The Palatine - The Hidden Jewel of the Central Valley

To kick off 2016, we were delighted to be featured in CV LUX - a West Coast magazine that began in our very own Central Valley - featuring all things Luxury.  For a hard copy of this month's issue, visit us at The Palatine!

As you drive down Freeway 41, the question is posed,  "what's in that building?"  Most think it's filled with doctors and accountant offices.   2004 marked the beginning of an era that was yet to come, The Palatine Building.  The majestic and ornate structure, residing on North Fresno Street, opened its doors to local specialty professionals and a few prestigious boutiques.     

The name, Palatine, originates from a hill in Rome where emperors used to build their homes. Later it was discovered that the name actually traced back to the Armenian roots of the Arzrouni, Jelladian & Gage families who own and manage it, ironically, making the name more poignant.

Designed, engineered and built by the family architect and contractors, the building is constructed of nothing but the finest materials, from copper roof embellishments to solid mahogany doors with slate and marble interiors.  The structure itself is one of a kind and worthy of a visit for pure visual enjoyment.

As the years passed, the iconic building has evolved into the Central Valley's only Metropolitan Boutique shopping destination.  Mainstay original tenants include Slates Restaurant and the family owned, Jewels Unlimited and RSVP Style.

All of these companies have undergone evolutionary changes as well.   Slates Restaurant, has replaced its renown nightly fine dining  with Plates by Slates, a casual contemporary lunch cafe, available to enjoy while you shop at the Palatine. The original Slates experience is available only in their second floor dining rooms by reservation and private event only.

Family owned for over forty years, Jewels Unlimited has generationally been passed and grown into Gianni Fine Jewelers. Gianni boasts the  finest jewelry collections from renowned designers spanning the world.  The true jewel that lives inside of this remarkable location.

RSVP began as a small invitation and gift boutique.  After developing its place in the wedding industry as a fine stationer, their gift collections have continually grown over the last twelve years. In addition to fabulous gifts of stationery, candles, and designer frames, they have expanded their product mix  into bridal and gift registry featuring collections of both casual and formal dinnerware, selections of serving pieces, decorative pieces for the home and accent furniture decor.  From Versace to Michael Aram and stunning pieces from around the world, their exclusive collections are dazzling.

In 2010, RSVP Style expanded with Mary C. Papaleo,  joining the management, expanding into floral and events.  Stems at the Palatine Floral and Event Studio sprouted.  Offering the Valley's premiere fresh floral services, Stems delivers six days a week.  With over 28 years  of full event design and coordination, Stems will make every celebration memorable and fabulous.  Teaming with RSVP's design team, Stems will create phenomenal interior botanical designs and decorate all areas in your home or office. Together, these two stores will make your world beautiful. 

The upper levels of the Palatine host two specialty physicians, Dr. Denard Fobbs, of Lifepoint Institute for Women and Dr. Aaron Draper, expert in NeuroSoma therapy.  Alchemy Spa is located on Level Two as well.  Walk into Fresno's elite pristine spa, relax in style and come out looking like a star.

Level Three is home to Alchemy Salon, mother studio to Alchemy Spa.  The Valley's top stylists will dress your tresses while you sip spa water or tea, enjoying a view of the city scape.  Alchemy offers the best of the best in hair care and body products.  Browse in their mirrored showroom while you await your transformation.

The Palatine is a designer building that houses true designers.  Predominantly woman owned and run companies, all strive to create a unique and luxurious atmosphere for all to indulge in.  Whether you need to pop in to grab a quick gift, enjoy a glass of fine wine or find the perfect engagement ring, we are at your complete service .  Words that echo through the lobby are "I never knew all of this was in here!"

Now you know what is in "that building."  Herein lies the foundation for true California convenience and lifestyle.  Standing in the foreground amidst the majestic Sierra Nevada's, this iconic building invites you and your curiosity to be enchanted and fulfilled.

       

The construction of The Palatine Building caught many eyes off of Fresno's main thoroughfare, Highway 41.

After four years of construction, this architectural monument with notable Egyptian styling and a

9th Century Armenian name was finally complete.

Four designing women, leading the team at The Palatine

{Left to Right} Gina S. Jelladian, Stephanie M. Bedrosian, Sonya Gage and Mary C. Papaleo

The original RSVP showroom

Fine stationers with a Unique collection of gifts for every occasion

The new RSVP & Stems showroom

Designer Florist & Event Coordinators

Home Collections & Bridal Registry

Gianni Fine Jewelers: The Central Valley's Designer Jewelry Company

Shop in a relaxing atmosphere and enjoy unmatched service and selection

Alchemy Salon & Spa

Retreat to the third floor to enjoy serenity and relaxation

Shopping for a Diamond? Know Every Facet...

One of the most magical moments in life is falling in love and answering the question, "Will you marry me?"  As you're swept off your feet, into eternity with this one true love, you must also realize that you will spend the next several decades {if not forever} with the diamond that the two of you choose together.

Finding a diamond isn't the same as going shopping for clothes or even larger purchases. Finding your diamond is a very personal and sentimental purchase in your lifetime. You're looking for something that you love.  When you're making a purchase as prominent as this, you should have the right guidance and expertise for reference.

Gianni Fine Jewelers is a family owned jewelry company for over 40 years in the Central Valley.  With certifications in diamonds, pearls and gemstone grading from the National Authority of Stone Grading, the Gemological Institute of America, along with decades of industry experience, you can feel confident in Gianni Fine Jewelers' standard of quality and level of expertise.

As you begin the search for your perfect diamond, Gianni Fine Jewelers offers this guide to the 4 C's of Diamonds:

Carat:

Diamonds and other gemstones are weighed in metric carats: one carat is equal to 0.2 grams; just as a dollar is divided into pennies, a carat is divided into 100 points.  Two diamonds of equal weight can have very different values depending on the other member's of the 4 C's.  Because even a fraction of a carat can make a considerable difference in cost, precision is crucial.

Cut:

Though extremely difficult to analyze or quantify, the cut of any diamond has three attributes: brilliance {the total light reflected from a diamond}, fire {the dispersion of light into the colors of spectrum}, and scintillation {the pattern of light and dark areas and the flashes of light, or sparkle, when a diamond is moved}

People often think of diamond cut as shape. Round is the shape used in most diamond jewelry. All other shapes are known as fancy shapes. Traditional fancy shapes include the marquise, pear, oval, rectangle and more.

As a value factor, though, cut refers to a diamond's proportions, symmetry and polish.

Color:

Diamond color is all about what you can't see. Diamonds are valued by how closely they approach colorlessness - the less color, the higher the value. The exception to this is fancy color diamonds, such as pinks and blues, which lie outside of the color range displayed below.

GIA's color grading scale for diamonds is the industry standard. The scale begins at D, representing colorless, and continues with the increasing presence of color to the letter Z, or light brown or yellow.  Many of these distinctions are invisible to the untrained eye, but these slight differences can make a very big difference in diamond quality and price.

Clarity:

Because diamonds are formed deep within the earth, under extreme heat and pressure, they often contain unique birth marks, either internal {inclusions} or external {blemishes}. The perfect combination of heat and pressure that forms these precious stones truly makes each one a special gift from the Earth.

Diamond clarity refers to the absence of these inclusions and blemishes. Diamonds without these birthmarks are rare, and rarity affects the diamond's value. The GIA International Diamond Grading System assigns clarity grades that range from flawless {FL} to diamonds with obvious inclusions {I3).


Clarity characteristics in a diamond of VVS-VS2 clarity are typically only visible with a very trained eye or through a loupe {10x magnification}.




Gianni Fine Jewelers has resources of the finest selection of diamonds and gemstones, spanning the world.  In addition to your center stone, Gianni has beautiful engagement collections, customized in house, by Michael M, Michael B. and other fine craftsmen.  Both engagement and wedding bands from their collections are handcrafted to meet the highest standards of excellence and artisanship.  Diamonds used in these fine pieces, for both ladies and gentlemen, are graded G, VS or greater and are matched by the discerning eyes of expert diamond setters.  This careful craftsmanship and commitment to quality leaves these diamonds reflecting each other's facets, allowing each handcrafted piece to shine it's brightest.

Together, with Gianni's experienced jewelry consultants, you will find your perfect diamond and engagement ring at Gianni Fine Jewelers.  Each element of cut, color, carat and clarity form an individual stone will represent the precious meaning of your individual love. Visit their location in the Central Valley on level one of The Palatine Building, on the NorthWest corner of Fresno & Alluvial.

Haute Mama!

Gianni Fine Jewelers, the Central Valley's Designer Jewelry Company was featured in the section 'Haute Mama' of CV Luxury for a very particular purpose in gifting: A Push Present.
For those gentlemen who recognize the unbelievable sacrifice made by their loving wives, and the nine months of unexpected effects on the body, it's an appropriate gesture to reward your leading lady with a gift to remember this great accomplishment, while also celebrating the birth of the newest love of her life!

When CV Stylist Cortney Snapp was perusing through Gianni's collections for her own pick of a push present, she stumbled across the fabulous Gianni Collection.

This beautiful line of faceted gemstone beads {amethyst, emerald, lapis, pyrite, quartz, ruby, turquoise & more}, with 18kt. gold and diamonds can be worn alone or abundantly adorned with meaningful charms, including an initial charm that can be added to any of these bead strands.

Gianni Fine Jewelers has gorgeous selections of casual fine jewelry for your daily wardrobe.
Many of these pieces offer a dual use where you can choose to wear as a necklace or a wrap bracelet.  Visit Gianni Fine Jewelers today to shop this fabulous collection, starting at $425.

Slates Says Farewell After 10 Years in the Central Valley!

Slates Restaurant - a coveted Central Valley fine dining location celebrated their 10 Year Anniversary and said farewell Friday, July 25th.  Slates opened with the Palatine Building's debut in 2004 and had a vision of bringing the Central Valley a big city feeling in their boutique location.  Over the last 10 years, Slates proudly maintained their vision and was the recipient of many awards including 'Most Romantic', 'Best Place to Take a Date' and 'Best of the Best' among many other dining awards - most notably, their 10 consecutive years of the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence!

Yesterday evening, the Palatine Management team hosted a fabulous farewell celebration, true to form, in Slates' style.  Decadent hors d'oeuvres, good company, great music & dancing late into the night made for the perfect send off for the beloved restaurant.  Although the quiet and romantic ambiance of Slates will be missed, the memories created with every special event & celebration will be in their hearts forever.  To amp up the celebration even more, announcements were made for what changes and expansions are coming to the Palatine Building & it has set some serious anticipation for the fourth quarter!

On level three of the Palatine, Alchemy Salon is a magnificent destination with a view.  This year, they have added a Spa to level two, which is a fabulous and relaxing retreat in the private bounds of the Palatine location.  They are also expanding the size of their salon on level three.

Gianni Fine Jewelers is located on level one of the Palatine. They feature exclusive collections and some of the largest name brands spanning from across the world, and this year have launched 'The Gianni Collection' ranging from $500-$2500.  Shop for your daily jewelry wardrobe, a special gift
or an heirloom piece at the Central Valley's designer jewelry company.

Stems at the Palatine is the Central Valley's designer floral studio, specializing in event design & coordination.  Their studio originally debuted on the third floor of the Palatine, but has evolved over the last four years and will be completely relocating both their retail and production to level one.

CV Luxury is the Central Valley's hottest new publication, featuring fashion, decor, leisure and life's little luxuries.  Their book is reflective of the Palatine Style and keeps ladies & gentlemen in the know about what's in style for every facet of their life!

SANA is a brand new laser body sculpting clinic, located on level two of the Palatine. Dr. Aaron Draper is most known for his innovative NeuroSoma therapy practice, I can personally attest that he is an unbelievable, natural doctor and he has most recently added the slimming procedure of Laser Body Sculpting. This is a guaranteed weight loss procedure, offering what every woman wants - a thin waist!

PLATES.  To maintain the most fabulous and complete shopping experience, you will still be able to enjoy great food at the Palatine! The Palatine Building will be relaunching a casual, yet fine eatery, which will be open for lunch and into the early evening beginning Fall 2014. Private event accommodations will still be available in their second floor dining room.

One last little secret:  The party kept everyone on the edge of their seat by only releasing a 'teaser' for what else was coming to level one of the Palatine.  "It will be reflective of the Palatine Style and continue to adorn your life and home".  Visit the contact page at PalatineFresno.com to subscribe to our mailing list & stay updated on what is going on. As soon as the details of this new Central Valley location are released, you will be the first to know!

Enjoy photos from the farewell celebration.  Cheers to 10 fabulous years in the Central Valley Slates Restaurant!!!