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Whiteflash Custom Designed Engagement Ring

Most women’s proposal fantasy involves a romantic moment, a man on his knee and a beautiful engagement ring. wedding planning or put a damper on your special day!

But Maryland state delegate Jon Cardin decided to go a couple steps further and create a mock-police raid on a boat as part of an elaborate proposal stunt – and now he is paying the price.

On August 7, Cardin had apparently arranged for police to board a boat that he and some friends were on and search for contraband.

They eventually turned up the engagement ring, after which Cardin asked his girlfriend, Megan Homer, to marry him.

She said yes, but then controversy arose more than a week later when a police inquiry was started into the incident, raising concerns about using public money for a private proposal.

Cardin has reportedly reimbursed the city $300 to pay for police time, boat fuel and the use of a helicopter. Yes, that’s right – he even arranged for a helicopter to hover above their boat during the fake raid.

And, as it seems that despite the payment the controversy hasn’t died down. So, maybe this should be a lesson to anyone who is feeling ambitious about staging an offbeat proposal – make sure the fallout won’t interfere with your

Three Texas boaters missing for more than a week were reunited with their families early Sunday after they were found alive, sitting on top of their capsized catamaran 180 miles from land, the Coast Guard said.

Tressel Hawkins, one of three men stranded on a capsized catamaran in the Gulf of Mexico for more than a week, said the boat overturned so quickly they didn’t have time to make an emergency call on the radio.

The find comes one day after the Coast Guard ended their search for 28-year-old Curtis Hall of Palacios, 43-year-old Tressel Hawkins of Markham and 30-year-old boat owner James Phillips of Blessing.

Their ordeal began when Watchstanders at Sector Houston-Galveston received a call from the Matagorda Police Department reporting the men overdue from a fishing trip. Coast Guard aircraft, cutter and small boat crews had searched approximately 86,000 square miles, but could not find the boaters.

Saturday night, a pleasure boat found the men floating out at sea. The three men were reportedly found sitting on top of their capsized 23-foot-Sea Chaser Catamaran.

The boaters were found sitting on top of the capsized 23-foot-Sea Chaser Catamaran owned by James Phillips of Blessing.

Crewmembers from the Affordable Fantasy vessel rescued the missing men.  A small boat crew from Coast Guard Station Port Aransas met the Good Samaritan vessel approximately 50 miles offshore, where the men were transferred on board a Coast Guard 45-foot small boat.  The men were then transported to Station Port Aransas where they were reunited with family.

The men said they survived the ordeal at sea by sharing two gallons of water and peanut butter crackers.  They sheltered themselves from the heat with nearby floating debris.

The rescuers treated the men to a hearty welcome-home meal.  They dined on rib-eye steaks, baked potatoes and salad once they came ashore. These men are truly the diamonds of Texas. Their shining heroism is brilliant and we are grateful they are not safe.

What a jerk! An eBay bidder from Japan who agreed to pay $4.6 million for the mausoleum crypt above Hollywood sex symbol Marilyn Monroe has backed out of the deal.

The Los Angeles Times reported the winning bidder e-mailed seller Elsie Poncher Monday, shortly after receiving an invoice, and called off the sale.

“I am awfully sorry, but I need to cancel this because of the paying problem,” the message said.

The 11 other bidders who offered to pay at least $4.5 million for the tomb at California’s Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park were told they had 24 hours to make an offer, the Times said.

The crypt currently is occupied by Poncher’s husband Richard, who died 23 years ago at 81. He reportedly bought the crypt and one beside it from baseball great Joe DiMaggio, Monroe’s ex-husband, in 1954.

The Times said Elsie Poncher plans to pay off the more than $1 million mortgage on her Beverly Hills home with the money she earns from the eBay sale, then move her husband’s remains to the other crypt, which had been intended for her. She is expected to be cremated after she dies. Who would have ever thought a tomb would cost more than a 7 carat flawless diamond ring?

The bidding for the tomb reportedly started at $500,000 Aug. 14.

Montana’s Yugo sapphires are a little known American treasure. The cornflower blue stones are only found in remote portions of Montana and are prized for their deep color. Jewelry pieces made using these stones will be auctioned off to benefit Montana’s Special Olympics program in an upcoming event. The pieces include a bolo tie worn by Montana’s Governor Brian Schweitzer as well as a variety of sapphire and diamond rings, diamond earrings and diamond pendants. An online auction has already begun and the highest online bid will be the opening bid on items at a live auction as part of the Montana Sports Legends Dinner and Auction on October 3.

The auction item shown above includes a trillion cut Yogo sapphire that is over one carat along with matching earrings featuring sapphires and diamonds set in yellow and white gold. The lot has a total value of $24,000. Online bidding ends September 30.

While wedding planning, couples who are hard-core baseball fans may consider incorporating their favorite team into their nuptials – maybe with a cake topper, colors or favors or even diamond engagement ring or wedding bands designs.

Some brides and grooms take their passion even further and tie the knot on a baseball field. This Labor Day weekend, Jennifer Moran and Michael Blair will wed at Wrigley Field, the home of the Chicago Cubs, the News-Gazette reports.

Moran told the newspaper the idea arose because the pair had gotten engaged, but were struggling to get excited about wedding planning.

“I’m not really a girly girl, more of a tomboy,” she explained, adding that choosing a wedding dress and wedding flowers was “the last thing on my mind.”

So, baseball stadium nuptials seemed just the right theme to get both of them excited. According to the article, the pair will walk down the aisle to the theme song from the film The Natural, and guests will dine on hot dogs, corn and ice cream sundaes.

In the past, some couples who tied the knot at Wrigley Stadium have also featured their names in lights on the giant marquee outside.

Whiteflash Diamond Solitaire

Engagement Rings at Whiteflash.com

The term “bling” is everywhere these days, but it’s nothing more than a new way to refer to the sparkle that comes from high-quality, well-cut diamonds. It may seem like an easy task to determine whether a stone has been cut well because it will sparkle, right? Well, yes and no. “Bling” can be manufactured, turning a not-so-great diamond into something designed to fool you into thinking it’s a winner.

When purchasing stones—either loose diamonds or ones already set into mountings—you have to be wary of low-quality stones that retailers are trying to pass off as high-quality choices. But don’t worry. Whiteflash.com is dedicated giving you a true diamond education through this and many other articles in our extensive online library. So come on, it’s time to get schooled in bling!

A diamond is just a hunk of potential until it’s been cut, and the cut can make the difference between a “so-so” diamond and one that is truly exquisite. At Whiteflash.com, our seasoned professionals know exactly how to cut a diamond to ensure maximum sparkle. Some retailers will give you a song and dance—complete with props—in an attempt to sell you a lower quality diamond. Don’t be fooled by tricks such as bringing out official-sounding “luminosity detectors” or a jeweler who cuts more facets into a stone in an effort to convince you that it reflects more light.

It’s especially important to know the cut and quality of a diamond when you’re choosing a piece of jewelry intended to spotlight a sole stone–such as a diamond solitaire ring or a diamond pendant. It’s similarly vital to choose a high-quality diamond for an engagement ring. It will be worn every day, and no matter how good the owner’s intentions are in the beginning, most women will admit that they don’t have theirs cleaned by a professional very often. But a high-quality diamond will sparkle and give off lots of light even with a layer of soap scum on it.

Among the finest choices is a “hearts & arrows” cut. The name comes from the shapes reflected from the diamond at different angles. When viewed upside down, eight symmetrical heats appear. When you turn the diamond over, you’ll see eight radiating arrows at the crown. These designs come from cutting a stone so exactly that facet reflections overlap, creating kaleidoscope patterns.
Any diamond looks pretty good in lots of sunlight. It’s in low-light situations—a candlelight dinner, in a darkened theatre—where hearts & arrows really shines. Rainbow flashes and unmistakable fire is what you’ll see, and you’ll be glad you didn’t settle for anything less.

The pros at Whiteflash.com weren’t content to simply rest on the laurels of other jewelers, however. Whiteflash ACA really is a step beyond anything you may have seen before. We’re so sure you’ll agree that it’s simply extraordinary that we include a toolkit complete with a compact magnifying viewer with every Whiteflash ACA purchase.

When it comes to selecting a top-quality diamond—whether it’s a diamond wedding ring or a diamond tennis bracelet—make sure you’re dealing with an experienced, scrupulous retailer that only sells truly outstanding diamonds. Remember that science—not deceptive marketing—is the key to great bling.


The small seaside town of Laguna Beach, California has been the setting for a reality television show and boasts plenty of multi-million dollar homes. What it doesn’t have is a lot of crime which makes the news of a big jewelry robbery in the small town quite surprising. The OC Register reports that three armed men robbed a local jewelry store and got away with more than a half-million dollars worth of diamond jewelry. The three men showed up at the Joshi and Baca jewelry at closing time on Tuesday and held up an employee at gunpoint. Locals who passed by the store reported the crime and the police showed up and caught up with the robbers on a local road. The robbers ditched their car in a shopping plaza and ran away. Some of the jewels were recovered from the car. The police are following several leads.

Does it seem like there have been more robberies this year? The statistics from Jeweler’s Security Alliance show that this year they have seen a total of $45.9 million stolen with 682 cases. Compare this to last year’s total of $48.4 million with 713 cases and it looks like this year is trending to beat last year’s numbers.

John Kennedy of Jeweler’s Security Alliance says that while robberies are up, the total dollar losses from jewelry crime is steady to down. He says there may be a few more of what he calls the “most crude jewelry crimes, such as a grab and run or a window smashing” but that the big dollar and violent crimes are not subject to the ups and downs of the economy. According to Kennedy none of the studies indicate that the economy has a significant influence and that crime can rise in prosperous years. Because jewelry stores have stronger security measures than many other businesses they are always not targets of the suddenly desperate. One less thing to blame on the economy.

Photography by Happily Ever After

Weddings are beautiful and unforgettable celebrations but all the resources that go into orchestrating one can make quite an environmental impact. Fortunately, with your big day approaching there are countless opportunities to make eco-conscious decisions that will not only make your day ‘green’ but even more special. Here are some tips you can use to create a beautiful, environmentally conscious ceremony and reception.

Planning:

  1. Use local vendors, including an organic caterer who uses all local ingredients. This will reduce carbon emissions and support your local economy. Green wedding planners are also growing in popularity throughout the country.
  2. Recycle everything! This includes everything from mailing out wedding invitations printed on recycled paper with soy inks.

Jewelry

1. With jewelry you can indulge responsibly by wearing jewelry containing conflict free diamonds and      gemstones

Ceremony:

  1. Peruse your local farmers markets or organic florist shops for potted plants to add some natural color to your ceremony. When the wedding is over, give these plants away as wedding favors or you can even donate them to a local hospital or retirement home, along with any bouquets you don’t want to save.
  2. Put a new spin on traditional wedding favors by letting each guest choose an environmental charity you will donate to in their name.
  3. Share your love in the splendor of a natural setting that highlights just how beautiful our planet is. Imagine having your ceremony during a beautiful day at the park or a spectacular sunset at the beach.

Reception:

  1. Rent or buy instead of using disposable dishware and linens. If your organic caterer does not provide this service, this is another small step that you can take to make a huge impact.
  2. Encourage guests to carpool and have your ceremony and reception at one location to cut down on car emissions.

Honeymoon:

  1. Register for a green honeymoon with an ecotourism site like Elevate Destinations. Feeling guilty about all of those carbon emissions you will use by flying to your honeymoon? Your guests can offset them by planting a tree in your honor. Just visit Carbon Footprint.

Not only will you feel great about throwing a huge party with a smaller environmental impact, but hopefully your guests will take the lessons learned from your wedding and implement them elsewhere. Let’s do our part for eco-conscious living!

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About Whiteflash.com

Whiteflash.com, Inc is a specialized on-line jewelry store with a history of offering world's highest standards for craftsmanship and performance of loose diamonds with ideal diamond cut, used in wedding bands and diamond rings.

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