The Big Book of Bling

The Big Book of Bling — page 3 — CONTENTS Introduction 6 CHAPTER 1 RITZY ROCKS 8 Birthstone Myths and Facts 10 Fool’s Gold 14 Gorgeous Geodes 16 Crown Jewels 18 Value of Salt 20 Odd Rocks 22 Sinister Stones 24 Dazzling Diamonds 26 CHAPTER 2 EXTRAVAGANT ANIMALS 28 Blue Animals 30 Blinged-Out Bugs 32 Colorful Kingdom 34 The Richest Pets of All Time 36 Red-Eyed Tree Frog 38 Brilliant Birds 40 Cool Crabs 42 Glamorous Goods 44 Scale Tales 46 CHAPTER 3 POSH PAST 48 Royal Purple 50 Legends of Gold 52 Royal Riches 54 Lost and Found Treasures 56 A-List Accessories 58 Astounding Artifacts 60 Golden Mask 62 Incredible Palaces 64 CHAPTER 4 MAGNIFICENT MONEY 68 Rich Traditions 70 Wild Bills 72 Splendid Spending 74 Swanky Space Station 76 Crazy Currency 78 The Secret Life of Cash 80 Cleopatra’s Wealth 82

The Big Book of Bling — page 4 — CHAPTER 5 WEALTH OF WONDERS 84 Cool Caves 86 Jumbo Jackpots 88 Showy Spots 92 Posh Pools 94 Coral Colors 96 Nice Ice 98 Hot Spot 100 Sparkling Sundews 102 CHAPTER 6 METALLIC MARVELS 104 Melting Gallium 106 Good as Gold 108 Bright Sites 110 Amazing Armor 112 Championship Bling 114 Steel Supertrees 116 Incredible Iridescence 118 Medal Madness 122 CHAPTER 7 SUPER SPLURGES 124 Climbing Everest 126 High-Style Hotels 128 Big-Ticket Travel 130 Expensive Eats 132 Blockbuster Bling 134 Awesome Abodes 136 Over-the-Top Toy 138 Flashy Festivals 140 CHAPTER 8 SPLENDID SCIENCE 144 Sea Sapphires 146 Real or Fake 148 Perfect Pearls 150 Color-Changing Creatures 152 Sparkling Space 156 Shiny Things 158 Color Decoded 160 Glitzy Glitter 162 Growing Gemstones 164 CHAPTER 9 LAVISH LIGHTS 166 Baily’s Beads 168 Bioluminescent Bling 170 Awesome Auroras 172 Cool Constellations 174 Blue Volcano 176 Lake Lightning 178 Ark of Light 180 Fluorescent Fun 182 Omega Centauri 184 Index 186 Credits 191

The Big Book of Bling — page 5 — Peacock mantis shrimp Interior of Marble House one of the most famous mansions in Newport Rhode Island U S A Hope Diamond 6

The Big Book of Bling — page 6 — BLING When you hear that word do you think of giant gems or gorgeous jewels Or is it piles of money diamond encrusted cupcakes maybe even gold toilets While bling is certainly everything flashy glittery and rich there’s actually actually so much more to it than just shiny stuff So what is bling really Say the word out loud and you might swear you can hear light striking the surface of a sparkling diamond Linguists call a word that conjures up the idea of a sound an ideophone But only in recent decades did people start using the term bling Television ads and music videos use it to describe fancy over the top accessories like extravagant watches and glistening gold necklaces necklaces Just like a catchy tune once bling got into our brains it stuck around The truth is though bling isn’t just for people with big bucks Bling is all around us whether it’s an animal that amazes a stone that sparkles gear that glitters or science that shimmers And as long as you find beauty and value in something it’s as good as gold So turn the pages and uncover the jaw-dropping secrets behind our world’s most brilliant bling Explore the wonders of nature by indulging in views of gorgeous glowing caves and shining lakes Get ready to be astonished astonished by animals that seem to trick the human eye with their crazy colors or surprising sheen Unearth radiant rocks and magnificent minerals lush landscapes and majestic marvels Take a step back in time to find sprawling kingdoms kingdoms royal relics and reclaimed riches And yes you’ll even find some flashy fashion and other super splurges that might make you see dollar signs Prepare your eyes for the super sparkly awesomely astonishing and unbelievably opulent You might be surprised by the world of wealth you discover Armor of Henry II king of France Tropical piranha

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