I was on the phone with one of our moissanite special events reps, who has done hundreds of events all over the country and we were discussing how people are really catching on to moissanite’s incredible value and classic appeal. Her special events showcase high quality, fashion-forward moissanite designs in 14K and 18K settings that are only available during these one day only moissanite jewelry shows.

Over the holidays, she met with hundreds of potential customers, and recently, she noticed a growing trend in classic designs that can be worn anywhere, anytime. “With this economy, I’m seeing a return to the classics—studs, simple pendants, and versatile day-into-evening pieces.”

Lots of couples are turning to moissanite for engagements and anniversaries, too. With moissanite’s brilliance and fire, long-lasting quality and affordability, it’s a natural alternative—especially when couples are trying to cut back their spending - yet still want to celebrate their love.

“Just a few weeks ago in Pittsburgh, a couple that has been married 20 years came in and purchased a three-carat total weight, three-stone band to commemorate their anniversary,” she says.

With all the bad news about the economy, it’s nice to hear some positive news—that more and more people are turning to moissanite for its beauty, brilliance and wallet-friendly price.

Here is her story from the road …

“I was hosting a show at Macy’s in Fort Wayne, Indiana,” she says. “It was just before Halloween, and all the jewelry department employees dressed up in festive costumes. They offered customers silver and gold coin candies-a few special candy wrappers contained fun giveaways! By creating such a festive atmosphere, they really drew interest to the moissanite special event.”

 “Near the end of the day, a couple came in with their son. He was looking for stud earrings. He wanted a noticeable look, and instantly fell in love with the sparkle of moissanite,” she says. “He started out trying on the 1 cttw, but then moved to the 1.5 cttw. You could tell he was really interested in the 2 cttw, but wanted to be respectful of his parents’ budget. Since moissanite offers an incredible value for fine jewelry, the family decided that they could afford the 2 cttw. Their son was thrilled.”

 “While I was working on the son’s stud earring purchase, one of my fellow associates was showing his mom a moissanite bezel set ring. She came to our show for her son, but after seeing moissanite’s fire and brilliance in person and recognizing its value, she and her husband decided to purchase the ring as well. They were really a neat family - and now they are a part of our moissanite family!”

You have read about my coverage of the largest U.S. trade show held each summer in Las Vegas as well as details from the world’s largest jewelry and watch (BaselWorld) show held annually in the spring. Though, I haven’t written about the Hong Kong show in the past. While each trade show has its own personality, the Hong Kong Show seems uniquely distinct from all the others.

Aside from being in the ever-fascinating Hong Kong (which some liken to New York on steroids) a city beyond compare–where the people make up an interesting population from European, British and Asian cultures. Plus the entire city vibe is a combination of Chinese tradition, contemporary architecture (I.M. Pei’s building–World Bank of China, for example) and cutting edge technology. And, that is not to say anything about the magnificent shopping from company brand stores such as Chanel, Ferragamo and Coach to the famous discount shopper’s delight, known as “the night market”.

 I know that our team in Hong Kong spends their days and evenings meeting with the Charles & Colvard distributors. Hong Kong is such a convenient place for our distributors, world manufacturers and retailers to exchange sales and marketing ideas as well as conduct meetings with the home team. We haven’t heard much from them thus far…but no doubt they will come back with great stories of what went on at the show!

 And, it is always fun to hear about what’s happening with moissanite around the world…whether the news is from the Paragon department store in Thailand or activity surrounding moissanite–the “hottest new rock” in the UK or what the Moi Moi sisters are doing in Australia.

 Have a great weekend!

Barbara

 P.S. If you are in the Charlotte area of North Carolina, check the Belk/Charles & Colvard created Moissanite booth at the Southern Women’s Show.

For those of you aren’t familiar with the Southern Women’s Show (SWS), it is an open-to-the-public shopping extravaganza held at the Charlotte Merchandise Mart. It is sure to please any woman who attends, as this special shopping event has all the elements women love: beautiful moissanite jewelry, fashion, beauty supplies, cosmetics and…perhaps if you are a chocolate lover like me, you’ll find a few cocoa sweets! 

Yesterday, two of our own women, Anita and Kitsy, packed up the van and headed west armed with posters and brochures, ready to set-up the moissanite booth #314-316. Stop by our booth and register for a chance to win a pair of 1 carat total weight round brilliant cut moissanite earrings set in 14kt. white gold! Plus ask Anita and Kitsy to show you the other moissanite jewelry. They worked with the Belk team to make sure you will have a big selection of moissanite jewelry to choose from! Plus I understand Anita has volunteered her mother to help as a sales associate! Having previously met Anita’s mom, I can say there will be lots of fun at the Charles & Colvard booth as both Anita and her mom love moissanite, fine fashion, sharing a few stories and plenty of laughter! Oh, and by the way they are girls who love shoes, too!

Enjoy the show and happy shopping!

Oh, and let me know if you attend the show and what you think of moissanite!

“Be safe”

“I love you!”

We all have spoken those words to friends, family and other loved ones as someone embarks on a road trip, flight, adventure or voyage.

Our newest honoree to accept the Women of Brilliant Achievement™ award, Trish Steele, has helped to guide, encourage and shelter so many along their travels to a new life. We at Charles & Colvard are honored to acknowledge Trish for her tireless work with transforming the lives of women and children from their life of domestic violence to safety.

It seems timely to introduce you to Trish (you will see her profile in a few days) today, since earlier in the week news was shared about our Chairman and CEO, resigning. So we at Charles & Colvard are on a new path in our journey to build the company.

Trish Steele is a woman with perseverance and determination as unbendable as forged steel and an inspiring, unbreakable positive spirit. Please take a moment to find out about Trish and her mission to help women. She is an incredible, selfless woman who has devoted her life to others and the stories of the ladies she has helped are emotional and pull at your heart strings.

As a child Ms. Steele grew up in a household filled with physical and emotional abuse. Disadvantaged with a 70% hearing loss, Trish was often laughed at and rudely teased by classmates about her speech impairment throughout her adolescence and teens. But, she never allowed “no” or “you can’t” or “that’s impossible” to diminish her enthusiasm for doing more. Trish broke barriers.

In the land of suntans, beauty and forever-thin = California, Ms. Steele re-defined the beauty pageant paradigm when she won the 1987 California Gold Coast Pageant after entering as a speech impaired contestant. This was only one of the many milestones Trish has accomplished during her life’s journey.

She’s has had a successful career as a model, make-up artist and wardrobe stylist in the entertainment world for over 25 years and received numerous awards and recognition in the entertainment industry. She is an author and licensed minister.

And, paramount to all of these accomplishments, in 1992, she founded Safe Passage Home a charity devoted to transforming the lives of women and their children who have been victims of domestic violence. Her organization has a team of professionals who volunteer their services to this worthy cause. Her team includes: plastic surgeons, cosmetic dentists, professional counseling therapists, career counselors, image specialists and fitness trainers who provide life makeovers as well as the basic needs of clothing and shelter.

Again, Charles & Colvard is proud honor Ms. Trish Steele with the Women of Brilliant Achievement award.

Her comment made me think about how everyone celebrates The Fourth differently. From honoring the soldiers - both those who serve our country presently to those who have served in the past, to simply hanging with friends, gathering at a family event, to just enjoying the freedom of a day off - everyone celebrates this holiday differently and uniquely. Just how our jewel, moissanite, is unique, so is everyone’s celebration.

I started some online research thinking about saying something really profound regarding this patriotic holiday and what I found was a really great website that let me navigate through our past and yet celebrated our “newer” traditions that we, as American’s, have adopted over the last 232 years. You can get a little nostalgic with me at: http://www.factmonster.com/spot/independenceday1.html

I know. I know. You’re just here for the scoop around the C&C corridors … so here’s what I’ve heard:

Daycations and staycations are popular with the price of gasoline. Some C&C employees are hosting their families who are visiting from Pennsylvania and other neighboring states. Some told me that their friends are coming in town from California and “Hotlanta”. One woman in accounting is attending a local folk art festival and others are taking short weekend jaunts to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Charlottesville, Virginia and the Outer Banks of North Carolina. One of our directors is hosting a small, intimate (I am being facetious) 63 person get-together in the mountains! I also found out that it’s a big birthday weekend for a number of employee family members, someone from manufacturing is actually heading to NYC for candles and fireworks! And, someone in marketing is heading to Pennsylvania for a pig-pick’n themed wedding! If that’s not a unique celebration, I don’t know what is!

On a personal note, my thoughts will be with a girlfriend from high school who is scheduled to be in a Moscow, Russia courtroom on our American Independence Day adopting an orphan boy - who, when he finally arrives to this great country, will be uniquely named, Eli.

Welcome to America Eli!

And, I wish all of you safe travels and a Happy July 4^th!

The political landscape was healing as the Nation mourned the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy. In November, Hubert Humphrey and Richard Nixon faced one another in the presidential election.

And, on the world sports scene, Americans were mesmerized by the graceful skill of a talented figure skater named Peggy Fleming. Ms. Fleming won the gold medal in the world’s Olympics female figure skating competition held in Grenoble, France. Americans applauded her as she also was the only U.S. athlete to bring home a gold medal in those 1968 Winter Olympic Games.

We at Charles & Colvard are proud to acknowledge this exceptional woman for all of her achievements: Olympic gold medalist, breast cancer survivor and advocate for cancer prevention and early detection, osteoporosis national spokesperson, on-air sports analyst, Emmy winner, mother and co-founder of the Fleming Jenkins Vineyards & Winery.

Please join us in congratulating Ms. Fleming on receiving the Charles & Colvard Women of Brilliant Achievement award. Learn more about this amazing woman through our Women of Brilliant Achievement section, visiting her official site, touring her vineyard or visiting its site and of course by sharing in her cause–supporting breast cancer research and prevention through early detection!

As much as the feminist movement in the early 1970’s repeated this phrase as if it were one of an iconic mantra, men have stood behind great women and have fathered little girls who with their guidance, have grown up to be amazing women—successful entrepreneurs, extraordinary mothers, world leaders, teachers who we will never forget, renown athletes and the girlfriends we treasure.

With this being the cusp of Father’s Day weekend, I think I can speak for all the women at Charles & Colvard and say to all dads, everywhere, thank you! We daughters might not always express our gratitude for all that you have done for us, but we will forever hold you dear in our hearts.

Now, here are a few snippets of moissanite-related activity on the Charles & Colvard radar screen from this week:

The moissanite team had an opportunity at the JCK Las Vegas Show to meet Ms. Julie Wright, a creative and talented jewelry designer who won the Charles & Colvard created Moissanite™ jewelry design competition held in the UK. As part of Ms. Wright’s prize for creating an 18Kt. white gold contemporary pendant set with round brilliant cut moissanite, she was awarded an all inclusive trip to the JCK Las Vegas Show and celebratory dinner. It was delightful to meet Julie and hear her perspective about her first trip to America, the U.S. jewelry industry and Las Vegas in general.

A few men at Charles & Colvard talked about the busy weekend schedule they had planned with June graduations to attend, outdoor barbeques and Dad’s Day activities and the hopes of squeezing in a round of golf. And speaking of graduations, many of we moissanite loyalists, gave graduates gifts of moissanite jewelry—especially pendants!

Shea Curry, the multi-talented moissanite jewelry designer who co-hosted the charity, Safe Passage Home, fundraising luncheon in Beverly Hills last weekend reported the event was an overwhelming success. The founder and CEO of Safe Passage Home, Trish Steele was moved by the turnout in attendance and thankful for Charles & Colvard’s publicity assistance. You’ll continue to hear more about Shea, her moissanite jewelry collection called Aspire, Trish and Safe Passage Home in the future. If you haven’t checked out the charity, please do so at www.SafePassageHome.org. The men and women involved with Safe Passage Home are truly committed to help transform the lives of battered women and child victims of domestic violence. We at Charles & Colvard are proud of Shea’s commitment to this charity and we are honored to be involved through her moissanite jewelry designs.

Peggy Fleming 1968 U.S. Nationals

In the next week, keep your eyes on the Women of Brilliant Achievement. Another amazing woman, Ms. Peggy Fleming, will join the other honorees. Our team is finalizing all the details of our interview with Ms. Fleming and I think you will be inspired by her wisdom, accomplishments her perspective on health, challenges and family. As one father at Charles & Colvard commented earlier in the week, maybe we are put on Earth to learn, expand our capacity to love and expand our capacity to cope. I think Christy, Ping and Peggy all can talk about those aspects of life and share their personal account, experience and perspectives.

Have a great weekend…Barbara

P.S. A quote from Anne Sexton: “It doesn’t matter who my father was; it matters who I remember he was.”

From the perspective of jewelry and fashion trends, here are a few observations from the show floor. And, I’d like to share some “new” news in general.

While the price of gold has dropped a bit from its earlier high of $1000 an ounce in March and platinum being nearly $2000 an ounce, we noticed a lot of jewelry manufactured using alternative metals such as titanium, tungsten, copper and silver. Plus some manufacturers have turned to designing lighter weight styles for necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rings. One of our Hong Kong customers who exhibited at JCK launched a new collection of moissanite jewelry set in chocolate-colored titanium, a tri-colored combination of titanium in yellow, pink, and white and other moissanite jewels set in black titanium. Another Charles & Colvard customer revealed a stunning collection of moissanite bracelets and rings designed with an open, lace-like motif. And, we noticed a lot of color in jewelry this summer featuring the use of colored gemstones as well as colored diamonds.

We unveiled the Charles & Colvard Authorized Internet Retailer (AIR) Program. You might wonder what that is. Simply put, this program has been designed to build consumer confidence when shopping for moissanite jewelry on the Internet. The C&C Authorized Internet Retailer is a special designation earned by Internet retailers who are committed to moissanite and who qualify for the status after meeting a set of requirements. As the program unfolds and our manufacturers sponsor online retailers, you will see the special AIR designation as you shop for moissanite jewelry online.

We met with a brilliant young woman, actress and jewelry designer, Ms. Shea Curry at the show. If you are a film and movie fan, perhaps you might have seen her on an episode of CSI: Miami or in: Princess Diaries 2, and Georgia Rule (just to name a few she’s appeared in).

In addition to her successful acting career, Shea is launching Aspire,–her collection of moissanite jewelry exclusively available online. Aside from being a talented actress and jewelry designer, Shea is a woman with a big heart…and she has tremendous passion for her favorite charity, Safe Passage Home. In weeks to come, you will hear more about this charity as it supports the transitioning of women and their children from a life of domestic abuse to one that is safe from violence. Shea has pledged 10% of all her moissanite jewelry sales to support Safe Passage.

So if you are in the Los Angeles area this weekend please don’t miss, a special Safe Passage fundraising luncheon, “Light Up a Life” starring Grammy Award winning recording artist, Debby Boone. Don’t miss this special opportunity on Saturday, June 7 at 11:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills. Shea will be the guest emcee–unveiling her moissanite jewelry collection and there will be both a live and silent auction with proceeds going to this noble charity. Make a difference with Moissanite this weekend!

Now with the annual shareholders meeting over, the Charles & Colvard sales team will be participating in the JCK Las Vegas jewelry trade show. Considered by many in our industry as the most important (definitely the largest in the U.S.), the show begins on May 30 and is attended by jewelry retailers and buyers from across the country. While we aren’t certain to how many buyers will attend, last year over 20,000 attended the show held at the Las Vegas Sands Expo and Convention Center.

The show provides Charles & Colvard with an opportunity to discuss sales plans and marketing initiatives with our U.S. distributors and manufacturers. Plus, this is an excellent opportunity to speak with retailers who currently sell moissanite jewelry and new retailers who are interested in adding a collection of moissanite jewelry. While our main clients are distributors and manufacturers, this trade show environment provides our sales team with a unique opportunity to maximize a limited amount of days to meet with many manufacturers and their retailers. In addition, the JCK Show provides our marketing department with an opportunity to visit with editorial staffs from various fashion, women’s lifestyle and general consumer interest publications.

On the fun and business side of Las Vegas, I understand the Plumb Club (an organization of large jewelry manufacturers) is hosting a night of glitz and glamour with special entertainment by Cher. And, a trade publication group hosted a private concert by Seal. I’ve heard several talking about Seal and some of the men in the industry were hoping that Heidi Klum would be present!

Nevertheless, I’ll sign off now as I am somewhere over the nation flying between Raleigh and Las Vegas.

You’ll hear more from the road in a few days…as with this blog, “What goes on in Vegas, won’t stay in Vegas!”

That mother is an amazing woman named Ping Fu. Aside from juggling all the responsibilities of being a mom to an active teenager, Ms. Fu is well-known and respected in the business world as the founder, CEO and president of Geomagic, a high-tech company that created a unique 3-D digital scanning software for design, manufacturing and engineering applications. It is this incredible software that allows sculptors like Robert Graham (who designed the cathedral doors and Virgin Mary sculpture that is positioned above the doors) to create such majestic works.

And for all of us who might not know about the cathedral in LA, you might know of another product created with the aid of Geomagic software which has resulted in a lot of beautiful smiles. Ping’s software was instrumental in the design and production of Invisalign, a series of clear tooth alignment adjusters that provide an orthodontic alternative to adults who need braces.

Ms. Fu was also selected as one of Charles & Colvard’s Women of Brilliant Achievement honorees. If you don’t know who she is or haven’t already read about Ping, please check out her story featured in our Women of Brilliant Achievement section. I think you will be as touched, amazed and inspired as I was when I first learned about her.

Her journey from enduring the torturous treatment by the Red Guard during the reign of Chairman Mao during the Cultural Revolution to coming to America, experiencing freedom and discovering a land of opportunities–Ms. Fu’s story isn’t the typical story about overcoming adversity. Charles & Colvard is not the only organization who has honored Ms. Fu. She received Inc. Magazine’s Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2005 and has been honored with a host of acknowledgements.

Congratulations Ping! You are not only an inspiration to women, but to all Americans and people around the world!

Well, what woman doesn’t love moissanite?

Frankly, I haven’t met one!

And, although I wanted to write this blog about mothers—I was a little torn about the message as I wanted to talk more about all those feelings and emotions behind Mother’s Day gifts.

Last night my friend Sande called to catch up. She filled me in about her family’s Passover, we talked about the passing of our friend Myra and she gave me the update on her daughter, Dana, being a “fantastic” new mom. She just couldn’t stop referring to her grandson, Max as “delicious”. Last week, another friend e-mailed me about her daughter being selected for a lead role in a middle school play and her cheerleader tryouts. And, yet another friend e-mailed me about her 14 year-old son being a star in lacrosse and he was selected (with 19 other students) to run the government of Beverly Hills for a day!

As we approach or pass 50 (not the speed limit but age) life appears differently, as if we were looking through new lenses than those that we used when we were 25 or 30.

While not all women are mothers, we all are daughters.

That commonality is undeniable. We daughters have many similar “mom” stories. Thinking about all the women at Charles & Colvard—some are only daughters as I am, others are mothers and we also have a few nanas or grandmothers and even great-grandmothers amongst us.

Mommies, mamas, moms, mothers or whatever you call them–are incredible individuals. Scanning for mommy stories as you walk the halls of Charles & Colvard is a heart-warming experience. One single mom lights up when she proudly speaks of her 5 year-old daughter. We have our own C&C marathon-running mother with 3 sons—all under the age of 7! I wonder if she gave birth while wearing sneakers? One C&C woman director baffles me with all the activities she does for her sons, after office hours (Boy Scouts, piano lessons, baseball, football and basketball games and school plays). And another woman can delight you with her stories of her 91 year-old mom who runs circles around everyone, is a pro with a Swiffer and never misses an appointment with her hair colorist!

Plus there are some incredible women who are moms and are married to men at C&C. Let’s see: there is a soccer mom/coach who is a tireless volunteer at her children’s school and schleps her sons between baseball, basketball and football games. You’d really believe that she has the black belt in motherhood, rather than her 10-year old Tai Kwon Do son! Another mother clocks 75 miles on the family car, each day, just driving their son to and from a school that addresses his special needs! And there is another mom who left her husband specific instructions about the Easter baskets that he needed to assemble in her absence…as she was spending the holiday weekend with their eldest daughter who lives in New York.

Mother’s Day is the perfect occasion to tell your mom how valuable and respected she is. Several years ago while I was taking a seminar, the instructor told a story about giving his mother the ultimate gift, a letter of thanks for everything he could remember that his mom did for him over the years.

In 2000 that’s what I did and the letter was 7 pages, typed and filled with all the “thank you’s” I wanted to repeat or say for the first time. As I share a few points in my letter to my mom, I want to say “Happy Mother’s Day!” to all women as you are as incredible as moissanite is unique and you are every bit as brilliant!

…you have influenced me, helped to form my values and shape my outlook on life. You’ve been a role model as to what it means to be a contributing citizen, a thoughtful neighbor, friend, a loving human being and a person who wants to make a difference in this world.

You have encouraged me, dried my tears, applied band-aids to my “owies” and “ouchies”, and kissed away the pain.

Thank you for the many times you laced up my ice skates after walking me to the skating rink. You were there to encourage me and dust the snow off when I fell.

Thank for always being the taxi driver carting me to slumber parties and school activities. Even during my teen years when I “knew” everything and didn’t “need” you anymore (I thought) —you were there for me.

So for all the times when you hugged me—over the years, and I didn’t seem to appreciate your hug—please forgive me. Your hugs are priceless! Although I am miles away as I write this—I can close my eyes and feel the sensation of one of your hugs.

Thank you for being the best Brownie Girl Scout leader and caring about what your daughters were doing in school and after school.

For all those times during the past years when I hurt your feelings—please know I am truly sorry and forgive me.

Thank you for reassuring me about not being a failure when I got a divorce.

Thank you for teaching me to respect someone else’s property and making me scrub clean the playroom walls after I wrote all over them with colored chalk!

So, to all women, Happy Mother’s Day!

The women at Charles & Colvard would say, “Moissanite! Give her moissanite!”

Women do love moissanite. It’s that incredible jewel that shines like a star and demands star attention as it will cause heads to turn from across the room. Some of the women here at C&C say, it has a “10 table” sparkle (a brilliance that is noticeable from 10 tables away when in a restaurant). And, it is just that. Women love the big, bold look of moissanite and they are absolutely intrigued by its brilliance and beauty!

Plus, women tell us that they receive so many “oohs, ahs and wows” from people when they wear their moissanite jewelry!

Let’s talk a little bit more about these reactions. Compliments make us feel good, they make us feel smart and they make us feel beautiful.

So, what woman doesn’t love feeling as if all eyes are on her?

Recently I was in Atlanta to observe a focus group of women who own moissanite jewelry. One woman was telling the others about the moissanite earrings that her son had given her for Mother’s Day (last year). She proudly told the group…she got lots of compliments on her earrings and she considered them to be very special because her son had given them to her.

Last year my boyfriend and I each gave our moms moissanite earrings. They were a huge hit and I don’t think either of the moms has worn any other earrings since!

Still perplexed as to what to give your mom this Mother’s Day?

Why not moissanite? Why not make her feel beautiful? She’ll love turning heads and receiving all the attention!

Check out these special one-day moissanite jewelry events. The shows are happening just in time for Mother’s Day gift shopping. You will be amazed by the huge selection of styles to choose from. You’ll find a perfect style for mom and maybe you’ll fall in love with one for you!

Wednesday, May 7
Dillard’s at 1101 Melbourne Road in Melbourne, TX
JCPenney at Clackamas Town Center in Portland, OR
JCPenney at Dover Mall in Dover, DE
JCPenney at South County Center in St. Louis, MO

Thursday, May 8
Belk at Ashland Town Center in Ashland, KY
Dillard’s at 3821 South Cooper in Arlington, TX
JCPenney at Washington Square in Portland, OR
JCPenney at Marley Station Mall in Glen Burnie, MD
JCPenney at St. Clair Square in Fairview Heights, IL

Friday, May 9
Dillard’s at 2501 Dallas Parkway in Plano, TX
Dillard’s at 4600 West Kellogg in Wichita, KS
JCPenney at Eastpointe Mall in Baltimore, MD
JCPenney at Vancouver Mall in Vancouver, WA
JCPenney at Mid Rivers Mall in St. Peters, MO

Saturday, May 10
Dillard’s at 7700 East Kellogg in Wichita, KS
Dillard’s at 2401 S. Stemmons Freeway in Lewisville, TX
JCPenney at Alton Square in Alton, IL
JCPenney at Capital Mall in Olympia, WA
JCPenney at White Marsh Mall in Baltimore, MA

So with June approaching and traditionally considered as a month for weddings, I heard a cute story about a marriage proposal that I want to share. It involves a department store that carries moissanite jewelry, a donut loving jewelry sales professional and one very clever boyfriend. For fun let’s call the girlfriend, Beth and the boyfriend, Evan.

One morning Evan called Beth to report that he had discovered a new donut shop and he was on the way over with the treats. Upon arriving he delivered the box of donuts, dropped to his knees and proposed to Beth right in the middle of the jewelry department! This was a total surprise to Beth, but not so for her colleagues as they had helped Evan in selecting the ring.

She enthusiastically said yes as Evan presented her with a beautiful solitaire engagement ring set with a 1ct. round brilliant cut moissanite!

That is my story about donuts and “I do!”

So if you are counting calories, carbs or don’t like donuts, you might want to skip the donuts this weekend.

But, check out these special 1-day only moissanite jewelry collections which are guaranteed to be fat-free, longer lasting than donuts and far more sweet!

Saturday, May 3
Belk at Foothills Mall in Foothills, TN
Dillard’s at 27001 West Hwy 19 North in Clearwater, FL
Helzberg Diamonds at Woodbridge Center Mall in Woodbridge, NJ
JCPenney at Northridge Mall in Salinas, CA
JCPenney at Woodland Hills Mall in Tuscaloosa, OK

Sunday, May 4
Belk at Colonial Pinnacle Mall in Turkey Creek, TN
JCPenney at Battlefield Mall in Springfield, MO
JCPenney at Park City Mall in Lancaster, PA

Nathan - born on Wednesday, April 23rd at 12:01 a.m.We just learned that a star was born and named Nathan. One of our managers at Charles & Colvard and her husband, became proud parents of a baby boy! Little Nathan was born on Wednesday, April 23rd at 12:01 a.m.

Seeing this little star just causes a smile.

Mr. Shakespeare intended for these flowery words to mean: that what matters is what something is, not what it is called.

So, while “65 Roses” might mean a quantity of flowers it also is what some children with cystic fibrosis (CF) call their disease (because the phrase is easier to pronounce than their life threatening condition). You might be wondering how this relates to moissanite or Charles & Colvard or Brilliance of Me. And, no doubt you are wondering, “Who is Christy?”

Under the brilliant leadership of Dr. Christy Shaffer, Inspire Pharmaceuticals located in the Research Triangle Park area of North Carolina is developing a medical treatment for CF–the chronic and inherited disease that predominately affects children. As its President and CEO, Dr. Shaffer is an experienced pharmaceutical executive and Ph.D. scientist (biology & chemistry) and has played the major role in making Inspire a leader in pharmaceutical products for ophthalmic and respiratory diseases.

We are especially proud to announce Dr. Christy Shaffer as the first woman selected in the 2008 Class of “Women of Brilliant Achievement”. Honored for her outstanding leadership in an industry traditionally dominated by men, her inspiration to other women and for her many community contributions, Dr. Shaffer is truly an accomplished role-model.

If you haven’t checked our “Women of Brilliant Achievement” program, please do so! Charles & Colvard honors these brilliant achievers with a stunning pair of 4 carat total weight round brilliant moissanite jewels set in platinum martini earrings, a big bouquet of spring flowers, a box of delicious Godiva chocolate truffles and a beautiful engraved crystal award—plus we donate another pair of magnificent moissanite martini earrings to a charity of the honoree’s choice.

In weeks to come you can read more about Christy and other WBA honorees!

I understand key discussions at the CIBJO conference focused on the acceptance of a worldwide standardization of precious metals (i.e. tolerances, alloys, weights); the development of a corporate social responsibility foundation, and creating a worldwide retailer’s guide on gemstones and precious metals. Charles & Colvard is not only an active and sponsoring member of CIBJO but we are very involved in the U.S. jewelry industry as a champion of disclosure and supporting consumer education.

One such project we underwrote and worked on with the Jeweler’s Vigilance Committee (another CIBJO member) is the “Buying Gemstones and Jewels with Confidence”. This is an informative brochure written to dispel the confusion consumers oftentimes encounter when some products aren’t identified clearly in their marketing. If you would like to request a copy of this brochure, simply visit www.jvc.org.

And with that said, please keep in mind, there is only one moissanite—Moissanite created by Charles & Colvard!

This was Charles & Colvard’s 11th year participating in this international show. It like, the Hong Kong Jewellery Show which we attended in early March, provided Charles & Colvard with an opportunity to meet with moissanite manufacturers and distributors from around the world and a venue to promote the beauty of moissanite to those retailers, manufacturers and publications who are not familiar with our magnificent jewel.

Show management reported that over 100,000 retailers, jewelers and wholesalers attended the show. While we didn’t see all those people at our exhibition stand, we did spend a week meeting some amazing people who repeatedly commented on the unmatched brilliance of moissanite.

The team is back in the States now, following up with sales and marketing leads. However, our President, Dennis Reed after being in Basel for a week, traveled on to the UAE where he attended the international CIBJO conference. CIBJO (a French acronym for International Confederation of Jewelry, Silverware, Diamonds, Pearls and Stones) is a leading confederation of national trade associations from around the world. The cornerstones of this organization’s mission are to protect consumer confidence in the jewelry industry, promote international cooperation between trade associations and forward the industry’s concerns and issues worldwide. At past CIBJO conferences, world jewelry leaders have discussed the importance of disclosure related to diamond origin, the blood diamond conflict and issues with tanzanite.

Stay tuned, as I will write more about CIBJO as soon as Dennis returns. He is certain to have a perspective on the growing importance of Dubai as a world business center and I will be looking forward to hearing about this year’s CIBJO conference.

Just recently I presented the award for the Moissanite Milestone Moments contest to Ms. Nichelle Eggleston. While the purpose of my trip was to represent Charles & Colvard at the presentation, it ended up being more than an award ceremony and so much more than “just a business trip”.

As I entered Nichelle’s place of work, I was overwhelmed with the amount of care and love everyone had for her. For those of you, who haven’t read Nichelle’s story on this site, I encourage you to do so. Nichelle is one dynamic woman and an 18-year, two-time cancer survivor! When you meet Nichelle, you are immediately taken aback by her radiant personality and larger-than-life positive attitude.

Nichelle’s “milestone moment” started when she found out she needed to have her leg amputated due to cancer. Her story of courage, strength and determination is truly an uplifting message to all.

I met Nichelle’s mom and dad, her aunt and her daughters Danita and Coryn, as well as her friends and co-workers who had gathered to honor her. They told me stories about how Nichelle has helped others through her dedication as a Social Work Director for Genesis Healthcare. One particular co-worker told me how Nichelle has always rejected the use of a “handicapped” parking permit… and how she has never considered her condition to merit special treatment.

It was both an honor and a privilege to present the Milestone Moments prize to such a deserving woman. As Nichelle said to me, “I focus on my abilities, not my disabilities.” Wow! It’s not often you have the chance to meet someone who has faced a tremendous challenge head-on and turned it into an opportunity to become the best person she can be.

On March 12, Nichelle wrote me an email and I wanted to share her message:

“The brilliance of me: growing, teaching, learning, living and just being me. Not being defined by what is obvious to see. I live to show you how brilliant, and fabulous you and I can be.”

Her email was signed, “God Bless, Nichelle—Who said that being FAB-U-LOUS isn’t an option?”

Traveling certainly brings you to unexpected, amazing places—but it’s the people you meet that teach you unexpected, amazing lessons.

Have a fabulous day!

At Charles & Colvard, we recognize that women just like you are the ones that do it all—you’re the tireless moms, the dedicated volunteers, the assertive professionals, true-blue girlfriends and one-in-a-million neighbors. You’re likely attracted to moissanite because it seems to represent you, not to mention its dazzling beauty, quality and value.

We believe in moissanite, and we believe in the women who love and own moissanite. I invite you to spend your few moments a day on our new Web site, Brilliance of Me. This interactive site allows you to reenergize, share your strengths, life tips, stories and achievements with a community of amazing women—just like you.

Plus, very soon, we will be launching “Women of Brilliant Achievement” honoring amazing women with a track record of a 360º achievement in their lives—from their personal to professional lives and who make a lasting impact on their communities. These extraordinary women will be honored in the pages of our website, Brilliance of Me. I think you will find their stories and accomplishments both uplifting and inspiring.

Again, we applaud you for all you do, and I hope you enjoy Brilliance of Me as a place to spend your few moments a day reflecting upon how brilliant you really are.