Guys and Jewelry

It's 2012, but let's face it: if you come across a guy who's shopping for jewelry, he's likely shopping for a woman. At Mokada, we understand that whether you're male or female, most people aren't experts when it comes to jewelry. That's why we're here for you!

Here's a few thoughts based on our experiences with men looking for jewelry.

A Knight in Black Onyx

Guys shopping for themselves.

As we continue to grow our business, we meet more and more men coming into the shop looking for jewelry for themselves. Some know exactly what they want, but for many, the concept of wearing jewelry is brand new. We recommend starting with something not too flashy. We've done a fair amount of leather pieces for men recently. The most popular choices have been leather-strapped pendants as well as masculine bracelets. Bracelets aren't just for guitar-rocking twenty-somethings anymore; they're trendy!

The most popular gem for men is certainly the black onyx. The stone is said to promote a healthy egotism and its dark colour conveys a sense of strength. Rings featuring a black onyx create a muscular, elegant statement for the modern day man. Mokada also does team rings for hockey and other sports team to celebrate championship or team anniversaries.

G308 Stainless Steel Bracelet

Guys shopping for someone special.

Not to offend the seasoned purchaser, but most men don't know where to start when it comes to jewelry. In fact, the even the word 'jewelry' can make them shudder in fear of the unknown. We're here to say, welcome.

Whether you seek direction and information about specific products or would like lots of guidance in choosing a lovely piece for someone close, we can help to become your personal shopper. Share some insight about your special someone with Katelyn or Mona and they will be happy to provide intelligent recommendations based on who you're buying for.

What's more is that we keep your purchase on file, so that the next time you're looking for jewelry, we can remind you exactly what you purchased last time, and perhaps suggest a matching piece!

The Perfect Gift for Mom..

Before the life of the women who feed us, bathed us and to whom we owe the people we’ve become today there were aspirations of boardrooms, groupie concerts and jet setting world travelers.

Deep down, your mom still has that alter ego.  She is adventurous, glamorous and deserving of celebration.  Our custom made Tahitian Peacock Pearl collection is the gift that will take her breathe away.  At price points as low as $29.99 for drop earrings, $79.99 for Y Style necklaces, $49.99 for bracelets and $299.99 for 72” strands she can be adorned with a Mother’s Day gift as exotic as she!

Emerald - May's Birthstone

Emeralds are quite the unique gem. The green gem's name derived from the Old French: Esmeraude which originated in Greek: σμάραγδος (smaragdos) which translates to 'green gem'.


Emerald's green colour is caused by small amounts of chromium and iron but unlike other gemstones with the same components, emeralds almost always are included and flawed. These flaws are not looked at negatively as in the emerald they are considered to be a part of their character. Diamonds and most gemstones are usually inspected under a loupe (hand-held magnifier under a power of ten) however, emeralds are inspected by the naked eye. The ability to see inclusions can assure the owner of the purchase of a natural stone. Emeralds score a 7.5 out of 10 on the Moh's Hardness Scale and are not considered to be a strong gem due to it's high inclusions.


There are many myths associated with the emerald. It was once believed to prevent epilepsy, stop bleeding, cure fever and ease anxiety. The Ancient Romans dedicated emeralds to the goddess Venus because the gem was said to symbolize the reproductive forces of nature. 

Beautiful 1950's cluster style diamond ring with  a unique single row of emeralds. Gorgeous.

     

It was believed that emeralds had the ability to foretell the future...

Talent Should Be Seen!

Kyle Wild was contacted by CTV to do an interview involving the new label Adan Ballou that is only carried at Mokada. Earlier that morning he was with the other designers (including my very favourite Lennard Taylor) at Opera Ultra Lounge promoting the Virulent Solstice event being held there on Sunday evening. When we received the call we immediately got excited and started preparing the studio for Kyle's and CTV's arrival. Within the hour they were here and even if it wasn't about us, we were beaming with anticipation for Mokada's first television debut! We were blown away at how cool and collected Kyle spoke about the Winnipeg's growing fashion industry and the unique Adan Ballou leather and brass line. We knew how professional, relaxed and knowledgeable he was but after watching him with the media it really showed us why the social media guru/graphic designer/promoter/fashion enthusiast quit his 9-5 to do what he does best. Their team after all get an Adan Ballou custom hand bag into the hands of Lady Gaga. Enough Said.

Thanks Kyle Wild and CTV! Come down anytime, really.

Diamond - April's Birthstone

The name diamond comes from the ancient Greek αδάμας (adámas), "proper", "unalterable", "unbreakable", "untamed", from ἀ- (a-), "un-" + δαμάω (damáō), "I overpower", "I tame". The ultra unique stone was first recognized in India for at least 3,000 years but it is lead to believe that the stone dates back to 6,000 years.


There's no denying that diamonds are a traditional symbol of romance and love. Historically, the stone had originated with deep religious roots and was commonly first used as a tool for engraving. Diamonds have a rate of 10 on the Moh's hardness scale, making not only it's beauty an obvious choice for "forever" jewelry but it will also stand the test of time. 


Diamonds are mostly clear and transparent resulting in a colourless light reflecting stone. Slight defects and impurities can make colour changes to the gem. It is rare but diamonds can be naturally coloured blue, pink, yellow, brown, orange and red. 


The jungle is dark but full of diamonds
A diamond is rough and hard to the touch
It's dark there, but full of diamonds

Arthur Miller

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.

Aquamarine - March's Birthstone

Designers call it their favourite gemstone. It can be found Brazil, Nigeria, Zambia, Madagascar, Mozambique, Afghanistan and Pakistan. It’s a common birthstone to the Pisces.

Since early times, aquamarine has been believed to endow the wearer with foresight, courage, and happiness. It is said to increase intelligence and make one youthful. As a healing stone, it is said to be effective as a treatment for anxiety and in the Middle Ages it was thought that aquamarine would reduce the effect of poisons.

A legend says that sailors wore aquamarine gemstones to keep them safe and prevent seasickness.

Aquamarine has good hardness (7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale) and a wonderful shine. That hardness makes it very tough and protects it to a large extent from scratches. The lucid gem colour makes it easy to see inclusions making quality an important consideration. Iron is the substance which gives aquamarine its colour, a colour which ranges from an almost indiscernible pale blue to a strong sea-blue. The more intense the colour of an aquamarine, the more value is put on it.

Aquamarine is not only used for jewelry but has been also used in the art world. The “Dom Pedro” is shown below and was cut by Bernd Munsteiner to create the 10,363 carat sculpture named, Waves of the Sea.