I find that so AWESOME since I simply love and adore diamonds! I have cherished diamonds since I was gifted my first diamond ring at 7 years old for my First Communion. My intrigue with them continued to grow so it’s no wonder I became a gemologist and created a fine diamond and jewelry business. I get to look at diamonds, wear them, appraise them, sell them – each and every day!  

 

Diamonds are the most precious and most rare of all gems. They shine brighter than all the others and are the hardest gem material in the world. They simply go with anything and can make a casual or elegant outfit more outstanding. You don’t have to have diamond as your birthstone to love and appreciate their beauty and intrinsic value. When in doubt: Darling…choose diamonds! 

 

So, what are the trends this Spring in diamond jewelry? Solitaire stud earrings and necklaces, stacking bracelets and anniversary bands. They are the most asked for fine jewelry items. White gold still tops the list as the most desired metal, but yellow gold is making a comeback…especially in younger buyers. They tell me they just love the depth of the yellow metal color…and it looks and feels more elegant and rich.  What is your personal preference? Remember you can mix and match the metal colors in the various pieces you wear.

 

There is a debate out there whether to choose natural mined or lab grown diamonds for your fine jewelry. It all boils down to personal preference and budget.  Natural is mined from the earth and lab grown is created in a controlled laboratory environment. Since lab grown are started from “seeds or slices” of natural diamonds, they are indeed diamonds. They have the same physical and optical properties of a natural mined diamond, and it takes a professional like me as a Graduate Gemologist to identify a natural mined from a lab grown. Some of my clients choose natural mined diamonds for certain types of jewelry and are perfectly happy to choose lab grown for other types. I’m happy to guide you in making the right decision in choosing which type of diamond is right for you.

 

Very early in my career while still in my 20’s, at a time before internet and the search for jobs meant answering an ad in the local newspaper, I found my dream job. Imagine perusing the columns of ads and spotting what would turn out to be my new career. The headline read “ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT OF A DIAMOND COMPANY”. It was a blind-box ad so I had no idea who this company was. But, as soon as I read that headline, I knew that was my job. Me…a lover of diamonds since I was a kid would now work for a diamond company! So, I naively send off my resume absolutely certain they would contact me and I would get hired. I called all my friends and family and told them I found my dream job – all before I even heard back from them.

 

Then the call came.  It was from Robert Haack himself. Robert Haack was the king of diamonds in Milwaukee – visibly known to all because of his iconic TV commercials looking through his gold loupe (eyepiece) at a large diamond. I was flabbergasted this “celebrity” was calling me for an interview. I confidently went in even though I was young, inexperienced, and not at all certain what I was about to undertake. It didn’t matter for in my mind, the job was already mine!   

 

The first person I met at my interview was another young woman named Christine who was the staff Graduate Gemologist. I never even heard of a gemologist. “What is a gemologist?” I asked. When she told me how she studied at the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), got her degree in Gemology, and was now the buyer and appraiser of fine jewelry for Robert Haack Diamonds, I was blown away. Not only was I going to be the “Assistant to the President of a Diamond Company, I was also going to be a Graduate Gemologist. I had a new professional career to boot!  Hot damn!  This was getting bigger and better!

 

My interview with Robert Haack went extremely well, and even though he showed me the literal stack of hundreds of resumes he received for this position, I had already claimed this job in my mind. Obviously, the intrigue of working for a diamond company attracted many qualified assistants who worked for major corporate heads. Women with much more experience and qualifications than me had applied for this job…but I can assure you, none had the passion I did for getting this position and this new career as a gemologist.  I was sent away with the assurance I would hear back in a few weeks with his decision after about 20 more interviews had been conducted. Still, I was not discouraged. I was emboldened and hopeful! It was a Friday, and I spent the entire weekend dreaming of this job and calling all my friends and family to tell them what I would be doing. I was certain of it and none of their voiced concerns that I was getting my hopes up too high even resonated with me. It was my job, and I saw no other outcome.

 

So, on Monday morning, I got a call from another company I had interviewed with offering me a position. It was a fine company and a great job, but it was not “my” job.  They only gave me 24 hours to make my decision. So, mustering up all of my chutzpah even though I was literally scared to death, I called Mr. Haack and told him of my dilemma. I explained I really didn’t want to work for that other company, I wanted to work for him and my exact words are etched in my mind. “Mr. Haack, I know you said you would get back to me in a few weeks with your decision, but I don’t have a few weeks. I really want to work for you so could you please make a decision right now?” He was silent for a moment…probably in shock at my boldness…and said “Yes! When can you start?”  I said I would give a 2 week notice and the rest is history.  So, the funny thing is, in all my excitement over the potential of working for him and having a new career, do you know I never even asked what the salary or benefits were. I totally did not care.  I might have paid him!  Hah!

 

This was the start of the most amazing career and mentorship by one of the world-renowned diamond icons and experts in the industry. Another story at another time will detail how I eventually become owner of this retail jewelry chain in Wisconsin when Mr. Haack retired. 

 

So, what is the moral to the story? You can attract and get what you want through visualization and believing in something so strongly it is sent to you to capture it. That is the universal law of attraction! My dream was to work with diamonds and surround myself with the beauty of fine jewelry. So, I placed myself there, saw myself in that role, and there was no way it was going to turn out any other way. I stepped way out of my comfort zone to go after what I wanted! We all need to do things that scare the hell out of us sometimes! I’m so glad I closed my eyes and took that leap of faith to get my dream job and career!  

Refining my professional brand message.

How do my current and prospective clients view me both personally and professionally? I know who I am and what I represent in my products and services and it’s important to me others see me in the same light I see myself. I found myself struggling to convey a concise message within this network of amazing people. So, I decided to work with a branding coach and WOW was this an exercise of digging way deep to get clarity in identifying my brand power and brand vision and define my unique values.  With the help of my amazing branding coach and website designer, Tina Erdmann of www.tinaleann.co , she was able to take all of my outpourings which came from deep inside, combine that with what three very close people to me saw as my unique intrinsic value, and come up with road map and a “Brand North Star” which will guide my decisions and messaging moving forward. 

 

So, I can now feel confident I can show the real me and my business authentically.  That’s freedom to be 100% myself friends!

 

For me, I’ve just boiled it down to this very simple thing…be a person of your word and always try to do the right thing.

 

Who are you when no one’s looking? How do you think, and what do you say and do naturally without effort or question? Character reflects your values ingrained at a soul level. My values dictate I go to great lengths for delivering what I promise, being dependable, practicing unquestionable ethics, living with good moral principles, and having the courage to be honest. People know me to be dependable and authentic.

 

Yes, integrity is what you do when no one’s looking. It is the single most important thing to me when I say or do anything. It’s important to me to surround myself with people of equally good character and integrity. I attract those people as my friends and clients…like you!!

 

Thank you to all my amazing community for finding me. God sent you to me because he knew we needed each other. We walk in integrity with each other…we’ve got each other’s backs!