The “Real” Deal

By July 13, 2022Uncategorized

For as long as I can remember, I have had an unusual ability to remember advertising slogans/commercials. I can remember commercials I saw on TV or the radio when I was very young…everything from cleaning products to beer commercials. My most recent memory was the revamp of the Miller Beer commercial I saw last week- I can still sing the old jingle. It’s amazing the imprint advertising makes and how long it lingers, which brings me to the topic of this blog entry.

As Seen On TV…

I was watching TV the other night, and an ad came on for the Diamond Producers Association. I had seen two different commercials from them in the last day or so, so I decided to Google the campaign to see what the message for 2018 was, and here’s what I found. 

The title of the article from Adweek was “The Diamond Industry’s First Campaign in 5 Years Encourages Millennials to make a ‘Real’ Commitment,” and the goal of the campaign “positions real diamonds as the truest symbols of a deep emotional commitment between two young people.”

It goes on further to say regarding the two commercials titled “Runaways” and “Wild and Kind” that ” The resulting ads serve as intimate, impressionistic portraits of two relationships at pivotal moments. In keeping with the campaign’s premise, these romances follow non-traditional trajectories.”

 Here’s the link in case you want to read the entire article.

Say that again?

Let’s look at that again…” positions diamonds as the most authentic symbols of a deep emotional commitment between two young people.” Hmmm, I have a different opinion about that.
So rather than debate what a true symbol is or isn’t or what defines love, I want to share what jewelry symbolizes to me, not specific as to whether it’s a “real” anything.


I believe in loving someone entirely; you must love yourself first. Throughout my life, even before owning a jewelry store, I commemorated special moments in my life with jewelry.


When I take a trip, instead of buying a T-shirt or other tourist-targeted souvenir, I always purchase a piece of jewelry representing where I went.


For example, I purchased a lapel pin with a grapevine from California, a Cloisonne and Jade from China, and an Amethyst from Brazil.


But it wasn’t just to commemorate travel. It was also to recognize milestones in my life.


Remember what I told you about remembering commercials and ads?


I can also remember every piece of jewelry I received as a child, who I got it from, and why and I still have many of those pieces today. But I can also tell you about the pieces I lost, but more about that later.

I’m A Big Girl Now…

When I was young and out on my own, supporting myself for the first time, I decided to take a big adventure and travel from New Jersey to Florida to visit a friend.


My first time on an airplane, my first travel, not with my family.


The ticket cost $ 99 round trip on People’s Express. I remember wearing black chinos, a beige sweater, and a white jacket with beige pinstripes.


I wore a necklace made of seashells that matched the pattern in the weave of the sweater I wore and the color of the pinstripes in my jacket.


I remember folding my jacket on my lap and smoothing it over and over to be sure it didn’t wrinkle – I didn’t want to step off the plane wrinkled on my first important trip. I was 19 years old.


On that trip, I bought a ring that I chose and paid for myself. My independent woman ring. It wasn’t costly, but it was gold. I purchased it at a fine jewelry store – I couldn’t afford 99% of what they had. Still, I found something I could afford that made me feel special when I wore it, and my friend worked there, so I did get an employee discount.


My mother always said that good jewelry was an investment, and she was right.


When I purchased my first piece of fine jewelry, I invested in memory – a deep, emotional commitment to myself.


When choosing an engagement ring the second time, I told my husband, “when the love is genuine; the diamond doesn’t have to be.”


I didn’t own Diamontrigue back then, but genuine love was more important, so I asked him to choose a ring from Diamontrigue instead.


I had a son to put through college; we’d both been through divorces and were very honest about what was “Real” to us.

Genuine Love Lasts…

Isn’t that what ‘Real’ is all about? Absolute commitment to one another’s dreams; real understanding of where they’ve been, real support for where life will take them, challenges and all?


It’s that kind of “Real” my parents shared for nearly 65 years. It’s that kind of “Real” you bring into a relationship that makes it last?


Whether the Gemstone is real or not is irrelevant—#genuinelovelasts.

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