hello loyal readers and friends! Fall is arriving this month…not sure I’m ready because I love the hot summer weather the best – but here we are!  September has always been a special month for me though as I honor my mom & dad who both have birthdays on the 6th & 7th.  They are my heavenly angels now, but I still celebrate their special days and lives…always…but especially this month.

 

My mom loved her birthstone – the blue sapphire.  Little did we know way back when she was still with us and long before I was a gemologist…that sapphires came in all colors of the rainbow…blue…pink…golden yellow…green, white…purple.  Just not red!  Why not red?  Because sapphire and ruby are the same mineral – Corundum.  So, when Corundum is red, it’s a ruby and when it’s any other color it’s a sapphire!  Isn’t that an interesting gem fact?

 

My personal favorite color of sapphire are the pink ones which come in very light to very vibrant hues and I personally own some pink sapphire jewelry!  What’s your favorite color of sapphire?

 

I’m excited our first trunk shows of the fall are upcoming with Vahan Jewelry visiting us once again on Wednesday, September 26th.   We also have another trunk show with one of our newest designers Vivaan Jewelry on October 9th which includes a meditation/yoga practice to kick off the evening…true to the designer’s philosophy of incorporating energy practices into creating her jewelry designs.  Check out the information below in the “On the Horizon” section to get more details and snag your invitation to these Private VIP Jewelry Trunk Show events.

The 2,492-carat diamond is now the second-largest diamond ever discovered and the biggest diamond found in 120 years.

 

“In a monumental discovery that has captured the world’s attention, Lucara Diamond Corp. has unearthed a colossal 2,492-carat diamond from its Karowe Diamond Mine in Botswana. This gem, one of the largest rough diamonds ever found, reminds us of the beauty and power of Mother Nature. For Botswana, a country whose economy is deeply entwined with diamond production, this discovery is more than just a stone— it’s an exciting symbol of their bright future.”

 

This is extraordinarily exciting to me as a Graduate Gemologist…and lover of diamonds!  Read the full article for more intriguing details of this incredible discovery!

 

 

We’ve got two amazing trunk show events on the calendar for September and October.  If you’ve never experienced the special feeling of being invited to one of these private, by invitation only premier VIP events, you are in for a rare treat.  These are not just your average run-of-the-mill in-store jewelry trunk shows.  These events are held at an upscale unique barn venue, with great food by Executive Chef Dan Starke, and refreshing wines/beverages…along with the jewelry designer showcasing their latest unique jewelry designs with special pricing for the evening.

 

 

Our first event this fall is featuring the amazing fashion jewelry designer…Vahan.  Vahan is back by popular demand and we featured their designs at one of our premier trunk shows last fall.  They specialize in bracelet designs which can be worn as a single bracelet or as stackables. Many of my clients purchase more than one design to stack them together on their wrists.  Earrings and pendants are part of their design line as well to complement the beautiful bracelets.  Unique, trendy and French design inspired…but made in the USA!  Click HERE for more details and to reach out for an invite.

 

 

 

The second event is with an amazing jewelry designer from India…Surbhi Pandya.  We are hosting her Midwest jewelry design launch, and I promise you'll marvel at such unique and beautifully made creations.  Her contemporary and spiritually guided designs will be intriguing and uplifting.

 

VIVAAN New York is a lasting legacy of artistic values of exquisite fine jewelry collected by an exclusive global clientele. The collections are inspired by the elements of nature and showcase rose-cut, old mine cut, raw and slice diamonds in a rich palate of vivid color combinations from natural fancy colored diamonds.

 

This is a private, by invitation only, VIP preview and Midwest brand launch.  Click HERE for more details and to reach out for an invite.

 

I was often reminded of this by my mom for as long as I can remember…from a very small girl on.  I would ask her “Mom…what does it mean”?  As a young child of course, I would take it very literally and ask her if I should actually smell a rose.  She would laugh in a most loving way and explain to me what this saying meant to her and then ask me to share what it meant to me.

 

My mom told me how our daily lives get so busy with work, school, and chores that we may forget to enjoy the beautiful things in life which hold special meaning to us. She explained how in the busyness of our day, we forget to slow down, take a breath, and think about the people and things we are grateful for.  She especially highlighted those important people in our lives we cherish and would be lost without.  She went on to say how “smelling the roses” meant pausing to be mindful and acknowledge what we are most thankful for in our lives…and first and foremost, thank our good Father God for our blessings!  We would then practice this gratitude and the discovery of what is really important and how happy those people and things made us brought big smiles to our faces. We would then actually reach out to someone we loved and maybe hadn’t connected with in some time to let them know we were thinking about them and miss them. Or, we would simply say a prayer or do a kindness for a neighbor or a stranger.

 

It's funny to note way back when I was a kid, we didn’t have cell phones, or social media, and all the great ways to easily keep in touch with someone.  We needed to call them on a landline, write a letter, or go for a visit. It needed to be very intentional and took a good bit of time to follow through on those connections. Now, it's so much easier to stay in touch…it can literally take just a few moments. 

 

Over time, I came to easily understand exactly what she meant with her wise reminder of “take time to smell the roses”.  We all have more commitments than time and we get lost in the management of our daily lives and obligations to our family, work, friends, and communities.  And when things sometimes get overwhelming, my mom’s beautiful words and advice to pause and consciously practice gratitude is a great comfort there are more important things in life to bring to focus at the moment.

 

I look back on this ritual she and I shared and bonded over and it brings great joy to remember how my wonderful mother gifted me with this great lesson in life. I need to follow this advice more often.

 

So, for you my dear loyal friends and clients, I offer my mother’s wise advice…”Take time to smell the roses”.  I can assure you this pause in our lives doesn’t steal time from our day, it gives back to us in return a most joyful addition to our lives.

 

With love and thanks to you mom…the most beautiful, gracious, loving woman I have ever known!  It's no wonder whenever I see or smell roses…you come to mind…and I remember.