During last month's reading group, a member mentioned this title, which peaked my interest....story about a necklace told from different perspectives. I envisioned a story along the lines of "The Red Violin," but this book was different...and in a good way. The brainstorm of one woman, Jonnell McLain, who wanted a diamond necklace to be an inclusive piece of jewelry rather than exclusive. This free thinker managed to convine 12 other women to pool their money to purchase, "Jewelia" and as the pages turn each chapter is devoted to each of the thirteen. My favorite is Priscilla Van Gundy who became involved at the insistence of her husband, the jewelry store owner who sold the necklace to the group. The necklace experiment was so much more than wearing a work of art...it was aweinspiring to see how Jewelia became more than originally intended. Just goes to show you that sisterhood isn't just about traveling pants. ( )

The real message of this book is that women need community and close relationships with each other. I couldn't agree more. But I couldn't get past the rah-rah around a group of privileged women needing an outrageously expensive piece of jewelry to get that. Yes, they did some good service work, but I couldnt' get past the superficiality of the the whole thing. The writing is quite pedestrian, to boot. ( )

I am currently reading it and enjoying it. It's light, yet different. It's a unique idea that worked well for the ladies involved. I wish I could afford to spend $1,000 to have a diamond necklace for a month!! ( )

on itunes

I wasn't sure I'd like this book - 13 wealthy-ish women and a diamond necklace - but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Loved the camaraderie of the women, their kindess to each other and others in their community, and the fun they had (are having) with Jewelia - too cute. I'd love to have them as friends, and I'd also love to live Ventura, CA, a town I visited a couple of years ago on a press trip. ( )

How would you like to go to the grocery store or the gynecologist or your graduation wearing a $37,000 diamond necklace? Would it be fun? Would it be shocking? Would it change your life?

In Cheryl Jarvis' book, The Necklace, Jonell McClain convinces 11 other women to band together with her to bid on a $37,000 diamond tennis necklace. (The 13th - and most reluctant - member is the jeweler's wife.) They hold regular meetings, they set up guidelines for sharing the necklace (everyone gets it for a month), they talk about where the necklace has been and what they've done while wearing it - everything from trips to the gynecologist to sky diving. There are rules about when you must have the necklace (if you are going to Paris) and what you must do while you have it (you must make love wearing only the diamonds, which is how one woman convinces her husband to sign off on the project). The women are very different from each other, they have different reasons for getting involved, but they all find it a novel and exciting experience and they take different things away from it.

Jonell, an ex-hippie, wants to make the necklace an experiment in group ownership. She wants the women to get involved together in social and political movements and she is for some reason surprised to find that not everyone shares her politics. Maggie is an adventurer and her first big adventure with the necklace is to wear it sky diving. When the other women find out that she called a tv station and they were on-hand to film her jump, they are not a bit happy. Others are successful career women and use the necklace (which the group named 'Jewelia') to reconnect with women friends.

The book is an interesting read, although I sometimes felt a little skeptical. No one seems concerned about the necklace being lost (skydiving? you're going to jump out of a plane wearing our hugely expensive diamonds? I don't think so!) or stolen. They loan it to everyone in town, sitting in coffee shops and letting strangers wear it around for varying periods of time. They host fundraisers where people make large charitable donations just to spend the evening with the women who bought the necklace - why? One of the things that kept bothering me was that they continually refer to it as a '$37,000 necklace.' That was the original price; however, the price had been dropped to $22,000 and at the silent auction they bid $12,000. A lot of money, but even I found the larger number to have more impact in print. I'm just not sure it's accurate.

Perhaps it's because I'm not a big fan of jewelry that I cannot imagine a necklace changing my life, or so many women being moved by the power of some diamonds. Patti, a personal shopper and a woman with a huge wardrobe and closets full of accessories, finds that owning the necklace changes her whole perspective on being a consumer, so perhaps it's possible. It was interesting to see the different ways the women connected. I'm not sure that it has anything profound to say about our consumerist culture, but it says a lot about how women form friendships and the value of those friendships. I also found that necklace gave the women something to talk about with other people and a reason for people to take an interest in them. This seemed to make them blossom, far more than you could credit to pretty jewelry.

Got a little bit repetitive reading all the women's stories. The idea of sharing the necklace and the bonding of the group was interesting. ( )

It is funny how a simple but clever idea to own a piece of something can change the lives of so many, but that is precisely what happens when 13 women decide to invest in a piece of a diamond necklace. I say piece because they get to wear the whole necklace but they only have a month a year to wear it. However, as you read through the story you will learn that for many the purchase wasn’t really about the wearing of the necklace at all. Through this story, you learn what motivates women throughout their lives, and also how even though their lives may seem very different or start out very different that they can come together to find ways to make changes in the world around them.

Each story shares some aspect of the life of each of these women. They are more varied than they are alike. However, because most of the women are in their 40’s or 50’s they do have a lot of life experience to share. I was very moved by many of them and saw not only myself in some, but also saw many of my friends in a way I had not considered in the past.

This book provides good lessons in how little it takes to make a difference in the lives of the less fortunate, how to maintain relationships with those you care about most, and changes you can make in the direction of your own life no matter your age. I recommend this book as a way to lift your spirit and renew your faith in your fellow sisters. ( )

Jonell McLain was out shopping one day when she saw a stunning diamond necklace in the display window of a jewelry store. It was a simple “tennis bracelet” style, exactly what she wanted in a necklace. However, at over thirty thousand dollars it was way out of Jonell’s price range. So she came upon a clever idea: what if she split the cost of the necklace up with a group of women, and they would take turns wearing it? A time-share for jewelry, you could say, could make something of beauty available to many instead of an elite few. Men laughed and told her it would never work, but Jonell was determined to try…so she gathered together one dozen women, and together they took the plunge. Each month they met up to discuss the adventures of the necklace. For one woman it helped revitalize her marriage; another was motivated to lose twenty-five pounds. At times there was tension and disagreement – Who could wear the necklace? What was the point of their gathering together? – but ultimately the string of diamonds brought them together and made them a community. To some women it gave courage and to others hope. In all it fostered a sense of giving and sharing that spread to other aspects of their lives as well.

The Necklace is an interesting study in women’s behavior and sense of community. None of the women really knew each other that well when they went in to buy the necklace, but the single shared piece of jewelry led them to form a support group. For Jonell, the one who came up with the idea, this experiment could raise the groups’ consciousness. She wanted them to read books about consumerism and how the things we own really “own” us, but many of the others weren’t interested. Patti wanted to loan the necklace to a friend’s daughter for her wedding day, but the other women felt it wouldn’t be special if just anyone could wear it. At each argument I wondered if the group would finally fall apart, but friendship and finances are two powerful motivators. The author doesn’t say it, but I suspect at times the potential loss of the investment may have been powerful glue holding the group together.

I found the book quite interesting. It reads very quickly, and each chapter tries to focus on one of the women in the group and how the necklace affected her life, and what they did with it. I’m hardly motivated to run out and try to start a similar group, but the book did make me stop and think for a moment about my attitude towards my belongings and the friends I spend time with. It was an enjoyable way to spend an hour or two. ( )

A woman walks into a jewelry store and sees a beautiful diamond necklace. She tries it on and it occurs to her that she will never, in her lifetime, be able to afford something so beautiful. After thinking more about it, and seeing that the necklace goes on sale a few months later, she decides to get a group of women together so they can purchase the necklace as a group with the hopes of sharing it.

Since the title of the book hints that there is some sort of transformation, I expected to actually read about one. This book was flat and one dimensional. We never get to really know these women or what they are all about and there is no final conclusion as to what this experiment meant to any of them. ( )

The story told in The Necklace is both humbling and uplifting. After seeing a very expensive diamond necklace in the window of a local jewelery shop, Jonnell McLain convinces 12 other women to split the cost and share the ownership if it with her. What happens to the group of women and the community that surrounds them is as unexpected as it is interesting. The women are an unlikely bunch ranging from a shopaholic to a motorcycle riding, gun toting girl Friday, a farmer, and an interior designer. At first,the women have little in common other than the ownership of the necklace. Though from very different backgrounds and social classes, they begin to hold meetings once a month. The first meetings are designed to outline sharing guidelines and inconsequentialities such as the name for the necklace, but soon they become planning sessions for fund raisers and a place for the women to muster support for each other. When the community gets wind of the experiment, the diamonds take on a life of their own, and become not only a local conversation piece but a way for the women to share the glamour of the jewels with those who would never normally experience them. From barristas to homeless women, coworkers to brides, the diamonds become a symbol of sharing and goodwill from woman to woman, a sumptuous experience that reaches well beyond the original investors. As expected, sometimes tensions run high in the group and there are misunderstandings, but the women are able to see beyond those experiences and keep the experiment alive. Using the necklace, the women are able to champion social causes and aid many charities, including domestic violence centers, drug rehabilitation programs and specific assistance to the homeless. Among the group, the diamond necklace prompts questions of materialism, consumerism, social responsibility and the collectivism of women's society. The necklace ultimately transcends the boundaries of lavish expenditure and becomes the symbol and mascot for a great group of caring women.

I went into this book with many reservations. How, I asked myself, can anyone believe that in these harsh economic times believe that a diamond necklace can be the answer to some of our biggest problems? When people are losing their houses and can't afford gas or food, you want me to care about diamonds? I fully expected this book to be about privileged women and their proclivities for the high life. And indeed the first few chapters didn't skew my beliefs. In the first sections the women were described as exceptionally beautiful, reasonably wealthy and of an almost elite social class. Who could really relate with that? I saw the arrangement to purchase the necklace as a one woman's way to have something that was financially unfeasible, using her friends' investments as a monetary platform to reach beyond her grasp and obtain a lavish treat for herself. I was a little angry that I was expected to care about this foolishness, and that this was supposed to be a meaningful book. Then I read on, and discovered that that some of the women in this project were not so wonderfully well off and solvent: some were just scraping by, some were spiritually bereft, and some were lonely. The necklace for them became a way to make friends, something to share in a life that had become overwhelming and complicated. I began to revise my opinion. When the women began to reach out and support social causes, using the necklace to raise great amounts of money for their community, I revised again. But what really made me see the light of this book were the testimonials of random women who were gifted with the wearing of the necklace for hours, or even minutes. They spoke of feeling loved and appreciated, of being part of a group and feeling that their sacrifices in life were recognized by this one small act. Many primped and preened with the diamonds around their neck, but most just displayed a sense of awe that the diamonds had come their way. These women cherished this experience, and it made them feel loved and valued. Now, I don't necessarily think I would feel the same way, or get that thrilled about a string of diamonds around my neck, but obviously these women did. The necklace seemed to have a distinctive excitement surrounding it, and it touched everyone who came in contact with it. Though I find it a little far-fetched that a piece of jewelry can garner this type of reaction from so many people, I don't belittle them for their reaction. On the contrary, maybe in today's world we might all need something to get excited about and connect with. Maybe every community needs an experiment like The Necklace.

This is definitely a good book for book groups, because it seems to engender conversations regarding women and their friendships, and a picture of what women can do when they join together as a group. Although this is a moving read, I found the language to be a little simplistic, and the author's voice lacking in verve and poignancy. It does detract a bit from the story, but not in a way that mars the implications and realities of the book or the experiment. I didn't have much hope for this story initially, but once things started rolling and the author got past what made these women so elite and special, I found a very moving and inspiring story lurking inside these pages. ( )

The Necklace is a sure-fire discussion book. A woman becomes obsessed with an expensive diamond necklace well beyond her means and talks twelve other women into banding together to purchase said necklace. What follows is a fascinating study of human nature, growth, friendship -- set along a path that does not always run smoothly.

The Necklace: thirteen women and the experiment that transformed their lives is the true story of a group of women that joined together to purchase and share a beautiful and expensive diamond necklace. For the most part they all realized it was about more then a necklace. It was about a group friendship, sharing experiences and helping one another. The necklace rotated from month to month between the women with exceptions for special events as well.

This was not always an easy experience, the women went through arguments and disagreements about the necklace and how it should be used in several cases. But the necklace really did bring these women together and in the process helped their community.

I really enjoyed this book. I can't help compare it to the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants book series in the fact that a group of women/girls share an object that brings them closer together. I also liked the idea that women that were almost polar opposites could come together and set aside differences to be part of the group.

For the most part I like how the book worked, featuring one women for each chapter, mini biographies of their lives and how they interacted with the group. I just wish each chapter was written more from each of their points of view more so than quotes sprinkled into a narration about them. I think it would have been more powerful it it all came right from their mouths. I do realize to link all the women together and keep the story moving their had to be a higher narration though.

I really liked Priscilla Van Gundy, who only joined because her husband asked that the women allow her to join when they bought the necklace from him. She didn't want to at first and then eventually realized she should give it a try and had a most wonderful experience. I really liked seeing how all the women knew each other and how they ended up being in the group.

I also was very pleased to see they did more with the necklace than just wear it, they had several fundraising events and also got great joy out of sharing the necklace with people they encountered in their everyday life. The people that got the chance to wear it were so excited and there are even testimonials of their experiences with the necklace!

This is a wonderful feel-good book about women that enhanced each others lives and helped their community in the process. I'm less than half their age but I still enjoyed it and could identify with it. ( )

I had high hopes for The Necklace by Cheryl Jarvis; the subtitle, “thirteen women and the experiment that transformed their lives,” intrigued me; I expected a tale of sharing, altruism, philanthropy and friendship. Instead, I felt overwhelmed by portraits of entitled women who felt good about themselves because they let someone else wear (whether for ten minutes or a day) the necklace.

The book is divided into fourteen chapters, the first thirteen each focus on one of the “Women of Jewelia” (Jewelia, pronounced “Julia”, is the name they’ve bestowed on this 15.24-carat $37,000 necklace). Jarvis assigns each woman a personality trait: the visionary, the shopper, the loner, the adventurer, etc., then proceeds to expound on that trait and explain how the woman works herself and her personality into the group. The fourteenth chapter, The Experiment, summarizes the time the women have spent with the necklace (so far; it’s expected to be passed down through generations), and the lessons they’ve learned along the way.

Within a year of forming, the group thought to use Jewelia to benefit the community, holding fundraisers for several causes, including The Coalition to End Family Violence. Jarvis points out that in less than 18 months after buying Jewelia, they had raised more money than it cost to purchase the necklace.

What distracts from the goodness of the philanthropy is the author’s insistence on describing the women as privileged, and focusing on their looks and their surroundings. Phrases like “with her blond hair, deep tan, flat sandals and short, floral skirt, she epitomized the ‘California casual’ look”, “Maggie … displayed the hard body of a thirty-year-old … had opted for eyelid surgery and a face-lift”, and “… her clothes hang loosely, the result of a recent holistic diet. From her highlighted hair to her pedicured feet, her look is polished and put together …” make the “Women of Jewelia” seem more like quasi-celebrities than a cohesive unit that has found a way to rise above their differences to work together for a common good.

Full review at www.sheIsTooFondOfBooks.com ( )

The Necklace is one of those rare books that is more than the sum of its parts. It contains some of the most workmanlike prose I've recently encountered: short, choppy, unadorned sentences with no poetry to them whatsoever. It's the sort of prose that might work in the cramped, two-inch columns of a woman's magazine, but it's abrupt and jarring in book format. Writing can make or break my attitude toward a book, so by the first few pages I wasn't expecting I'd like The Necklace much.

However, there is a lot to this volume's story—that of thirteen women who pitched in a grand each for an ownership share in an otherwise unaffordable diamond necklace. Jarvis' narrative deals with the issues raised by the concept itself (what it means to share, to be part of a group, to participate in or redefine conspicuous consumption) and by the interaction of the diverse thirteen-plus women who are participating or at one time participated in the experiment (how it's affected their marriages, their social lives; how it's forced them to confront issues of infighting and cliquishness; giving back to others, compromise, and tolerance of different worldviews). Jarvis deftly touches on these issues in a way that neither trivialises nor sensationalises them. The read was neither long nor difficult, but I put the book down feeling energised and optimistic, and (despite my initial impressions) will most likely read it again.

This is not a literary work of art. It is a work of art all the same. Thirteen women whose lives were changed because of what began as a simple leap of faith and what might seem to be a frivolity.

Each woman has a chapter that describes who she was, and who she has become due to her commitment to be more. A commitment that began with the necklace and moved forward because of a strength it ingited within them. An unspoken agreement that came as part a parcel of the investment in a piece of fine jewelry.

As I read through each chapter I was filled more and more with admiration and hope born of this sisterhood. I felt my own part in it simply as a woman who has reached maturity and a certain contentment and wisdom . These women took what they had of that, shared it, and then they soared.

The women who owned Jewelia became more than friends, They became a force. A force for rising above, and for doing good. A force for taking small positive steps and making a big difference. This is a book that women of all ages need to read, share and read again. ( )