What does it feel like to wear a $70,000 diamond necklace?
Our local Malibu book club found out when they hosted four of the women featured in the book, “The Necklace, Thirteen Women and the Experiment That Transformed Their Lives,” by Cheryl Jarvis at the La Costa home of Carlye and Don Rudkin.
The guests—Mary Osborn, Roz Warner, Dale Muegenburg and Mary O’Connor—brought with them Jewelia, that very same diamond necklace, giving each attendee a chance to try it on. Then, they shared their story.
It all began when Ventura County resident Jonell McLain, upon seeing a diamond necklace in a local jewelry store window, had an idea. Since no one she knew (including herself) could afford one, why not form a group to buy it. She made a presentation to her investment club but found few takers. But, as the weeks passed and she shared the idea with other women, she eventually lined up 12 “investors”—and the group that became known as “The Women of Jewelia” (named after celebrity cookbook author and chef, Julia Child) came to be.
While the initial appeal of participating was simply the opportunity to own and wear—for one month each—a spectacular piece of jewelry and then to share their feelings with the group, the women soon realized the experience was transformative. Several members found themselves examining their values, becoming more assertive, acquiring more friends and deepening friendships, gaining self-confidence, and building closer relationships with husbands and children. Soon, they were hard at work finding all manner of creative ways to harness this positive energy to help others. And, it wasn’t too long before the local Ventura paper and then People Magazine, discovered what they were doing, and published stories that featured their experiences and activities. Soon there were speaking engagements, TV appearances, the book (which became a national best-seller published in 14 languages) and even offers from Hollywood (the story has been optioned!).
Today, the Women of Jewelia (www.womenofJewelia.com) are building on their celebrity; traveling the country, sharing their story and encouraging other women to come together to find creative ways of contributing to their communities. They have created a nonprofit corporation to receive and distribute their earnings and continue to meet regularly to share their necklace, their stories and their ideas for more good works.