Gemstone

A gemstone or gem (also called a fine gem, jewel, or a precious or semi-precious stone) is a piece of mineral crystal, which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments. However, certain rocks (such as lapis lazuli) or organic materials that are not minerals (such as amber or jet), are also used for jewelry, and are therefore often considered to be gemstones as well. Most gemstones are hard, but some soft minerals are used in jewelry because of their luster or other physical properties that have aesthetic value. Rarity is another characteristic that lends value to a gemstone. Apart from jewelry, from earliest antiquity engraved gems and hardstone carvings, such as cups, were major luxury art forms. A gem maker is called a lapidary or gemcutter; a diamond worker is a diamantaire.

The carvings of Carl Fabergé are significant works in this tradition.

Characteristics and classification

Monsta

Monsta may refer to:

Meg & Dia

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Meg & Dia was an American rock band formed in 2004. It was founded by sisters Meg and Dia Frampton before becoming a five-piece act (renamed Cowards Courage and released the CD "Straight out of a story book") with additional members Eddie Friends, Ryan Hardy, Jon Cash and Alex Kruse. With the departure of the additional 4, Meg & Dia hastily reverted to their root name with additional members Nicholas Price, Jonathan Snyder (formerly of Madison) and Carlo Gimenez.

Meg & Dia (also then known as The Meg & Dia Band) released its first album, Our Home is Gone, in 2005. At the time, the band consisted of just the two Frampton sisters, and the album's tracks were mostly acoustic songs. Meg played guitar and provided back-up vocals while Dia sang. A year later, they released their second album, Something Real, their first album released under Doghouse Records.

The band signed with Warner Bros. Records in 2007 and released Here, here and here in 2009 via Sire Records. Before disbanding, they were signed under the name Dia Frampton to Universal Republic.

Monster Jam

Monster Jam is a live motorsport event tour and television show operated by Feld Entertainment. The series is sanctioned under the umbrella of the United States Hot Rod Association (USHRA) and takes place primarily in the United States. Although individual event formats can vary greatly based on the "intermission" entertainment, the main attraction is always the racing and freestyle competitions by monster trucks.

Live events

Monster Jam shows are held throughout the whole year with more shows during the winter than the summer, and travel around the country in U.S. and Canada. Shows are also being held in other locations around the world, such as Europe, Australia, Mexico, Costa Rica and recently The Philippines.

Fans

Fans attending a Monster Jam event are given the opportunity to meet the performers during the "Pit Party" and autograph sessions. The drivers autograph memorabilia, clothing, flags and other merchandise at these events.

Monster Jam World Finals

Held in Las Vegas, Nevada Sam Boyd Stadium, it is the culmination of the Monster Jam season with only the top competitors competing. It is often referred to as the "superbowl of monster trucks" and features drivers competing for the Racing and Freestyle Championship.

Monster

A monster is any creature, usually found in legends or horror fiction, that is often hideous and may produce fear or physical harm by its appearance and/or its actions. The word "monster" derives from Latin monstrum, an aberrant occurrence, usually biological, that was taken as a sign that something was wrong within the natural order.

The word usually connotes something wrong or evil; a monster is generally morally objectionable, physically or psychologically hideous, and/or a freak of nature. It can also be applied figuratively to a person with similar characteristics like a greedy person or a person who does horrible things.

The root of "monstrum" is "monere"—which does not only mean to warn, but also to instruct, and forms the basis of the modern English demonstrate. Thus, the monster is also a sign or instruction. This benign interpretation was proposed by Saint Augustine, who did not see the monster as inherently evil, but as part of the natural design of the world, a kind-of deliberate category error.