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Del Mar, Calif.--About 2,000 people came through the doors of the Diamond Boutique here over a single weekend, drawn by the allure of $1 million worth of diamond brilliance.

Natasha Digius-Mahdavi said the store worked through its suppliers to procure an 18.62-carat, VVS2 clarity, L color, excellent cut diamond. The family-owned store then mounted the stone on a necklace and opened their doors to the public.

For three days, people flooded the store to try on the diamond, dubbed the “Triple Crown” because of the popularity of horse racing in the area, and even be photographed wearing the piece.

At the end of the day, the store’s event garnered it coverage on Good Day LA, CNN and a mention by HLN anchor Nancy Grace, and resulted in between 1,800 and 2,000 visitors between Jan. 20 to 22.

Digius-Mahdavi said that is about half the number of people that attended when the store held a similar event in 1994, a drop that is attributable to several factors.

She said the event was more last-minute this time. They didn’t receive the diamond until the end of December after working for some time to receive insurance approval, leaving the store less time for marketing the event.

In addition, the Internet now provides a more widespread visual preview than it did eight years ago. The store posted pictures of the stone on Facebook prior to the event.

“I think maybe with the advent of the Internet ... it kind of calms their curiosity,” Digius-Mahdavi said. “I think the Internet really changed it.”

Regardless, thousands of people flooding one’s store in a single weekend, not to mention the increase in the number of “likes” on Facebook is enough to please any retailer. The store gave the first 100 guests to take photos wearing the Triple Crown a freshwater pearl necklace valued at $135.

Those who “liked” Diamond Boutique on Facebook and shared their photos were entered to win a diamond bracelet, while two people received $100 gift certificates to a local spa and three won $50 gift certificates to a local restaurant.