uncle sam diamond

You could forgive Uncle Sam for singing, "Nobody knows the trouble I'm seeing." There's war in Iraq, and no hope of an early conclusion. The troublesome Iraq border with Turkey is threatening to flare up, creating more headaches should Turkey respond with force to provocations from Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq.

There's the everlasting tension between Israel and its neighbors, and the constant threat that this animosity will erupt into warfare that will make American foreign policy even more difficult than it has been in recent years.

Pakistan is threatening to come unglued while India has told the United States "never mind" on the American offer of nuclear assistance. North Korea remains perplexing and may have been helping Syria develop its own nuclear capability, a possibility that apparently persuaded Israel to launch a top-secret raid on a Syrian construction project.

The Republicans seeking their party's 2008 presidential nomination are fighting tooth-and-nail to prove their conservative credentials while the Democratic candidates search desperately for the formula for knocking Hillary Clinton off her perch as their party's front-runner.

And did we mention global warming? Or the water shortages that are pitting one state against another across the drought-stricken areas of the Southeast and Southwest? Or the price of gasoline and heating oil, the collapse of the housing market and other major economic woes?

If the list of worries seems unusually long, that's because it is. Metaphorically, one wouldn't be far off to think the U.S. is experiencing a national version of the travails of Britney Spears, who can't seem to stay out of trouble and finds more at every turn.

So we say, thank God for the boys of the diamond, an antidote if there ever was one. For those of us in the Northeast, this halcyon autumn of muted golds and muted cold has offered a blessing and postponed the day of fuel-bill reckonings at least for a while, but nothing has lifted spirits (and drooped sleepy eyelids) more than Sox' sterling yo-yo swing through the American League playoffs. Down 3-1 in the seven-game series, the hose hammered hapless Cleveland just when it seemed all may be lost, delivering the usual nail-biting autumnal diversion � and amidst much celebration, the American League pennant.

Their victory was sealed by players who weren't even on the Red Sox roster at this time last season: Daisuke Matsuzaka, Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury and J. D. Drew. Who would have thought it?

True, the Sox surely would not have been in a position to win the pennant without major contributions from such stalwarts as Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz, Kevin Youkilis, Mike Lowell, Josh Beckett and Jason Vartitek, but on Sunday night the newcomers stole the show, and showed what a little fresh blood can do.

The smallest player, Pedroia, made the biggest splash. The Bosox second baseman, who should win the American League's rookie of the year honors, had a night to remember, driving in five runs with a double and a home run. The wind may have helped loft his home run over the fence, but that didn't diminish his achievement or the joy it brought to the Red Sox nation.

"Once it went out, man, I was so excited and had so much adrenaline going on, I don't even remember running around the bases to tell you the truth," he said later. "I just got around there. It was the biggest at-bat of my life, and I'll never forget it."

Monday, President Bush asked for another $46 billion for Iraq, and parts of California were in flames. The world continues to spin uneasily, but tomorrow night the World Series begins. The upstart Colorado Rockies, who have won 21 of their last 22 games, are on a mission of their own and have a roster filled with players who, like Pedroia, were relatively unknown in April.

Tell the rest of the world and its problems to wait. There's serious baseball still to be played. Uncle Sam is the nickname for the largest diamond discovered in the United States. In 1924, W. O. Bassum discovered this pale brown diamond at Crater of Diamonds state park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas. The rough diamond originally discovered weighed 40.23 carats (8.046 g). It was cut twice, resulting in a final 12.42-carat (2.484 g) M-color, VVS1 clarity emerald-cut diamond. In 1971, the Uncle Sam was sold for $150,000.

Play ball!Barre Montpelier Times Argus, USA
- Oct 23, 2007
- Oct 23, 2007
ou could forgive Uncle Sam for singing, "Nobody knows the trouble I'm seeing." There's war in Iraq, and no hope of an early conclusion. ...
clipped from Google - 10/2007
Amanda K. Knepper and Jason O. BittingerMartinsburg Journal, USA
- Oct 24, 2007
- Oct 24, 2007
She wore a tiara and veil with Swarovski crystals and blue sapphires and diamond and sapphire earrings and necklace, gifts from the groom. ...
clipped from Google - 10/2007
Student discovers 1.23-carat 'tooth'McKinney Courier Gazette, USA
- Oct 19, 2007
- Oct 19, 2007
Other big finds include a 40.23-carat "Uncle Sam" diamond in 1924, the "Star of Murfreesboro," a 34.25-carat diamond, and the 16.37-carat "Amarillo ...
clipped from Google - 10/2007
New Mexico Man Finds 2.28-Carat Diamond At Arkansas ParkSpringdale Morning News, USA
- Oct 12, 2007
- Oct 12, 2007
The largest diamond ever found in the United States, the 40-carat white diamond named Uncle Sam, was unearthed in 1924 at the Murfreesboro park. ...
clipped from Google - 10/2007
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Blog posts


Uncle Sam Diamond - Man Finds 3.92-Ct White Diamond 58 minutes ago
The 40-carat white diamond named Uncle Sam, was unearthed in 1924 at the Murfreesboro park.A Wisconsin man digging at an Arkansas diamond park with his fiancee Tuesday found a 3.92-carat white stone, but the rock will go into his ...

40 Carat Diamond Named Uncle Sam 26 minutes ago
Diamond Fact: The largest diamond ever found in the United States is the 40 carat white diamond found in 1924 at the Murfreesboro Park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas. The diamond was named "Uncle Sam."

Wis. man finds 3.92-ct white diamond. 2 hours ago
The Crater of Diamonds park is the world's only diamond-producing site open to the public and visitors can keep the stones they dig up. The largest diamond ever found in the United States, the 40-carat white diamond named Uncle Sam, ...



Web results


Uncle Sam (diamond) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Uncle Sam is the nickname for the largest diamond discovered in the United States. In 1924, W. O. Bassum discovered this pale brown diamond at Crater of ...

clipped from Google - 10/2007
Diamond mining and places to dig for diamonds in Arkansas
This 40.23-carat, white diamond is the largest diamond ever found in North America. Discovered here in 1924, it was named the "Uncle Sam. ...

clipped from Google - 10/2007
Uncle Sam Diamond Rough - Encyclopedia of Arkansas
The crystal from which the Uncle Sam Diamond was cut, weighing 40.23 carats. The Uncle Sam was eventually cut to an emerald shape weighing 12.42 carats. ...

clipped from Google - 10/2007
Famous Diamonds
The largest diamond ever found in North America is the Uncle Sam Diamond. It weighs 40.23 carats, and was found near Murfreesboro, Arkansas. ...