The human brain is awesome in the way it gives what is asked in earnest. Born as a tiny boutique in 1991, Gallery of Diamonds has grown steadily over the last twenty-three years. I remember the first sale of a gorgeous $200 bracelet. I also remember hiding my excitement because I didn’t want the lady to know she was our first customer.

Newspaper ads brought more customers. Any profit paid the electricity and rent. In 1993 we established the Why Mom Deserves a Diamond contest in honor of all moms. More and more patrons came to see the commotion of the quaint, hard-to-find jewelry store. In 2007, we moved to a larger location down the street. By that time, thousands of families would come every year and the popularity of the store demanded an even larger location. TV stations and reporters constantly interviewed us, bewildered how a jewelry company could attract over 4,000 families every year.

On several occasions I would stand in the center of the gallery showrooms. I would pretend to expand it outwards with my outstretched arms, as if it would magically grow from the command of my summon. It is like a dream now, but twenty-three years later Gallery of Diamonds has found a new and larger home in Brookhollow Business Park in Santa Ana. Carmen and I learned, contrary to popular belief, that it is not a store’s location that yields success, but rather the combination of quality jewelry, great prices, and the spirit of the people inside. We are still the innovative jewelry store of 1991, highlighted with my favorite purple colors. The difference is we are now three times larger!

If we continue to grow, I can not guarantee this will be our final destination. One day you may catch me in the middle of the store with outstretched arms.

Think big.
Think positive.
Think purple.
It makes life so much richer.