Melissa Mesa (Mia) grew up in San Diego, California.  She graduated at the top of her class as her high school valedictorian.  She went on to receive her college degree from the University of California, San Diego in Theatre Costume Design with Cum Laude honors.  Her interest in jewelry design led her to study pearls and pearl grading with the Gemological Institute of America where she received her diploma in Pearls.  At PearlParadise.com, Mia is one fo the pearl buyers and travels to Asia frequently to build the pearl inventory.  Also, she is the first line of defense in quality control with the intake and organization of each new batch of pearls.  In addition, she also oversees the processing of orders from the stringing line to the appraising of each pearl piece.  With customers, Mia’s training in costume design aides in helping them choose the pearl jewelry that fits best with their needs and lifestyle.