The "Why Mom Deserves a Diamond" contest is an American essay contest founded by Michael "Diamond Mike" Watson in Costa Mesa, California in 1993. The contest was established in honor of Watson's adoptive mother and the birth mother he had never known. In a limited number of words, children are asked to write essays explaining why their mother deserves a diamond.
Hundreds of thousands of American children have participated, and dozens of children have won the grand prize of a diamond to give to their mothers (and other precious gems). [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] The first winner was sophomore Margaret Ketchersid, from Edison High School in Huntington Beach, California. On Mother's Day 1993, she was awarded the grand prize of a quarter-carat diamond to give to her mother, Ruth.
Michael "Diamond Mike" Watson was born and adopted in Indianapolis in 1958. He spent his early life in New Albany, where his adopted parents raised him. The foundation of the contest began while Watson was searching for his own birth mother when he was 17. [8]
About the same time he started his quest, Watson entered the jewelry industry as an errand boy for a store in New Albany. He joined a retail chain and worked in jewelry stores in Indiana, Kentucky and Kansas City, then moved to California in 1989. [9] In 1991, Watson opened Gallery of Diamonds Jewelers in Costa Mesa, California. [10]
Watson obtained a copy of his hospital bill from Community Hospital, which showed his mother's name (Betty Price) and age. Armed with this information, he embarked on a search that lasted nearly 20 years. Watson found the judge who had presided over the adoption only to learn that the records were sealed. The judge did, however, give Watson the report by the Department of Public Welfare, which contained information about his birth mother. [11] The report listed names and a wedding date, and he contacted every county in Indiana to locate a wedding license. In mid-1994 he heard from the courthouse in Coatesville that the information on the license matched. He found that his birth mother's maiden name was Stewart, and also discovered her parents' address and telephone number. [12] When calling his biological grandmother, she said that no one knew he was alive because his birth mother told the family he was stillborn. He learned that his mother had died in 1981. [13]
Watson then learned he had an infant sister that vanished before he was born. Thus began a new journey to find his missing sibling. With the help of five genealogical researchers in which Watson named the Fabulous Five, [14] Watson finally found his missing sister alive and well in 2017. [15] That same year, with the miracle of DNA matching, Watson discovered his paternal Syrian Jewish roots and that he came from a long ancestry of distinguished rabbis from Aleppo, Syria. His great great grandfather was Hakham Mordechai Abadi. [16] [17] [18]
From 1993 to 2012, Watson published the winning entries in an annual book to raise money for the local county's library. [19] Over the years, thousands of children submit their essays to the company's headquarters in Santa Ana, California, and come to Gallery of Diamonds Jewelers every year. [20]
Watson earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Indiana University Southeast and is a gemologist from the Gemological Institute of America. He is the author of Moon Over Mountains- The Search for Mom, The Legend of Why Mom Deserves a Diamond, Tales of Imagination- Everything is Real, In Search of Mom- Journey of an Adoptee, and Adopted Like Me- Chosen to Search for a Birthmother. [21]
Year | Winner | Grade | School | City | State |
1993 | Margaret Ketchersid | 10 | Edison HS | Huntington Beach | CA |
1994 | Alison Murphy | 10 | Capistrano Valley HS | Mission Viejo | CA |
1995 | Scott Kircher | 6 | Harbor Day | Corona del Mar | CA |
1996 | Megan Darakjian | 4 | Cordillera | Mission Viejo | CA |
1996 | Lauren Kiang | 7 | La Paz Intermediate | Mission Viejo | CA |
1997 | Jessica Barraco | 4 | Eastshore Elementary | Irvine | CA |
1997 | Genevieve Slunka | 11 | Irvine High | Irvine | CA |
1998 | Jason Kirstein | 3 | Westwood Basics | Irvine | CA |
1998 | Tawnya Ravy | 7 | Bernardo M.S. | Yorba Linda | CA |
1998 | Vicki Ann Blood | 4 | St. Pancratius | Lakewood | CA |
1998 | Jennifer Plankenhorn | 8 | Arroyo Seco | Valencia | CA |
1999 | Blair Perkins | 5 | Taft Elementary | Orange | CA |
1999 | Paula Kim | 7 | Los Alisos | Mission Viejo | CA |
1999 | Roberto Ruiz | 5 | St. Malachy | Los Angeles | CA |
1999 | Chris Olsen-Philips | 6 | Binford Elementary | Bloomington | IN |
1999 | Brice Tomlinson | 6 | Trinity Christian Academy | Addison | TX |
2000 | Sandy Enriquez | 5 | Gilbert Elem. | Garden Grove | CA |
2000 | Tiffany Lamanski | 7 | St. Pius V | Buena Park | CA |
2000 | Rachel Tomberlin | 7 | St. Timothy Episcopal | Apple Valley | CA |
2000 | Victor Taylor | 5 | St. Mary | New Albany | IN |
2000 | Ashley Goodell | 8 | Chippewa M.S. | Okemos | MI |
2000 | Laura Cataldi | 10 | Nardin Academy | Buffalo | NY |
2000 | Ashley Kreidler | 11 | St. Johns | Delphos | OH |
2000 | Jennifer Scruggs | 5 | Sleepy Hollow Elementary | Amarillo | TX |
2001 | E. J. Debowski | 4 | John Malcolm | Laguna Niguel | CA |
2001 | Alyssa Connella | 7 | La Paz | Mission Viejo | CA |
2001 | Jesus Hernandez, Jr. | 12 | St. Thomas High | Houston | TX |
2002 | Harry Hudson | 2 | Bathgate Elem. | Mission Viejo | CA |
2002 | Amanda Wheeler | 7 | Los Alisos | Mission Viejo | CA |
2002 | Matthew W. Scott | 11 | Heartland High | Belton | MO |
2003 | Aris Simsarian | 2 | De Portola Elem. | Mission Viejo | CA |
2003 | Logan Cluttey | 8 | Los Flores M.S. | R. Sta. Margarita | CA |
2003 | Travis Dziad | 6 | St. Mary's | Greenville | SC |
2004 | Tyler Buttle | 5 | Reilly Elementary | Mission Viejo | CA |
2004 | Erica Haggerty | 8 | St. Angela Merici | Brea | CA |
2004 | Lindsey Croft | 12 | Nevada Union High | Grass Valley | CA |
2005 | Analyse Groton | 4 | Linda Vista Elem. | Orange | CA |
2005 | Jason Punzalon | 8 | Servite High | Anaheim | CA |
2005 | Emily Magers | 6 | Timberview M.S. | Colorado Springs | CO |
2006 | Kevin Banifatemi | 5 | De Portola Elem. | Mission Viejo | CA |
2006 | Laura Chae | 7 | Sierra Vista M.S. | Irvine | CA |
2006 | Sera Choi | 7 | Becker M.S. | Las Vegas | NV |
2007 | Grace Penner | 5 | Brookhaven Ele. | Placentia | CA |
2007 | Michael Glidden | 11 | Capistrano Valley HS | Mission Viejo | CA |
2008 | Sophia Vazquez | 2 | Jim Thorpe Fund. | Santa Ana | CA |
2008 | Linda Huynh | 7 | Fred Moila | Fountain Valley | CA |
2009 | David Duplissey | 4 | Ambuehl Ele. | San Juan Capistr. | CA |
2009 | Cheryl Bond | 7 | Oak Middle School | Los Alamitos | CA |
2010 | Harvey Zhou | 4 | Canyon View Elem. | Irvine | CA |
2010 | Thomas Loi | 8 | Bethel Baptist | Santa Ana | CA |
2011 | Leah Korenberg | 1 | Los Coyotes | La Palma | CA |
2011 | Charlie Xu | 8 | Rancho San Joaquin | Irvine | CA |
2012 | Makenzie Kaufman | 4 | Vista Verde | Irvine | CA |
2012 | Lauren Lee | 8 | Fairmont Private | Santa Ana | CA |
2013 | Gage Butterfield | 6 | Crescent Intermediate | Anaheim | CA |
2013 | Tony Scarsciotti | 4 | Benson Elementary | Tustin | CA |
2014 | Nikki Young | 7 | MacArthur Fundamental | Santa Ana | CA |
2014 | Sarah Stern | 11 | University High | Santa Ana | CA |
2014 | Benjamin Pham | 3 | Roch Courreges Elementary | Fountain Valley | CA |
2015 | Gavin Mosher | 7 | California Virtual Academy | Trabuco Canyon | CA |
2015 | Neha Abbas | 5 | John O. Tynes | Placentia | CA |
2016 | Danali Olivares | 7 | Mendez Fundamental | Santa Ana | CA |
2016 | Gina Kim | 5 | Margaret Landell Elementary | Cypress | CA |
2017 | Joseph Hamby | 6 | Emery Elementary | Buena Park | CA |
2017 | Lauren Morgan | 3 | Gilbert Elementary | Garden Grove | CA |
2018 | Katelyn Oho | 4 | Robert Fisler Elementary | Fullerton | CA |
2018 | Leah Korenberg | 4 | Christ Lutheran School | Costa Mesa | CA |
2019 | Mai Han Tran | 5 | Eastwood Elementary | Westminister | CA |
2019 | Allison Kim | 6 | Margaret Landell Elementary | Cypress | CA |
2020 | Genevieve Raphael | 5 | Vista Verde School | Irvine | CA |
2020 | Brayden Nguyen | 8 | Bethany Christian Academy | Westminster | CA |
2021 | Giselle Nguyen | 2 | Northcutt Elementary | Fountain Valley | CA |
2021 | Dylan Tran | 6 | Eastwood Elementary | Westminster | CA |
2022 | Jason Ross | 6 | St. John’s Episcopal | Rancho Santa Margarita | CA |
2023 | Claire Cho | 6 | Landell Elementary | Cypress | CA |
2024 | Zennia Achouri | 5 | Westpark School | Irvine | CA |
The trademark Why Mom Deserves a Diamond was filed with the United States Patent and Trademark office on July 27, 2001, registration number 2,620,840. The trademark, The Legendary Contest, received registration on April 17, 2007, as "A writing contest in which kids can honor their mothers and have the chance to win a diamond or gemstone." Reg #3229618.
From 1993 to 2012, Gallery of Diamonds Jewelers, the founding sponsor of the contest, published an annual anthology of the winners. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of these books were donated to the Orange County Library system in Orange County, California. Following are the book titles and the years they were published.
Costa Mesa is a city in Orange County, California, United States. Since its incorporation in 1953, the city has grown from a semi-rural farming community of 16,840 to an urban area including part of the South Coast Plaza–John Wayne Airport edge city, one of the region's largest commercial clusters, with an economy based on retail, commerce, and light manufacturing. The city is home to the two tallest skyscrapers in Orange County. The population was 111,918 at the 2020 census.
Bob Flanagan was an American performance artist and writer known for his work on sadomasochism and lifelong struggle with cystic fibrosis.
Area codes 714 and 657 are telephone area codes in the North American Numbering Plan for the southern part of the U.S. state of California. The numbering plan area comprises northern Orange County, a portion of Los Angeles County, and the Sleepy Hollow and Carbon Canyon areas of Chino Hills in San Bernardino County. Area code 714 was assigned to a part of numbering plan area 213 in 1951, and 657 was added in 2008 to form an overlay complex.
Steven Aaron Jordan is an American DJ, record producer, and television personality. As part of the Bad Boy Records production team the Hitmen, Jordan won a Grammy Award for his work on Puff Daddy's debut album No Way Out (1997). Throughout the late 1990s, Jordan produced for a number of artists including Mariah Carey, Tevin Campbell, The Notorious B.I.G., 112, Jodeci, Faith Evans, Jay-Z, and Eve.
Jacob Arabo is an American jewelry and watch designer who founded Jacob & Company in 1986 and grew it to become an international luxury brand. He began strictly as a jeweler with bold designs that appealed to celebrities who became regular customers.
The baqashot are a collection of supplications, songs, and prayers that have been sung by the Sephardic Syrian, Moroccan, and Turkish Jewish communities for centuries each week on Shabbat mornings from the early hours of the morning until dawn. They are usually recited during the weeks of winter, from the Jewish festival of Sukkot through Purim, when the nights are much longer. The baqashot services can last for three to four hours. The Ades Synagogue in Jerusalem is the center of the Syrian practice today, and communities in Ashdod and Montreal are the center of the Moroccan practice.
"Left Behind" is the 15th episode of the 3rd season of Lost. It was aired on April 4, 2007, making it the 64th episode of the series. The episode was written by Damon Lindelof and Elizabeth Sarnoff and directed by Karen Gaviola. The character of Kate is featured in the episode's flashbacks.
Wahoo's Fish Taco is a U.S.-based restaurant chain that offers Mexican food mixed with Brazilian and Asian flavors. Categorized as a "fast casual restaurant", the quality and preparation time of its food is between that of a fast-food restaurant and a more formal restaurant. Wahoo's provides many vegetarian and some vegan options, such as tofu, banzai veggies and brown rice, and also provides a kids' meal menu. They serve wahoo fish in their tacos, as well as Mahi-mahi.
Johannes Meindert Willem Moorlach is an American politician who served as a member of the California State Senate representing 37th Senate district, which includes portions of Orange County, from 2015 to 2020. He was narrowly defeated for reelection by Dave Min in 2020; he lost a 2021 special election to return to the Orange County Board of Supervisors; he withdrew from the 2022 election for Orange County Auditor-Controller; and he lost the 2022 election for Mayor of Costa Mesa. A Republican, he previously served on the Orange County Board of Supervisors from December 5, 2006, to January 5, 2015, and as Orange County Treasurer-Tax Collector from March 17, 1995, to December 5, 2006.
Charles Sequevya Loloma was a Hopi Native American artist known for his jewelry. He also worked in pottery, painting and ceramics.
Natalie Denise Suleman, known as Octomom in the media, is an American media personality who came to international attention when she gave birth to the first surviving octuplets in January 2009. The circumstances of their high-order multiple birth led to controversy in the field of assisted reproductive technology as well as an investigation by the Medical Board of California of the fertility specialist involved.
Charles Ward "Chuck" Smith was an American pastor who founded the Calvary Chapel movement. Beginning with the 25-person Costa Mesa congregation in 1965, Smith's influence now extends to "more than 1,000 churches nationwide and hundreds more overseas", some of which are among the largest churches in the United States. He has been called "one of the most influential figures in modern American Christianity." The founding of Calvary Chapel is depicted in the 2023 film Jesus Revolution, with Smith being portrayed by Kelsey Grammer.
Matthew Specktor is an American novelist and screenwriter.
Henry Thomas Segerstrom was an American philanthropist, entrepreneur, cultural leader, and patron of the arts. Managing Partner of C.J. Segerstrom & Sons, he was the founding chairman of the Orange County Performing Arts Center, now known as the Segerstrom Center for the Arts.
Anna's Linens was an American retailer. It was based in Costa Mesa, California.
Kona Lanes was a bowling center in Costa Mesa, California, that operated from 1958 to 2003. Known for its futuristic design, it featured 40 wood-floor bowling lanes, a game room, a lounge, and a coffee shop that eventually became a Mexican diner. Built during the advent of Googie architecture, its Polynesian-inspired Tiki styling extended from the large roadside sign to the building's neon lights and exaggerated rooflines.
Brett Charles Young is an American country pop singer, songwriter and guitarist from Orange County, California. He was a college baseball pitcher but took up songwriting after an elbow injury. His self-titled debut EP, produced by Dann Huff, was released by Republic Nashville on February 12, 2016. The lead single, "Sleep Without You", was released on April 11, and he had a major success with his following single, "In Case You Didn't Know". He released his second major label album Ticket to L.A. in 2018, and the third, Weekends Look a Little Different These Days, in 2021.
Black, Starr & Frost, previously known as Marquand and Co, is an American jewelry company. Founded in 1810 as Marquand and Co., the company is the oldest continuously operating jewelry firm in the United States. The company has acted as a retailer, rather than manufacturer, for most of its history.
Ms. International is part of the Ms. America Pageant Inc. system and is for women 26 years of age and up who are single, divorced, widowed or married. The beauty pageant has been developed to promote and honor women, celebrate their accomplishments and use their "Crown for a Purpose" to support and encourage involvement in volunteer service.
Woolf Works is a full-length contemporary ballet choreographed by Wayne McGregor, composed by Max Richter, and inspired by Virginia Woolf's novels, letters, essays and diaries. The premiere took place on 11 May 2015 at the Royal Opera House. It was McGregor's first full-length ballet for The Royal Ballet, and won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production.