the ombré fade.

Ombré (from the French world "ombrer" meaning to shade) is a colouring technique when the shade fades from light to dark. The gradient colours are stunning when used in hair trends, nails and billowy silky fabrics. I've even used the ombré trend with lipstick with a dark purple/red fading into a natural pink in the inner lip. You can say I'm a little obsessed. I adapted the hair trend a number of years ago now because of it's easy up-keep and beach hair look but I'm in love with bright spring coloured ombré jewelry this spring. 

The idea is to have a gradual change between gems with a smooth transition without a distinguished line between shades. I love ombré faded jewelry on big bold gems for statement pieces and and small gradual fades on gems of the same size. We recently had a client who inherited a number of pearl pieces from her grandmother that did not suit her taste. We restrung the pearls of different colours to a subtle ombré fade that incorporated her grandmother's heirlooms with an unexpected twist of today's look. We loved how elegant and trendy the pearls looked! 

 

single vs full cut diamonds

Single cut diamonds began in the 1600's with just a few facets to catch the light. Consumers and jewellers have more recently moved back to single cut diamonds because of the shortage and cost of the diamonds today. Single cut diamonds can still refract light and when set properly, give a brilliance to jewelry in a more cost effective manner.




The difference between single cut diamonds and regular round brilliant diamonds is the number of facets (cuts). The classic round brilliant (full cut) will have 58 facets while single cut diamonds have 16-18 facets; 8 facets on top, 8 facets on the bottom and additional facets on the culet, facet or the crown. Single cut diamonds are small and usually under .10 carats. Some jewellers prefer to use single cuts on small stones because there are fewer cuts making the facets more visible compared to round brilliants having 58 facets within one very small stone.

the mokada process

The perfect ring has many important steps before it finds the perfect person. Yes, there may be times when "the ring" captures your eye with the elation you were hoping for but what happens when you can't find a piece that evokes those emotions? More than half (59%) of proposals in 2011 had custom aspects in the engagement ring. There are many steps in the custom design process but mokada has conception  it to four steps.

The Concept Stage

We explore pictures, drawings, descriptions, likes/dislikes with you to narrow down to a general design concept. 

The Design Stage

Working with you, we come up with a design for what you have envisioned. With a 3D image of your jewelry, you'll be confident that you are getting exactly what you want. Once the final design has been approved we create a wax model of that is optional for viewing before the piece is sent to cast.

We Work For You

mokada believes that your jewelry should be a perfect fit; including the budget. Pricing for any piece has many different variables; choice of metal, size and quality of set stones, intricacy of design, and weight. mokada can cast your heirloom in 18k gold, 14k gold, 10k gold, platinum, and sterling silver. Quality of stones, especially diamonds, play a large part of preference and budget. Once the Design Stage is complete mokada works for you in determining which variables are the perfect fit.





Today's Heirloom

It feels different when you wear a piece of custom-designed jewelry. Many thoughts and emotions come to play when going through the design process of creating tomorrow's family heirloom. It will fill you with pride to know that you had a hand in creating a beautiful family heirloom. Nothing brings us more excitement when seeing your concept come to realization.

To start your custom design process today contacts us at www.mokada.ca 

Will you be my Valentine?

When did it all start?

There are a few theories on the origin of Valentine's Day, but the most popular dates back to the time of the Roman Empire during the reign of Claudius II, 270 A.D. Claudius didn't want men to marry during wartime because he believed single men made better soldiers. Bishop Valentine went against his wishes and performed secret wedding ceremonies. For this, Valentine was jailed and then executed by order of the Emperor on Feb. 14. While in jail, he wrote a love note to the jailor's daughter, signing it, "From your Valentine." 

History & Fun Facts

• The ancient Romans celebrated the Feast of Lupercalia on Feb. 14 in honor of Juno, the queen of the Roman gods and goddesses. Juno was also the goddess of women and marriage.
• Many believe the X symbol became synonymous with the kiss in medieval times. People who couldn't write their names signed in front of a witness with an X. The X was then kissed to show their sincerity.
• Girls of medieval times ate bizarre foods on St. Valentine's Day to make them dream of their future spouse.
• In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who would be their Valentine. They would wear this name pinned onto their sleeves for one week for everyone to see. This was the origin of the expression "to wear your heart on your sleeve."
• In 1537, England's King Henry VII officially declared Feb. 14 the holiday of St. Valentine's Day.
• Alexander Graham Bell applied for his patent on the telephone, an "Improvement in Telegraphy", on Valentine's Day, 1876.
• Richard Cadbury produced the first box of chocolates for Valentine's Day in the late 1800s.
• More than 35 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate will be sold for Valentine's Day.
• Over $1 billion worth of chocolate is purchased for Valentine's Day in the U.S.
• 73 percent of people who buy flowers for Valentine's Day are men, while only 27 percent are women.
• 15 percent of U.S. women send themselves flowers on Valentine's Day.
• On average, men shell out $130 each on candy, cards, jewelry, flowers and dates. That’s more than double what women commit to spending.
• The most fantastic gift of love is the Taj Mahal in India. It was built by Mughal Emperor Shahjahan as a memorial to his wife.
• In the 1800s doctors commonly advised their heartbroken patients to eat chocolate, claiming it would sooth their pain. To this day, many women find comfort in a box of chocolates when dealing with heartbreak.
•  220,000 is the average number of wedding proposals on Valentine's Day each year.
• More at-home pregnancy tests are taken in the month of March then any other month of the year.

Gifts for Generations

A very close friend of ours (Mona's best actually) had struggled with cancer for a number of years and although the outcome was bleak we had still called Grace a survivor. Over the past few visits Mona had  been dealing with the estate as well as specific items she would have liked passed down. Clothes, furniture, decor, even adorned trophies and monies were not the first to be discussed as to who would receive them once passed; jewelry on the other had was one of the first. After every visit, Mona would return with handfuls of pieces that were to be refurbished, redesigned or resized and given to loved ones upon her departure from us. On each piece that we work on I get to learn more about Grace - the story behind each piece Mona is now wearing or learning about her little nieces that are so lucky to be receiving gold bangles and rings with an engraved message from Auntie Grace. Clothes will wear, dinnerware will eventually be put away, money will disappear but jewelry really does last forever.

In the happier circle of life my very best friend has recently been married. As a wedding gift I had designed a gold ring surrounded by her wedding date cut out in roman numerals. I liked the design and as a jewelry designer I had greater access to give her something special; but I didn't realize how special this gift could potentially be. I had overheard the wedding photographer ask Breanne if she was wearing any pieces of significance (something borrowed, something blue or a family heirloom) that she would like to be photographed and she immediately took off the ring that I had given her that morning and passed it to the photographer. I was so touched; but it made me think of Grace.

Over the months events I realized out of all items of inheritance, jewelry is one of the only items that can be passed on from generation to generation in much of the same condition as it was originally purchased. Jewelry signifies life's celebrations and turns of events. It represents a story and a moment and that's something to be cherished forever.

Mokada Survivor Ring | CancerCare Manitoba

Mokada is very excited to announce their partnership with CancerCare Manitoba and has designed this powerful yet delicate "Survivor Ring". The five stones represent your first five years of remission. The pink stones representing breast cancer are to be replaced each year your are celebrating being a survivor. A portion of the ring sales will be donated to CancerCare Manitoba Foundation. Mokada recognizes the desire to design a unique creation for your loved one while tailoring to the needs of your budget while satisfying the highest quality. Here is our very own Mona and Katelyn speaking about the design and importance of the cause in this Shaw TV interview.

Please visit Mokada Jewelry's Facebook page and share this great cause with your friends and family! 

A Cut Above The Rest.

The shape of a diamond is something that should reflect your individual style. It should be something you fall in love with every time you look down at your hand.

Here is a chart of the variety of different diamond-cuts! We've picked three great cuts to talk about today! Enjoy!

Emerald-Cut

Emerald-cut diamonds are unique in their long and slender shape. For a classic, elegant look this cut, which has a large surface face  and fewer detailed but deeper, more dramatic cuts that therefore highlight it's clarity. 

Oval-Cut

One of the rarest cut diamonds is the Oval! Round cut diamond will always remain classic but the oval is something exciting and unique in the ring world. It's gives a modern and funky twist to your typical ring. 

Princess-Cut

The Princess-cut style diamond ring is one of the most common diamond cuts. If you’re looking for something contemporary and timeless, consider the Princess-cut. It has qualities from both the square and round cut diamonds, but combined with a subtle shape from the emerald with pointed edges and a range of detailed dimensions that give the diamond that extra sparkle.

Come see us at Mokada and let's talk more about what cut would best suit you!

Join The Mokada Trend - Think Custom

Why wear something someone else has when our custom designed jewelry is tailored to your individual style, tastes and emotion? Symbolize who you are and what you love in one perfectly handcrafted peiece. We at Mokada take pride in the high-grade quality materials we use to make your dream peiece a reality.

Watch this video and see a little more about what we do! 

Unwavering professional integrity and unrivaled education is the backbone of our organization and the core of an extraordinary customer experience. 

Our creations are nurtured in an environment where customer satisfaction is paramount. Our suppliers and design team share the same values and integrity. Placing your business with us demonstrates that you believe it is important...and for that, Mokadä is extremely grateful.

Come in for a visit, sit down with us and lets talk jewelry!

We at Mokadä are happy to be apart of your milestone occasions.

Push Presents - Practically Necessary

'Push Presents' are an increasingly hot trend for moms-to-be.


According to Linda Murray, the executive editor of babycenter.com, "It’s more and more an expectation of moms these days that they deserve something for bearing the burden for nine months, getting sick, ruining their body. The guilt really gets piled on." Now, not that many women think of child bearing as "bearing the burden" and "ruining their body" and often women will say that the gift of their child is a present enough. But wouldn't it be nice to receive a gift as a kind gesture and small token of thanks from your partner? When studied, 38% of women received a push present, 55% of women wanted one and 40% of women think it's materialistic only when demanded. In a recent article regarding the subject Jenny Atkinson says, "I certainly don’t “expect” a gift, but I think it would be a wonderful gesture for a husband to do to show a woman how much they appreciate what they’re putting their bodies through to help build their family."


In recent pop culture news it is rumoured that Jessica Simpson's former NFL'er dad-to-be, Eric Johnson has purchased a push present of $30,000 worth of jewels from a store in Italy, where they first fell in love. This by no means sets the bar for your partner to break the bank. Go for a gift that is personalized and stamped with meaning. A small family ring to look down and recall your thoughtfulness when she's away from you and the little one; or a pendant with your new baby's fingerprint for her to remember just how small that finger once was.

                                                       Photo credits by Elle Magazine.