It's been an incredible 2016. At the start of it I had the launch party for my book The Engagement Ring. It was very exciting and very rewarding too. It came after months of dedication and writing about something that is very close to my heart. What makes it even more rewarding is not that I've sold copies of the book, but that I've managed to help guys buying engagement rings who otherwise might have got it wrong! It had a great premier on ITV London Tonight and has also received some great reviews on Amazon. Not just from my mum either! Thank you.
After that, the radio came calling and I was on air with Alexis Conran for an hour of his show. I was asked to come in and discuss diamonds. The topic of conversation was really along the lines of diamond scams and how people can avoid overpaying and getting ripped off. Are they really a good investment and where is the best place to get value for money? Well the best answer to that is to purchase them from me. To hear all the interview, click this link.
The back end of the year was taken up mostly with the Hatton Garden situation. Rumours had been circulating about the London Diamond Bourse having to close it's doors and move out shortly. This is not true by the way. What is true though is that workshops, like my own, are being forced to close. Landlords want to renovate their buildings and rent out to tech companies all moving in to the area. Something that Crossrail has caused to happen. Great for them, Not so great for me. As a result I am currently looking for a new workshop. ITN again came to interview me regarding this and you can see that interview here.
And of course I've been up to much of the same regarding making jewellery for lots of people. The rewarding thing is seeing the look on some ladies faces when they are presented with their engagement ring and then they quite literally burst into tears. You can look through my galleries on either Facebook or Instagram to see some of the creations.
The year ended when I was surprised to discover that my book had been picked up by the Jewish Chronicle magazine Celebrations. They had featured it in a four page spread titled "Rules Of Engagement For Guys". The magazine is printed once a year and is the bible for people with a wedding or bar/bat mitzvah coming up. It lists all vendors and suppliers to the "celebration" industry. So to have photos and a four page feature was incredible. You can see my blog on it here.
So all that's left really, is for me to say a massive thank you to those who continue to support me. I guess that must be you as you haven't unsubscribed yet, and I look forward to helping you and sharing more happy exciting events moving into 2017.
Happy holidays to you and your family. x
Lewis Malka London
