Hello Kitty Café truck coming to EsteroCape Coral residents react as Tropicana Park construction starts
ESTERO Hello Kitty Café truck coming to Estero Calling all Sanrio fans! The Hello Kitty Cafe truck will make its way to Estero in December.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral residents react as Tropicana Park construction starts Crews broke ground at Tropicana Park in Cape Coral on Monday, the first step toward the park’s future.
Body camera footage released of deputy involved crash A driver not paying attention to the road slams into several deputy patrol cars.
PUNTA GORDA Tow company denies access to boat owner after Hurricane Milton A woman’s boat sank during Hurricane Milton while she was in Michigan, but the company allegedly will not let her collect her belongings.
CAPE CORAL New billboard asks for help in solving Cape Coral cold case A new billboard towering over a busy Cape Coral intersection asks for your help in solving a 10 year old cold case.
FORT MYERS BEACH FEMA’s deadline forces tough choices for Fort Myers Beach businesses FEMA’s deadline is Monday for temporary structures like shipping containers or trailers to get off the island.
NAPLES Naples tops the U.S. News & World Report list for places to retire in 2025 at number 1 spot If you could pick a place to retire, what city would you choose?
What are the impacts to southwest Florida if the U.S. Department of Education gets eliminated? A lot of changes are in store when President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January. One of those changes is the possible dismantlement of the U.S. Department of Education.
Southwest Florida International Airport How is Spirit’s bankruptcy announcement affecting RSW travelers? Spirit Airlines is heading to bankruptcy court right as we head into the busy holiday travel season, so how would this impact Southwest Florida travelers?
Victim in Collier house party shooting identified, killer still at large WINK News is learning the victim of a fatal house party shooting was a Collier County public school student.
Ultrasound technology shows promise for pain and depression treatment Chronic pain and treatment-resistant depression — both impact millions of people, both can be debilitating and both can leave people feeling hopeless.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Fire Department launches annual toy drive The Cape Coral Fire Department is collecting toys and gifts for children in need this holiday season.
Bruno’s of Brooklyn opens new downtown Fort Myers location The new Bruno’s of Brooklyn Italian Eatery opens the evening of Nov. 18 at 2149 First St. in Fort Myers.
FORT MYERS BEACH FEMA deadline looms for Lee County: flood insurance discounts at risk FEMA will soon announce whether homeowners in five different areas of Lee County will keep that 25% discount on their flood insurance policies long term.
NORTH FORT MYERS Man wanted for grand theft at North Fort Myers Dollar Tree SWFL Crime Stoppers is seeking information on a man wanted for committing grand theft at a Dollar Tree in North Fort Myers last week.
ESTERO Hello Kitty Café truck coming to Estero Calling all Sanrio fans! The Hello Kitty Cafe truck will make its way to Estero in December.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral residents react as Tropicana Park construction starts Crews broke ground at Tropicana Park in Cape Coral on Monday, the first step toward the park’s future.
Body camera footage released of deputy involved crash A driver not paying attention to the road slams into several deputy patrol cars.
PUNTA GORDA Tow company denies access to boat owner after Hurricane Milton A woman’s boat sank during Hurricane Milton while she was in Michigan, but the company allegedly will not let her collect her belongings.
CAPE CORAL New billboard asks for help in solving Cape Coral cold case A new billboard towering over a busy Cape Coral intersection asks for your help in solving a 10 year old cold case.
FORT MYERS BEACH FEMA’s deadline forces tough choices for Fort Myers Beach businesses FEMA’s deadline is Monday for temporary structures like shipping containers or trailers to get off the island.
NAPLES Naples tops the U.S. News & World Report list for places to retire in 2025 at number 1 spot If you could pick a place to retire, what city would you choose?
What are the impacts to southwest Florida if the U.S. Department of Education gets eliminated? A lot of changes are in store when President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January. One of those changes is the possible dismantlement of the U.S. Department of Education.
Southwest Florida International Airport How is Spirit’s bankruptcy announcement affecting RSW travelers? Spirit Airlines is heading to bankruptcy court right as we head into the busy holiday travel season, so how would this impact Southwest Florida travelers?
Victim in Collier house party shooting identified, killer still at large WINK News is learning the victim of a fatal house party shooting was a Collier County public school student.
Ultrasound technology shows promise for pain and depression treatment Chronic pain and treatment-resistant depression — both impact millions of people, both can be debilitating and both can leave people feeling hopeless.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Fire Department launches annual toy drive The Cape Coral Fire Department is collecting toys and gifts for children in need this holiday season.
Bruno’s of Brooklyn opens new downtown Fort Myers location The new Bruno’s of Brooklyn Italian Eatery opens the evening of Nov. 18 at 2149 First St. in Fort Myers.
FORT MYERS BEACH FEMA deadline looms for Lee County: flood insurance discounts at risk FEMA will soon announce whether homeowners in five different areas of Lee County will keep that 25% discount on their flood insurance policies long term.
NORTH FORT MYERS Man wanted for grand theft at North Fort Myers Dollar Tree SWFL Crime Stoppers is seeking information on a man wanted for committing grand theft at a Dollar Tree in North Fort Myers last week.
A ring with a natural diamond compared to a ring with a lab-grown diamond. Which is which? Credit: WINK News Imagine a big diamond on your finger for a third of the typical cost. Lab-grown diamonds are becoming popular, especially among the younger generations. But can you tell the difference between lab-grown and natural diamonds? Looking at the selection of diamonds at Hannoush Jewelers in the Edison Mall, you can’t tell the difference at all. It sparkles just the same. Even jewelers have to put them in a machine to tell the difference between lab-grown and natural. Hannoush Jewelers showed WINK how they test the diamonds to tell the difference. In the machine, the lab-grown diamond comes up as red, and the natural diamond as blue. Christina Sivert, diamond consultant and assistant manager at Hannoush Jewelers, says lab-grown diamonds have become very popular within the last couple of years. She thinks it could be from social media spreading the word about a more affordable option that can get you a bigger ring for less money. Sivert says lab-grown is 25% to 30% cheaper. “If somebody comes in and says, ‘I want a one-carat, and this is my budget,’ then I typically steer them more to the lab-grown because I can’t get them what they want in a natural diamond, or I can but it’s not going to be of good quality and clarity,” Sivert said. “And that’s the last thing somebody wants to do is look at their ring and see, you know, some imperfections in the diamond.” WINK asked several people in downtown Fort Myers what they thought. “I’d prefer the real diamond; there is nothing like the real thing,” said Diane Goode. “I would prefer the real diamond,” said Anna Scimeca. “If the lab looked the same and was the same quality, about… yeah, I would probably go for that,” said Sophia Wengel. “Real diamond that’s smaller,” said Ashley Menigoz. “At first thought, the bigger diamond,” said Kaveon Dux. “But it depends on, like, the quality of it, number one, and also: Is a lab-grown diamond as special as maybe an authentic diamond for my potential fiancée?” Sivert says younger generations seem to be more open to the idea. “If they want a large stone, good quality and clarity, they might have to go lab if [natural is] not in their budget,” Sivert said.