The Diamond Studio Daily 13/01/2014

This is one massive year for Scotland, The Commonwealth Games, EMA's and The Ryder Cup to name just a few are landing on our doorstep. So today just in time to kick off an amazing year we launch our Scotland Collection featuring its first five pieces inspired by Scotland, its wealth of heritage and the great Robert Burns. Everyday for the next two weeks we are going to bring you the best parts of Scotland finishing on the big day its self  The Burns Supper. So lets kick off with some best bits (in no particular order) of the brawest place on earth.

1. Robert Burns.
2. Tunnock’s Teacakes.
3. The fact that after surveying people from all over the UK, the Scottish accent was regarded as by far the most trusted.
4. Grand Theft Auto. We made that, we did. Ditto: Lemmings.
5. Having the Gay Gordons hardwired into your physical subconscious as part of your education..
6. Kelvingrove Museum.
7. The ‘will I make the last train back to Edinburgh or not?’ Russian Roulette sensation of queuing for Pizza Crolla at 11.28pm.
8. The Barrowland sign.
9. That we come from a country that produced James Kelman, AL Kennedy, Irvine Welsh and Ali Smith, all world renowned, all completely different writers, in a relatively small period of time.
10. Eating deep fried whitebait and chips on the harbour wall at Anstruther.
11. Partick Thistle.
12. The huge arch that carries Waterloo Place over Calton Road in Edinburgh.
13. The pronunciation, versatility and myriad usage of ‘gallus’, ‘mince’ and ‘magic’ 
14. The series of step locks at Fort Augustus: a feat of engineering with a view stretching across Loch Ness.
15. Arthur’s Seat. An extinct volcano in the middle of a city. 
16. Nardini's ice cream sundaes.
17. Chips and cheese from the King’s Café after a loooong night in Sleazy’s. 
18. The way old sandstone buildings look cut out against the sky on clear, sunny winter days..
19. The classic Scottish/Indian curry. Especially from Mr Singhs in Glasgow.
20. The beauty and engineering skill of the Forth Bridge. And that the paint job will never be finished.
21. The fact that optimistic and cold-resistant children still swim in the sea at Portobello beach in February.
22. That touring bands still love a Scottish audience better than any other. And we know they don’t just say that to all the girls.
23. The sea. Always different, always the same.
24. The first few days of the Edinburgh Festival. Before you remember that you hate flyer's and too-wacky street performers, it all seems kind of magical.
25. That Scots having great sporting success in any field is still greeted with shock, then delight, then everyone claims to have known the sports person’s father. And they probably did.
26. Salt’n’sauce/ salt’n’vinegar. Choose wisely.
27. Hot toddies.
28. Irn Bru and Tennent’s Lager adverts. Wee bits of genius.
29. The Falkirk Wheel.
30. Being welcomed abroad by all nations.
31. ‘500 miles’ by The Proclaimers. 
32. Glasgow School of Art hipster kids in Deirdre Barlow spectacles, rocking the skinny jeans way before Kate Moss.
33. The BIG glitterball in the ABC. It’s the biggest in Europe apparently. Although we’re not exactly sure who measures these things mind you,
34. Pringle knitwear (off the golf course only, mind).
35. ‘Roamin’ in the Gloamin’’.
36. The Fratellis
37. Castle's 
38. Being far away from home and suddenly becoming the ultimate Scottish ambassador as soon as anyone takes an interest in your accent.
39. The Northern Lights 
40. Never feeling lonely, even if you wanted to be.
    

The Diamond Studio Daily 28/12/2013

At just 19 years old, Declan Michael Laird is forging a remarkable career in Hollywood.  With no acting experience under his belt, he won a full scholarship to the most prestigious acting school in Los Angeles, the Stella Adler Academy of Acting, and in his first full length feature has won the Best Male Actor award in the Write Camera Action! Independent Screening Awards. We where lucky enough to have Declan in store modeling our pieces.  Declan’s life changed by chance in summer 2010 when he and his family, parents John and Michelle and brother Stefan were on holiday in LA. Although he was already making a name for himself as a youth player with Greenock Morton, Declan had also auditioned for the Young Apprentice. Despite narrowly missing out, one of the production team described him as having real charisma and suggested that he try performing.  He excelled at a session hosted by Oscar-winning film-maker Milton Justice, who then told him that he had the talent to be an actor. Taking the advice, Declan secured an agent back in Glasgow and won a short part in River City and another in Glasgow-set short film The Lost Purse with fellow newcomer Rachel Wile. Justice offered him the chance to study at Stella Adler for two years with a full scholarship. With help from his parents, Declan left for Hollywood in the summer of 2011 and hasn’t looked back. He won two awards for his role as a deaf boy in The Lost Purse. This rising star is going places fast from Kilmacolm to L.A its no wonder the industry is sitting up to take notice.

Pictures Taken at Light Nightclub Glasgow

St Andrew's Day!

It's St Andrew's Day on Friday, so we're taking the opportunity to celebrate all things Scottish!

There are many stories and theories as to why St Andrew came to be associated with Scotland, but many of them state that he has been our patron saint since around the middle of the 10th Century!
It is said that the bones of St Andrew were brought to Scotland around then, to the place which we know today as St Andrews, or Cill Rìmhinn in Gaelic.

According to legend, king of the Picts - Óengus II - led an army of Picts and Scots into battle against the Angles in 832 AD. They were severely outnumbered and Óengus II vowed to make St Andrew the patron saint of Scotland if he helped them defeat their enemies. The next day, they saw a cloud in a horizontal cross shape in the sky, resembling the cross that St Andrew was crucified on. This filled them with strength and they managed to win the battle! This is also said to be the reason why our flag is blue with a white cross.

On St Andrew's Day in Scotland, the Scottish Government are required to fly the Saltire on all of their buildings which have a flagpole. It is also a bank holiday, however not a public holiday - so not all employers are obliged to give people the day off!

There is also a lot of folklore about the night before St Andrew's Day. It is said that women wishing to marry can pray to St Andrew to help them find a husband on the 29th of November. They can also see if their prayers have been heard by throwing a shoe at a door - if the toe ends up pointing at the exit, the woman will be married within the year!

Now, we're not entirely sure if we believe that, but it might be worth having a look at our Engagement Rings and mounts just in case, eh girls?

Even if you're not interested in getting married, we've got a lot of Scottish-themed products which would be perfect for attending a Ceilidh, or maybe just to show a bit of patriotism!