1477. Holy Roman Emperor Maximillian, the Archduke of Austria gave his wife-to-be Mary of Burgundy a yellow gold ring set with a large diamond.
2. The oldest jewelry store in America: Bixler's Jewelers was founded in 1785 in Pennsylvania. It stayed in the family for 221 years before being sold in 2006.
3. Located in France, The oldest jewelry store in the word Mellerio dits Meller was founded in 1613 and catered to generations of European royals. It is also considered to be the oldest family-run business in Europe.
4. The largest gem-quality diamond discovered in North America is the Foxfire diamond weighing 187.7cts It was found in the remote Diavik mine in Canada's frigid Northwest Territories.
5. 3,106.8cts is the weight of the massive Cullinan Diamond, the largest gem-quality white diamond ever mined. It was discovered in 1905 in South Africa and later cut into gems, some of which adorn the British crown jewels.
6. The largest faceted diamond in the word weighs 545.7cts is the golden Jubilee diamond. It was 755.5cts when found as a rough and is yellowish in color.
7. The largest faceted gemstone in the word is the El-Dorado Topaz weighs 13.7 pounds (that's 31,000cts) and when it was found in Brazil in 1984 the rough stoned weighed 81.6 pounds.
8. The largest emerald in the world, the famed Bahia weighs an astonishing 752 pounds, was discovered in Brazil in 2001.
9. $71.2 million is the record price for the most expensive gem ever sold. It was the 59.6ct Pink Star, a fancy vivid pink, internally flawless oval diamond, sold by Sotheby's Hong Kong in April 2016.
10. The deepest diamond mine in the world, AngloGold Ashanti's Mponeng mine in South Africa is extends 2.5 miles underground, where the temperature averages 140 degrees. (It's cooled with an elaborate system of giant fans and pipes.)

Remember, if you're shopping Tucson jewelers for engagement rings or bridal jewelry, please keep me in mind and view my two minute video: The Secret: Why Guys Buy Diamonds from MKPJ.