Iconic Movie Memories

By Cynthia Sliwa

Posted on June 25, 2012

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Last week, I was privileged to enjoy a special thrill—recalling some of the iconic moments of early American cinema, and seeing, up close, jewelry that made those moments so memorable. Movie buffs won't be surprised that the jewelry of which I speak is from Joseff of Hollywood, "Jeweller to the Stars."

Joseff's daughter-in-law, Tina, and her daughter, Michele, shared with the local jewelry hobbyists' group Jewelry Collectors of Los Angeles, the history of the company that at one time supplied 90 percent of all the jewelry worn in American film, as well as the jewelry worn in television productions including such jewelry-laden favorites as Dynasty and Dallas. Joseff of Hollywood maintains a warehouse full of gems from the past, and continues to produce a limited number of new designs each year for purchase. I hope we'll be seeing Joseff of Hollywood designs again on Sue Ellen in the updated sequel Dallas that launched this month.

Although most of the jewelry borrowed by the studios from Joseff of Hollywood was gold-plated (with a special process that wouldn't produce glare under movie lights) or paste, it sparkled mightily and adorned the necks of such luminaries as Bette Davis, Greta Garbo, Katherine Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, and on and on…with a ubiquity that a jeweler who supplies today's celebrities with red carpet jewels can only dream about.

My favorite story of the evening related to Lana Turner and her role in the 1948 film The Three Musketeers. The censors were concerned that Ms. Turner's costumes showed too much cleavage, and thus the huge "cleavage brooch" with an attached stem that could be sewn right into a costume, was born.

Especially exciting for me: I held in my hand the "gold" cigar box that Rhett Butler donated to the Confederate cause, and posed with the "amethyst and diamond" necklace that Scarlett O'Hara wore in Paris after her marriage to Rhett in Gone With the Wind.

How many trends have been launched by the thoughtful design and provision of jewels as a key component of box office glamour. Hooray for Joseff of Hollywood!

Todd Drake Diamonds L.L.C. , Dallas, Texas Manufacturing and Importing World Wide

Diamonds by Drake is privately owned company specializing in brands like www.tacori.com, www.JewelsbyStar.com. AtcarvedBridal.com http//:artcarvedbridal.com, www.rinalimor.com, www.Debeers.com http//:www.debeers.com

My Name is Todd Drake I am a Graduate of Texas A&M University~College Station. I received a Bachelors in Accounting in 1992 3.72 GPA. I moved back to Dallas while family sold there home in

Arlington, Texas and moved to Frsico, Texas where my mother opened www.DiamondsbyDrake.com in a private venture afters managing stores and Jewelry Store Chains in the 1980's through 1996. She opened in North Dallas at Frankford & Tollway where www.DiamondsbyDrake.com was born. She focused on a small neighborhood shop that was only 1300Sq Ft in Size which marketed GIA & EGL Certified Diamonds and Bridal Jewelry while focusing on repairs, appraisals, and community service to build are Brand. I continued to go to Graduate School at the University Of North Texas studying for my M.B.A. in Finance while helping her run the daily activities. My mother fell Ill in 1998 so I took control of the stores operations, purchasing, business development, and all Marketing Efforts. The business grew leaps and bounds due to my relationships with the community and my charity efforts through the Aggie Network. The internet boom hit and we were located in a young vibrant area who was heavily employed in the Telecom Industry which drove the Internet revolution. Focusing on quality, high end products, and bridal platinum Jewelry in a growing economy was the key to our robust growth through 2001. We had two custom Jewelers and a inhouse bench jeweler with 3 Salesmen, therefore we expanded to Park/Tollway in Plano,Texas 75093 where Willow Bend Mall and neighborhood expanded. We were in that location in Plano until January 2008 when I decided to close the retail outlet focus on manufacturing and Importing& Cutting Diamonds via

South Africa. So for the last 5 years I have just worked with private by Appointment ONLY Customers.

I have been working my Doctorate at www.dbu.edu studying Health Care Management. Todd Drake Diamonds L.LC. is now revamping our website for Interactive E-commerce Social Media driven integrated

with Content Marketing(www.copyblogger.com). I have grown a big www.linkedin.com following through being a vital contributor and charity fundraiser. We have customer that span the State of Texas and sold rings and merchandise worldwide because I implemented a Website in 1998 with a aggressive advertising focus with wholesale prices to grow the company as branded entity www.DiamondsbyDrake.com http//:www.diamondsbydrake.com

We are now taking on the future with landing page analytic's driven by having a E-Commerce web presence optimized by SEO, Content Marketing, and Social Media integrated to market using Facbook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google Plus, and accurrate Blogging.

This customer friendly website with proper CRM and firm loyal following should catapult Todd Drake Dianond L.L.C www.diamondsbydrake.com to successful High End Jewelry Niche online store. We are high quality corporation who delivers exceptional prices without a 700% markup. We have 17,000 Fan Page already without launching the New Websites in Fall 2012, www.diamondsbydrake.com, www.Todd DrakeDiamonds.com, & www.DrakeDiamonds.com. Very Exciting product to the Jeweler Consumer

Thanks and Rgards,

Todd Drake ~2146813712 ktdrake88@gmail.com

President/Business Development & Operations

Twitter:@ToddBanditDrake @DiamondProfessor @Drakebaseball @ToddDrakeDiamon

Web Designer is Kevin.Ulrich@AchillesInteractive.com