She said the promotion allowed people to vote for a business, a restaurant, a cafe or simply a place in the city centre that made them feel good.
"Whilst the top 10 best places changed a few times over the course of the promotion, Diamond Design came in as the clear leader so they deserve that supreme award," said Ms Mattson.
"This promotion is a unique opportunity to allow the public to share their favourite places in the city centre and is a lovely way for Downtown Tauranga businesses to be acknowledged."
Mr Tulloch did his apprenticeship in Christchurch.
"I trained in the old school where you did things properly or you got it hammered down and had to start again," he said.
For the past 15 years he has been part of the select group of jewellers who are regularly invited to buy directly from a dealer in Antwerp's diamond district, the world's biggest diamond centre.
Also dubbed the Square Mile, the district is a pedestrian-free area covering several blocks in the Belgian city, which is estimated to process about 84 per cent of the world's rough diamonds.
Mr Tulloch visits Antwerp every year in March/April to select cut and polished stones for his jewellery designs.
"You can't just walk into the wholesale dealers and buy, you have to be invited to go there," said Mr Tulloch. "Only people who understand and know how diamonds are graded are allowed to go there, so I'm very privileged."
Antwerp has an estimated 3500 brokers, merchants and diamond cutting specialists.
Mr Tulloch said he usually bought from the same dealer who had a diamond mine in Botswana and imported rough stones directly from there to cut and polish in Antwerp.
"I can choose from a huge selection," he said.
"I make a lot of rings for people who want something really special."
Downtown favourites
- The finalists in Downtown Tauranga's "Best Place" competition were Diamond Design (the winner), Books A Plenty, Heartland Bank, The Phoenix, Cobb & Co, KILT, Pluto, The Med, Spring Street Cafe and the Tauranga Library.
- Louise Old won a voucher from each of the finalists as the winner of the pulic draw od all the votes cast.