Not So Wordless Wednesday: Champagne and Diamonds Event in NYC - Royal Asscher Diamonds, Where Luxury Meets HEART!

Last week I was invited to a Champagne and Diamonds Event, and I have to admit, being born in the month of April (which makes Diamonds my birthright ahem I mean birthstone) I was quite a bit intrigued about what the night would bring! As a girl who of course loves Diamonds, I already knew that the Asscher Cut Diamonds are considered to be among the Worlds Finest. And now the 21st Century brings The Royal Asscher Cut, a signature diamond cut for Royal Asscher.

It is very rare for a brand to open their doors and allow you in for a full behind the scenes no holds barred sneak peek. And bloggers, editors and socialites alike enjoyed an evening in New York City's infamous Diamond District sipping Champagne and learning all about the history of the Asscher Diamond Company run by Fifth and Sixth Generation Asschers upholding a 160 year old tradition of Diamond excellence and innovation. Over 90% of Royal Asscher Diamonds are above VS2 clarity!

An Amazing History:

Both the Excelsior and Cullinan Diamond's were cleaved by the Asscher Family, specifically by Abraham Asscher (Excelsior - 997 carats) and Joseph Asscher (Cullinan - 3,105 carats) respectively. The two largest stones cut from the Cullinan Diamond, called Cullinan 1 and Cullinan 2 can be found in Great Britain's Crown Jewels.

Edward Asscher stands in front of a photo of his Grandfather, Joseph Asscher as he cleaves the Cullinan Diamond

Getting the chance to learn of the company's history and charitable works directly from Edward Asscher was certainly un-forgettable, and team Asscher couldn't have been more personable or more welcoming.

Replica of the Imperial State Crown which contains the Cullinan 1 and 2 Diamonds

The replica for Kate Middleton's Diamond Tiara was also on display and while this isn’t Kate’s official tiara, nor is it the tiara she wore on her wedding day, the tiara was inspired by Kate and is an absolute stunner! (See Photo Below):

Kate Middleton Tiara designed by Royal Asscher’s Reena Ahluwalia

Where Luxury Meets Heart

The Asscher Family has made a commitment to Social Good that extends way beyond just avoiding 'blood diamonds', they don't source from Sierra Leone so all of their Diamonds are considered 'conflict free' but despite the fact they don't use Diamonds from Sierra Leone, they still give back to Africa. They have three main iniatives that I wanted to share with Ascending Butterfly readers because I love when brands find ways to give back!

Stars of Africa:

The Stars of Africa Collection (named after the largest Diamond ever found, The Star of Africa (aka Cullinan Diamond), is a fundraising initiative launched in 2009,  to improve the infrastructure in Africa by creating funding for healthcare, education and self-sufficiency programs with a portion of the proceeds from each piece in the Stars of Africa Collection. The collection is incredibly fashion forward (it includes rings, pendants, cufflinks, colliers and earrings) and have been fondly nicknamed by many 'The Diamond Snow Globes' as the Diamonds are suspended in a silicone fluid that allows them to appear to float.

Stars of Africa Diamond Rings

“The floating diamond part came from my love affair with snow globes. It’s always so mesmerizing, I can't stop staring at them, and I have noticed many agree with me. It is such a beautiful concept; it keeps you looking at it all day.” – Lita Asscher

I have to admit to being a bit obsessed with this collection, as it combines two joys of mine, Diamonds (which are certainly this April Baby's best friend) and GIVING. I got to meet Lita Asccher, Royal Asscher's President, during the Champagne and Diamond's event and her passion for helping the people of Sierra Leone is very much infectious!

The Diamond Empowerment Fund - A non-profit international organization

Mission

Founded in 2007, The Diamond Empowerment Fund™ (D.E.F.) is a non-profit international organization with the mission to raise money to support education initiatives that develop and empower economically disadvantaged people in African nations where diamonds are a natural resource.

Seven Bar

Royal Asscher Special Collection in support of Seven Bar Foundation. A Foundation which empowers women via microfinance by helping them out of poverty and into business. Available on CoutureLab. Every sale results in a 25% retail profit to benefit the Foundation and women around the world.

Edward Asscher hinted that another philanthropic effort is in the works and once I have more details I'll be sure to share it with you my butterflies!

More behind the scenes photos:

Left: Lita Asscher Right: Edward Asscher, Father and Daughter face behind the Royal Asscher Brand

Had my camera had burst mode, I would have caught a very sweet kiss on the cheek that Edward gave Lita!

Left: Lita Asscher, Center: Ascending Butterfly, Right: Edward Asscher

Left: Ascending Butterfly, Center: Edward Asscher, Right: Mama Butterfly

I love that Royal Asscher is where Luxury meets Heart. The Asscher Family is incredibly down-to-earth, Socially Conscious, Innovative and Fun. I have to say living in the City that Never Sleeps has its perks, but this evening of Champagne and Diamonds, wasn't just another night in New York City, it was an honor and a pleasure! You can stay updated with Royal Asscher on both Facebook and Twitter or sign up for their newsletter.

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FTC Disclosure: Gift Bags were provided to event attendees. All opinions are 100% my own. No additional compensation has been received.

Win Diamond Earrings for Mom or for yourself this Mother's Day! - ARV $1,750

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This giveaway is now CLOSED. The winner is Mocha Butterfly! Congratulations! Remember: There are great giveaways active on the upper right hand side of the page! This was gift number 7 in our Mother's Day Buying Guide!

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Ascending Butterfly's Mothers Day Buying Guide Editorial Pick Sponsored by:

I had no idea that Kohls has such high-quality, stylish jewelry at such great prices! I can actually afford it! I’m definitely keeping Kohl’s in mind for my next jewelry purchase. It’s a great place to shop for gifts too! Especially Mother's Day Gifts!

Our mother's day buying guide at Ascending Butterfly will encompass the entire month of May! So while some giveaways will close after Mother's Day itself, the month will still be dedicated to saying Thank You to our moms. For all the daily ways they show us they love us that may times go unheralded. I think you should show your mom you love her everyday, but mother's day should be extra special! And with today's edition to our buying guide it certainly will be!

Do you pigeon hole your retail locations? Looking to one for housewares, others for clothing, others for beauty care? I know I do sometimes, but not anymore!

It’s amazing what you can find at Kohls jewelry department – certified diamond earrings and rings, gemstones, pearls and name brand watches like Citizen and Bulova. All at incredible prices. And with Kohl’s discounts and savings passes, you can’t find a better value on jewelry anywhere. Kohl’s jewelry department is the place to shop for quality mother’s day gifts she’ll love, or jewelry gifts for any occasion.

I am no longer going to pigeon hole my favorite department stores. I am going to become a much better 'treasure hunter' from now on!

They don't call 7 a lucky number for no reason! We are very happy to launch lucky number seven in our Mother's Day Buying Guide with something that will make mom's eyes light up with delight! As you all know I was born in April making Diamond my birthstone, lucky me! So I wanted to be sure my favorite gemstone was represented in our Mother's Day Buying Guide this year! And thankfully so did our friends at Kohl's!

I personally feel you can never go wrong with Diamonds, and neither does Kohls, and with savings passes and low everyday prices, there is a gorgeous gem just waiting to be discovered for everyone with every budget.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - WIN IT! - Ascending Butterfly and our friends at Kohls would like to provide one lucky winner with the opportunity to win International Gemological Institute Certified 14K Gold 1/2ct Diamond Stud Earrings ! (ARV $1,750.00)

About the Earrings: (Please note, due to the high value of this item, a signature will be required upon delivery.)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 1/2-carat total weight
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Minimum color H-I
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Minimum clarity I1-I2
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Pierced
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 14k gold

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Diamond weights are approximate. Diamond Total Weights may vary between .01 and .08 ct. Some diamonds consist of fewer than 17 facets.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - These earrings are the perfect gift for yourself or someone special – what woman wouldn’t love a gorgeous pair of diamond earrings to make her sparkle? They are certified, high quality and can be found at Kohls, for an amazing price! (They are sure to make mom well up with tears, tears of joy that is!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - The earrings have a four-prong setting with 14k gold screwback posts. The certification includes an International Gemological Institute Certificate of Authenticity that verifies clarity, color and carat weight. And they come in a cute white leatherette gift box. If you can't wait to find out if you won and want to nab a pair NOW, (and who can blame you!) you can do so HERE!

Don't you just ♥ Kohls? I know I do!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - How to Win: (1) You must be a PUBLIC follower of Ascending Butterfly to be eligible for this and all giveaways. Indicate in your entry that you follow (if your 'comment name/user id' differs from your profile id, please let me know what name you follow under) and (2) Visit Kohls - and post the URL of another product you like aside from the giveaway item of course, as your comment entry! Please post the LINK, not the name! (3) You must also leave your email address somewhere in your comment. (You can format it this way for security, example: ascendingbutterfly AT mail host DOT com, If it is visible in your profile, just say so, that's OK!). Please follow the easy 1, 2, 3 steps to winning! This giveaway is open to USA residents who are 18 years of age or older.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Please follow directions or you will be disqualified! All comments are moderated, they may not appear on the site right away (comments like "I want this" or "I want to win" will not be entered). You have from Wednesday, May 05, 2010 until Saturday, May 08, 2010 at 03:00 PM (EST) to comment and be entered for a chance to win. You will have 48 hours to confirm if we do not hear from you we will be forced to move on to an alternate. (We only notify winners DIRECTLY via email, so if your profile or your comment does not have an email address your entry will not be processed.)

EXTRA CREDIT:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Blog about this giveaway, linking to this giveaway post. Leave the URL in a comment

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Grab our Button and put it on your Blog. Leave the URL where we can see it in a comment (if you already have our button, just let us know, you will still get extra credit! If we cannot see the button we will not process this extra credit.)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow me @Tracy_Iglesias on Twitter (this is ascendingbutterfly’s editor) and give me your Twitter ID in a comment

*No More Tweets or facebok mentions for this giveaway, my apologies for any inconvenience

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Digg about this giveaway and leave your digg username in your comment

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Fave this blog on Technorati and leave your Technorati user name in your comment

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Vote for Ascending Butterfly on: Fuel My Blog

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow Ascending Butterfly on Facebook HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow Ascending Butterfly on Networked Blogs HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Join Ascending Butterfly's Community Group (with real time chat) HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Subscribe to receive Ascending Butterfly emails using our Feedburner widget on the upper right hand side of the page below the follower thumbnail pictures! (If you are already a subscriber you will still receive extra credit!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Please Vote, Ascending Butterfly is a nominee for the Bloggers Choice ’10 Awards in the ‘Best Blog About Stuff’ Category - http://bloggerschoiceawards.com/ Where it reads total votes, there is a yellow box that reads 'Vote' Press there to vote, you must be logged in to see the number increase/vote registered. You can also vote directly using the button located on our home page and below:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Please vote for my outfit 'springtime nyc' @ Macy's Fashion director Giveaway. You can vote for me and also enter to win a $500 Macys Gift Certificate too by creating a styleboard of your own HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Please vote for my mom in ICE.com's 'Beautiful Moms' Contest on Facebook HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Enter another active giveaway on Ascending Butterfly and earn extra credit, leave a comment letting me know which giveaway you entered.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Make a purchase from Kohls anytime between 5/5 - 5/7 and receive 10 extra entries. (you will need to email us a copy of your invoice as proof. Yes, you can cross off method of payment information!)

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NOTE: Readers have asked us to make entering the contests and giveaways, faster and easier. Your wish is our command! We have moved our 'Today's Butterfly - Featured Site(s) of the day, which is where we host our giveaways, to the upper right hand side of the page. It will be located here from now on to make entering the giveaways faster and easier. Keep the suggestions coming, remember we also have a community group page with real time chat, you can give us your comments and suggestions in REAL time, how cool is that?

NOTE 2: Twitter followers: please remember you must also follow Ascending Butterfly using Google friends connect on the upper right hand side of the page for your entries to be processed. And remember if your profile does not have an email and you don't leave your email in your entry, we will not accept your entry. Make sure your entry or your profile have your email address!

Just a helpful Reminder: How to Follow Using Google Friends Connect:

Please look to the upper right hand side, where the follower pictures are. (Note the number of followers before you start this process)

1) press the follow button - the google pop up wizard will open, this is not an ad and your pop up blocker will not block it

2) tick the option that reads 'follow this blog publicly' once that button is selected, hit follow again - it should now read 'you are now following'

3) if the follower count went up you know you did it succesfully, if your profile has a picture, that picture will be the first one on the left side. If your profile doesn't have one, it should still be searchable on the members list. (Remember, following a blog, does NOT subscribe you to receive emails, you have to subscribe separately to do that, you will not receive emails for following)

Are you getting the dreaded 'Your Entry Can't Be Processed' message when leaving an entry or comment? Before hitting enter, highlight your comment and COPY it. If you get that message after hitting enter and your comment is still there, just ignore the message and hit enter again, then you will get a screen with a captcha code, enter the captcha code, then submit and VOILA. If after you hit the submit button the first time, you get the dreaded message and the comment 'disappeared' no worries, that's why I asked you to copy it in the first step. Paste it back in and submit again. This has worked for me when comment boxes have glitched on me, and I hope it helps you too!

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FTC Disclosure Info for this Giveaway: This is not a paid insertion. This is a non-compensated post and all opinions regarding the products are expressly my own experiences. I was provided product to giveaway only not review and the sponsor is fulfilling directly to prize winner, this in no way influenced my opinion of Kohls. Once a winner is selected and their information has been forwarded to the sponsor, the responsibility of prize fulfillment rests with the sponsor.