On a gloomy fall afternoon where I just cannot seem to warm up, I thought it was the perfect time to take a walk down memory lane. As we near December, I am remembering the beaches of The Dominican Republic with some pretty incredible human beings three years ago, where I was able to celebrate love. By now you know that love is the most important thing to me, and it should be celebrated in every way I can, at every chance I can.
Although things have changed since that time, I am opting to remember the good of that moment, and how I was able to mark it with beautiful rings from Maison Birks. Growing up, the brand was also something that I would aspire to have in my life. I always wanted to be married, and one day have a collection of their diamond jewelry to call my own. The love and appreciation of jewelry was instilled in me by my mom and I used to always play with her rings because each of them meant something special to her. Passed down with tradition, or as an expression of a beautiful moment in life. My mom used to talk to me about all of her diamond jewellery and I vividly remember her teaching me about where they all come from. It was that conversation which led me to discover Green Diamonds – Laboratory Diamonds later in life as I researched the effects of mining for these precious stones. To this day, I wear my Maison Birks ring and it’s modest diamond to hold on to the very essence of what it was meant to express, and everything that it once meant. Diamonds are a great way to make me smile if I’m being honest, and as I near the 5th birthday of #DoTheDaniel, I am looking to purchase myself something special for the milestone.
Recently you’ll remember that I had the pleasure of previewing some spectacular diamonds and collections from Graff, which is one of the most luxurious and renown diamond brands in the world. Learning more about them right here in Toronto before select pieces were made available at the Yorkdale Shopping Centre location of Maison Birks (you simply have to see these items for yourself!) I was amazed at the history of the brand. Founded by Laurence Graff in 1960, the tradition and craftsmanship that goes into each and every diamond (and subsequently piece of jewelry) is truly exceptional.
So when I found out that they would be available at Maison Birks, my personal go-to for diamonds and beautiful pieces of jewelry, I got really excited to see them up close and personal. I think what I appreciate most about Graff is that it isn’t a mass producing diamond machine – each boutique and store around the world is unique and offers something you might not find anywhere else. It’s a new experience each time, and each diamond is ready to tell a different story for whomever wears it.
“As the exclusive retailer of Graff in Canada, Birks Group currently houses a selection of Graff collections in Brinkhaus, as part of its fine jewellery offering, and will soon unveil a standalone Graff boutique in Vancouver, opening in November 2018. The award-winning House joins the highly desirable portfolio of luxury brands represented by Birks Group in Canada; located in the premier retail destination on West Georgia Street, the highly anticipated Graff boutique will house decadent, brushed- gold vitrines, showcasing one-of-a-kind high jewellery suites, irresistible fine jewellery collections and ground-breaking timepieces.”
The combination of blue sapphire and diamond is a special one to me, so that is immediately where my eyes darted when I was offered the chance to take a professional photo with Ryan Emberley, one of my favourite photographers in Canada. Not only are the shots he took beautiful, but I appreciate his talent to capture the essence of who I am. So from the bottom of my heart Ryan and Maison Birks, thank you for capturing exactly what these diamonds meant to me. What can I say? I’m still a hopeless romantic. And a picture is worth a thousand words they say. So let’s see if you can feel what I was trying to capture…
Going back to the idea of marking Do The Daniel turning five, one ring I was lucky to try on from Graff had one of the biggest blue sapphires I have ever seen elegantly set amid a sea of diamonds. Every time I write the word, I am reminded of Catherine singing Rihanna’s diamonds to mark the special day I mentioned above. Click here to listen to her version of it – it warms my heart every time I listen to it. Why that ring you ask? Well aside from the importance of these two stones and what it means to me, it just looked incredible on my hand. And why would I deny myself to celebrate a milestone in this industry by marking it with something beautiful for myself? Take a look below to see the ring for yourself – and dear Maison Birks, take note. I’ll be coming in to see it again a few more times I think. Hint hint.
So whether you are looking to mark a special moment for yourself, or you are in the market to celebrate love in with someone special, I encourage you to head to Maison Birks at Yorkdale Shopping centre before November 11th as the Graff collection is only there for a limited time. And of course stay tuned as we send our Vancouver team to the opening of the beautiful new boutique. I will always love sharing Maison Birks because they will forever be a part of who I am both personally and professionally. I cannot wait to continue buying moments and memories that I one day hope my children will play with and ask about, so I can tell them about what each ring means to me the way my mom did with me.
Make sure to follow @MaisonBirks & @Graff on Instagram, and ‘Like’ the Maison Birks Facebook Page. It’s a fantastic way to stay inspired with some of the most jewelry in the world in my opinion, and some of the best brands behind them like Graff. I can’t wait for you to be inspired the way they have inspired me to focus and mark the good in my life.
For more behind the scenes of this and other amazing brands we are working with around the world, make sure to follow along with the #DoTheDaniel Instagram account. We would love to have you join on our adventures!
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Photos: Graff Diamonds, Maison Birks, Ryan Emberley, Daniel Reyes & all Social Media accounts listed above
Cheers!
Mobile photos were taken with my #HuaweiP20Pro on the Rogers network
*Please note that this is a sponsored post – our disclosure can be found at all times by clicking here.