Contact: Chi Huynh Email: artistchi@yahoo.com Tel: (951) 202-1227 MOMENTO FROM GALATEA GIVES JEWELRY A VOICE Patented NFC-Powered Collection Saves Your Precious Moments in a Pearl, Gem or Diamond (SAN DIMAS, CA) The NFC-empowered Momento Pearl, Gem and Diamond Collections from Galatea: Jewelry by Artist are the first fine jewelry collections to contain near field communication technology, allowing a user to create a tailored voice message that can be played when the jewelry is tapped against a compatible mobile device. Taking smart jewelry to a completely new, emotional level, the patented Momento Pearl, Gem and Diamond Collections (U.S. Patent No. 14/517.827 and Trademark 86/434,536) can also store a variety of digital content including images, messages and videos. Galatea gives Momento jewelry its voice by implanting an NFC chip deep inside the pearl, gem or diamond setting. The tiny computer runs without a battery by induction energy. When the Galatea app is downloaded, the user records a message or uploads an audio file. By tapping the jewelry against an NFC-enabled smartphone, including NFC-enabled Android phones or all models of Apple iphones 7, 8 and X, the audio is played and other digital material displayed. From words of love and encouragement to wedding vows and Biblical passages, the emotional connections the Momento Pearl can make are truly endless. The Momento Pearl contains an NFC chip to play a variety of messages. -more-
MOMENTO GIVES JEWELRY A VOICE, page 2 "This is where the future of jewelry begins," says inventor and Galatea founder Chi Huynh. "A person can 'live' in this jewelry forever, as it holds the voice and memories of a loved one." Despite its high-tech interface, the real interest in the Momento lies in its ability to summon a voice, a memory and emotions, says Huynh. In 2018, the company also launched The Bible Pearl, which holds the entire Old and New Testaments as well as a full-length feature, The Jesus Film. Wearers can hear a daily Bible verse or watch the film just by touching their smartphone to The Bible Pearl. The Cultured Pearl Revolutionary Though Momento Pearl is unique, Huynh says it's just a natural extension of Galatea's revolutionary work with pearls and pearl culturing over the last 20 years. Known for its handcarved cultured Tahitian and freshwater pearls, the Galatea also owns a number of patents for its unique pearl and gemstone jewelry. In 2005, the company introduced the Galatea Pearl (U.S. Patent 7,062,940 B2), a pearl that is cultured using a colored stone bead. After the pearl's nacre is carved away, the color can be seen below its surface. It's been called the most significant breakthrough in pearl culturing since Kokichi Mikimoto patented the process in the early part of the 20th century. About Galatea: Jewelry by Artist (www.galateausa.com): With an uncompromising artistic vision, Chi Huynh, founder of Galatea, has created some of the world's most beautiful and unusual jewelry collections jewelry that relies upon pearls and other gemstones that have been transformed by proprietary and patented processes. A poet, painter and humanitarian, Galatea, founded in 1994, employs over 150 people in the U.S. and Vietnam. Contact Chi Huynh directly at (951)202-1227 for interviews or additional information. -END-
Contact: Chi Huynh Email: artistchi@yahoo.com Tel: (951) 202-1227 GALATEA S INNOVATION TRANSFORMS THE VALUE OF A PEARL The Bible Pearl --Where Faith, Technology & the Jewelry Industry Meet (SAN DIMAS, California) Galatea Jewelry by Artist s recently released The Bible Pearl a jewelry collection that contains the entire audio Bible within a pearl. Technology and artistry has merged to create these unique and patented rings, necklaces and earrings. Powered by Momento Technology and the Galatea Jewelry App, The Bible Pearl contains a small NFC chip. When the pearl touches an NFC-enabled smartphone, wearers can hear a daily Bible verse and can also store personal audio, images, video or written messages. Chi Huynh, the founder of Galatea, is the mastermind behind this breakthrough for the jewelry industry. The Bible Pearl Collection is unique as it also contains the entire New and Old Testaments as well as the full-length movie, The Jesus Film. Our patented technology empowers people to enhance the meaning of their jewelry. We believe The Bible Pearl Collection will be treasured by many, not just for its beauty, but for how it can build a person s faith and devotion, says Chi Huynh, owner of Galatea. This year has been an exciting one for Galatea. The company won both the first and second place in the JCK s 2018 Jewelers Choice Awards, recognizing their artistry and innovation in the pearl jewelry category. Galatea has created a short video about The Bible Pearl, as well as an instructional video of how to use the pearl and app for consumers. The Bible Pearl Collection is also affordable with manufacturer suggested retail pricing ranges from $175 to $915. -End-
Contact: Chi Huynh Email: artistchi@yahoo.com Tel: (951) 202-1227 CORPORATE BACKGROUNDER Galatea: Jewelry by Artist San Dimas, California Galatea of San Dimas, California, was founded in 1994 by Chi Huynh. With an uncompromising artistic vision, Huynh has created some of the world s most beautiful and unusual jewelry collections collections that rely upon pearls and other gemstones that have been transformed by the company's patented and proprietary processes. Galatea is best known for its carved, gemstone-centered and diamond-studded cultured pearls. In the 1990s, Galatea introduced the Diamond in a Pearl Collection to the U.S. market. Called, "The Symbol of Love," each cultured pearl is meticulously fashioned with a 14k white or yellow gold setting that holds a brilliant white diamond. Its design is largely symbolic: The pearl, created in nature through a process that involves pain for the oyster, signifies life. The diamond is the hope that can transcend all of life's difficulties. Galatea's classic "Diamond in a Pearl" pendant. Many of Galatea s jewelry designs include hand-carved Tahitian or freshwater pearls. Perfected after years of experimentation, the pearls are all cut by hand and polished to a high luster. With their deep, uniform cuts and swirls and over 40 unique designs, Galatea's carved pearls are miniature works of art. The company 1
has two dedicated pearl carving factories in Soc Trang, Vietnam, and recently opened a Galatea Jewelry by Artist retail salon in Ho Chi Minh City. The Galatea Pearl with R.C turquoise center. Huynh holds a number of U.S. patents for his unique jewelry designs. One is for the Galatea Pearl, a gem-nucleated pearl that is carved to reveal the color beneath. Called, "the most significant development in pearl culturing since Mikimoto perfected the culturing process" by Modern Jeweler, Galatea Pearls are grown in Tahiti. Another patent was awarded for the DavinChi Cut, a gemstone design that allows the gem to absorb colors, light or images from its surroundings. Galatea currently offers earrings, pendants and rings with DavinChi Cut amethyst, blue or white topaz, and citrine gemstones. A blue topaz DavinChi Cut Pendant 2
In 2014, Galatea s exceptional pearl collections crossed the line from fine jewelry to technology as the company introduced the patented Momento Pearl. Developed after years of research, it is the first fine jewelry that is designed with an NFC (near field communications) chip inside the pearl. The chip interacts with the company s proprietary Galatea Momento App, downloaded to an NFC-enabled smartphone, including NFC-enabled Android phones and all models of Apple iphones 7, 8 and X. When the pearl is touched to the phone, users can record and play voice messages, retrieve images, text messages and videos. In 2015, the company extended the line to include Momento Gem and Momento Diamond Collections. And in 2018, the company launched another first the Bible Pearl, which contains audio versions of the New and Old Testaments. Wearers can touch the pearl to their smartphone to receive the day s daily Bible verse. The Bible Pearl also contains The Jesus Film, a full-length feature about the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Galatea Bible Pearl was introduced in 2018. Huynh has also won numerous awards for jewelry design. In 2018, Drop of Nectar won the coveted JCK Jewelers Choice Award in the Pearl Jewelry Category. The award is voted upon by retail jewelers each year." In 2011, Galatea was awarded the coveted Visionary Award for its hand-carved pearl Queen Bead Collection from the Cultured Pearl Association of America s International Pearl Design Competition. The award is given to the company or designer whose design has done the most to change the perception of pearls in the marketplace. Galatea was awarded the "Designer s Award" twice by the IPDC twice, once in 2013 for its handcarved baroque freshwater "Lily Pearl" and once in 2012 for its Tahitian pearl ring, "Bathing in the Moon. 3
The carved pearl Queen Bead Collection won the CPAA/International Pearl Design Competition's Visionary Award in 2011. "Drop of Nectar," a Tahitian pearl and gemstone pendant, won the JCK Magazine Jewelers Choice Award for pearl jewelry in 2018. Chi Huynh learned the jewelry trade by apprenticing for his father, one of Vietnam s most respected jewelers. Today, Galatea manufactures both in the U.S. and Vietnam and sells to approximately 1500 retail jewelers throughout the United States. In 2018, the company opened a jewelry salon in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, bringing the Galatea story full circle. The company also distributes in both Europe and Asia. For additional information about Galatea, please visit the website at www.galateausa.com or contact Chi Huynh at (951) 202-1227 or by email at artistchi@yahoo.com. 4
Contact: Chi Huynh artistchi@yahoo.com Tel: 951-202-1227 BIOGRAPHY Chi Huynh, Founder Galatea: Jewelry by Artist Chi Huynh is the founder and creative force behind Galatea of San Dimas, California. A painter, poet and humanitarian, Huynh founded the company in 1994. He learned the jewelry trade by apprenticing for his father, Tong Huynh, one of the Vietnam s most respected jewelers. His father, says Huynh, also taught him the patience, dedication and courage it takes to become a great jeweler. Nature is his guiding inspiration. From the graceful petals of a chrysanthemum blossom to the ripples created by the toss of a pebble into a pond, Huynh sees the beauty of nature all around him and uses it to take precious materials to unimagined heights. An artist who asks, why not? when others say, you can t, Huynh holds multiple U.S. patents for jewelry including the Galatea Pearl, DavinChi Cut, Illusia and Momento the world s first NFC-enabled fine jewelry. Huynh s designs have won accolades from the Cultured Pearl Association of America's International Pearl Design Competition, JCK Magazine's Jewelers' Choice Awards, the Platinum Guild International Design Competition and the Tahitian Pearl Trophy Competition. His paintings, which sometimes serve as the inspiration for new pieces of jewelry, have been exhibited at the Museum of History and Art in Ontario, California. Huynh lives with his wife and four children in Southern California. Artist and jeweler Chi Huynh. -more-
Biography, Chi Huynh, Page 2 Chi Huynh Discusses the Importance of Artists and Designers Creating Their Own Ground: Artists play an important role in society. When I was young, I didn t like Picasso because I didn t think he could paint. A few years later, I began to understand that it is not about the painting on the wall. It was Picasso s unique ideas and philosophies, his new ways of looking at the world that made him great. Art influences the way we build our homes, design our cars and select the clothing we wear every day. It is the same with jewelry. You study trends to find new ideas. You take a design and change it to make it better. Do a good job and someone will buy it from you. But no one will take you seriously unless you create your own ground. This is the difference between a good concept and a great one, between an okay design and one that is transcendent. Galatea manufactures both in the U.S. and Vietnam and sells to approximately 1500 retail jewelers throughout the United States. For additional information about Galatea, Chi Huynh or for interview opportunities, please visit the website at www.galateausa.com or contact Chi Huynh at (951) 202-1227 or by email at artistchi@yahoo.com. High resolution images are available upon request. # # #