The Behind the Scenes Blog is a insider's look through the colorful kaleidoscope of what's happening in the halls of Charles & Colvard, moissanite and in the vast world of jewelry. From time to time, we'll feature guest bloggers with their moissanite tales and observations from the road.
Corn Sacks, Gnomes and Roses for Mom
May 9, 2008 1:45 PM EST - Posted by Barbara Mooty - Vice President of Brand Development and Industry Relations, Charles & Colvard
When asked, "What are you doing for mom this year?" the women of Charles & Colvard had many responses: chocolates, flowers, a pajama-gram, 2 dozen roses, Barbara Walter's newest book, Audition: A Memoir, a UNC garden gnome, a digital photo frame loaded with memories, a Notre Dame corn sack game and of course several women mentioned MOISSANITE with enthusiasm!
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!
Mommy, Mama, Mom, Mother?
May 5, 2008 12:08 PM EST - Posted by Barbara Mooty - Vice President of Brand Development and Industry Relations, Charles & Colvard
Are you perplexed as to what to buy your mom for 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
Donuts & I Do!
May 1, 2008 6:36 PM EST - Posted by Barbara Mooty - Vice President of Brand Development and Industry Relations, Charles & Colvard
I am always curious about who is buying moissanite, where and what was the occasion. While we know that most moissanite jewelry is sold to women for themselves, there is a growing interest in moissanite for both gifts as well as for brides. In this month's "Destination Weddings and Honeymoons" moissanite is featured as a possible selection for engagement rings.
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
A Star is Born
April 29, 2008 4:29 PM EST - Posted by Barbara Mooty - Vice President of Brand Development and Industry Relations, Charles & Colvard
You probably have read "Moissanite: Born From the Stars" and you might remember seeing on ShopNBC a few years ago, a limited collection of moissanite jewelry set with star-shaped moissanite jewels, but now we at Charles & Colvard are talking in the halls about another "star".
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.
65 Roses and Christy
April 28, 2008 11:30 AM EST - Posted by Barbara Mooty - Vice President of Brand Development and Industry Relations, Charles & Colvard
First penned by William Shakespeare in his 1594 classic tale, Romeo and Juliet, the phrase "...a rose by any other name would smell as sweet..." has appeared in numerous references from traditional Valentine's Day cards to modern romance.
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!
The Falcon and the Crane
April 22, 2008 3:43 PM EST - Posted by Barbara Mooty - Vice President of Brand Development and Industry Relations, Charles & Colvard
The first comment Dennis mentioned about his trip to Dubai, was that the UAE's national bird should really be the crane, not the falcon as it is. He wasn't referring to the great bird revered by some Japanese and Chinese as symbolic of longevity and immortality but rather the industrial crane commonly seen at a construction site. As you have seen on the news and through newspapers, Dubai is exploding with development and quickly becoming an important world business center. From the engineering of the Burj Dubai (designed to become the world's tallest structure) to the countless number of yachts docked at its shoreline, Dubai is an international scene of luxury.
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!
BASELWORLD 2008
April 16, 2008 6:02 PM EST - Posted by Barbara Mooty - Vice President of Brand Development and Industry Relations, Charles & Colvard
I had the privilege to visit beautiful Basel, Switzerland for BASELWORLD (April 3-10). It may sound like the Disneyworld of jewelry and it certainly might seem to be as large as a theme park, but it's actually one of the world's leading watch and jewelry shows. And for those of you who haven't been to Switzerland in the spring, it reminded me of North Carolina as the countryside is green and alive with daffodils, other spring flowers and blossoming trees.
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.
Tales from the Road
March 14, 2008 4:55 PM EST - Posted by Barbara Mooty - Vice President of Brand Development and Industry Relations, Charles & Colvard
"Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living." —Miriam Beard
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!
Welcome to Brilliance of Me!
February 29, 2008 10:34 AM EST - Posted by Barbara Mooty - Vice President of Brand Development and Industry Relations, Charles & Colvard
As a professional woman who juggles a busy career, family, philanthropic and industry activities plus more, I know the importance of taking some time out for my personal life. I relish even the few moments a day I have to spend on ME—whether it's sweating in a hot Bikram yoga classroom, reflecting on my achievements, sharing my goals and dreams with "the girlfriends", other women, my boyfriend or simply enjoying a good laugh. My few moments a day give me the energy to recalibrate and continue on my life's journey.
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.
