Hi Thank you for posting. I had asked a florist to get me a white Optimara for a friend, but when he got it, I noticed that one of the petals had a tinge of blue. I did not get it. I believe it is the same one that you have, because I have seen some Optimaras in my area that are similar to the blue and white one and others that re more on the all-white side. Anyway, white is very, very much in demand in my area this year, seems to be the current "fashion color" for most-wanted AVs. It looks lovely, well-grown. Congrats. Joanne

Gratz on keeping one alive Simi! Think your guess might be spot on for the colour. Don't feel bad though, after some years of collecting I still get burned. I bought a spliced Barry Orange last season that just bloomed white. Just hoping the real colour shows on second season. I am told you can't judge first season blooms on splices as the true colours don't become evident until second blooming. Cheers if they're right. My splicing adventures won't commence until next season....circumstances permitting. I did find a seller in Key Largo (another eBay user) who had posted cuttings of an iolite blue plumeria (rather pricey for cuttings too I might add). They claimed to be a certified nursery, but when I inquired for more details I never received a response. Gave me the feeling that they didn't want to talk to locals. :D This post was edited by Jalien on Sat, Jul 20, 13 at 23:01

If you don't see them left year-round in commercial or residential plantings in your area, it's a good indication they won't survive a typical winter. We're in the same boat with one acquired last month; so, will try overwinter it on the enclosed patio and plant after the last freeze.

I'd like to second what pebbles said about GIA certificates. At the higher end of the diamond world, stones are traded based strictly on certificates. They are that important. I'm another one who did a good deal of research a few years back. The way the market is structured, there are cities such as Antwerp and NY and sources in Russia and Israel where the market is centered and the best stones are traded and cut. There are wholesalers who buy stones, make up the rings and then sell them -- even to the high end stores like Tiffanys and Cartier though those often have exclusive styles. Harry Winston has their own workshop upstairs above the store where they make some pieces. But if you are going for a stone larger than 2 carats and with good cut and color -- pebbles again is quite right, chances are you are not going to do very well outside a big market. Even some discounters here have trouble getting larger stones of good quality. Many local jewelers are clueless about diamonds no matter what they say. The industry is structured on fixed pricing per carat, clarity and color. There's a publication used in the wholesale market that determines this and changes weekly or monthly (can't recall). Then there is cut, which is an eye thing developed only by extensive looking and relationships with the 'better" dealers who get the better stones. Point is, there are regional diamond centers in big cities such as Chicago and elsewhere, plus the online folks. With every layer of distance from the source there is an upcharge. Pebbles also makes a really good point about resale. The only fallback anyone has is to buy the best color, clarity and largest carat size you can afford from a name jeweler such as Tiffany, Cartier, Winston, Bulgari etc. as these command a premium if you resell them at auction. But you will pay retail and those brands command premium prices. I had a Cartier engagement ring that I resold at auction after many years and got a good price. But it was registered there with a number and I had retained the original invoice that stated the specs. I had worn it a lot and the engraving had worn off so I took to to them and they reengraved their name in the ring It was a pretty ring and I was able to sell it at auction advantageously because it was a prestige brand. But that's the only reason to pay retail (though styles go in and out of fashion and even values of the prestige brands fluctuate accordingly). If you are going for a larger stone than 2 carats then I would recommend a ton of research and asking everyone you know so you can get through the chain and as close as possible to the source. It might also be a good idea to check around on jewelry auctions where engagement rings are sold with certificates as you can sometimes do a bit better. My youngest brother got engaged two years ago. They had shopped extensively and he really knew his onions, plus the style she wanted and what he could afford. By making the right wholesale connection and shopping in NY (i.e. in a source market) rather than in Arizona or California, he was able to buy a ring that was a carat larger with the same color and clarity, and a better cut within his budget. The dealer was happy to deal with him because he knew exactly what he was buying and knew how good the price was and didn't dither over making the decision.