Denim & Diamonds to Benefit OE

See our donated jewelry at Delta Theta Tau's Winter Gala: Denim and Diamonds to benefit Opportunity Enterprise. This elegant evening takes place at Harre Union, Valparaiso University, 6 p.m. March 11th. The night will feature hors d'ouevres from around the world, a cash bar, silent auction and raffle for this stunning black & white diamond pendant set in 14-karat white gold.

FREE PANDORA Lobster Bracelet

Shop our PANDORA boutique today and receive a FREE lobster clasp bracelet with your $75 purchase. Select bright colors to match your Spring outfits or create a bracelet for a friend. We have hundreds of beads in-stock now; don't miss out on this great gift with purchase through Saturday.

Proud to Sponsor St. Paul's Bubbly and Bling

Come see our awesome raffle prizes we've donated for the Bubbly and Bling! Saint Paul Catholic School is hosting a Mardi Gras Gala Auction on Saturday, March 5, 2011, at County Line Orchard, located at 200 S County Line Rd in Hobart. Tickets are $40 each and available from Erinne Isley, 219.531.7641 or by contacting the school office at 219.462.3374.

The evening begins at 6 pm and consists of dinner, cash bar, silent & live auctions, raffle events, $1 auctions and our Bubbly and Bling event, where participants can purchase a glass of champagne, each glass entering them into a chance to win some great pieces of jewelry courtesy of Martin Binder Jewelers.

All proceeds benefit the children of St. Paul Catholic School. For more information or to make donations, contact Andre Hernandez at 219.608.0517.

Our Stunning Diamond Pendant is This Year's Encores Bling

Our customer, Viktoria Voller is a living, breathing marketing campaign for both Martin Binder Jeweler and Encores, Chicago Street Theatre’s largest fundraiser of the year.

That’s because the piece of jewelry, courtesy of Martin Binder, that she won at last year’s event became her engagement gift. It wasn’t as if the engagement was a surprise – her long-time beau Don McAuliffe had proposed a month earlier while the two were out dancing at a local restaurant, “but he didn’t have anything to make it official,” explains Viktoria.

What was a surprise, however, was the way their engagement became official.

Don bought champagne during the Bubbly & Bling portion of the evening for a chance to win the pendant from Martin Binder. Neither of them favors champagne, but they wanted to support the theatre, so they gave the champagne away to other people seated at their table. When Don learned he was the winner, he was stunned. “He told me he hadn’t won anything since he won a candy bar in fourth grade,” laughs Viktoria.

He looked at her and said, “Well, this could be your engagement gift.” Viktoria didn’t want a ring anyway – she preferred a different piece of jewelry to solidify their intent to marry - so the beautiful pendant was just fine with her.

“We officially became engaged at Encores. From that night on, we started planning the wedding.”

The couple, both avid ballroom dancers, were married seven months later --- on the dance floor at Shorewood Forest Club House to a choreographed Viennese Waltz as John Denver’s “Annie’s Song” played.

“I’ve always enjoyed Encores and coming to the shows,” says Viktoria, who has been involved with Chicago Street Theatre and Community Theatre Guild since 1982. She’ll be back at this year’s event – this time with her husband.

Encores, now in its 14^th year, supports Chicago Street Theatre productions, ongoing building improvements, and educational programs. The gala will be held on Saturday, March 12, at Strongbow Inn. This year’s theme is “Serenade the Moon: Enjoy music celebrating life, love, and laughter.”

Martin Binder Jeweler is again sponsoring a one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry for Bubbly & Bling. The lady’s 14-karat yellow gold pendant features 20 white diamonds surrounding a black diamond that was hand-selected in Mumbai, India. Owner and Gemologist Robert Flude traveled to India in January searching for great values and discovered this particular black diamond.

Encores tickets are now on sale, and reservations must be received no later than March 4, 2011. Individual tickets are $50 each, and Celebrity Circle seats are $75 each. A Celebrity Circle table for 10 is $750. To reserve tickets, e-mail Apryl Niksch at http://www.vendini.com/e/rd.php?id=30639436&cid=24703&link_number=&u=mailto%3Aapryln%40chicagostreet.org or call (219) 464-1636, Ext. 101.

Ten Year Anniversary Charm

This year, PANDORA jewelry celebrates the 10 year anniversary of the bracelet. This anniversary charm, called Destiny, pairs nicely with the all gold or two-tone bracelet. The charm is made of 14-karat yellow gold and has eight round diamonds. What a lovely piece! Now in stock.

Amethyst and the Wrath of Dionysus.

According to Greek mythology, Amethyst became the object of wrath of the Greek God Dionysus after he became intoxicated with red wine. When Amethyst cried out to Goddess Diana for help, she immediately turned the girl into a white, shimmering stone (quartz). When Dionysus realized what had happened and felt remorse for his actions, his tears dripped into his goblet of red wine. The goblet overturned, and the red wine spilled all over the white rock, saturating it until it became the purple quartz that is now known as Amethyst.

The name amethyst derives from the ancient Greek word amethustos, meaning sober. It was said that an amethyst could prevent the bearer from becoming excessively drunk and also instills a sober and serious mind. It was believed that if a person drank from a cup or goblet made entirely of amethyst, he or she would not get drunk at all. In Greek mythology, amethyst was rock crystal dyed purple by the tears of Dionysus, the god of wine and revelry. Ancient Egyptians used the stone as the representative of the zodiac sign of the goat. The goat was considered the enemy of vines and vineyards, and therefore the antidote of wine.

WIN A DIAMOND HEART PENDANT

Now through Feb. 12th, enter to win this beautiful double heart, diamond and white gold pendant. See this pendant on display in our store window, stop in and enter to win. Drawing will be held on Feb. 12th. Now through Valentine's Day, receive a red heart sampler of South Bend Chocolates with your $150 purchase. In-store party on Feb. 12th with crafts for kids and a liquid chocolate fountain for all to enjoy!