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This is one of the most exciting and hectic weeks of the year.........the week before we leave for the Las Vegas Jewelry show. Once a year after Memorial Day we are off to Las Vegas building a booth the size of small store to show buyers our 2009 line. Last minute samples, merchandising changes, that item I want and can not find....well you get the idea. We have worked hard all winter and spring honing the collection, but we look like a scene from “The Devil Wears Prada” today, a showroom run amuck and a bit out of control. Larry asked me today if I always waited to pull an all nighters before finals in college----I was still finding pearls to ship even as Brinks came to pick up our bags. And yes, I always pulled those all nighters. So what will it look like? My vision is an impressionist painting. I think we will just blow everyone away this year. Five years ago our cases were almost all white. Next week we will be a blaze of colors, with patterns and combinations no one has ever seen before. The pearls are so large I can not believe it. Not huge quantities yet, but we are bringing coin pearls over 20MM and baroque pearls up to 18MM. They look like boulders!! That means we will continue to bring larger sizes on air on QVC. You can look forward to larger affordable pearls in necklaces, rings and earrings. If you love those statement looks, what a value. We just finished one coin pearl ring so big we call it the Starship Enterprise around the office. We will not have a huge quantity, but just to be able to collect enough for one airing is pretty cool. So wish us luck, we have worked hard on the line, and this is our annual debut. Everyone in the industry will be there, the best independent jewelers, fine department stores, major jewelry chains, great specialty shops and of course QVC...that is our favorite appointment and we can not wait to see their reaction to all the new product. Take care.....Joel