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Paris makes controversial Olympics decision

The mayor of Paris has caused an uproar amongst locals are announcing plans to keep the Olympic rings on the Eiffel Tower indefinitely. In an interview with Ouest-France, Mayor Anne Hidalgo said the iconic landmark will be keeping the Olympic symbol after the conclusion of the summer Games. “The decision is up to me, and I have the agreement of the IOC [International Olympic Committee]. So yes, they [the rings] will stay on the Eiffel Tower,” she said. The giant Olympic rings, measuring 29 meters wide and 15 meters high, were installed on the Eiffel Tower ahead of the Paris Olympics, which began on July 26th, and were set to be dismantled after the Paralympic Games draw to a close on September 8th. However, Hidalgo is pushing to keep them in place permanently, albeit in a lighter version, replacing the current 30-tonne structure. The plan has drawn mixed reactions from Parisians, with many slamming the idea and calling out the "defiling" of the iconic French landmark. “It’s a historic monument, why defile it with rings? It was good for the Olympics, but now it’s over, we can move on. Maybe we should remove them and return the Eiffel Tower to how it was before,” one local told French publication France Bleu. Descendant of the Eiffel Tower designer Gustave Eiffel even chimed in on the debate, as a family statement read, "It does not seem appropriate to us that the Eiffel Tower, which has become the symbol of Paris and the whole of France since its construction 135 years ago, has the symbol of an outside organisation added to it in a permanent way, whatever its prestige." The SOS Paris group, which campaigns to protect Paris's landmarks and environment, added, "The Eiffel Tower has a history of 135 years and surpasses a sports and media event of 17 days," while the chairman of the association Friends of the Champs de Mars, the park around the Eiffel Tower, said the idea "needed to be the subject of a wider consultation". However, some people were in favour of the rings remaining on the Eiffel Tower, as one local told the publication, “The Eiffel Tower is very beautiful, the rings add colour. It’s very nice to see it like this.” Image credits: Aimee Dilger/SOPA Images/Shutterstock Editorial

Travel Trouble

Brand Olympics: do the famous rings deliver value to host countries?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/steven-greenland-2064">Steven Greenland</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/charles-darwin-university-1066">Charles Darwin University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/robert-joseph-gill-1530152">Robert Joseph Gill</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/swinburne-university-of-technology-767">Swinburne University of Technology</a> The cost of hosting Paris 2024, the 33rd Olympics, is predicted to be <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/paris-lean-olympics-wont-blow-any-budgets-credit-rating-firm-sp-says-2024-03-11/">more than A$14 billion</a>. So what’s in it for the French? Will this oldest of sporting events shine for them, or as has happened with some previous Olympics, will it prove to be <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-07/what-japan-learned-from-olympic-white-elephants/100329488">a massive white elephant</a>? <h2>The power of the five rings</h2> The Olympic brand is <a href="https://olympics.com/ioc/news/the-olympic-brand-maintains-its-global-strength-and-recognition">massively powerful</a> and gives the host nation a global platform to strengthen their international reputation and standing. The Olympic brand heritage goes back 2,800 years to southern Greece, when games were held to honour the Greek god Zeus at Olympia. Starting in 776 BC, these ancient games were held every four years and continued for more than 1,000 years. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VdHHus8IgYA?wmode=transparent&start=11" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>The Olympics began as part of a festival honouring Zeus in the rural Greek town of Olympia.</figcaption></figure> The modern Olympics began in 1896 in Athens. Since then, the games have been hosted in 23 cities and 20 countries. Paris 2024 will welcome around 10,500 athletes from more than 200 countries <a href="https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/sports">competing in 32 different sports</a>. Around <a href="https://www.euromonitor.com/press/press-releases/nov-2023/olympic-games-2024-set-to-boost-tourism-spending-in-paris-by-up-to-eur4-billion-euromonitor-international">4 billion people will watch on</a> around the globe. The Olympics’ five rings (<a href="https://discover.sportsengineplay.com/olympics/history-of-they-rings#:%7E:text=They%20first%20appeared%20in%201913,to%20accept%20its%20fertile%20rivalries.">created by Frenchman Pierre de Coubertin 110 years ago</a>) is one of the most recognised logos on the planet. It represents unity across the five continents (Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania). It is this familiarity and <a href="https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/INTR-07-2018-0324/full/html">positive Olympic brand associations</a> – which include excitement, fairness and being elite – that some argue justifies the billions spent. Host nations hope this Olympic sparkle rubs off on their nation’s reputation – but that’s not always the case. <h2>Benefits of hosting an Olympics</h2> Broadcast rights, sponsorships and advertising from organisations that want to be associated with the Olympic brand can <a href="https://olympics.com/ioc/funding">generate huge revenue streams</a>. The Olympic brand adds considerable value for sponsors and advertisers, and there are also benefits that France (and the world) will gain long after the event. Responsible marketing and attracting sponsors that complement Olympic brand values can <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0965254X.2023.2230487">promote positive, sustainable attitudes and behaviour</a>. Examples of this include promoting unity, a sense of national pride, and social and health gains from <a href="https://theconversation.com/does-sports-participation-boom-during-or-before-or-after-the-olympics-227773">increased sports participation</a>. The event also generates huge revenue from domestic and international tourism – 15 million spectators are anticipated for Paris 2024. Most are locals and domestic day trippers but <a href="https://www.euromonitor.com/press/press-releases/nov-2023/olympic-games-2024-set-to-boost-tourism-spending-in-paris-by-up-to-eur4-billion-euromonitor-international">around 3 million additional visitors</a> are expected in Paris during the games. Increased infrastructure and updated civil works as a result of the city getting ready for the Olympics provides many lifestyle benefits: a reinvigorated host city can benefit from upgraded transport, accommodation, hospitality, sports facilities and streetscapes. Other significant benefits relate to strengthening the host country’s geographic and cultural brand. For France, this includes reinforcing and promoting many of its registered geographic indicator products that relate mainly to wine, agricultural products and foodstuffs, as well as spirits and beers. Champagne is perhaps the most widely recognised geographic indicator product. It illustrates how connection to its place of origin assures consumers about regional and French cultural values and <a href="https://theconversation.com/whats-in-a-name-quite-a-lot-if-its-prosecco-parmesan-or-mozzarella-209505">the products’ characteristics and quality</a>. <h2>What about the pitfalls?</h2> Many Olympics have failed to turn a profit, meaning countries and citizens are <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02665433.2019.1633948">left to pay off debts</a> for decades after the event (for example, Rio, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/jul/06/40-year-hangover-1976-olympic-games-broke-montreal-canada">Montreal</a>, Beijing and Athens). Also, many cities are left with <a href="https://theconversation.com/looking-back-at-the-olympic-venues-since-1896-are-they-still-in-use-229606">purpose-built infrastructure</a> created specifically for the games but left idle afterwards, including athlete accommodation, aquatic centres and major stadiums. What will determine the success of Paris 2024 and justify the massive investment in hosting the event? <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_m1x5JaC37E?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>Is hosting the Olympics worth the investment?</figcaption></figure> The success of the Olympics for the host is often determined by the financial revenue it can generate. The Olympic brand plays a significant role in generating this financial support. However, the brand’s reputation can be tarnished by issues leading up to and during the games, which may reduce the positive impacts. The Olympic brand’s reputation can be affected by issues like: <ul> <li> high-profile athletes and national teams cheating or doping </li> <li> world sporting authorities placing restrictions on competitors <a href="https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1143198/restrictions-transgender-paris2024-games">based on gender and status</a> </li> <li> incompatible sponsors jumping on the Olympic bandwagon. For example, manufacturers of harmful products whose negative brand associations could tarnish the Olympic brand, such as <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0965254X.2023.2176532">soft drink and alcohol sponsors</a> </li> <li> negative publicity associated with unethical practices of host and participating countries <a href="https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/sports-politics-brands-volatile-mix-olympic-games/">with human rights issues</a>. This includes others using the event to publicise these </li> <li> politicising the event – including “<a href="https://theconversation.com/is-saudi-arabia-using-sportswashing-to-simply-hide-its-human-rights-abuses-or-is-there-a-bigger-strategy-at-play-208468">sportswashing</a>”, protests, boycotts and image protection, as seen with <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13216597.2017.1347101">China</a>, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/kidspost/2021/12/16/us-protest-olympics-is-nothing-new-politics-have-been-mixed-with-sports-decades/">the United States</a>, and <a href="https://olympics.com/ioc/news/declaration-by-the-ioc-against-the-politicisation-of-sport">Russia</a> </li> <li> unforeseeable events – the COVID pandemic delayed the Tokyo games and <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/money-money-money-cost-tokyos-pandemic-delayed-olympics-2021-06-10/#:%7E:text=Organisers%20said%20last%20December%20that,has%20risen%20to%20%243%20billion">pushed the cost to A$18 billion</a> </li> <li> other negative associated risks for the host city such as <a href="https://theconversation.com/will-the-paris-olympics-be-a-terrorist-target-these-three-factors-could-be-key-229110">terrorism</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/extreme-heat-is-a-killer-for-outdoor-sporting-events-lets-plan-properly-to-keep-everyone-safe-229998">heat waves</a>, and civil unrest. </li> </ul> <h2>Fingers crossed for France</h2> With close to half the world watching Paris 2024, France’s National Olympic Committee will be anxiously hoping for positive outcomes to ensure a strong return on the A$14 billion invested. But since Sydney 2000, virtually every games host has suffered <a href="https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/economi">significant financial blowouts</a>. For their sake, and the Olympics’ reputation, let’s hope the Paris games sparkle - or we may be left with a very limited number of potential future hosts with very deep pockets.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/228497/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/steven-greenland-2064">Steven Greenland</a>, Professor in Marketing, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/charles-darwin-university-1066">Charles Darwin University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/robert-joseph-gill-1530152">Robert Joseph Gill</a>, Associate Professor in Media and Communication, Swinburne University of Technology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/swinburne-university-of-technology-767">Swinburne University of Technology</a> Image credits: Artur Widak/NurPhoto/Shutterstock Editorial This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/brand-olympics-do-the-famous-rings-deliver-value-to-host-countries-228497">original article</a>. </div>

Money & Banking

“Greedy” woman slammed after being “disappointed” with engagement ring

A woman has been dubbed “ungrateful” and “greedy” online after sharing a lengthy post about how she was “pretty disappointed” with the ring her boyfriend proposed with. The bride-to-be took to Facebook to say that while she still loves her fiancé, she was upset at being given a lab-made diamond as opposed to a natural one. “I'm not going to lie, I was pretty disappointed, especially since my future husband has enough income to afford a real diamond,” she said in the lengthy post. She also confessed to feeling like “a spoiled brat for complaining”, but went on to compare how her fiancé was previously engaged to another woman and proposed with a ring costing more than $75,000, so the cheaper diamond left her feeling “second best”. The woman’s post was met with ridicule online, as thousands of people commented on her post to express their disbelief. One person quipped, “I require my diamonds to be exploitative.” “People sure do get upset when their diamonds aren't the result of human rights abuses and environmental destruction, huh,” another said, slamming the woman's “entitled attitude”. Another woman was quick to agree that the bride-to-be's “greedy” disappointment was in bad taste. “Carbon is carbon,” another person said, referring to the material that diamonds are made of, whether from the ground or in a lab. “Such a weird hill to die on! I told my husband I wanted a lab created diamond for this exact reason: because diamond mining claims lives! Having a chemically perfect diamond is a bonus,” another woman said. Image credits: Shutterstock

Relationships

Woman shares fury after unknowingly paying for her engagement ring

A new wife has shared her fury after she discovered her husband had been paying off her engagement ring from their joint bank account. The 28-year-old woman was overjoyed when her partner proposed to her with an $8,000 two-carat lab diamond ring, which he bought on a payment plan because he “didn’t have the funds available” when he bought it. The couple got married just three months later at the courthouse after they realised they could not afford a big, fancy wedding. After their big day, the new wife was shocked and annoyed when she discovered she had “unintentionally partially paid for two instalments”, which now makes her a “part owner of the ring”. “I found out after we married and merged our finances that he has been withdrawing funds from our joint account — we make roughly the same — to finance this ring,” the furious woman shared in a Reddit thread. “We have been having some arguments lately and he feels that the ring is a wedding expense and it’s only fair that I contribute towards it too, and that as a woman of this day I shouldn’t hesitate to be an equal partner.” She took particular issue with her husband for making her pay her share on what was supposed to be a gift from him. “I was just taken aback and honestly put off by the fact he is making me pay for a gift he gave to me. You don’t make the recipient of a gift pay for the damn gift,” she said. The woman said if she had known her husband was going to make her pay for the ring, she wouldn’t have agreed to “buy it”. “Mutual consent is essential when a couple is deciding to invest in an asset. Owning a house or a car jointly requires two ‘yeses’ and I wouldn’t certainly have said yes to jointly owning a ring he was supposed to give to me as a gift,” she explained. Although the woman admitted that she had asked her partner for a “nice” ring before he proposed, saying that she “deserved a quality piece symbolising our love”, she said she wished her partner talked to her about the big expense before signing her up for payments. “My then-fiancé knew about the expectation I had of him and was upfront about things from the get go,” she explained. “He could’ve discussed things with me and we could’ve seen if we were truly compatible like that. What I didn’t know was that he was plotting to ‘get even’ with me by taking out a payment plan and using our funds to finance it.” “I don’t mind splurging for him, but this whole situation has left a very bad taste in my mouth.” Now she’s demanding her husband return her engagement ring to the jewellery store because she refuses to pay for it. The Reddit post has racked up thousands of comments, with some people jumping to the woman’s defence. One person wrote, “I’d be livid if I found out I was diamond poor instead of house poor.” However, not everyone thought the wife’s actions were justified, with one person writing, “You’re married, there is no ‘my money’ and ‘his money’. Money he spends towards the debt for the ring is money that can’t be spent on other things for your lives together. You wanted an expensive ring, they aren’t free”. Image credits: Shutterstock

Money & Banking

A horse died on the set of The Rings of Power: more needs to be done to ensure the welfare of horses used in entertainment

The recent <a href="https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/rings-of-power-horse-death-lord-of-the-rings-peta-1235564884/">death of a horse</a> on the set of Amazon’s <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7631058/">The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power</a> is the latest incident raising questions about how humans use horses for entertainment and sport. While a statement from producers said the horses’s cardiac arrest occurred before the day’s filming began, animal rights activists PETA used the death to call on all screen producers to replace on-set horses with CGI and mechanical rig alternatives. The incident feeds into growing public concern about horse welfare on film and TV sets, at the track and in equestrian sports. But improving horse welfare is about more than just reputation repair – too often it’s about survival for horses and humans. <h2>Horse welfare in film and TV</h2> The riding of a horse over a cliff to its death for the movie Jesse James (1939) led to the establishment of <a href="https://humanehollywood.org/about-us/">American Humane</a>, which now oversees around 100,000 animals on more than 1,000 productions each year. While things have improved since the early days of film and television, deaths and mistreatment of horses still occur. In 1987, on the set of <a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/118307194">The Man From Snowy River II</a>, a seriously injured horse was killed using the blunt end of an axe. More recently, the high-profile series <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/the-real-story-behind-hbos-cancellation-of-luck">Luck</a>, starring Dustin Hoffman, was cancelled following the deaths of three horses. <h2>The good and bad of unprecedented global exposure</h2> In 2021, the Tokyo Olympics beamed to a global audience the excessive <a href="https://7news.com.au/sport/olympics/peta-calls-for-abusive-equestrian-events-to-be-axed-from-olympics-c-3703388">whipping and punching</a> of modern pentathlon horse Saint Boy and show jumper Kilkenny’s <a href="https://www.chronofhorse.com/article/kilkenny-suffers-nosebleed-during-olympic-individual-final">spectacular nosebleed</a> during the controversial show jumping program. While the bleed must have been obvious, officials did not intervene to stop the ride. Confronting images, and the perceived failure of organisers to protect the horses involved, brought into clear and global focus the indisputable welfare issues faced by horses competing at the elite level. The global outcry led to <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-9892093/Name-price-Kaley-Cuoco-offers-buy-horse-cruelly-punched-Olympics.html">actress Kaley Cuoco offering to buy Saint Boy</a> and the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/nov/02/modern-pentathlon-votes-to-ditch-horse-riding-after-tokyo-olympic-turmoil">withdrawal of the equestrian phase from modern pentathlon</a>. <h2>Risk to humans and horses</h2> Horse welfare does not just impact animals. Since the 1840s, 873 jockeys are known to have <a href="https://www.thoroughbredracing.com/articles/2062/facts-and-figures-jockey-fatalities-australia/">died in race falls</a> in Australia. Internationally, the sport of eventing (where competitors complete three phases: dressage, show jumping and cross-country) reported 38 rider and 65 horse fatalities during or after competition between 2007-15. Riding horses is considered one of the most <a href="https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/evj.13934">dangerous of all sporting pursuits</a>, and the deaths of riders and jockeys, usually from falls, are common. Public concern about risk to horses and humans through horse racing and equestrian sports, as well as screen production, also <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/15/1987">threaten these industries’ social licence</a>. <h2>Better horse welfare is related to better rider safety</h2> Our research offers hope for the horse industry and for those passionate about riding horses. Last year, we <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159121003269">published a paper</a> demonstrating the link between horse welfare and rider safety. We asked riders how they cared for their horses and how their horses behaved when ridden – for example, we wanted to know how often horses were bucking or rearing. From this information, we calculated a relative welfare score for each horse. We also asked riders about their accidents and injuries. After analysing the data from over 400 riders, we found the higher the horse welfare score, the fewer accidents and injuries a rider reported. In a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08927936.2023.2176589">subsequent study</a>, we found horses with better welfare scores are more enjoyable to ride, most likely because they perform better and riders feel more in control, creating a win-win for horses and riders. <h2>Good horse welfare means more than good health</h2> Often good welfare is thought of in terms of an animal being healthy. While this is part of good welfare, good health alone is not enough – especially for a horse competing at the elite level or taking part in a film. Horses are <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168159117300710?casa_token=5E77h_TYKGEAAAAA:EUBGz7BTnACvpvB_3iYM-urXpBxJbS95G0-05yMRJEbMTg_SEeb_VnSoVgn35su8_aNOZEpSqctL">neophobes</a> – this means they find new things frightening – so most horses are likely to find a movie set or travelling to a new location stressful. The most up-to-date <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/10/1870/htm">understanding of welfare</a> tells us that stress and poor mental health means poor animal welfare. When a horse is stressed or in pain they <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159117300692">behave in a very predictable way</a> – they run away, panic, kick out or buck and rear. Yet, anecdotally and in the media, people seeing a horse behaving in this way often claim the horse is crazy, unpredictable or just plain mean. More likely, an “unpredictable” horse is suffering from poor welfare. As part of our research program, we have developed a <a href="https://hub.rspca.org.au/attachments/88">new framework</a> to help horse owners identify aspects of their care and training that diminish horse welfare. This information can be used to make modifications to improve horse welfare, and, importantly, can be applied to horses in any equine sector, including racing, sport and film and television. <h2>Investing in the future of horses in entertainment and sport</h2> Although a veterinarian assessed the recent horse death on the set of The Rings of Power as “unlikely to be associated with the horse’s participation in the film”, more can be done to protect horses and the industry. In Australia, <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/7/1986">no specific standard exists for the use of animals</a> in filmed media, and each state and territory has differing risk management guidelines. An opportunity now exists for the industry to set a new standard for horse care and training. An easily executable first step for the industry could be to insist a scientifically trained and credentialed equine behaviour expert be involved in the recruitment and supervision of horse actors and their trainers at all stages of production. This would ensure horse actors are appropriately trained to be on set and that horses are trained using the most up-to-date ethical methods. Horse behaviour experts could also help in scene design to minimise horses’ exposure to stressful situations and identify tasks that are incompatible with good horse welfare. If these suggestions were to be adopted, the film and television industry would be setting the benchmark for horse welfare – and pressure other horse industries to follow suit. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-horse-died-on-the-set-of-the-rings-of-power-more-needs-to-be-done-to-ensure-the-welfare-of-horses-used-in-entertainment-202939" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Images: The Rings of Power / Amazon

Ash Barty makes history while flashing her stunning wedding ring

Ash Barty has once again made history when she became the first person to win a fifth Newcombe Medal at the Australian Tennis Awards. The retired tennis player turned heads when she arrived at Melbourne's Crown Palladium on Monday night where she was honoured for her Australian Open success. All eyes were on the 26-year-old as she stunned in a black dress and massive $14,000 diamond wedding ring as she walked down the red carpet with her husband Garry Kissick. The former world No.1 was then presented the highest individual honour in Australian tennis by John Newcombe following her success at the 2022 Australian Open - 11 singles and four doubles victories. “It’s obviously an amazing way to cap off what has been an incredible journey,” Barty said. “The journey of a lifetime, the journey of me chasing after my dreams and exploring what was possible out in the world.” Barty beat six Newcombe Medal nominees including: Hunter, Ajla Tomljanović, Nick Kyrgios, Alex de Minaur, Matt Ebden and Max Purcell. Tennis legend Evonne Goolagong Cawley was also honoured that night receiving the Spirit of Tennis Award. Full list: 2022 Australian Tennis Awards recipients as per Tennis Australia Newcombe Medal: Ash Barty (QLD) Spirit of Tennis Award: Evonne Goolagong Cawley (NSW) Female Junior Athletes of the Year: Talia Gibson (WA) and Taylah Preston (WA) Male Junior Athlete of the Year: Edward Winter (SA) Most Outstanding Athlete with a Disability: Heath Davidson (VIC) Most Outstanding School: Aitken Creek Primary School (VIC) Most Outstanding Tennis Club or Venue: Collaroy Tennis Club (NSW) 30+ Tennis Senior of the Year: Jarrod Broadbent (VIC) Coaching Excellence – Club: David Grainger (SA) Coaching Excellence – Development: Luke Bourgeois (NSW) Coaching Excellence – Performance: Craig Tyzzer (VIC) Excellence in Officiating: Robyn Tucker (SA) Most Outstanding Tournament: Euroa Lawn Tennis Club Labour Day (VIC) Volunteer Achievement Award: Julie Polkinghorne (SA) Images: Getty

Beauty & Style

Hidden message in JLo’s engagement ring

Jennifer Lopez has shared a heartwarming detail that her husband Ben Affleck did to her engagement ring. The two lovebirds finally <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/relationships/jlo-and-ben-affleck-finally-tie-the-knot-20-years-later" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tied the knot in an intimate ceremony</a> in Vegas on July 17, just three months after being engaged (for the second time). Affleck first proposed to Lopez, now known as Mrs Jennifer Lynn Affleck, 20 years ago. Now the singer has kept her fans entertained revealing that her engagement ring has a secret message from her husband. “Not.going.anywhere,” the words on her ring read. "That's how he would sign his emails when we started talking again. Like 'Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere,'" Lopez told host Zane Lowe during the interview. The 53-year-old recently revealed that she has decided to take her <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/relationships/jlo-defends-taking-ben-affleck-s-surname" target="_blank" rel="noopener">husband’s last name</a> and that it wouldn’t make much of a difference. “People are still going to call me Jennifer Lopez. But my legal name will be Mrs Affleck because we’re joined together. We’re husband and wife. I’m proud of that,” she told Vogue for the December issue. “I don’t think that’s a problem... it’s not traditional. It doesn’t have any romance to it. It feels like it’s a power move, you know what I mean? “I’m very much in control of my own life and destiny and feel empowered as a woman and as a person. I can understand that people have their feelings about it, and that’s okay, too. “But if you want to know how I feel about it, I just feel like it’s romantic. It still carries tradition and romance to me, and maybe I’m just that kind of girl.” The pair married in a stunning wedding where JLo wore <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/beauty-style/finally-jlo-shares-pics-of-her-three-stunning-wedding-dresses" target="_blank" rel="noopener">three wedding dresses</a>, where each dress cost around $1 million. Images: Instagram

Relationships

Woman lists engagement ring for sale

A woman has caused quite the stir when she listed her engagement ring for sale. The gorgeous Tiffany engagement ring was listed on a private buy-sell Facebook group after the seller decided it was time to part ways with it. “Selling this for obvious reasons. I do now I don't," the seller wrote on the listing. "Compared to current Tiffany pricing of a 1.0 Carat ring at $23,600, I am letting go of this beauty at $18,500. Condition is close to brand new - never worn much." Her listing however raised questions on who the engagement ring belongs to if a relationship ends. "Legally you can't sell this and have to give it back if you didn't proceed with the marriage," one woman commented. "If he paid for it, it's his, and he should get all the $$$," another user agreed. Someone defended the seller saying it was unnecessary for people to comment about the woman’s circumstances. "OMG, why do [people] feel the need to comment on this? You don't know the circumstances. If you don't want to buy it, why bother adding your two cents?" Images: Facebook

Relationships

Bride wears engagement ring with blood in it

A bride-to-be has caused quite a stir after sharing a photo of her engagement ring that apparently has her fiancé’s blood in it. The woman shared the photo to the popular Facebook group “That's it, I'm wedding shaming” and at first glance it looks like a normal ring with a red stone. To everyone’s shock, she revealed that the “red stone” was in fact her fiancé’s blood. “Has anyone else opted out of a wedding band? I love my engagement ring so much, it has my fiancé’s blood in it and it is so special to me,” she began. “I’d rather that be put on my finger at the wedding instead of a band. I would have to get a custom one to fit my ring and I don’t know, I just don’t want to.” However, the comments were not nice about the $300 ring, with many questioning why anyone would do that. “I’m glad she loves it and is happy. It is heinous though,” one wrote. “I’m fine with one ring…as long as it’s not filled with BLOOD! What in the actual f**k?” someone else commented. "I hate it here," another simply wrote. Image: Facebook

Relationships

Bride-to-be throws fit over engagement ring

A bride-to-be has slammed her fiancé for the hideous engagement ring he proposed with despite her explaining which one she wanted. The woman vented her frustration in a Facebook group explaining how she tried hard not to hate the ring. She then shared two images - one of the ring she was given, and another of the $8,859 mint sapphire ring she wanted. “I was very excited for the proposal, then this thing came out of the box,” her post read. “First thing I said was ‘omg that's massive’. I didn't like it at all but I spent a few hours trying not to hate it so much.” To make matters worse, the sizing of the ring was completely wrong to the point where it got stuck on her finger. This might have been a sign as the bride-to-be had to be taken to hospital to have the ring cut from her finger. “The pegs were trying to cut me at every opportunity, and it was way too tight. I did get measured, twice, and I sent him my measurements from every country, but the jeweller f****d up still.” she continued in her rant. “I'm devastated and crying. He can't get me another ring because it won't be possible before the wedding. I'll never be engaged for real.” She asked other group members to make her laugh but instead they advised her to reconsider the relationship after not getting what she asked for. "Sounds like you are compromising a lot and not getting any of what you want in return. Postpone the wedding. Don't do it this way. If he isn't even listening or caring now... well.. I speak from experience and a divorce,' one woman said. “This was obviously important to you and if he can’t listen and respect you enough to do this right it sounds like there might be bigger issues at play,' one person wrote. “Would you consider postponing the wedding for a while. Is this a one off? The fact that he didn’t listen to what you had expressed you would like to receive doesn’t bode well. I get he may have been coming from a place of well meaning but you told him exactly what you would like and he totally disregarded it. Please don’t rush into marriage,” another suggested. “If you still feel this is the man you want to spend your life with tell him you would like a long engagement with the ring of your choice and if he can’t respect that then you have a pretty good idea of what you are getting in to,” someone else commented. The woman was not having any of it and replied to the comments in defence of her future husband. “In general he's amazing. I genuinely thought I'm going to get a beautiful ring. I was actually in shock how bad it is because I never saw it coming,” she began. “I also blame the jeweller a lot more than him, I mean I'm sad he didn't get me the one I wanted as it is for sale but the jeweller did everyone dirty the most in this scenario.” She also revealed that they eventually went shopping together and purchased a new ring. Images: Facebook

Relationships

Avril Lavigne shows off massive engagement ring in Paris

He was a sk8er boi she said YES Canadian rocker Avril Lavigne has shown off her huge and absolutely stunning engagement ring. After just one year of dating, Derek Ryan Smith who goes by the name Mod Sun, got down on one knee in Paris in front of the Eiffel Tower and proposed. “Oui! Je t’aime pour toujours. Dimanche. 27. Mars. 2022,” Avril wrote in a series of heartwarming photos of the proposal. A simple translation from French, Avril’s message reads “Yes! I love you forever” along with the date. Mod Sun went a step further and wrote a loving message to his now fiancée also sharing sweet snaps of the treasured moment. “The day we met I knew you were the one. Together forever til our days are done,” his message began. “I had a dream where I proposed in paris. I pulled out a ring + asked you to wear it. I was on one knee as I looked in your eyes. “You’re too beautiful for my words to describe. I grabbed your hand + took one last breath…I said “will you marry me?” + she said “yes”. “I love you Avril.” The endearing photos show the loved-up couple kissing, smiling at one another, as well as Avril showing off the heart-shaped engagement ring which glows on her left finger. Images: Instagram

Relationships

“No, I hate it so much”: Woman’s reaction to engagement ring goes viral

A woman who hated the engagement ring her fiancé bought her has forced him to swap it out for one that’s DOUBLE its price. The bride-to-be took to <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@beefinnagain/video/7073846184753827115?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TikTok</a> and shared the story to her 450 followers about how she was “not being too much” for asking to swap the ring. “I asked him to replace it, so I’m probably going to get a lot of hate for this and honestly, I’m OK with that; I’m aware I’m a lot,” she said. She explained the pair had been dating for a while but the whole time she was in “marriage headspace”. The woman said she explained to her boyfriend specifically what she wanted: “I want a ring with a halo. I want the little diamonds around the main ring.” “Don’t talk to me about marriage,” she claims he said. The woman however said that she would not move in with him unless he proposed. She emphasised that she “didn’t care about the size, cut, or clarity of the diamond” and that all she wanted was a “little halo on the inside diamond”. “The time comes, he proposed and it literally was a princess cut diamond with no halo. It was a beautiful diamond, but it was just not what I wanted,” she rambled on. “So after he proposed I literally went home and my mum was like, ‘Do you like the ring?’ “And I like bawled, I was like, ‘No I hate it so much and I have to wear it forever.’” It took her a week to tell her boyfriend that she was not happy with the ring and that she wanted a new one. “I called him and was like, ‘Hey this is going to be a hard pill to swallow but like I hate the ring – it is just not what I wanted and I am willing to wait for something that I do want but like I just need you to know that. Can we try and fix this?” she asked. “All is well in the world. He was able to get a refund and swap it out and it was fine … I made him pay double for the ring because he took me to the store and I told him what I liked.” Image: TikTok

Relationships

Revealed: Who this Lord of the Rings orc was based on

Elijah Wood, the actor who played Frodo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings, has revealed that one particular orc <a rel="noopener" href="https://happymag.tv/lord-of-the-rings-orc-harvey-weinsteins-appearance/" target="_blank">was modelled</a> after a real person in an act of revenge. Appearing on Armchair Expert, hosted by actor and comedian Dax Shepard, Wood shared that it was the orc named Gothmog, who made an appearance in Return of the King, after Jackson was threatened to be replaced if he didn’t condense the trilogy into one film. But who was the subject of the revenge? “One of the orc masks - and I remember this vividly - was designed to look like Harvey Weinstein as a sort of f**k you,” Wood said. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844672/orc-weinstein.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/2b7b8ba14511436eb31235973ddb06b5" /> Gothmog the orc (left) appears to be the character that most resembles Weinstein (right). Image: New Line Cinema, Getty Images According to Wood, it was a way for the film’s production team to take revenge against the entertainment mogul and convicted sex offender after he made their lives hard during production. Initially, Weinstein’s company Miramax was set to produce The Lord of the Rings. But, Weinstein refused to make three movies, demanding that director Peter Jackson condense them into just one. Weinstein then threatened to pass the film on to fellow directors Quentin Tarantino or John Madden if Jackson didn’t do as he asked. After Jackson reportedly asked for permission to get a different producer, Weinstein agreed but only gave him one weekend to do so. “The window of time was insane,” Wood said. “They shopped it around town. Peter made a pitch video that’s pretty impressive, taken to a variety of places. Most people were balking at the notion of doing more than one film. The popular opinion was, ‘No, you have to see how [the initial movie] does and then invest the rest of your money’.” The franchise was later scooped up by Bob Shaye, the founder of New Line Cinema. “I think the lore is that they were coming with two and it was Bob Shaye who said, ‘We have to do three,’ which is insane,” said Wood. The trilogy would go on to make $2.92 billion at the box office, and is considered to be one of the most successful franchises of all time. Image: New Line Cinema

Movies

Andy Murray finds stolen wedding ring after issuing plea on social media

Tennis legend Andy Murray took to Instagram on Thursday to issue an unusual plea: help finding his missing wedding ring. According to the video, Murray had left his tennis shoes outside to air them out, and naturally, his wedding ring was tied to his shoes as he can’t wear it when he’s playing. “Last night after dinner here in Indian Wells, I got back in the car to go back to the hotel and the car didn’t smell great,” he said. “I’d left my tennis shoes in there. It’s been like 38-39 degrees so the shoes are damp, sweaty and smelly. “I decided when I got back to the hotel that the shoes needed some air, I needed to dry them out a little bit. I have no balcony in my room and didn’t want to leave them in my room because it would stink the room out. “So I thought I’m going to leave the shoes underneath the car to get some air to them and dry them out overnight.” <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CUt3I1jMnCS/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CUt3I1jMnCS/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Andy Murray (@andymurray)</a> </div> </blockquote> Unfortunately, when he got back to the car, the shoes were gone. “I had to go to a local pro shop to buy different shoes to what I normally wear — different brand and everything — which isn’t the end of the world but obviously not ideal.” It wasn’t until later, when his physio pointed out his wedding ring was missing, that Murray realised something far more valuable had been lost. “Needless to say I’m in the bad books at home so I want to try and find it,” he said. “If anyone can share this or may have any clue where it may be, it would be very helpful so I can try get it back.” Fortunately, the saga has a happy ending. Murray posted an update on Thursday afternoon, letting his followers know that the shoes and the ring had been found. He thanked his fans for sharing the story, and explained that after making a few calls and chatting to hotel security, the incredibly smelly shoes and the ring were both returned to him. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CUvmTIzoVM7/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CUvmTIzoVM7/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Andy Murray (@andymurray)</a> </div> </blockquote> “They still absolutely stink, but the shoes are back, the wedding ring is back, and I’m back in the good books. Let’s go!” Murray is in California for the Indian Wells tournament, with Murray set to play France’s Adrian Mannarino in his first round match on Saturday. Image: Andy Murray/Instagram

Relationships

"This can't be happening": Groom drops wedding ring in worst possible place

Andrew and Marlene Kent’s nuptials did not go as planned after their wedding ring fumbled into Lake Tahoe, USA. What should have been a scenic ceremony turned into horror after the groom accidentally dropped his wife’s ring through a gap in the pier on Sugar Pine Beach. "Honestly, I thought, this can't be happening. Like that didn't just happen," Marlee said. Andrew added, "Like what are the chances?" <img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840437/wedding.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/d811ed3b77564828a75f02f5601881df" /> The couple in love were soon on their knees searching for their ring in the clear Tahoe water. "My first thought was like how deep is it, how cold is it?" Andrew said. The couple quickly turned to a Tahoe scuba diving Facebook group after a pastor convinced the pair not to jump for it. Outdoor adventurer Phill Abernathy answered the call, saying: "The water was 41 degrees [farenheit; roughly 5°C], dry suit was needed.” He went on to say: "We start to move some of the little rocks out of the way and obviously as we start to move them some silt starts to form.” <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840436/wedding-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/3c1ca7da11bd43c7a5fe8cd7de42a665" /> Phill eventually found the ring tucked away in some rocks and revealed that he even had to fight off a crawdad to get it. "I'm so thankful to have my ring back but either way it's a great story to tell our kids one day," Marlee said. Image: Youtube

Relationships

Furious bride's epic response to sold ring goes viral

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> A scorned bride-to-be has won over thousands after she explained why she's selling her engagement ring. UK single mum Lisa placed an ad selling her engagement ring, offering it for sale at £500 ($AUD $900) ($NZD 947) and accepted "reasonable offers". Lisa explained it had been worn for 9 months and was purchased from a popular store. When another Facebook user asked why she was selling the ring, she got more than she bargained for after a 600-word-long reply from the seller. Lisa, a nurse, also said she was going to use the money from selling her ring to have a “banging Christmas dinner”. “Well, Pam, I met this bloke about three years ago and thought he was really nice - a big soft giant, been hurt and cheated on blah blah blah [who] was going to make me happy and all that bollocks. “So I thought I’d give it a try being the naive, vulnerable person I am and not realising everything he was saying had happened to him is actually what he had done to his ex wife - and before that, the mother of his children. “I am a mug, Pam. I really am. “Anyway, get back to the story. So I meet this bloke, don’t find him physically attractive that much but a nice person (again, wrong). “So fast forward a year and he proposes to me on a holiday to Egypt which was really nice and all but I knew then it wouldn’t ever happen cos he repulsed me more than attracted me. I’d actually said to my daughter the day before that I’d die if he proposed on this holiday and **** my life, he did it. “Anyway, I had to say yes cos we were in a restaurant full of people, all tables decorated and about 10 Egyptians stood round the table waiting to do this traditional Egyptian dance thing. “The ring’s already inside a glass of champers which I wish I’d taken the risk of choking on to be honest. And it’s all too late, I’m in too deep, Pam. “My daughter’s white [with shock], my other daughter’s crying, I’m crying through despair not happiness - little did they know and it’s all gone too far, Pam, I couldn’t say no then could I? “Anyway, fast forward again a few months and he’s already had seven birds behind my back - well tried - six turned him down and one was a prozzy (prostitute). So I can’t say he did actually cheat, but he did try. “So by now I’m really not feeling it all so [I’m] thinking just get past Christmas, then next thing ******* boom! We’ve booked a New York trip and I’m trapped again. At least he can’t propose on this one though. “So a week before New York, we have a massive row and the horrible fat bastard strangles me on the bed mid-way through an argument. Oh and he’s just admitted to stealing over $50k out of his dad’s bank account, who’s got dementia so bad that the poor old sod doesn’t even know what a bank account is any more! “So I’m at the end of the road by then, Pam, I really am! Proper had enough babe. “Anyway, fast forward again to four weeks ago and I won in court for the trying to kill me blip and got him a nice electronic ankle bracelet to wear. And I thought you know what, now it is definitely over now and I’ve still got that f****** ring I wish I’d choked on. “It’s Christmas and I’m a single mum, I work part time as a nurse and I’m skint so let’s sell this little beauty! “I mean it was only an investment for him really as women are just there to feed and pay his bills so I might as well get some dollar back and have a banging Christmas dinner, Pam! “Might even buy me a nice pair of shoes too so I can walk away from the next fat bastard who tries to ruin my life. “He’s moved on too, Pam. Got a new bill pair now so it’s definitely not needed. “So that’s why I’m getting rid Pam, hope that answers your question.” People were shocked by the reply, saying it was a "wild ride". “No multi-billion dollar Hollywood blockbuster has ever been nearly as entertaining as this roller coaster,” said one. Wrote one more: “Oh, I love Lisa. She’s honestly great. I hope she has a great Christmas.” Said a third: “I thought the ‘I’m a mug Pam, I really am’ part was the funniest, but it really only got better from there!” </div> </div> </div>

Relationships

Lost wedding ring looking for its owner 20 years later

A man is determined to return a wedding ring he found in his Melbourne pool almost 20 years ago to its loving owners. Andrew Winters told Nine News he was swimming in his parents' pool in Australia's Wheelers Hill back in the early 2000s, when he spotted something glistening in the water. "I went to touch it and said 'hold on this is a ring'," he said. "Back then there wasn't as much social media. I didn't think about reuniting it - I didn't know how." The men’s wedding ring has "Mick Love Mary 28/11/1970" inscribed on the inside. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7838779/wedding-ring.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/2eb226ec0e154035af90f09960ffb42c" /> Mr Winters says he believes the original owner could have lost the ring at a salt processing plant. He found the ring shortly after his family filled the pool with salt. "There was no other way it could have got in the pool," he said. "The owner may have worked in the salt industry." Mr Winters and his partner said they attempted to find the owner in 2013, but had no success. He is determined to reunite the precious possession to its rightful owner. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7838778/wedding-ring-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/461032ddc646481b95237882b0ba5048" /> "We sent some messages on Facebook, but it didn't really eventuate," he said. "I just want to reunite someone and cheer them up – I know how upsetting it is to lose something, it would be great to reunite them."

Beauty & Style

"Do it again!": The worst way to find out your diamond ring is fake

A Florida teacher and her student have gone viral across the globe after an innocent school experiment revealed her engagement ring isn’t real. A group of high school students used a diamond tester and went from class to class testing their teacher's rings. In the video that was shared to popular teen app TikTok, the students are seen approaching a teacher wearing an engagement ring with a large rock. The clip heard the woman saying she had proudly worn the ring for 20 years since her husband proposed. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Yo this kid goes around testing his teacher’s wedding rings & I’m screaming because most of them are fake 😭😭😭😭😭 <a href="https://t.co/tG3zWkDmDw">pic.twitter.com/tG3zWkDmDw</a> — I put sugar on my grits (@thismyburner8) <a href="https://twitter.com/thismyburner8/status/1321550282161971201?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2020</a></blockquote> "I can test it to see if it's real?" a student asks the teacher. She tells him to "come on in" and places her hand on the table. The student commented about how large the diamond is, to which the teacher responded, "It's going to be big, we've been married over 20 years." However the diamond tester went on to beep, indicating the rock is not a diamond at all. "You say you've been married 20 years? Not going to lie I don't think it's real," the student tells her. The clearly agitated teacher demands the student test it again, saying: "Do it again. This thing is real. So what you telling me?" <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> “Wym you don’t think it’s real?” 💀💀💀 <a href="https://t.co/1ZbdI3K3bg">pic.twitter.com/1ZbdI3K3bg</a> — I put sugar on my grits (@thismyburner8) <a href="https://twitter.com/thismyburner8/status/1321569964508078080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2020</a></blockquote> Once again, the diamond tester beeps to indicate the rock is fake. The footage then cut to the teacher calling her husband and taking the ring off. "You knew it wasn't real?” she can be heard saying over the phone. “And you still gave it to me after 20 years? So this is what I'm going to get? "Okay, you know what, you thought it was going to be me and you tonight, guess what? It ain't. It's not going to be."

Relationships

Sydney grandmother furious after precious ring goes missing in jewellery store

A woman is demanding answers after she sent her prized engagement ring to one of Australia’s largest jewellers, only to discover it went missing. Rosa Minichini says her husband Joe proposed on their first date – when she was 17 and he was 23. The pair actually broke family tradition to get her engagement ring. "So back in those days, the parents had to come along to choose the rings and I wasn't going to have that. So I said okay, when can you get time off work? We'll catch the ferry across to the city to Diamond Traders and we'll choose a ring, and that's what we did," Joe said. Rosa explained that her ring was “a little cluster. Ten diamonds but one in the centre. And it just had little ones down, down the side of it but 18k gold." After decades of sporting the gorgeous jewel around, a diamond fell out, and so Rosa took her engagement ring to Angus and Coote at their local shopping centre, Warringah Mall, on Sydney's northern beaches, to get it repaired. "We got a call to go in and, you know, pick it up," Rosa said. "As soon as he opened that bag, and it was missing, I just went into shock." That shock was amplified because her wedding rings were the only jewellery she had left after the Minichini's were robbed seven years ago. "They took everything of my parents', mine, my wife's, my children's necklaces, bracelets, watches, everything. Everything was gone, because everything was in the safe," Joe shared. "You know, with the heartache of just having everything taken away, I just couldn't believe that this precious engagement ring would be taken away," Rosa explained. Rosa said she was shown a photograph of the repaired ring, but what happened on the way back to the Angus and Coote store is a mystery. "I can't see how it's so hard to find, because all diamond places, jewellers, they've got cameras. Surely, from one place to another, the camera can tell where it's gone," Joe admitted. The ring cost $1100 back in 1980, when Joe earned $80 a week, petrol was 40 cents a litre, and a home in Sydney cost $50,000. But the ring hasn't been valued since. "I can't even put a price onto it because of the fact that the sentimental value to me, it's worth more than a million dollars," Rosa said. Angus and Coote is one of Australia's largest jewellers with stores around the country. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7836999/couple-ring.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/97b76785be114818a161d0690a366901" /> The company is yet to give an explanation as to where Rosa’s ring went missing, almost seven months later since it was first entrusted to them. The jewellery store has offered to make a replica of the engagement ring. Angus and Coote told A Current Affair "as this is a private matter we will not be making any public comment." Rosa says that answer is just not good enough. “It shouldn't go missing, you know, the thing is that you've got this in your hands. It should be really looked after.” <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7836998/couple-ring-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/931cf7b7b37c4e139b79e1cfe96cd2d6" /> Andrew Gavrielatos from the NSW Fair Trading's customer service department has the following advice for customers. "Everyone places a value on their items, and they do expect to be compensated for that,” he said. Certainly a consumer should expect to be put into that place before the item was handed over. Where there is a sentimental value, obviously that becomes a lot more difficult, because what is that value? It's much harder to determine.” "When you do hand an item over make sure you have a photograph of the item, make sure you get a receipt, for the item you've handed over and tell the business it does have that sentimental value, to keep them focused on that."

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The story behind Duchess Camilla’s engagement ring

Whenever she makes a public appearance, Duchess Camilla is never seen without a special piece of jewellery: her engagement ring from Prince Charles. The ring, which has adorned Camilla’s left hand since her royal engagement in February 2005, is an art deco design featuring a five-carat emerald cut diamond at its centre and diamond baguettes on each side, placed on a band made from traditional Welsh gold. At the time, Clarence House confirmed the ring was a royal family heirloom. It is believed to have come from the Queen Mother’s collection, <a href="https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/tradition/a32465831/camilla-engagement-ring-prince-charles/">Town & Country</a> reported, with the monarch being seen wearing the piece in the 1980s. The ring is one of many jewellery pieces the Duchess of Cornwall owns from the Queen Mother’s collection. Another adornment that is on Camilla’s hold is the Greville Tiara, which was inherited to Queen Elizabeth II and placed under <a href="https://www.harpersbazaar.com/wedding/bridal-fashion/g23656976/best-royal-family-jewelry-of-all-time/?slide=4">a long-term loan to the Duchess</a>. Camilla tied the knot with Prince Charles on April 9, 2005, with a civil ceremony at the Windsor Guildhall and a marriage blessing at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.

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Sydney grandmother furious after precious ring goes missing in jewellery store

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