Scientists can now produce cost-effective, lab-grown diamonds in just 150 minutes that look identical to a natural diamond.

Researchers from the Republic of Korea have created tiny diamonds that could offer a more environmentally friendly alternative to natural diamonds.

The researchers combined silicon and a series of liquidized metals with carbon gasses under extreme temperatures that reduced them to carbon atoms that merged with the silicon to create the diamond.

In the US, a one-carat princess-cut diamond would cost an average of $2,500, whereas the lab-grown equivalent costs just $500. 

Diamonds take billions of years to fully form, making them more expensive for buyers, but the lab-grown alternative can save you thousands of dollars. Can YOU tell the difference?

Lab-grown diamonds don’t look any different from natural diamonds to the naked eye, but because the differences can be seen clearly through a microscope, it makes them a cheaper alternative

Researchers mixed liquid gallium, iron, nickel and silicon into a crucible – a cup-shaped vessel used to melt substances – and heated it to 1,877 degrees Fahrenheit. The combination of the melted metals and the gasses, combined with silicon, created small crystals

Diamonds take billions of years to fully form, making them more expensive for buyers, but the lab-grown alternative can save you thousands of dollars. 

To the naked eye, lab-grown diamonds don’t look any different than the natural alternative, but they do look drastically different under a microscope, which is why there is such a large gap in the price. 

The researchers mixed liquid gallium, iron, nickel and silicon into a crucible – a cup-shaped vessel used to melt substances – and heated it to 1,877 degrees Fahrenheit.

The metals in the crucible were exposed to methane and hydrogen gasses which dissolved into carbon gas.

When the remaining carbon gas merged with the silicon, it forced the carbon atoms to bond together, creating small crystals.

The study’s co-author Rodney Ruoff said that the silicon was the key to success, telling Science: ‘If we don’t add some silicon, we don’t get diamond.’

Ruoff and his team tested growing the crystal’s growth at 15 and 30 minutes, but found that there was only a small portion of the diamond crystal projecting out of the metal surface in the crucible.

The diamond had continued to grow when researchers checked at 60 minutes, but it wasn’t until 150 minutes that it was fully formed.

Despite the major breakthrough, the crystals are still only 100 nanometers across – about the size of a typical virus – but researchers believe they will be able to advance their methods enough to eventually create larger diamonds.

 ‘A lot of labs around the world are going to start cooking things up,’ Ruoff said.

In the US, a one-carat princess-cut diamond would cost an average of $2,500, whereas the lab-grown equivalent costs just $500. 

If his prediction comes to fruition, it could revolutionize the already expanding lab-grown diamond industry. 

In 2015, lab-grown diamonds made up less than one percent of the global sales but that amount jumped to roughly 20 percent by the end of last year. 

This could be in response to the drop in price, with lab-grown diamonds costing a fraction of what people would shill out for a naturally grown one.

A two-carat round-cut diamond with a high color and clarity typically costs between $13,000 and $14,000, but lab-grown diamonds are a fraction of that price, costing $1,000.

‘Prices of lab-grown diamonds are falling. The reason is because of simple supply and demand. So many manufacturers are coming out and flooding the market with them, which is causing prices to dive,’ Mehul Sompura, CEO of Diamond Hedge, a diamond price comparison tool, told CBS MoneyWatch.

‘For the most part, it’s difficult to distinguish between the two, but it has to do with impurities, and with a microscope you can see growth patterns,’ Sompura said, adding: ‘You won’t get your money back, that’s the main problem.’

Researchers aren’t sure about how long it takes for diamonds to form naturally because it isn’t a continuous process. 

Diamonds may start to grow in the upper mantle of the Earth’s crust but the process could be interrupted by a change in climate conditions including temperature, the amount of pressure put on it or the amount of carbon they’re exposed to.

It’s for this reason that diamonds could sit for millions or hundreds of millions of years before they start growing again.

Lab-grown diamonds could provide a long-term alternative to blood diamonds – also known as conflict diamonds – which are mined in war zones and sold to finance ongoing war efforts.

It could also replace diamond mining which can destroy the surrounding land and release harmful chemicals.

For every carat of diamond mined, nearly 100 square feet of land is disturbed and 5,798 pounds of mineral waste is created, and the demand is estimated to increase to 292 million carats, according to Greenmatch, a sustainability and renewable energy organization.

‘Diamonds are very ingrained in our culture,’ Paul Zimnisky, a leading diamond industry analyst, told ABC News. 

‘I think, as humans, we just desire these rare, precious gemstones and metals. It’s not practical, but it makes us feel good.’ 

At last, the Government has woken up to the threat posed by the axis of evil that is China, Iran, North Korea and Russia.

On Tuesday, after much brilliant campaigning by The Mail (Don’t Leave Britain Defenceless), Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stepped up to the plate and announced a major boost in the country’s defence spending.

It will mean that provided a future Prime Minister doesn’t put a spanner in the works (50:50), defence spending will rise from 2.3 per cent of the country’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product) to 2.5 per cent by the end of the decade.

‘It is a generational investment in British security and British prosperity, which makes us safer at home and stronger abroad,’ the Prime Minister said.

In cash terms, it will boost defence spending by £75billion – paid for in part by taking an axe to the country’s bloated army of stay-at-home civil servants (no tears there).

On Tuesday, Rishi Sunak stepped up to the plate and announced a major boost in the country’s defence spending

First and foremost, irrespective of political allegiances, we should all welcome this bold announcement from Rishi. As he said, it is imperative that we ‘defend our country, our interests and our values’.

Yet, from an investment point of view, what was interesting is that Rishi’s boost to defence spending was accompanied by a ‘joint statement’ from HM Treasury and the Investment Association – an organisation representing the country’s £8.8 trillion fund management industry.

Although brief, its message was clear: investing in defence companies is good for the country – and good for investors.

Ridiculous wokery issues – primarily based around funds having to be ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) friendly – have resulted in many investment funds eschewing defence stocks. But the association (and Treasury) are now saying it is time for funds to row back.

‘Investing in good, high-quality, well-run defence companies is compatible with ESG considerations,’ the statement declared. ‘Long-term sustainable investment is about helping all sectors and all companies in the economy succeed.’ Hip, hip hooray.

In other words, if professional investors fail to provide quality defence businesses with the necessary capital to go about their work, we will make the country even more vulnerable to the threat posed by the axis of evil.

Or as Alec Cutler, a director of Orbis Investments, told me on Wednesday: ‘Peace through strength is at the base level of a society’s needs. Peace is a have-to-have, without which higher order desires relative to ESG will never achieve sustained traction.’ Absolutely.

So, how can private investors boost their pensions and Isas from this big increase in UK defence spending? It can be achieved in numerous ways – and not just by investing in this country’s big defence companies.

It’s a point that Jason Hollands, managing director of investment platform Bestinvest, is keen to point out. He says: ‘Rising UK defence spending is certainly good news for the country’s prestigious defence industry, creating jobs and, hopefully, providing a lift to the wider UK stock market.

‘Yet, rearmament across Europe and in the United States, plus the cross-border nature of many high-tech defence projects, means any investment approach should be global, not just UK based.’

Here are 10 opportunities that investors may wish to consider. They represent attractive long-term investment ideas, based on the opinion of a panel of investment experts.

Any share prices are correct at the time of writing.

FTSE 100 STOCKS

1. BAE SYSTEMS

BAE Systems already has a bulging order book – £37.7billion of orders were received last year

BAE Systems is the country’s leading defence company. It’s an international brand, involved in the manufacture of the Eurofighter Typhoon, submarines, battle tanks, through to developing technology that can fend off cyber-attacks from rogue states.

It already has a bulging order book – £37.7billion of orders were received last year – and Rishi’s pledge to increase defence spending should keep this pipeline flowing.

Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets at investment platform Hargreaves Lansdown, says an added attraction is that more than 40 per cent of sales come from the United States. With the US also committed to increased defence spending, this should keep the company’s order book healthy.

‘From an investor point of view, BAE Systems is a difficult company to overlook,’ says Keith Bowman, equity analyst at wealth manager Interactive Investor. ‘With an attractive annual dividend of around 2.4 per cent, the City consensus is that its shares are a buy.’

Over the past year, the shares have risen nearly 35 per cent, compared to a 2 per cent increase in the FTSE100, the index of the country’s biggest companies.

Interactive says BAE is the 13th most bought UK stock so far this month.

Resurgence: Rolls-Royce shares have doubled in the past year as chief executive Tufan Erginbilgic leads its revival

2. ROLLS ROYCE

Although Rolls Royce has big business interests in civil projects such as jet engines (the Trent XWB) and small modular nuclear reactors, it also provides advanced power and propulsion systems for use in combat aircraft and submarines.

Hargreaves’ Streeter says: ‘Under the new leadership of chief executive Tufan Erginbilic, productivity has improved, and company debts have been reduced. A multi-billion-pound order book points to strong future revenues – and with the promised swelling in the UK’s defence budget, it puts the company in an even better position.’

The business is back in profit (£2.4billion last year) and its transformation under Erginbilic has resulted in a rerating of the shares (up a staggering 170 per cent over the past year, 33 per cent over the past five).

Orbis’s Cutler is encouraged by Rolls Royce’s future stream of revenues from contracts such as supplying new engines for the United States’ fleet of B-52 aircraft – ‘valuable, non-cyclical cash flows’.

Dividends have yet to reappear after they were canned in the wake of the pandemic. Fidelity says that Rolls Royce was the fourth best-selling share on its investment platform in the first quarter of this year.

3. COMPASS

Compass, which provides numerous services to the country’s armed forces, could benefit if higher defence spending results in the recruitment of more forces personnel

Food contracting giant Compass provides numerous services to the country’s armed forces – from catering through to cleaning and the management of military facilities.

According to Hargreaves’ Streeter, Compass could benefit if higher defence spending results in the recruitment of more forces personnel – and ‘more hungry mouths to feed in bases across the UK and overseas’. As yet, there is no confirmation that the increase in defence spending will boost the number of armed forces personnel.

Over the past year, the shares are up 7 per cent. The dividends it pays shareholders are above where they were before the pandemic struck.

In the year to the end of September 2023, dividends totalled 43.1 pence a share. The shares currently trade at £22.33.

Compass has many strings to its bow beyond contracts with the military – which may comfort some investors.

FTSE250

4. CHEMRING

Chemring’s share price has risen by 27 per cent over the past year despite profits falling slightly in the year to the end of October 2023

Chemring provides technology products to the aerospace and defence industries.

Interactive’s Bowman says the company’s order book is in good shape, totalling £991million at the end of January – compared to £654 million a year earlier.

Its share price has risen by 27 per cent over the past year despite profits falling slightly in the year to the end of October 2023. The company pays shareholders a dividend equivalent to just below 1.9 per cent. The consensus view of City analysts is that its shares remain a ‘buy’.

Stuart Widdowson is manager of £190million investment trust Odyssean. He says all the key parts of Chemring’s business should ‘benefit’ from Rishi’s announcement last Tuesday: resulting in greater demand for products which protect aeroplanes and ships from heat-seeking missiles, through to cyber security systems.

5. & 6. OVERSEAS DEFENCE STOCKS

Attractive investments can be found in the United States and across Europe

David Coombs, multi-asset portfolio manager with Rathbone Asset Management, says investors should not necessarily confine themselves to UK defence stocks. Attractive investments, he says, can also be found in the United States and across Europe.

It’s a view shared by Orbis’s Cutler. ‘In Europe, especially, the long- term growth prospects for the defence industry have changed for the better. On defence spending, Europe needs to be at the vanguard, sitting in one of the world’s hottest geopolitical arenas.’

Coombs is a particular fan of defence stocks Thales (France) and Lockheed Martin (United States).

He says: ‘We’ve long owned aerospace and defence contractor Lockheed Martin to mitigate the risks of a more stressed geopolitical age. We have just increased our holding while adding Thales to our portfolios.’

Coombs likes the fact that both companies have adapted their businesses to cater for the changing needs of militaries – focusing, for example, on cybersecurity and digital warfare.

He adds: ‘Both now have comprehensive suites of cyber capabilities, supported by elements of Artificial Intelligence, machine learning and automation to deal with the complexities of today’s military deployments.’

International shares such as Lockheed Martin and Thales can be bought through mainstream investment platforms.

7. A THEMED INVESTMENT FUND

Hanetf Future of Defence can be bought through most investment platforms

For investors who want more diversified exposure, a small number of defence themed investment funds are now available. The best known is Hanetf Future of Defence which can be bought through most investment platforms.

The fund invests in 50 companies which generate revenues from defence spending by members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and NATO Plus countries (Australia, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea).

Among its top 10 holdings are BAE Systems and Thales (both already mentioned), German defence systems supplier Rheinmetall and French aircraft equipment manufacturer Safran.

Tom Bailey, head of research, says: ‘There is a shift towards higher defence spending among European NATO members.

‘The key beneficiaries of this are big European defence firms such as Rheinmetall, BAE Systems and Leonardo, headquartered in Italian. All have massive order books.’

The fund’s annual charge is low at 0.49 per cent and its shares are traded on the London Stock Exchange (market ticker NATP).

Launched in July last year, it has assets of £266million. Over the past six months, it has produced a return of 29 per cent.

8. 9. and 10. DEFENCE-FRIENDLY INVESTMENT FUNDS

According to the Investment Association, investment funds currently have £35billion invested in defence stocks. Most of this exposure is through broadly invested UK or global funds.

Bestinvest’s Hollands says several funds have ‘sizeable’ exposure to defence and aerospace stocks. Such funds, he adds, could appeal to investors who want to profit from the expected defence boom, without necessarily putting all their eggs in one basket.

Investment fund Ninety One UK Special Situations has 8.9 per cent of its assets in Rolls Royce – its biggest holding – while stock market listed investment trust JPMorgan Claverhouse has both Rolls Royce and BAE Systems among its top 10 stocks.

The biggest holding in Law Debenture, a £1billion UK fund, is Rolls Royce at 4.9 per cent.

Over the past three years, the respective returns from the three funds are 35, 12 and 27 per cent.

All can be bought through major investment platforms.

Compare the best DIY investing platforms and stocks & shares Isas

Investing online is simple, cheap and can be done from your computer, tablet or phone at a time and place that suits you.

When it comes to choosing a DIY investing platform, stocks & shares Isa or a general investing account, the range of options might seem overwhelming. 

Every provider has a slightly different offering, charging more or less for trading or holding shares and giving access to a different range of stocks, funds and investment trusts. 

When weighing up the right one for you, it’s important to to look at the service that it offers, along with administration charges and dealing fees, plus any other extra costs.

To help you compare the best investment accounts, we’ve crunched the facts and pulled together a comprehensive guide to choosing the best and cheapest investing account for you. 

We highlight the main players in the table below but would advise doing your own research and considering the points in our full guide linked here.

>> This is Money’s full guide to the best investing platforms and Isas 

Platforms featured below are independently selected by This is Money’s specialist journalists. If you open an account using links which have an asterisk, This is Money will earn an affiliate commission. We do not allow this to affect our editorial independence. 

DIY INVESTING PLATFORMS AND STOCKS & SHARES ISAS 

	Admin charge	Charges notes	Fund dealing	Standard share, trust, ETF dealing	Regular investing	Dividend reinvestment
AJ Bell*	0.25%	Max £3.50 per month for shares, trusts, ETFs.	£1.50	£5	£1.50	£1.50 per deal	More details
Bestinvest*	0.40% (0.2% for ready made portfolios)	Account fee cut to 0.2% for ready made investments	Free	£4.95	Free for funds	Free for income funds	More details
Charles Stanley Direct*	0.35%	No platform fee on shares if a trade in that month and annual max of £240	Free	£11.50	n/a	n/a	More details
Fidelity*	0.35% on funds	£7.50 per month up to £25,000 or 0.35% with regular savings plan.	Free	£7.50	Free funds £1.50 shares, trusts ETFs	£1.50	More details
Hargreaves Lansdown*	0.45%	Capped at £45 for shares, trusts, ETFs	Free	£11.95	£1.50	1% (£1 min, £10 max)	More details
Interactive Investor*	£4.99 per month under £50k, £11.99 above, £10 extra for Sipp	Free trade worth £3.99 per month (does not apply to £4.99 plan)	£3.99	£3.99	Free	£0.99	More details
iWeb	£100 one-off fee (waived until July 2024)		£5	£5	n/a	2%, max £5	More details
Accounts that have some limits but attractive offers
Etoro*  No investment funds or Sipp	Free	Investment account offers stocks and ETFs. Beware high risk CFDs.	Not available	Free	n/a	n/a	More details
Trading 212	Free	Investment account offers stocks and ETFs. Beware high risk CFDs.	Not available	Free	n/a	Free	More details
Freetrade* No investment funds	Basic account free,  Standard with Isa £4.99, Plus £9.99	Freetrade Plus with more investments and Sipp is £9.99/month inc. Isa fee	No funds	Free	n/a	n/a	More details
Vanguard  Only Vanguard’s own products	0.15%	Only Vanguard funds	Free	Free only Vanguard ETFs	Free	n/a	More details
(Source: ThisisMoney.co.uk Mar 2024. Admin % charge may be levied monthly or quarterly

 

It isn’t the most conventional of hellos.

Out on a boat on the Colorado River, a fisherman waves at us, then turns away, and proceeds to pull down his trousers to expose his (rather large) bottom.

‘We call this Moon River,’ laughs our train guard, explaining that this unusual act is considered a good-natured prank. We have received what the train staff call the ‘Colorado salute’.

Welcome to a journey from Denver, Colorado’s capital, to the town of Moab in Utah, aboard one of America’s most spectacular train rides: the Rocky Mountaineer.

The 370-mile trip takes you though the Rocky Mountains, with bald eagles soaring above and deer darting by the tracks. Rising from desert prairies, you’re soon winding between jagged, snow-dusted peaks and negotiating vast, red-hued canyons.

Cowboy country: Tom Chesshyre experiences Rocky Mountaineer’s first US train route. Above, the train trundles through De Beque Canyon in Colorado as it heads towards Utah

‘Rising from desert prairies, you’re soon winding between jagged, snow-dusted peaks and negotiating vast, red-hued canyons,’ writes Tom

Rocky Mountaineer trains began in Canada in 1990, rolling between Vancouver, Jasper, Banff and Calgary – and the sumptuous trains, with gourmet meals and smartly dressed staff, proved such a hit that the rail operator branched out two years ago with a US route.

The American journeys operate between mid-April and October, including an overnight stay in the intriguing little town of Glenwood Springs, Colorado, where the Wild West gunfighting legend Doc Holliday died in 1887.

It makes for one of the greatest train rides anywhere on the planet (let alone just the US). And it isn’t just the scenery that’s appealing.

There’s a lively camaraderie on board, which might have something to do with the free-flowing drinks in the SilverLeaf Plus lounge, where Fats Waller and George Gershwin tunes play on the automatic piano.

‘Ain’t this just wonderful?’ says Sam from Vancouver, who brings me a martini and tells me about the novel he’s writing about the old Wild West.

Debbie, who joins us – also with a martini in hand – is in a dreamy mood as we enter yet another canyon: ‘I just love this ride.’

Rocky Mountaineer trains began in Canada in 1990, rolling between Vancouver, Jasper, Banff and Calgary – and the sumptuous trains, with gourmet meals and smartly dressed staff, proved such a hit that the rail operator branched out two years ago with a US route

The train concludes its journey in Moab, Utah, home to Canyonlands National Park (pictured)

Rocky Mountaineer trains began in Canada in 1990, rolling between Vancouver, Jasper, Banff and Calgary

The 370-mile trip takes you though the Rocky Mountains – giving customers the best views of the landscape

Customers on board will be able to experience great views while having a drink with their friends 

Staff provide commentary from time to time as the train clatters along. The line we are on, we learn, was laid in the 1880s to connect Denver and Salt Lake City.

At one point, we are crossing the Continental Divide, where water either runs off eastwards into Florida’s Gulf or westwards to the Pacific Ocean.

The tracks are operated by Union Pacific, which decides when trains get priority on the sometimes single-line railway.

On occasion, we move into sidings to allow Amtrak’s California Zephyr service to pass.

In a promotional clip, passengers are seen enjoying the stellar views from the train

The trip includes an overnight stay in the town of Glenwood Springs in Colorado (pictured), where the Wild West gunfighting legend Doc Holliday died in 1887

Customers will be able to enjoy an ‘elevated culinary experience with wine pairings’ as they gasp at the beautiful views

There will also be spaces inside the train to relax, unwind, and socialize with fellow passengers

Let the good vibes roll: Two women are seen clinking glasses on the train 

The top speed is 60mph, though the average is 35mph. After our night out in Glenwood Springs – with modern-day cowboys in old-style taverns and steaming hot springs (hence its name) – we putter on the next morning through more marvellous ravines.

Little settlements with names like Silt, Rifle and No Name come and go. It really does feel like the back of beyond.

Past old uranium mines being decommissioned, we slowly pull up to the edge of Moab, where the joys of the Arches and Canyonlands national parks await: fantastic red rock scenery with mesas, ravines and spire-shaped formations as far as the eye can see.

The Rocky Mountaineer has lived up to its name – quite gloriously – from beginning to end.

A lifetime of societal stigma triggers chronic stress that dramatically shortens the life of lesbian and bisexual women, according to a new study.

Research by the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute found that bisexual women die, on average, nearly 40 percent younger than heterosexual women, while lesbian women die 20 percent sooner.

The difference in mortality is said to be due to the ‘toxic social forces’ LGBTQ people face, which can ‘result in chronic stress and unhealthy coping mechanisms’, said lead author Dr Sarah McKetta, Research Fellow at the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute.

The results of the study, one of the largest to mortality differences among those with differing sexual orientations, are ‘troubling’, senior author Brittany Charlton added.

The researchers found that bisexual women had the shortest life expectancies, dying 37 percent sooner than heterosexual women, followed by lesbian women, who died 20 percent sooner. Queer women (including both bisexual and lesbian women) died, on average, 26 percent sooner than straight women

An estimated 5.6 percent of all Americans identified as LGBTQ in 2020

The researchers used data from from the Nurses’ Health Study II, a cohort of over 100,000 female nurses born between 1945 and 1964 and surveyed since 1989.

Participants were eligible if they were alive in 1995, when sexual orientation was first included as part of the study.

The Harvard researchers linked participants’ self-reported sexual orientation to almost 30 years of death records.

They found that bisexual women had the shortest life expectancies, dying 37 percent sooner than heterosexual women, followed by lesbian women, who died 20 percent sooner.

Sexual minority women died, on average, 26 percent sooner than straight women.

‘Bisexual women face distinct stressors from outside, as well as within, the LGBTQ community that are rooted in biphobia. 

‘Additionally, bisexual people are often excluded from various communities because they’re assumed to be straight or gay based on their partner’s gender,’ said Ms Charlton, Harvard Medical School associate professor of population medicine at the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute.

This exclusion could manifest as a lack of social support. 

The US surgeon general previously said that social isolation was as bad as smoking 15 cigarettes per day and that loneliness should be treated with same urgency as ‘tobacco use, obesity and the addiction crisis’.

Lonely people are up to 30 percent more likely to suffer heart disease, previous research has suggested.

Previous research has also shown that gay women are not screened for diseases as often as they should be. 

A 2016 Australian study found that only 65 percent of lesbian women had ever received a cervical cancer screening, compared with 71 percent of bisexual women and 79 percent of gay women. 

This is due to an ‘urban myth’ that lesbian women do not need the screenings because they do not have sex with men, the study said.

The Harvard researchers suggested introducing increased screening and treatment referral for tobacco, alcohol, and other substance use, and mandatory, culturally-informed training for healthcare providers caring for sexual minority patients.

While the findings, published in the journal JAMA, are ‘striking on their own’, Dr McKetta pointed out that there may be even worse disparities among the general public. 

Participants were nurses who likely have better awareness of their health and better access to healthcare.

‘Study participants were all nurses and therefore have many protective factors that the general population doesn’t have,’ said Dr McKetta. 

NFL heiress Ava Hunt put on an incredibly glamorous display as she attended her final high school dance.

The senior, 17, who has gained a legion of followers for flaunting the many lavish perks that come with being the daughter of  billionaire Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, partied it up at her school’s spring formal over the weekend.

She donned a glamorous light pink floral maxi dress from the brand LoveShackFancy for the event.

The gown is ‘designed completely with a silky chiffon fabric’ and ‘features a sexy silhouette’ and ‘overlapping, asymmetrical ruffles at the neckline that continue to descend through the entire skirt,’ per its website.

NFL heiress Ava Hunt put on a very-stunning display as she attended her final high school dance over the weekend in a $765 LoveShackFancy maxi dress

Ava, 17, attended the dance with a date, whose name is Jack Martin, although she revealed little else about him in her post 

The senior, who is the daughter billionaire Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt ,shared a slew of photos from the evening to her Instagram

One showed her posing with her parents and her dad, 59, beamed with pride as he put his arm around Ava

Her former pageant queen and lookalike mom, Tavia Hunt , 52, also shared a solo shot with Ava on her own account, writing, ‘Spring sprang this weekend. Senior Prom for Ava’

The floral design that she wore is no longer available on the boutique’s online shop, however, it is available in plain colors and costs $765.

The budding cheerleader left her long blonde locks in loose waves around her face for the night out, and completed the look with nude heeled sandals.

She shared a slew of photos from the evening to her Instagram, which she captioned, ‘The last dance,’ along with the hashtags #senior and #springformal.

One showed her posing with a friend who wore a matching ensemble but in a different color, as they both held up bouquets of flowers in the air and smiled wide.

Another featured her standing with a man who seemed to be her date, named Jack Martin.

He’s private on Instagram so very little is known about him – but based off his bio he is set to attend Auburn University in the fall.

Other snaps saw the blonde beauty celebrating with more of her pals; and in another, she was joined by her parents.

Her dad, 59, dressed up in button-down shirt and trousers, beamed with pride as he put his arm around Ava.

Ava (seen with pals during the dance) donned a light pink floral maxi from that ‘features a sexy silhouette’ and ‘overlapping, asymmetrical ruffles at the neckline’

The budding cheerleader left her long blonde locks in loose waves around her face for the night out, and completed the look with nude heeled sandals

Ava has gained a legion of followers for flaunting the many lavish perks that come with being the daughter of billionaire Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark

Celebrating: She partied it up at her school’s spring formal over the weekend as she gears up to graduate next month

Her former pageant queen and lookalike mom, Tavia Hunt, 52, stood on her other side in a chic mini dress; she too could hardly contain her excitement.

Ava (seen at the spring formal) announced last month that she had officially committed to Southern Methodist University’s cheer squad for the fall, something that left her parents extremely ‘proud’

Tavia also shared a solo shot with Ava on her own account, writing, ‘Spring sprang this weekend. Senior Prom for Ava (she said the last one was the best one).’

Ava announced last month that she had officially committed to Southern Methodist University’s cheer squad for the fall, something that left her parents extremely ‘proud.’

‘It’s official! So beyond thankful for the opportunity to keep doing what I love,’ gushed the teen as she shared a carousel of images from the moment she signed her contract with the school.

One showed her placing her pen to the paper to write her name as she grinned from ear to ear, while another featured her sitting alongside her new coaches – with her parents standing supportively behind her.

Afterwards, Ava’s mom took to her own account to reveal just how proud she and her husband were of their daughter amid the feat.

‘Congratulations @AvaHunt on committing to cheer at SMU,’ she wrote. ‘Your hard work, dedication, and God-given abilities have brought you this incredible opportunity. 

‘It’s official! So beyond thankful for the opportunity to keep doing what I love,’ gushed the teen as she shared a carousel of images from the moment she signed her contract with the school 

One showed her placing her pen to the paper to write her name, while another featured her sitting alongside her new coaches – with her parents standing supportively behind her 

Afterwards, Ava’s mom took to her own account to reveal just how proud she and her husband were of their daughter amid the feat 

She wrote, ‘Your hard work, dedication, and God-given abilities have brought you this incredible opportunity. We are so proud of you.’ Ava is seen as a kid

‘We are so proud of you and grateful to God for guiding you on this journey. Your joy is contagious, and we can’t wait to see you shine bright at the next level.’ 

The prominent family is worth an estimated $24.8 billion, according to Forbes, and being related to a massive sports figure certainly comes with its perks – which Ava is not shy about showing off online.

Ava’s feeds consists of posts that show her vacationing at top spots around the world, staying in five-star resorts, flying in private jets, eating in some of the most sought-after restaurants, and attending elite sporting events – where she receives VIP treatment, of course. 

In the last year alone, the teen – who has over 42,000 followers – has visited Iceland, Cape Cod, Aspen, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Jerusalem, and Cabo San Lucas in Mexico. 

She also got a chance to hangout with pop superstar Taylor Swift thanks to her dad, posting a picture with the Cruel Summer songstress back in December.

The prominent family is worth an estimated $24.8 billion, according to Forbes  

Being related to a massive sports figure certainly comes with its perks – which Ava (seen at the Super Bowl) is not shy about showing off online 

Ava’s feeds consists of posts that show her vacationing at top spots around the world , staying in five-star resorts, flying in private jets, and and attending elite sporting events

In the last year alone, the teen – who has over 42,000 followers – has visited Iceland, Cape Cod, Aspen, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Jerusalem, and Cabo San Lucas in Mexico 

She also got a chance to hangout with pop superstar Taylor Swift thanks to her dad, posting a picture with the Cruel Summer songstress back in December 

She was also spotted hugging the singer – who is dating Chiefs’ tight end Travis Kelce – following the team’s win at the Super Bowl in February.  

Ava’s main passion seems to be cheerleading. Back in 2020, she came in first place at the cheerleading State Championships. And last year, she was picked as her school’s varsity cheer captain

Her older sister, Gracie Hunt, 25, is also a pageant queen and a model, who, like Ava, has gained a vast amount of followers for showcasing her glamorous endeavors on Instagram.

While Ava has followed in her mother’s footsteps and entered the world of pageantry – she competed in the Texas Outstanding Teen pageant back in 2021 – it seems her main passion is cheerleading.

Back in 2020, she came in first place at the cheerleading State Championships. And last year, she was picked as her school’s varsity cheer captain.

And the high schooler, who is set to graduate from high school in May, hopes to represent the Chiefs when she’s older.

Back in 2021, she shared a snap of herself jumping in the air at the Chiefs cheerleader auditions, which she captioned, ‘I didn’t actually audition for Chiefs cheer… But maybe one day!’