As 2020 draws slowly to a close, let’s face it: it’s been a hard year for everyone. In an unusually difficult and divisive year, we can all agree that no one expected 2020 to go this way. Heading into the holiday season is especially tough for many of us. Maybe travel or quarantine restrictions are keeping you from seeing your family. Maybe you can’t gather with your large group of relatives and friends, and you’ve had to cancel that Christmas party you’ve been looking forward to all year. Maybe you have immediate family in other states whose lifestyle decisions or health restrictions mean you can’t see them this holiday. In some way, we all feel the pain of isolation and loss. Through the dark clouds of difficult times, a ray of light is always visible, if you just know where to look. A virus can’t control your life unless you let it. We can all choose resilience by looking on the bright side this holiday season. While the pleasant bustle of holiday busyness has diminished for many of us, we find we have more time to cherish some of the people who really matter. As we travel less and stay home more, we become more grateful for our local communities. The stark backdrop of the virus has made the vitality of relationships and community stand out; we have the unique opportunity to serve, support, and love each other all the more. In fact, the ability and desire to support one another, simply because we all have humanity in common, is a beautiful element of the human experience that is brought out by suffering. We have seen the healthy put their wellbeing on the line to care for the sick, because we know that each person deserves the best health care possible. As people, we believe that our strength is a gift to give to the weak. For many of us, COVID-19 has brought out inner strength perhaps we didn’t even know we had. As we head deeper into the holiday season, let’s not take family for granted. Let’s remember to thank the people who have served us this year–family, friends, neighbors, local businesses. Let’s all remember to have an attitude of gratitude for the health and provision we have been given, and to share with those who have been less fortunate this year. That’s what the holiday season is all about: giving. If you are looking for a meaningful gift for the special person in your life, we would love to help you handpick something that will carry the depth of your story. Colored stones can have a special connection to your loved one’s history, and we would love to help you make a piece that will be unique to you and her/him. This holiday, let’s continue to support our local businesses, our communities, and our families more than ever–the virus can’t defeat us if we stick together!

“In her third year in business after starting her company, I was one of her first wholesale representatives. For 3 years working with her, not only did she give me my start, but she opened up the Industry to me as she allowed me to open up her collections in half the U.S. She, by example taught me there was no difference in leadership , talent & innovation, whether you were a Woman or a Man. Nancy not only touched so many lives & careers through her attitude & work, but in representing & selling her collections throughout the country, I learned how they were uniquely positioned to fit into the finest Rodeo Drive/ 5th Ave. stores all the way to popular department stores & every store in between. Nancy will be remembered as a trailblazer in the Fine Jewelry Industry, and will be greatly missed.” https://news.centurionjewelry.com/articles/detail/in-memoriam-nancy-brewer-trailblazing-designer-and-womens-advocate

Are diamonds really forever? The answer is not a simple yes or no. Left in the earth under very specific conditions, they may re-crystallize and re-form, explains Dr. George Harlow, a gem curator at the American Museum of Natural History and research scientist at Columbia University. On the other hand, if diamonds make it near the earth’s surface, it is “very hard to get rid of them,” in the words of Dr. Harlow. The amount of pressure and temperature it would take to re-form them is not available nearer to or on the earth’s surface. Therefore, in a sense, diamonds really are forever. (Citation: Are Diamonds Really Forever? C. Claiborne Ray, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/12/science/diamonds.html .) This incredible fact is something that didn’t really dawn on me until I started working at Ruback Fine Jewelry. But it’s something that binds Hal to the jewelry industry. When I first met him, his deep passion for the industry couldn’t help but surface: as he explained to me, these gems will be around much longer than you or I. There is something enduring about them that transcends our lifespan. What is it that makes diamonds or other precious stones valuable? I’m not talking about what makes them valuable as commodities, such as being extremely rare and hard to obtain from the earth, taking unbelievable amounts of time to form, requiring extremely skilled and specific methods for cutting them, etc. That’s what makes them valuable as objects. But what is it that makes them valuable to us as people? Why do we want to save and re-set our grandmother’s diamond? Why do we want to make a pendant out of the ring of a deceased spouse? Why do we take so much care in choosing the center stone for an engagement ring? We don’t cherish these stones merely because we know they’re scientifically proven to stand the test of time. Rather, we cherish them because they represent relational bonds that transcend the test of time. When we are gone, that diamond will remain, offering connection to those we love that remain after us. Since joining the Ruback team, I have already seen this in action many times. As I am beginning to hear people’s stories, I see that their jewelry matters to them because their family matters to them. They may have an objectively beautiful center stone or an exquisitely-crafted wedding band, but their real attachment to their jewelry comes from something much deeper than monetary value: a desire to remain connected to their roots, or to establish roots that will remain. The young man who comes in to pick up his painstakingly-chosen custom engagement ring, and the older lady who brings her deceased husband’s ring to have it made into a pendant, have one thing in common: what their jewelry represents to them. It’s something that’s actually very difficult to put into words, because the deeper and enduring aspects of life can be very hard to articulate. This intangible beauty of the enduring, of being connected to heritage, is something I see clearly represented in the pieces of custom jewelry that we produce at Ruback. It may be difficult to put into words, but maybe that’s why a piece of custom jewelry makes the best gift: the jewelry says it best. Your custom-designed piece tells a unique story about your family and your heritage. It tells the story of the people who came before you, and has already begun telling the story of the people who will come after. Your diamond will be around much longer than you, wordlessly representing the story of your life. That’s why at Ruback we want to produce custom pieces that tell your story, a story that will be around much longer than we can even imagine. It’s one worth telling!

Ruback's Showroom is open & ready for your appointment

In recognition of the city-wide Stay At Home Order affecting local businesses, our showroom & workshop will be CLOSED until further notice, beginning Tuesday, March 24th. We will continue to service our customers to the best of our ability, and encourage you to contact us for: Special Orders Video or Phone Consultations Custom Design Inquiries We’ve had many customers eager to find new jewelry & begin new custom projects with us via Facetime and Phone Consultations from their own homes! Please call or text (213) 706-2261 to reach Hal Pollack OR Fill in the CONTACT page of our site and we will be in touch. We appreciate all of our customers’ understanding as we move forward to the best of our ability through these uncertain days ahead.

Just over 3 years have passed since I walked out of college with degrees in Psychology & Philosophy and into the custom design, fine jewelry industry. It was quite a change in direction from my education and, suffice it to say, I had much to learn about diamonds, jewelry manufacturing, and the art of selling an engagement ring. Here is what 3-years of full immersion in the fine jewelry industry has taught me and why many of my pre-conceived notions have disappeared.