The “You-can’t-go-wrong” Gift

Thank you to 94.7 The Globe for having me on the air this morning. As always, I had a good time with Weasel and Kelly. Sometimes I wonder where I feel more at home, the radio studio or the diamond world. Maybe in my next life, I’ll do a morning show.

So we talked the usual Christmas talk, what’s hot this year, etc…  And my answer, for those that missed, is that it’s back to the classics: Diamond studs. For as long as I’ve been in the business, and I’m glad Weasel didn’t ask me the years, diamond studs have been the go-to-gift. 

For guys that just don’t know what to get, I recommend earrings because they’re so versatile and your girl can get a lot of use out of them. She can wear them with denim, a cocktail dress, or out formally.  You can’t go wrong. 

Some trunk show pics…

Party this weekend!

 

 

 

 

FRIDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 30. 6PM-10PM
Business or Casual Chic Attire, Cocktails Served
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1. 10AM-5PM

SATURDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 1. 6PM-10PM
Business or Casual Chic Attire, Cocktails Served

 

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2. 10AM-5PM

 

 

 

 

Mervis Diamond Importers 1900 Mervis Way, Tysons Corner, VA
Mervis Diamond Importers 1775 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD
PLEASE RSVP

Biggest Diamond Ever Found

On January 26, 1905, in our own home country of South Africa, The Cullinan Diamond was discovered, weighing a whopping 3,106 carats.  To put that in perspective, the average engagement ring has a diamond of 1 or 2 carats. Anything over 3 is considered large and impressive. This was over 3,000!

 It has since been cut into three smaller stones, Cullinan I, Cullinan II, and Cullinan III.  The largest of which is affectionately known as the Star of Africa , seen here. The Star of Africa holds the place of 2nd largest cut diamond in the world and is on display with the other Crown Jewels in the Tower of London.

A Kiss at the Altar – Guest Writer

She finally reaches the altar and stands before me. In all my life, I have never seen a woman look so beautiful! The vows are begun but I am still in dreamland. We say our “I do’s” and it’s time for the rings. I reach for her hand, trembling ever so slightly and gently place the band on her finger next to her engagement ring. It’s her turn and she places the ring on my finger. it’s beautiful and suddenly I feel like a piece of my life has finally been revealed to me and I am complete.

Finally I hear the five most wonderful words I can imagine “…you may kiss the bride.” I reach for my darling wife and embrace her for the first time as a married couple. We can’t resist the urge to start our first kiss with a favorite *put put put* of sweet mousie kissies. I take the time to savor the feeling of her lips as our kiss deepens. Once again I am lost in the moment and only the applause of family and friends brings me back to reality. We stand proudly before everyone, now joined for all time as one. Truly, the best is yet to come!

Engagement Ring Debate: Outmoded or Classic Tradition?

Trend Spotter & Co. wonders how relevant the engagement ring really is anymore. Some argue that it’s expensive and unnecessary. Others maintain that an engagement just isn’t an engagement if a man isn’t on bended knee with a ring in his hand.

From my angle, I don’t see the tradition fading at all. It’s ingrained in our culture and simply too beautiful for most women to resist. It’s one thing to skip out on an old family tradition that’s boring and irrelevant to your modern life, but when it comes to something that will give you so much pleasure for years to come, what’s the point?

 I’ve heard some women tell me that they never want to wear a diamond after seeing the film, Blood Diamond. This I understand well because the movie was jarring and played a very important role in educating consumers of the problem of conflict diamonds in West Africa.  The situation there was tragic, but thankfully, it’s now resolved.

All diamonds in our stores are 100% certified as conflict-free. This is the case with most reputable jewelers.  In fact, if you’re concerned about the ongoing welfare of the African mining communities, buying a legitimate African diamond is probably the best thing you can do to support them. Diamonds and precious metals are some of the only resources these poor countries have and make up a large portion of their GDPs. It only does them a disservice when consumers avoid all African diamonds, citing ethical reasons.

More women are taking charge of their wedding rings far before the proposal.

Ronnie was on WUSA*9 news last night, describing what he sees as a trend toward more “Ring Assertive” women. More and more, women are showing their independence and taking a larger part in the engagement shopping.

See the aired video segment here

Read the article here

Guest Writer with a Romantic Proposal Story

As John walked up to my house, he picked up the mail from the box. He handed it to me, and to my surprise, I found an envelope from Travelocity with two tickets to Hawaii. Our five year anniversary was coming up and I was secretly hoping he would pop the question there. But in the beautiful Hawaiian sun, the days passed fast and nothing! John was acting so calm ( at that point I was thinking he is never going to pop the question).

On the day of our anniversary, he sent me to a nice spa. Later on, he took me out to dinner to this gorgeous restaurant, which he rented out for the night. Just as dessert hit the table, he took out a tiny box, got up, and I thought this was going to be it. He took my hand, pulled me up, told me he loved me, and then opened the box. “Happy Anniversary.” Inside the box there was a pair of gorgeous diamond earrings. We then kissed and I thanked him. I was so dissappointed and he could tell so when we were leaving he asked me, “Were you expecting something else?” I could see he was laughing inside and I was really mad at that point because he kept teasing me and I was just ready to go back to the hotel. He had other plans though.

He took me to the beach where there were candles everywhere and a blanket set up with roses around it. We sat down and watched the sun set. I was just starting to feel better and get over the whole non-proposal thing. Then all of a sudden he told me to look over at these two palm trees. I looked over and there was a sign made out of twinkling lights hanging between two palm trees. The sign said “I LOVE YOU. WILL YOU…. I turned around and saw him down on his knee holding a diamond ring and he said in such a sweet voice, “marry me?” I was in complete shock and it took me a while to say yes.

After a couple of hours of making out on the beach, we went inside. I just could not stop smiling and I kept looking at the ring on my finger. Finally as we went into our suite I saw all of my friends there and both our families. When they saw me they ran up to me and looked at my ring. I was so surprised that he got everyone I loved to be there. That night was just one surprise after another.

-Suzy

Credible and Non-Credible Certificates

When buying a diamond, a certificate is your best friend. It’s your guarantee from a third-party that you’re getting what you’re paying for. However, you should be wary of who is issuing the certificate. The leading names and authorities in the industry are: GIA (Gemological Institute of America), AGS (American Gemological Society) and EGL (European Gemological Laboritories). These are all trustworthy, but you should be skeptical of anyone else.

Here is an NBC Dateline report on inflated grading from other labs.

Giving an empty ring box

I saw pretty a funny movie in the theaters the other night, Knocked Up. It tells the story of a not-so-traditional couple who accidentally discover love through a misunderstanding in the bedroom. It has some clever lines and worth a few laughs.

In one memorable scene, the main character gets down on one knee and proposes with an empty ring box. He’s unemployed and can’t afford an engagement ring now, but he promises to make up for it one day. I know it’s just Hollywood, but I hope this doesn’t start a trend or else I might be the unemployed one.

The film was written and directed (I think) by the same guys who did 40 Year Old Virgin and so you can expect the same type of humor. It’s by no means the greatest movie of the year, but you and your fiancee might find it particularly interesting. Check it out.