National Geographic: Splendid Stones

Mar 13, 1991

0h 58m

★ 0.0

Overview

Sparkling diamonds. Exquisite emeralds. Brilliant rubies. Shimmering pearls. For centuries, these precious gems have captured humankind, leading men and women to give up fortunes - even their lives - to possess them. Join National Geographic on a journey around the globe to discover the origins of these most coveted gems. You'll see astonishing amounts of earth mined to uncover rubies in Thailand or emeralds in Colombia. You'll meet a Tennessee businessman who cultivates freshwater pearls and a California chemist who 'grows' rubies nearly identical to nature's stunning creations. And you'll witness rarely, if ever before, filmed sales of uncut diamonds - deals worth thousands of dollars sealed only with a handshake and a Hebrew phrase. Unlock a treasure chest filled with a wealth of information and the dazzling beauty of Splendid Stones.

Genres

Documentary

Production Companies

WQED

National Geographic

National Geographic: Splendid Stones Trailers

No Trailers found.

Cast

Narrator

Richard Kiley

In the heart of Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique, the waters of Lake Urema explode with the thrashing of a giant crocodile tail. Gorongosa was once known as the place where Noah left his ark: 1,500 square miles of lush floodplains in central Mozambique, packed with wild animals. All around, enormous buffalo, soaring fish eagles, and countless antelopes roam freely. But on closer look, something strange is going on. Fifteen years of civil war has taken a heavy toll and many species have been almost completely wiped out. All the usual top predators and prey are virtually missing, except for one - giant crocodiles and thousands of them. Discover what is being done to bring this African oasis back to its former glory, including perhaps the most ambitious restoration effort ever attempted, with elephants, hippos and scores of zebra, wildebeest, impala and buffalo, being relocated into the park.

6.4

Kingdom of the Blue Whale

Mar 8, 2009

Supported by the National Geographic Society, the world's eminent blue whale scientists embark on a revolutionary mission: They'll find, identify, and tag California blue whales, use the DNA samples to confirm the sex of individual whales, then rejoin the massive creatures' stunning migration when they collect at a chimera known as the Costa Rica Dome.

0.0

Sharks of Hawaii

Apr 21, 2021

Nearly 40 shark species live in the warm waters of Hawaii's volcanic islands, including white tip reef sharks, Galapagos sharks and tiger sharks.

6.5

Anaconda: Queen of the Serpents

Jan 1, 2010

Anaconda - the mere mention of its name brings images of an awesome and terrifying killer snake! For Dr. Jesus Rivas and his wife, Dr Sarah Corey, anacondas represent a challenge as they try to unravel the mysteries surrounding these massive reptiles. Like most snakes, anacondas have suffered greatly from exaggeration and scary folklore. Pound for pound, the South American anaconda is the world’s largest snake. But its reputation as a killer is wrapped in myth and legend.

0.0

De mystiske gorillaer

Apr 5, 2010

In 2007, scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society discovered there were an estimated 125,000 western lowland gorillas living in the remote forests of northern Congo. This find offers another chance to protect this endangered great ape and a first look at some unprecedented behaviour – including a knack for using tools. Now primatologist and National Geographic explorer Mireya Mayor ventures into the heart of the jungle to explore the great apes’ secret world. She gets a rare and intimate look into the family life of one gorilla group and witnesses individuals performing feats unexpected in the wild. Spectacularly photographed and featuring new scientific insight, Mystery Gorilla presents startlingly familiar animals like you’ve never seen them before.

8.4

Eye of the Leopard

Oct 8, 2006

Eye of the Leopard follows the remarkable life of one small leopard from when she is just 8 days old every step of the way until she is 3 years old and on the brink of adulthood. Legadema, as she is named, works her way into your heart as she slips in and out of danger virtually every day, running from baboons and hyenas but also making landmark strides in hunting and surviving. Narrated by Jeremy Irons it is the story of a mother and daughter relationship as well as that of an emerging huntress in Botswana’s magnificent Mombo region of the Okavango Delta.

0.0

Snake Island: Wild & Deadly

Mar 27, 2020

No overview available.

7.0

Ultimate Honey Badger

Jan 1, 2013

An orphaned honey badger’s journey to become the toughest hunter on the African savanna.

9.0

Eternal Enemies: Lions and Hyenas

Jan 1, 1992

Trek into the hidden battlefields of northern Botswana where lions and spotted hyenas clash in overlapping territories. With never-before-seen footage, much of it filmed at night, you'll uncover an intense and vicious blood feud that has been waged for millennia. Follow the Southern Clan, led by a powerful hyena matriarch whose firstborn female cub kills her sister at birth to assure her succession as leader of the clan. Lurk in the shadows as a lioness from the Central Pride gives birth to three cubs and then encounters a deadly Egyptian cobra. You'll be stunned by breathtaking chase scenes as the hyena matriarch is brutally killed by a male lion, throwing the clan into chaos. Discover nature's savage conflicts in this ancient rivalry.

8.0

Shark Vs. Whale

Jul 28, 2020

A routine drone survey turns deadly when Ryan Johnson, a marine biologist based in South Africa, films a humpback whale being attacked and strategically drowned by a Great white shark. This is a total perspective shift for the creature.

0.0

Volcano!

Sep 17, 1989

For more than 20 years, Maurice & Katia Krafft have traveled the world. From Iceland to Hawaii, from Africa to Indonesia, they are usually the first to reach the scene of an eruption. Join them as they risk their lives to document the birth of a volcano.

6.3

Megastructures: Real Madrid Super Stadium

Dec 4, 2024

Real Madrid, the football club with the most Champions League titles, is undertaking a unique renovation of its stadium. The new Santiago Bernabéu will have a metallic facade, retractable roof, 360º video scoreboard, and a logistics ring. It will be the first stadium to store the pitch underground with a revolutionary system, all while continuing to host matches, pushing engineering to the limit.

10.0

Amazon: Land of the Flooded Forest

Jan 10, 1990

Explore an extraordinary region where water and land life intermingle six months out of the year.

0.0

Queen of the Baboons

Jan 4, 2016

They say that in the wild, nothing dies of old age. Yet one female baboon defies the rule. Queen of Baboons is a deeply intimate portrayal of life in a baboon troop through the eyes of its matriarch Mmasadi. From the moment of her birth, Mmasadi is destined for greatness. Born into the troops highest-ranking family, she will become queen one day.

0.0

Bios. Vidas que marcaron la tuya: Charly García

Oct 30, 2018

No overview available.

5.0

Wild Lapland

Dec 25, 2020

Snow blankets the trees and green lights dance in a star-filled sky. For a brief time during the festive season, our thoughts turn to a winter wonderland, far to the north. It’s a place best known to outsiders as Lapland, the magical home of Santa Claus. But far from the festive lights, Santa’s home is even more enchanting than you may realise.

6.2

Land of the Anaconda

Apr 28, 1998

Join barefoot scientist Jesús Rivas in the murky marshes of Venezuela on his quest to understand these huge, fearsome reptiles. Up to 30 feet long, weighing many times more than the scientists studying them, anacondas are difficult subjects at best, but the National Geographic team captures brilliant footage of them swimming, resting, mating, and hunting prey.

8.1

NOVA: Life's Rocky Start

Jan 13, 2016

Four and a half billion years ago, the young Earth was a hellish place-a seething chaos of meteorite impacts, volcanoes belching noxious gases, and lightning flashing through a thin, torrid...

8.0

National Geographic The Truth Behind The Loch Ness Monster

Jan 1, 2011

For centuries, people have reported sightings of a strange creature lurking within the gloomy waters of Scotland's infamous Loch, but are these accounts true or are they just another myth or giant hoax? Despite years of investigation and countless eyewitness testimonies, the riddle of this legendary brute has continued. Now, dive into the depths of this controversy using a mix of science, eye witness testimony, zoology, and psychological testing.

0.0

Last Days of the Maya

Nov 27, 2005

No overview available.

National Geographic: Splendid Stones

Overview

Genres

Production Companies

National Geographic: Splendid Stones Trailers