Red Dragon Fruit Blushing Smoothie

I had a few tries of the white dragon fruit in the past and they did not make so much impact to me.  Until I first had a taste of dragon fruit shake in The Hidden Garden Restaurant in Ilocos Norte. It was good and its bright purple-pink color remained vivid in my memory.  So, my interest in the dragon fruit was planted in my hypothalamus.

A little bit of info-- the dragon fruit belongs to the cactus family (notice the spikes on its skin).  The flesh and its texture is similar to kiwi and pear.  The dragon fruit which is natively called "Pitaya" is abundant in Southeast Asian countries.   

The red dragon fruit variety has a magenta-colored spiked skin and red-purple flesh

I love pink. Probably in my past life I live in a magenta-painted house or maybe I owned a carmine-tinted taverna.

Nothing in pink escapes my eagle eyes. I saw this personal blender in Robinsons. It's cute. Ir's cheap and on sale and guess what, it's pink. And guess further, I bought it right there and then.

Now I need to do something with this blender, lest it just collect dust sitting at home. So, what's a blender got to do but blend. So, I need to buy something to blend.

What is the opposite of nightmares? That's what has been haunting me about that fuchsia-colored dragon fruit shake I tasted in Ilocos.

When we went to Binondo, I went gaga over the abundance of rare fruits. Fruits that you don't normally see in the supermarket. What's more, these rare fruits are cheaply priced in Binondo. I bought 1 kilo (that's 2 big pieces) of red dragon fruit at only Php180. Beat that!  Did you know that it is only on this trip to Binondo that I discovered that there is white and red varieties of dragon fruit?  I used to think that there is only white dragon fruit and that the fuchsia color of that dragon fruit shake in Ilocos was made by blending a little of the red-pigmented skin (the outer skin of the white dragon fruit has green and red hues).  Now, I'm laughing, that probably would have been bitter.

Red dragon fruits are in abundance in Binondo Chinatown

So much for my Binondo market day. Let's go to my concoction which I call, The Red Dragon Fruit Blushing Smoothie.  Aside from the health benefits, this smoothie task is to complement the color of my blender.

Very simple to do. I just asked the help of our ever reliable pantry girls to help me operate that lil pink equipment.  Obviously I brought my lil pink blender to the office.

I sliced the fruit in half then I scooped the flesh with a spoon. Then, we tossed the fruit chunks into the canister, poured approx 1/2 cup of soya milk and put some cracked ice. We covered it with the lid. Plugged the lil pink blender, pressed the ON button. And voila! It rotated with that sound that says, "hey, this machine is working."

Red dragon fruit halves

Red dragon fruit chunks ready for blending

Into the blender you go!

I love the sound of "propellers" and the fuchsia color I see 

Oh my, how gorgeous it is! It's so fuchsia. It's so healthy looking. Like it would give the cheeks of anyone who drinks it that vibrant blush. 

The Red Dragon Fruit Blushing Smoothie!

We had a hard time though uncovering the lid when it's done blending, but we succeeded the second attempt.

So, we drank the Red Dragon Fruit Blushing Smoothie in the pantry.  And would you believe I wrote this in 5 minutes?  Ideas flowed smoothly it's just like telling a story to a friend.  Maybe red dragon fruit is not only rich in antioxidants but it propels brain cells faster.

I chilled the second batch of the Red Dragon Fruit Blushing Smoothie for my snack this afternoon.  I feel lighter in my stomach.  Ah, yes.  That's because red dragon fruit is also rich in fiber that aids in digestion and weight loss.

Healthy snack

The pink is gone!

More Red Dragon Fruit Blushing Smoothie coming up! :)

Battle For Greatness: A Look At Jinkee Pacquiao

I have read an article with a poll for Fab or Drab that featured the dress which Jinkee Pacquiao wore during the most awaited boxing event of the century, Battle for Greatness.

Manny and Jinkee Pacquiao arrive at the MGM Grand Arena for the Battle For Greatness boxing match (Pay Per View screen capture) 

Jinkee's full ensemble at the Battle For Greatness (courtesy of Jinkee's Instagram account)

A number of people commented that the dress was drab on Jinkee.  I won't argue with them if that's their perception.  But I abhor the comments which were too personal and below the belt.  That is despite the fact that they do not personally know Jinkee Pacquiao.  Some were even harsh to comment that no matter how expensive a dress is, it becomes cheap when it's Jinkee who wears it.  One inappropriate comment said the design of Jinkee's dress looks like menstruation.  The commenter even used the Filipino term for menstruation, "regla."  Thank goodness there were a reasonable few who commented fairly. 

I did not want to join the thread of comments on the article itself.  So, I'm raising my points in my own realm, my blog.  My verdict on the dress-- it's FAB!  Fabulous And Beautiful, by itself and on Jinkee Pacquiao. 

First of all, the dress is an original design from Valentino.  Valentino Garavani, or simply Valentino to the fashion world, is the Italian designer favored by the world's best-dressed women including Jacqueline Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor and Audrey Hepburn.  Valentino also became famous for his red dresses.  In fact, there has been a shade called Valentino Red, in ode to his red dresses.

Valentino with two of his muses in his famed red dresses

For the latest Fall Collection, the Creative Directors of Valentino,  Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli,  collaborated with Italian famed pop artist, Giosetta Fioroni, to create Camuamour collection.  By the name itself, Camuamour exudes love and romance.  Giosetta Fioroni's heart patterns so well represent the spontaneity, energy and sentiment of the Camuamour collection.

Valentino flanked by Pierpaolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri

Italian Pop Artist, Giosetta Fioroni

One of Giosetta Fioroni's heart artwork

Giosetta Fioroni's Camuamour art creation

Fall fashion filled with hearts

Teaser of short film by Giosetta Fioroni for Valentino

The dress that Jinkee Pacquiao wore in the Pacquiao-Mayweather match is one of the georgeous dresses included in Valentino's Camuamour Fall Collection.

Teaser of Camuamour Collection

The embroidered crepe couture dress Jinkee bought is priced at USD8,380

Other dresses in the Camuamour Collection are shown below.

Details of the Dress in Review:

Short-sleeved embroidered dress in crepe couture

The center of the bodice features an embroidered heart made with 4 layers of tulle

The heart is embroidered in black micro beads with the phrase "your eyes are the eyes of a woman in love”. The phrase is taken from Frankie Laine's song "A woman in love" from the soundtrack of the 1955 film Guys and Dolls.

The slightly flared skirt is dotted with hearts made with 4 layers of tulle. The hearts are made in different shades of red using red micro beads.

Two side pockets

Rear zip fastener ending in a hook with reinforcing seam

Dress lined in habotai (100% Silk) except for the sleeves

Dress in crepe couture (68% Wool, 32% Silk)

Made in Italy.

100% Polyamide

Front view shown by model

The beautiful artistic dress in full view

The huge heart on the bodice says, "Your eyes are the eyes of a woman in love."

Rear view shown by model

Side view shown by model

A dress with all the mentioned luxurious details would reasonably command its price of USD8,380.  You are paying for Valentino make and quality.  You are also paying for the collaboration with a famous Italiam pop artist.

For me, the design is avant-garde-- it is classic couture met with modern design.  It is refreshing to see Jinky in a dress that is "in the now".  It radiates a sense of fun romanticism which is appropriate for the sport event.   Not too serious and glittery as in a gown and not too casual as in denim.  Jinkee's passionate support and love for Manny was well written on the bodice of her dress-- "your eyes are the eyes of a woman in love."  I think that statement is cute and  romantic.  When I learned that the statement was based on the soundtrack of a 1950's movie, I just loved the artistic concept.   The dress is fab.  It is an intelligent dress such that it's a combination of trends, i.e.  statement on dress, iconic hearts, reference to arts and culture, luxurious materials.

A collage of Jinkee's ensemble which includes the Valentino dress

That commenter who said that the dress looks like it's got menstruation, you should start reading fashion books or Vogue or Vanity Fair.  You may also research through Google.  That's Valentino.  That's Camuamour collection--it's love, it's romance, it's all about hearts, it's all about shades of red.  Dang! Red is not just about menstruation.  Practice etiquette.  Don't make fun of a woman's nature. 

Some overly prudish people may remark that Php368K is spending too much on a dress.  Well, not one of us is in the right position to question where the Pacquiao's spend their money.  It's their money.  They have been deprived before of material comfort, now that they have the financial blessings through Manny Pacquiao's efforts, they hace every right to enjoy the fruits of Manny's labor.  For one thing, the Pacquiaos did not steal their money.  So, they are not obliged to explain to anyone where they spend their money.

Some modern Pharisees might comment just give the money to the poor instead of spending on a dress.  Well, the Pacquiaos came from poverty and certainly they would know how to look back and pay forward.  They do not need to announce everytime they donate financially to people or institutions.  The Pacquiaos read and study the  bible, they know that the left hand doesn't need to know what the right hand is doing. 

Do not forget that Jinkee Pacquiao (nee Maria Geraldine Jamora) is the wife of no less than the world-famous boxer, Manny Pacquiao.  Therefore, she has to dress up for occassions.  That P368K worth of pret-a-porter dress is just a penny compared to the priceless pride that Manny Pacquiao has given to the Filipinos.  And to reiterate, the money used to buy that dress belongs to the Pacquiaos and no one has the right to question where they spend their money.

Jinkee and Manny Pacquiao with Paris Hilton

Jinkee with Hollywood actor, Keanu Reeves, who wished Manny Pacquiao well for the Battle For Greatness 

Those who comment that when Jinkee wears an expensive dress it becomes cheap, I sense Cinderella's envious stepsisters.  Just a question, are you even "up there" to look down on someone?  Jinkee has the right to improve herself.  She is now a celebrity in her own right and rubs elbows with Hollywood celebrities who are courteous and very welcoming.  They pretty much respect Manny Pacquiao and his entire family.  I think you envious people must learn from these high-profile celebrities when it comes to treating others with respect.

Most importantly,  have a sense of gratitude.  You are Filipinos too.  Manny has given pride to us Filipinos so many times, whether he wins or loses.  He has earned the respect and admiration of the majority of the world.  So, stop picking on his wife.  That is one way of thanking Manny Pacquiao.




Credits:  Google photos, Jinkee Pacquiao's Instagram account, Valentino website




Golcondia Cultured Diamonds-- The New Era of Real Diamonds

Diamonds In A Time Machine

Flashback to the time that only the Creator’s timepiece could measure….

Carbon deposits in the Earth’s mantle instantaneously crystallized due to crushing pressure and intense heat.  The formed crystals or rough diamonds clustered in lattices that were encapsulated inside graphites beneath the Earth’s crust for probably millions of years.   A point in history came when ultra-strong underground volcanic eruptions occurred repeatedly.  One or more of these explosions hit and carried the diamond-bearing graphites out of the Earth’s crust.  The graphites ejected the rough diamonds amidst intense speed of eruption.  The diamonds scattered and were buried within volcanic materials that spread and cooled on the Earth’s surface.    These are the diamonds that are being unearthed through mining.

Graphite rocks containing diamonds

19^th Century

In 1867, Eureka Diamond, the first diamond ever to be discovered by mankind was unearthed in Kimberley, South Africa.  It weighed 10.73 carats Thereafter, more diamonds were discovered, mined, cut and created into jewelry and industrial pieces. 

The Eureka Diamond is cushion-shaped and is brownish-yellow in color.  It has been on display n the Kimberley Mine Museum since De Beers purchased it in 1967 and donated it to South Africa, where it was discovered.

20^th Century

In the circa ‘50s, General Electric pioneered the High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) technology used in growing the diamond seeds in laboratories (lab) which mimics the condition of heat and pressure in the Earth’s mantle. 

An HPHT press

21^st Century

Global lab-grown diamond producers such as IIA Technologies (formerly Gemesis), Scio and D. NEA of the US and Deluxe Diamonds of UK trade their lab-grown gems via their websites.  In 2011, D. NEA put up a lab-grown diamond boutique in Greenville but it was short-lived.  

In 2014, Thomas Florencio and Daniela San Agustin established the world’s first brand and showroom of cultured diamonds called Golcondia Cultured Diamonds.  Golcondia cultured diamonds are also essentially lab-grown or lab-created diamonds.  However, the “cultured” nomenclature is what the company opted to use.  Apparently, the closure of the short-lived D. NEA boutique makes Golcondia the only existing brick-and-mortar cultured diamond retailer in the world. 

The brains behind Golcondia-- Daniela "Danii" San Agustin and Thomas "Tomy" Florencio

The Golcondia Cultured Diamonds Showroom is located at the Mid-Level 2/3, East Wing of the Shangri-La Plaza in EDSA, Philippines.

  

The Golcondia Showroom's entrance

Elegant wood and glass counters of fine diamond jewelry are seen through Golcondia Showroom's glass panes

Golcondia, A Diamond in the Rough

Establishing the world’s first brand and showroom of cultured diamonds is an ambitious move, owing to the popularity of mined diamonds as perpetually promoted by De Beers, Tiffany & Co, Harry Winston, among others.  Similar to cultured pearls that are already regarded in the jewelry industry as real water gems alongside its forerunner, the genuine sea-harvested pearls, lab-grown or cultured diamonds seem to encounter the same kind of resistance that Mikimoto experienced when he announced that he could grow cultured pearls.

Golcondia is driven by a noble vision, to promote real diamonds that are environment-friendly and guaranteed conflict-free.  No mining bloodshed nor child or abusive labor practices were involved in the growth of cultured diamonds.   The prime mover, Mr. Thomas “Tomy” Florencio, a third-generation diamond trader and jeweler from the Matheu-Florencio clan established Golcondia Cultured Diamonds after reconnecting with his former classmates in Gemological Institute of America who ventured into growing diamonds in Singapore.  Mr. Florencio chose the name Golcondia for the company and its brand of cultured diamonds, as a reminder that the purest forms of diamonds came from Golconda, a fabled mining region in India. 

An innovative and forward-looking spirit, Mr. Florencio did not allow himself to be stifled by the initial reaction of people that they have never heard of cultured diamonds.  Mr. Florencio went on to obtain the exclusive distributorship of cultured diamonds in the Philippines from all of the diamond growing facilities of the world.  Ms. Daniela San Agustin, Managing Director, assists and collaborates with Mr. Florencio for the sales and promotion of the Golcondia brand of cultured diamonds.

Golcondia in itself is a diamond in the rough.  Its raw vision has been unearthed from the unpopular, polished by technology and is set to shine in the jewelry industry. 

From A Tiny Seed To A Sparkling Jewelry

Mr. Florencio states that only a diamond can create a diamond.  Thus, diamond seeds are needed to begin the process for a diamond to grow.  The diamond seed is then placed in a diamond growing greenhouse, a highly controlled environment that replicates the nature’s conditions for a diamond seed to grow, atom-by-atom, in a vacuum.  The diamond growing greenhouses are state-of-the-art facilities run by highly-skilled engineers, scientists and physicists to calibrate heat and pressure identical to what occurs deep beneath the Earth’s surface. 

Similar to what happens in a typical flower greenhouse, which is temperature-controlled to make possible the growth of exotic plants all year round, it is still nature that plays the role in the growth of the plant.  Therefore, a harvest results in a variety of colors, shapes, sizes, etc.  Not one plant is like the other.  The diamond growing greenhouse’s conditions vary just like the growth of diamonds near the Earth’s core.  Golcondia has contracted independent Greenhouses, which are located in Singapore, United States, Belgium and Netherlands to supply the gems.  These Greenhouses utilize both HPHT and Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) technology to grow diamonds.  It takes about 8-12 weeks to grow a diamond to the rough form and due to the natural environment effect in the Greenhouses, these have so far produced diamonds weighing from 30 points to 3 carats only.

Shown here is the chronology of what happens in a diamond greenhouse.

A diamond seed is inspected prior to growth

A highly-skilled technician mounts the diamond seed into the diamond growing machine

It takes 8-12 weeks for a diamond seed to grow into a rough diamond

Here, a rough diamond is harvested and cut prior to polishing. 

After harvesting as rough diamonds, Golcondia’s cultured diamonds go through the same supply chain as mined diamonds.  They are sent to the same diamond cutting and polishing centers located in Israel, Belgium, Russia and China.  Afterwards, these diamonds are sent to international buying offices located in Dubai, Hong Kong and United States.  Once selected, the diamonds are sent to reputable third-party laboratories such as HRD Antwerp, GIA and IGI for grading and certification.  Once certified, they are sent to the Golcondia head office where some are selected for setting into fine jewelry while the remaining loose diamonds are sold to the wholesale market.

A curious customer might say, “A diamond seed comes from mined diamonds so it might have also involved the social and environmental conflicts associated with a full-grown rough diamond”.  However, Golcondia states that they source the diamond seed from their own greenhouse.  Very minimal carbon footprint (the greenhouse facility is certified with ISO 14000, the highest in environmental standards) and an elite group of highly-skilled workforce are employed in the growing of cultured diamonds.

Is Cultured Diamond A Real Diamond?

This is the jewelry industry’s 100 Million Dollar question with a simple direct response.  Yes, it is!  A cultured diamond is a real diamond.

The only difference between a cultured diamond and a mined diamond is the point of origin, or what has been poetically called, the “origin of the rough”.  A cultured diamond grows in a Greenhouse while a mined diamond grows in the Earth’s mantle.  The former grows above the ground while the latter grows under the ground.  But in all facets of being a jewel, cultured and mined diamonds measure the same.

So, how does a cultured diamond measure up to its predecessor, the mined diamond?  The International Gemological Institute (IGI) and Gemological Institute of America (GIA) certified that cultured diamonds have the same properties as mined diamonds.

Comparative table showing the same properties of mined and cultured diamonds while the simulants  have lower properties  

Local jewelers also have attested that they cannot identify a cultured diamond from a mined diamond since both have identical measurements and properties when put under the same gem scale.

How Much Do Cultured Diamonds Cost?

The price of a cultured diamond is also dependent on the 4Cs of mined diamond:  Carat, Color, Clarity and Cut. 

Carat

Carat is the unit of weight for a diamond.  A carat is subdivided in 100 points.  0.01 equals 1 point. 1 carat is equal to 0.20 grams.

Color

Color refers to the amount of tint that occurs naturally while a diamond is being formed.  Depending on the type of impurities, a diamond’s color may range from clear, yellow, pink, blue and green.

Clarity

Clarity refers to internal features or inclusions and surface characteristics or blemishes within or on a diamond when magnified 10x under standard viewing conditions.

Cut

Cut refers to how the proportions, polish, symmetry of a diamond affect its overall appearance.  These factors determine the brightness, fire, scintillation and weight ratio of diamonds. 

In general, cultured diamonds cost less by 25%-30% from the price of mined diamond with the same 4Cs, not because it is an inferior version of the mined diamond, but because the distribution channels of cultured diamonds do not involve several change of hands that bloat overhead costs, which is usually the case in the distribution of mined diamonds.

How Do You Know You Are Getting Your Money’s Worth?

Each Golcondia cultured diamond piece comes with a Certificate of Authenticity from international diamond graders such as IGI, GIA and HRD Antwerp.  These certificates are identical to those of mined diamonds which contain the diamond grade and full disclosure of its origin.  Each cultured diamond piece is also laser-inscribed with the certificate number and point of origin.

A Certificate from HRD Antwerp

You are assured that you are purchasing a real diamond that peacefully grew and created without damage to the environment and innocent lives during production.

Golcondia also conducts workshops to educate the public on cultured diamonds.  So, a prospective buyer does not only have the chance to own a diamond jewelry piece from the world’s first brand and showroom of cultured diamonds, he also acquires or increases knowledge on gemology.  Now, that’s worth your money.  

The Prestige of Owning Golcondia Cultured Diamonds

Golcondia is categorized as a fine diamond jewelry Company that provides real diamonds through modern technology. Golcondia sets its cultured diamonds only in 18K gold to create superior quality jewelry.  It offers an array of choices from colorless (white) diamonds to the fancy-colored ones such as vivid blues, vivid yellows and the most sought-after vivid pinks.  

Golcondia Collection

The Golcondia Showroom features a collection of fine jewelry in a variety of clear and vivid-colored cultured diamonds.  

Cultured diamond fine jewelry and loose stones

The collection shown here is modeled by Vanessa Matsunaga. 

Model wears the dangling earrings made of clear cultured diamonds

The blue cultured diamond stud earrings as seen by the display window

Model wears the stud earrings made of blue cultured diamonds

Close-up view of the blue diamond stud earrings

The pink cultured diamond clip-and-pendant earrings as seen on the display shelf

A closer look at the pink cultured diamond earrings shows the dual purpose of the jewelry-- a clip earring with detachable pendant

Model wears the clip-and-pendant earrings made of pink cultured diamonds

Close-up view of the pink cultured diamond clip earrings with detachable pendant that could be worn separately

Yellow cultured diamond earrings

Since a Golcondia cultured diamond is real diamond, it also appreciates in value, hence every Golcondia diamond purchase is a smart investment.  Since the Golcondia authentic cultured diamond jewelry are priced less than mined diamond jewelry, it provides the modern buyers with the option of either using the cost savings for another important life milestone or using the total cost of a mined diamond to buy a cultured diamond that’s bigger in carat and more radiant in appearance.   

For example, a man who is buying a solitaire engagement ring with a budget of Php300,000 can get a 1 carat average grade mined diamond.  With the same budget, he can get a 1.5 carat Golcondia cultured diamond.

Golcondia, Value of A Lifetime

More than the monetary factor, Golcondia diamond jewelry is a piece of heirloom that tells a sentimental story behind it, which may be passed on from generation to generation.  Part of the story could be a statement that brags like, “this piece of diamond jewelry did not abuse the environment and did not take advantage of laborers, this is a peace-loving jewelry and I am passing it on to you.”    

Credits:

Thanks to Ms. Danii San Agustin and Mr. Tomy Florencio for the interview, professional photos and additional information.