from the publisher
Welcome.
Welcome to the premier issue of Lx Mankato, a coffee table magazine. Lx Magazine is our fashion and lifestyle magazine designed for both ladies and gentlemen. Within its pages we offer you the experience of stunning fashion, artistic photography, informative lifestyle articles and fabulous jewelry and designers. In this issue we are pleased to give you some tantalizing articles for spring and summer, from enjoying a great glass of Luke Donald wine to picking the perfect jewelry gift. Fall in love in our photo story, The One and Only Paris, as well as experience the artistry of Marina Danilova. I am probably most excited to share with you the journey of how Exclusively Diamonds was born. This story is very close to my heart and I couldn’t have imaged all the opportunities Exclusively Diamonds has given me, my family, my employees and my community. I am so blessed to have been a part of so many special moments over the years. Everyone at Exclusively Diamonds is honored that you would allow us to be a part of your lives, your holidays and your celebrations. Be sure to visit us often throughout the year. We love to reconnect with you; hearing about your accomplishments, special celebrations and life stories. We promise to always provide you with a memorable, rewarding and legendary experience every time you visit us. Our purpose is to serve you, our loyal customer! In 31 years I have watched Exclusively Diamonds evolve from my mother selling from an attachÊ case to a wonderful showroom filled with exquisite diamonds and fine jewelry from around the world. Exclusively Diamonds was created on passion and still continues to be the driving force in all that we do. What a wonderful experience it has been putting this first issue together for you! Thank you for joining me on my newest endeavor, the premier issue of Lx Mankato.
Enjoy, Sarah Person
4
www.lxmagazine.com
inside
14
Exclusively Diamonds: The Jewel of Southern Minnesota
52
Butterfly of Life: Serving the local and global community
54 Southern African Diamonds 6
aroque
Features
35
www.lxmagazine.com
31
Libation 11 Luke Donald & His Hole-In-One Claret Fashion 19 Janice Mack Talcott:
Diamonds Speak To A Woman’s Heart
23 The One and Only Paris 31 Platinum: The Pinnacle of Perfection 35 Baroque 42 The Woodlands
Wealth 52 “ Does Your Investment Portfolio Need a Spring Cleaning?”
42
www.lxmagazine.com
7
on the cover
Publisher sarah person Associate Publisher Briana Worke Editor Jon Roberts Fashion & Beauty Editor chelsie ritter ussian photographer Marina Danilova. She has never R had a photography lesson in her life, and at just 25 years old Danilova has a highly developed level of ability that emulates the work of seasoned masters. Her art has been published in Russia, Europe, Indonesia, Brazil and now for the first time the United States.
Creative Director fran sherman Art Director miguel salgado
Lx: a coffeetable magazine Lx® magazine is published by Luxury Avenue, LLC, 500 N. Michigan Avenue, Ste. 300, Chicago, Illinois 60611. Lx® accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts and or photographs and assumes no liability for products or services advertised herein. Lx® reserves the right to edit, rewrite, refuse or reuse material, is not responsible for errors or omissions and may feature the same content on lxmagazine.com, as well as other mediums for any and all purposes. Copyright © 2011 Luxury Avenue, LLC. All rights reserved. The entire contents of Lx® are protected by copyright © and may not be reproduced without the expressed written consent of the publisher. Reproduction in whole or in part or storage in any data retrieval system or any transmission by any means therefrom without prior written permission is prohibited. Lx® and Lx Magazine are trademarks™ of Luxury Avenue, LLC. 8
www.lxmagazine.com
libation
libations
Professional Golfer & His Hole-in-One Claret Luke Donald
A
By Norman Mark
pparently, there is a lot more going on with golf than whacking a tiny ball a couple of hundred yards into a small cup. For one thing, there’s a growing association of golf with wine. Many professional golfers have lent their names to wine labels, possibly figuring that amateur duffers might need a glass of wine after exploring the rough and missing par on most holes. Pro golfers with their own wine labels include Arnold Palmer, Greg Norman, Mike Weir and at least three South Africans--David Frost, Ernie Els and Gary Player. Now a topranked young British golfer, Luke Donald, is joining their ranks. His first attempt at wine creation, the Luke Donald 2005 Napa Valley Collection, a claret, is so good that it’s like beating Tiger Woods during your rookie professional tournament. This delicious wine offers a perfect, slightly musky aroma. Its amazing taste combines an
www.lxmagazine.com
initial smooth blend with a later, larger, more muscular smokiness. It’s a fine sipping wine and an even better wine with food. Donald prefers to call it a “claret” because that’s the British word for Bordeaux blends. Also, from a golfer’s point of view, the Claret Jug is awarded to the winner of the British Open, something Donald hopes to acquire. Perhaps a jug of his claret could lead to the Claret Jug. Luke Donald’s association with wine began with golf, specifically when he was attending Northwestern University on a golf scholarship. Bill Terlato, now president and CEO of Terlato Wines International, was taking golf lessons from Luke Donald’s coach. Luke and Bill became golf buddies: Luke helped Bill’s game; Bill conducted impromptu wine seminars for Luke. Years passed, the conversations and the golf games continued. Meanwhile, Donald turned professional in 2001 and earned more than $1 million that first year. Fresh off his 2011 World Golf Championship, his lifetime earnings are now over $17 million. Then Bill Terlato took over most management duties from his father, the legendary Tony Terlato, who introduced Pinot Grigio to American consumers. The Terlato Wine Group’s income has been doubling every five years. In America, the company sells one in eight wines costing more than $14. Although it’s a family corporation and exact figures are not revealed, one estimate put annual sales at over $250,000,000 a year. Although Terlato makes wine with golfer Ernie Els, it was not searching for celebrity wine endorsements. Quality, rather than mere name value, is the company’s most important consideration. Terlato also wanted to create wines that would appeal to younger sippers. A recent
11
survey indicated that the so-called millennial generation (age 21-30) buys the more expensive wines (over $16 a bottle) at a rate of two and a half times the national average. These are the people who grew up wanting $125 sneakers and now some have disposable income. Luke Donald’s high-end endorsements included Royal Bank of Scotland, Rolex and Polo Ralph Lauren. But he had no relationship with a wine company until he and his agent asked Bill Terlato for advice. Terlato told me, “We wanted Luke involved in its development. After two days of tasting, we came up with what finally reflected his personal style and taste.” Luke Donald said, “The tasting was an overwhelming experience. We were blending six different wines. It’s like playing chemistry with 100 glasses in front of you. “I remember thinking this could take a while. Then we got it down to two possibilities and we broke for lunch. The wines tasted differently with the risotto and that determined the final choice.” For Luke Donald, a wine with his name on the bottle will not make him rich, but it does give him satisfaction. He said, “At the moment, this is a nice thing to do away from golf.” He will be away from golf a lot more than he wants in the next few months. In June, Donald popped a tendon in his left wrist, suffering a “subluxation of the Extensor Carpi Ulnaris (ECU) tendon.” This forced him to withdraw from the PGA tour and from the British Ryder Cup team, which he led to victories in 2004 and 2006. In August, the same New York doctor who cured the wrist problems of baseball player Jason Giambi and professional golfer Jim Furyk successfully operated on Donald, who hopes to return to golf after rehabilitation. Donald told me, “It’s gratifying to hear that you opened a bottle and enjoyed it.” I did. The Luke Donald Collection, with only 1100 cases produced this year, is a fine $40 red wine available at www.worldsgreatestwines.com. Next year, Luke Donald wines will offer more claret and a Chardonnay, while he works his golf game back into championship form. 12
www.lxmagazine.com
PERFECT MATCH MAKE IT UNFORGETTABLE...
166 0 Tul l am o re Stre et Ma nk ato, M N 5 6 0 0 1 -4 8 6 1 ( 5 0 7 ) 3 4 5 -1 6 5 8
The Jewel of Southern Minnesota
F
By Briana Worke
rom an attaché case on a dining room table to its present hilltop location, Exclusively Diamonds has evolved into Southern Minnesota’s largest fine jeweler. Thirty years ago founder Sally Nelson was working as a special education
teacher in Waterville, MN but she had a passion for fine jewelry. She started selling jewelry from an attaché case in her dining room, selling mostly gold fashion and engagement rings to acquaintances. As word spread, more people came and sales increased. Sally decided to quit her job and start a fine jewelry business. With $2,500 of her own money she went from bank to bank requesting a loan to start her business. With interest rates at 21 percent, gold over $800 an ounce and women owned businesses a rarity, Sally received several “No’s” before one banker took a chance on her and said “Yes.” Exclusively Diamonds was born and quickly changed from Sally’s impossible dream to a reality.
14
www.lxmagazine.com
Left: Matt J. Graif Building Below Right:Sally, Sarah, and Betsy Below Left: Sally
Exclusively Diamonds opened its doors on the fourth floor of the historic Matt J. Graif office building in downtown Mankato. This was the closest space available to the downtown Mankato Mall, the major retail district during the 1980’s. It was a hidden location that no one could see from the street. People would walk through the mall passing Brett’s, Osco Drug and Stan A. Smith Jewelers before they would see Matt J. Graif men’s clothing store and the side entrance up to the offices in the Graif Building. Sally's mission was to provide customers with superior quality and customer service. In 1984 and 1985, daughters Betsy and Sarah joined Sally. Betsy took bench working classes in Minneapolis while also attending school at Mankato State University. She found she had skilled hands and could be a strong asset to her mother’s business as an in-store goldsmith. Sarah’s passion to sell jewelry just like her mother began in her senior year of college when she ran out of money and wanted to go on Spring Break. She began bringing diamonds from the store back to school, selling to her professors and students she knew that were getting engaged. College housing wasn’t necessarily the safest place to keep diamonds, so Sarah carried them with her 24/7, keeping them in her socks for security. Sarah returned to Mankato after graduating college to marry her high school sweetheart, Christopher Person. Sally then hired Sarah for minimum wage to sell 20 hours a week.
www.lxmagazine.com
15
Sarah Person, Owner of Exclusively Diamonds Photo by Jeff Silker
16
www.lxmagazine.com
“Trips to South Africa to purchase diamonds direct from the cutting factory or buying trips that showcase the newest designs and trends from leaders in the industry keep Exclusively Diamonds on the cutting edge.”
For several years, Sally, Sarah and Betsy worked side by side. Sarah's children came to the store with her until they were a year old. It was truly a family business, everyone who was not in the showroom selling would help by rocking and feeding the babies in the back of the store. In 1992 Betsy married and moved out of town. Sally and Sarah continued to hire sales staff to help with the growing business. In 1998, Sally retired and sold the business to Sarah. The store continued to evolve and expand serving all of Greater Mankato as well as Southern Minnesota into Northern Iowa. In August of 2000, Sarah moved Exclusively Diamonds to it's present location in the heart of Mankato's hilltop retail district. Today Exclusively Diamonds employs highly educated sales professionals, two www.lxmagazine.com
Graduate Gemologists, a Certified Gemologist Appraiser, three in-store goldsmiths, bench technician, marketing director and controller. Exclusively Diamonds is known for its exceptional quality and excellent customer service. Over the years, the staff has circled the globe to expand the knowledge, products and skills associated with the jewelry industry. Trips to South Africa to purchase diamonds direct from the cutting factory or buying trips that showcase the newest designs and trends from leaders in the industry keep Exclusively Diamonds on the cutting edge. Exclusively Diamonds is an American Gem Society member, an organization including only the top 5 percent of elite independent jewelers in the nation. Sarah has integrated top designer brands including Tacori, Hearts on Fire, Pandora, Simon G., The Private Collection of 17
Staff of Exclusively Diamonds. Pictured left to right; front row: Stephanie Sowder, Denise Painter, Sarah Person, Patty Christensen and Jade Bundy; back row: Liz Sparacino, Lizzy Neumann, Briana Worke, Doug Shult, Heidi Heil, Scott Horner, Carol Stevenson, Lori Ruch and Carol Brady.
Southern African Diamonds and more. In addition, Exclusively Diamonds is an official Rolex jeweler. Sarah has taken the best advice from her mother and added her own philosophy to create a business built on servanthood. What started with Sally has been passed on to Sarah and has evolved into every staff member passionately believing in the mission of Exclusively Diamonds; To be the jeweler of choice by building a legacy of integrity and trusted pricing in fine quality jewelry, to provide customers with a memorable,
rewarding and legendary experience every time they shop the store and to serve the customers, the local and global community and God. As Exclusively Diamonds continues to be a leader in the industry with Sarah’s entrepreneurial spirit, Sally and her husband live in Mankato during the summer months to be close to Sarah and her family and spend the winter months in Arizona to be near Betsy and her husband. Sally is still in love with diamonds. ď ˛
Janice Mack Talcott
Diamonds Speak To A Woman’s Heart
I
By Lyndon Conrad Bell
f diamonds are a woman’s best friends, Janice Mack Talcott is a man’s best friend when it comes to understanding the unique relationship between women and the coveted gem. Born into a family retail jewelry business, Talcott has been involved with gemstones since she was a little girl. A Gemological Institute of America Graduate Gemologist, Talcott also served as director of education for the GIA.
Possessing an infectious effervescence, her enthusiasm for the human aspect of the jewelry business is positively radiant. Well known for innovative, inspirational and effective training messages, today Talcott routinely travels the globe under the banners of her company Janice Mack & Associates and The Edge Retail Academy, sharing her expertise with jewelers on nearly every continent of the world. We caught up with her via Skype in the midst of her recent circumnavigation of Australia for this conversation on helping men understand the dynamics between women and diamond jewelry. LX Magazine: When it comes to women and diamond jewelry, what is the psychology at work there Janice, and why is so much sentimentality attached to it? Janice Mack Talcott: Different types of jewelry communicate different things. Today, women can and will buy their own fashion jewelry and may, or may not, attach meaning to it. Some things they buy simply because they like them or because they go with a specific outfit. These are statements of their personalities. Still, although sentimentality isn’t associated with all jewelry, different types of jewelry do communicate different messages. Significant jewelry is a form of communication. Gold means more than silver. Diamonds mean more than gold, and special diamonds, given at special times, mean more than casual diamonds. LX: There are special diamonds and casual diamonds? JMT: Aside from what women buy for themselves, when it comes to the truly significant/symbolic diamond pieces in their lives, those are most often gifted. A woman will think nothing of putting together a $1000 bracelet for herself. Walk her across the store to the diamond counter for a purchase of exactly the same amount and the response is most often, “”I’ll have to tell my husband
“Significant jewelry is a form of communication. Gold means more than silver. Diamonds mean more than gold, and special diamonds, given at special times, mean more than casual diamonds.” about that.” But it’s not about the money—it’s about the fact that diamonds mean something different. Significant gifts are a form of communication and diamonds have come to symbolize recognition and appreciation. Thus, a diamond gifted to a woman in connection with a significant event is most assuredly a special diamond. LX: Why are women seemingly given more to these thoughts and feelings than men? JMT: Simply put, it’s a Mars-Venus thing. Women attach considerably more significance to many things most men take for granted. Additionally, women occupy a lot of roles in life. I refer to this as the six P’s of a woman’s person—as remarkably, all of these roles begin with the letter P. As an individual, a woman is a Person, but in her intimate relationship with her mate she is a Partner. When her children are born she becomes a Parent. Meanwhile, at work, she’s a Professional. As the population is graying, in addition to caring for her children, she quite often looks after elderly parents too—making her a Provider. Women routinely engage in Philanthropy as well, whether it’s volunteering at her children’s school or involvement in community activities. When it comes to gifts from their significant others, women most often want to be recognized for Partnering and Parenting. Where a man might look at childbirth as simply the birth of a child, a woman considers it bringing a life into this world. When it comes to a woman’s role in Partnering, she considers her efforts to establish the home as creating a warm, comfortable and nurturing place for her family. Nesting, if you will. The takeaway here is women attach significant emotion to these actions, so anything done in recognition of them is by extension infused with significant emotion as well. And again, a gift of diamond jewelry is a form of communication. Women read deeply into communications. They dissect what men did say and try to figure out what they didn’t say. In other words, they look for meaning between the words. Because diamonds have come to symbolize recognition, appreciation, and by extension—love, they articulate these feelings in a way that words cannot.
“A poorly thought out gift is worse than no gift at all. Meanwhile, a simple, relatively inexpensive pair of diamond earrings can beautifully and succinctly symbolize a couple’s first year together.” LX: OK, so a guy’s in a jewelry store trying to find something to communicate his feelings, how can he figure out what to go with? JMT: The first thing to do is try to give her something she likes. Next, remember cheap sends a message in itself. Now I’m not saying the gift has to be expensive, but beyond thinking about what the item is, be aware of what it says. A poorly thought out gift is worse than no gift at all. Meanwhile, a simple, relatively inexpensive pair of diamond earrings can beautifully and succinctly symbolize a couple’s first year together. This is where a real professional jeweler, (not just a salesperson looking to bulk up their monthly commission) comes into play. A good jewelry consultant will ask him questions about her. What does she like? Where does she go? What does she do? What kinds of things are important to her? This way, the consultant can make recommendations based on whom the man perceives the woman in his life to be. This goes a long way toward making the gift more personal. It’s also beneficial to remember the place the jewelry comes from sends a message too. Every gift has a story that accompanies it. When a woman is telling her friends the story of the lovely pendant, it’s going to be diminished if, when they ask where he got it, she has to respond, “The Internet.” If it's an important gift, it should come from a fine jeweler. LX: What do you say to a man who says all of this is just marketing hype? JMT: I would suggest he’s probably never experienced the joy of giving a piece of jewelry, nor seen the reaction of a woman who knew it came from his heart.
Fashion
The one and Only Paris Interview by Chelsie Ritter
www.lxmagazine.com
23
24
www.lxmagazine.com
Husband and wife photography duo Audrey (French) & Anthony (American) of The One and Only Paris Photography give us some insight to love in Paris and what it is like to have the city as their backdrop. Their photos are beautifully orchestrated images that combine couples in love with exquisite architecture, transcending time in a city that is both modern and nostalgic. Chelsie: How did the two of you meet? Anthony: In neutral territory; Spain. I was living in Madrid. Audrey came from France for a week to visit a mutual friend. Unfortunately my subtle charms take a bit more time than a week to cast their spell, so I lured her back to Madrid with a college internship at a movie and television production company there. I had a connection at that studio with some writers who shamelessly stole everything they could from the Conan O’Brian show for their own talk show. Since I was their go-to guy for English assistance in their pilfering of Conan, they went all out to impress Audrey for me. They got her an internship at the studio and even wrote her into an on-camera skit. That gave me a whole semester for a second chance. Chelsie: How do your styles differ, and what creative forces merge to create your finished product? Audrey: My style continues to gravitate toward the timeless. Through the countless hours we’ve spent pouring over our work editing, we’ve discovered that what we should have avoided shooting in the frame is just as important as what we shot in the frame. We’ spend more time styling a shoot as opposed to capturing the stark reality of what we come across. Anthony: The influence we have on each other’s style of shooting comes more from the editing room than from interaction with each other while shooting together on location. When we’re in front of a monitor together scrolling through images of the previous day’s shoot, we point out what could have been in many images. I’m constantly trying to take credit for the photographer Audrey has become. So when I realize how right she is when she points out a missed opportunity in one of my photos, I feel physical pain. I think my ego has nerve endings. This helps me the next time I’m out shooting and I’m about to miss out on that same opportunity. My ego feels a little jolt like those horrible electric dog-training collars and I adjust my shot. Chelsie: What are your other creative outlets? Anthony: Super 8mm cinematography. We love home movie film. Over thirty years ago, magnetic tape video cameras killed off the manufacturing of home movie film cameras and projectors overnight. Kodak still makes this small gauge movie film for people like me who continue shoot with the old film cameras they collect. It delivers a look that takes us back to a different era. Paris calls out for anything vintage and nothing can achieve this look better than the imperfections of super 8mm movie film. All the faults of the medium that led to its death are what people today find so charming. People love the flicker, scratches, dust specks, light leaks, and film grain that remind them of a sentimentalized past. I crack up at the amount of new software there is to do these things artificially now. www.lxmagazine.com
25
26
www.lxmagazine.com
Chelsie: Do you have a hero that inspired you to become the artists that you are today? Anthony: I’ve got a story about how a French photographer named Robert Doisneau played an enormous role in where I’ve ended up in photography. I loved and hung his photo, “Kiss by the Hotel de Ville” before I was a photographer or ever dreamt of living in Paris. Fifteen years later I’m living in New York when, out of nowhere, Audrey got homesick and whisked me off to Paris to live and marry. I had the girl but no idea of how I would survive professionally when I suddenly moved to Paris just three days before my wedding. Every marriage in Paris requires a civil ceremony in one of 21 different city halls (“Hotel de Ville” in French). By chance, the city hall designated for our wedding, was the same Hotel de Ville in Doisneau’s photo. On my third day in Paris I got married inside the same building that’s in the background of the Doisneau photo I had loved since my youth. Afterwards with a few friends, we had fun out in the street trying to recreate his famous photo. Our playing around didn’t stop during the long walk to our restaurant. We kept stopping to set up shots of each other surrounded by incredible Parisian settings that caught our eye. By the time we made it to our restaurant, I had a much clearer idea of the direction my photography would take in France. Audrey: For me, it’s Richard Avedon. I love his blending of portraiture, glamor, and fashion. He believed Paris was the perfect place for this mix. So do I. Chelsie: Beyond that, what is the inspiration and motivation behind your work? Anthony: With the exception of Doisneau, I’m inspired more by Paris itself rather than other photography. This city’s a dream for visual types. My motivation comes from the people who’ve singled me out to capture memories them in this city they’ve come to for some very important times in their lives. I love to prove them right for doing so. Audrey: I agree. People who come to us are already convinced by our work that they find online. I love the way they’re happy when they come to us and I want to make sure they’re just as happy when they see what we can do for them. But a little less heart touching answer is I love to see my work published; vain, but motivating. Chelsie: With the amount of work that you have done I imagine you have met many types of people. Who is your most memorable subject? Anthony: It was a woman from the States who made her first trip to Paris after years of planning. She was an enthusiast of everything vintage about the city. She had knowledge and memorabilia from a Paris of an earlier era and fantasized for years about the day she could return to their origin. I asked her how let down she was by being in a modern city that couldn’t live up to her fantasies of Paris. She wasn’t disappointed at all. She explained that her Paris was still recognizable under the veil of a modern city. Everywhere you look in the city center you can catch glimpses of the romanticized version of Paris in both the surroundings and people. She spoke of how easy it was for those who viewed Paris through rose colored glasses to recognize and connect with each other. Her words reminded me of a famous quote of my photography hero Doisneau who said, “I don’t photograph life as it is, but life as I would like it to be.” That day for that woman, I didn’t try to shoot Paris exactly as it is, but rather, Paris as she would like it to be. • www.lxmagazine.com
27
28
www.lxmagazine.com
www.lxmagazine.com
29
Platinum: The Pinnacle of Perfection By Lyndon Conrad Bell
P
referred by history’s most renowned jewelers, including Cartier and Faberge, platinum’s reign at the pinnacle of the hierarchy of precious metals is as much a function of its purity and rarity as its longevity and beauty. Thus, when it comes to bridal sets or heirloom pieces that need to stand the test of time, platinum is a top choice. Platinum used in jewelry is 95 percent pure. Gold, because it is so soft, is alloyed with other metals for jewelry. Base metals comprise twenty-five percent of eighteen karat gold, while fourteen karat gold is only 58.5 percent pure. Aside from the sheer desirability of that purity, it also means platinum is hypoallergenic, making it an ideal choice for people with sensitive skin. More than thirty times more rare than gold, there are only three significant sources of platinum on Earth. Additionally, to get one pure ounce of platinum, it is necessary to mine ten tons of raw platinum ore. It has been estimated that if all the gold ever mined were melted down and poured into swimming pools, it would fill three Olympic-sized pools. Do the same with platinum; the highly coveted material would barely cover your ankles in one pool.
The heaviest and densest of the precious metals, platinum wears exceptionally well and further, is not subject to tarnishing. So dense is platinum; a six-inch cube of the white metal amazingly weighs 165 pounds. Because of this density, platinum is remarkably robust. So much so, a platinum ring presented to a prospective bride on the day of her engagement—and worn daily thereafter—will weigh practically the same and look essentially the same…on her fiftieth anniversary with minimal maintenance. Additionally, as platinum does not change shape or wear away, it is the ideal setting for precious gemstones. The durability of platinum enables it to hold stones both firmly and securely for many, many years. For all of these reasons and many others, platinum jewelry has long been preferred by truly knowledgeable connoisseurs of refinement, good taste and wealth. Royalty, dating all the way back to the Egyptian and Incan civilizations cherished the precious metal. In the 1780’s, King Louis XVI declared platinum to be the only metal fit for kings. In 1936, when George VI was coronated King of England, his wife Elizabeth (the late Queen Mother) was adorned with a crown of platinum containing the fabulous 108-carat Kohinoor diamond. Peter Carl Faberge, jeweler to the Russian Tsars, most noted for his extraordinarily bejeweled Easter eggs, routinely incorporated platinum into his designs. Louis Cartier, the first jeweler to successfully create platinum jewelry, was thoroughly infatuated with platinum because of its ability to enhance the brilliance of diamonds. Owing to the purity of platinum’s coloring, the metal does not impart a color cast to gemstones. Owing in no small amount to Cartier’s work with platinum, King Edward VII of England declared him, “the jeweler of kings and the king of jewelers”. Cementing the perception of platinum in the American imagination is the way America’s royalty—the Hollywood elite—has embraced platinum. Seen on
More than thirty times more rare than gold, there are only three significant sources of platinum on Earth. Additionally, to get one pure ounce of platinum, it is necessary to mine ten tons of raw platinum ore.
red carpets at every premiere, platinum has become the precious metal of choice. Contemporary actresses such as Anne Hathaway, Sandra Bullock, Halle Berry, and Helen Mirren are routinely adorned in platinum. Indeed, if an event calls for tuxedoes and evening gowns, you can rest assured platinum will be represented there too. Famously, when Elvis Presley proposed to Priscilla Beaulieu, he presented her with an engagement ring of diamonds and platinum. On the day she became Priscilla Presley, the couple exchanged platinum wedding rings. Small wonder then in a recent survey it was found that eight out of ten soon to be engaged women cited platinum as their precious metal of choice for their wedding and engagement sets Just as diamonds have come to symbolize the significance of the marital relationship, so too, has platinum come to represent the purity and eternity of love. Platinum’s beauty, versatility and elegance are enhanced by its strength and resilience. These traits make it the ideal means by which to symbolically reflect the most significant and meaningful relationship life has to offer. When shopping for platinum jewelry, people need to consider several key factors. The first of these is the purity content. Ideally, your platinum will be 95 percent pure platinum. This can be determined by examining the hallmark on the inside of the ring. If it reads PT 95, Plat, or .95 Plat, the ring is considered pure platinum. If you’re considering the creation of a custom one of a kind work, you should always workwith a master platinumsmith. Owing to the unique qualities of the metal, working in platinum is a complicated
“Platinum’s beauty, versatility and elegance are enhanced by its strength and resilience. These traits make it the ideal means by which to symbolically reflect the most significant and meaningful relationship life has to offer.” proposition. The tooling required for platinum is significantly different from that needed for gold. Additionally, platinum has an extremely high melting point. Unlike gold, which melts at 1,700 degrees, platinum remains a solid until exposed to temperatures approaching 3,223 degrees. These factors make platinumsmithing a highly specialized occupation. Like the metal itself, master craftspeople adept at working with platinum are quite rare. Similarly, should repair or resizing ever be required, make sure you also take it to a master platinumsmith. Any attempt to repair your precious jewelry with the improper tools, or the wrong alloy, could well ruin the piece. Equally coveted by ancient royalty and contemporary celebrities, nothing is more precious than finely crafted platinum jewelry. An investment in platinum creates a thing of beauty readily enjoyable today, as well as an heirloom capable of retaining its unique desirability when passed down to succeeding generations in years to come.
Baroque photographed by MARINA DANILOVA
36
www.lxmagazine.com
photographer MARINA DANILOVA gowns by PAPILIO models DARIA ANISKOVA & EVGENIYA 38
www.lxmagazine.com
www.lxmagazine.com
39
40
www.lxmagazine.com
www.lxmagazine.com
41
the Woodlands photographer Marina Danilova assistant Denis Vasil’ev models Olya Dosenko, Viktoria Los & Elena Logvinenko makeup Yury Ananov Hair Alexandr Sukonshikov Wedding dress collection by Papilio
44
www.lxmagazine.com
www.lxmagazine.com
45
46
www.lxmagazine.com
www.lxmagazine.com
47
48
www.lxmagazine.com
www.lxmagazine.com
49
50
www.lxmagazine.com
libation
Serving the local and global community
By Briana Worke
E
xclusively Diamonds’ mission is to be the jeweler of choice by building a legacy of integrity and trusted pricing in fine quality jewelry and uncompromising customer service. Exclusively Diamonds wants its customers to have a memorable, rewarding and legendary experience every time they shop. The purpose of Exclusively Diamonds is to serve the customers, the local and global community and God. Faith is a strong foundation for Exclusively Diamonds. Owner, Sarah Person’s, faithbased servanthood mentality is lived out by the charitable activities that she and the Exclusively Diamonds’ staff are involved in. Organizations such as Jewelers For Children, the YMCA, YWCA, United Way, Hospice and local colleges are a just few ways in which Exclusively Diamonds serves the community. One charity Exclusively Diamonds is involved in is the BackPack Food program, which is a pilot program of Feeding Our Communities Partners (FOCP). The mission of the FOCP is to close the gap of missing meals between available food assistance programs and the unmet needs of the lowincome residents of Blue Earth County. FOCP advocates sustainable solutions to hunger, demonstrate the public value of an end to hunger, and strive to eliminate the stigma and apathy connected to hunger. The BackPack pilot program is focused on
52
ensuring that students have nutritious food when school is out. Breakfast, lunch and a snack are placed confidentially in students’ backpacks for each day of the weekend or school break. Sarah serves on this board and Exclusively Diamonds donates to help fund the program. For more information visitwww. feedingourcommunitiespartners.org Another way in which Exclusively Diamonds serves its local and global community is through the Butterfly of Life®. In 2005 Exclusively Diamonds’ employee, Rita Willaert, had a vision to create a cancer awareness piece of fine jewelry to sell. Her hope was to give survivors and supporters a symbol of courage, strength and most of all hope. Her Butterfly of Life design has evolved into an online business where butterfly pendants, charms and pins are sold around the United States. Each butterfly is accented with a diamond or gemstone to represent a specific type of cancer. Engraved on the back are the words, “Live, Love, Laugh.” Rita's legacy is donating to cancer research and education. 10 percent of every online sale as well as a portion of every butterfly sale at Exclusively Diamonds is donated directly to cancer research and education. Thousands of dollars have already been donated to this cause in our goal to fulfill Rita's request that the Butterfly of Life raise $1 million dollars for cancer research and education. For more information visitwww.butterflyoflife.com.
www.lxmagazine.com
Photo by Lori Marie Photography
Recapturing a legendary time. A time of romance, of splendor, of intrigue.
www.lxmagazine.com
55
56
www.lxmagazine.com
www.lxmagazine.com
57
58
www.lxmagazine.com