The Necklace

by Cheryl Jarvis

As quoted by Kathy Lee Gifford, A" fascinating journey into thirteen women's lives. sweet and touching, it also manages to make you think about what really matters", unquote. And it is a true story taking place in Ventura, California.

Genres: Nonfiction, Book Club, Memoir, Friendship, Biography, Adult, Womens

210 pages, Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Cheryl Jarvis is a freelance journalist whose articles and essays have appeared in a wide range of publications, including the Chicago Tribune, the Wall Street Journal, Cosmopolitan, Redbook, Woman's Day, Reader's Digest, and Writer's Digest. Her roller coaster career includes stints as a magazine editor, newspaper editor, TV producer, and full-time mom. A member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors, she's an adjunct instructor in the Department of Communications and Journalism at Washington University and Webster University in St. Louis.

Reviews

[Anna · Rating 1 out of 5]

This would have worked better as a piece in a magazine that I never came across.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well this was different. A woman talks a dozen friends into chipping in for an expensive diamond bracelet, which they then rotate among themselves, each keeping it for a month at a time. They form a social club and eventually a philanthropic and community service group around it. The book devotes a chapter to each woman's background and her reactions to the project. As one of the other reviewers on Goodreads said, the writing is People magazine-ish, cheerleading for the group and making excuses for the periodically nasty group dynamics (near-riot over someone's attempt to draft 30+ page legal agreement about how to share; blowup over whether loaning it to "outsiders" to wear at their weddings would detract from the specialness of club members' daughters getting to borrow it for theirs.......).

It was not a great book nor really a riveting story, but some of the individual women's profiles were interesting, and I also enjoyed it from the anthropological standpoint of trying to understand why wearing this bracelet would be so meaningful to people [even some of the people they loan it to for a day rhapsodize about how it changed their lives etc.]. It's a beautiful piece of jewelry, but so what? I tried to think of some object that would have an equivalent effect for me (leather basketball once used by Larry Bird? Bill Rodgers' old running shoes?) but came up empty. Maybe if I liked cars more or something. The writer and her interviewees consider a couple of times whether men could/would do something like this, usually concluding they wouldn't share as well. Might be interesting to find out.

[Megan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh...this book. It was just so cheesy to me. I mean, the premise itself is a little flimsy---13 women sharing a diamond necklace, and wonderful transformations occur. I was suprised to hear their story got all the way to the Today show. It's an interesting idea...but come on, worthy of a national show?! But I held out some hope for it. Basically, each chapter introduces each woman & her experience with the necklace. Since there are 13 women, you get to know one, then you move on the next. You barely hear much about the previous women, and when you do, you have to flip back to keep them straight. This is not entirely the author's fault---13 is a lot of women, but her writing still could've connected it better I feel, and lenghthed the book so we really got to know them. But, I guess the book couldn't really be lengthened because there is not much more to the story! It also bothered me how the author wanted to tie everything together in a neat little package. As I said, each chapter told us all about each specific woman. Well, she gave each one a "character type" such as the hopeless dreamer (I don't know if that's really one--the book is back at the library). Well, I think it's a little offensive to both the women AND the audience to try to reduce each woman down to a few key characteristics. Most women could be all of those 13 types at some time in their lives. We as the audience should be allowed to get our own idea of them through more skilled and descriptive writing, not by having it spelled out for us! Then you could tell she tried to shpe her whole chapter of that woman around said description. I needed an author that would've given us the real deal!

I am all about women friendships & my friends are important to me. But even when there were women reluctant to join or women fighting, she felt the need to tie it all together with a positive note of rainbows & sunshine & "She was so glad to have joined in the end." And you know, maybe some of the women truly did feel that way and that's fine. But I just felt her writing was so overly sentimental and not very sophisticated. There were better ways to describe some things and situations.

It's not even the superficial aspect of it that bothered me (as it did some other reviewers). It just truly seemed pointless to turn into a book. Yes, they do some kind things because of the necklace, make new friends, add spice to their marriage, etc. Great for them! But book-worthy? No, at least not the way it has been written here. Possibly in the hands of a more talented writer.

[Cory · Rating 1 out of 5]

I must admit that when my Goodreads friends said they found the women in this book shallow, I thought they were just being a bit harsh. Then I read the book and . . . I don't think they were being harsh enough. While I admit that it's a quick read, and that my eyes welled up a few times (although I'm a notoriously easy weller), this book actively annoyed me. These women weren't just shallow, they were self-centered and unpleasant. There was not a single one of them that I would want to know or be involved with in any way. Now, I know that part of this is based on the writing style, which annoyed me. Really? All the women were beautiful and stylish and young-looking and kooky and larger-than-life and THE BEST EVER???

All in all, this struck me as a case of an author and her subjects attaching a lot of meaning where there just wasn't any. These women weren't doing a grand social experiment, they weren't stickin' it to the man, and they weren't upending years of thinking on race, class, and beauty. They just wanted an expensive necklace and they bought it. This didn't deserve a book.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

A friend asked me if I would be interested in joining her book club & this was the book. After looking it up I was hesitant. I decided to give it a go & was totally surprised that I read it in one day. To find a book & totally find bits & pieces of me in everyone of these woman was amazing. I laughed, cried & also felt their pain & frustration. A must read for all woman. For me even though I didn't get to wear the necklace I can say it transformed me also without the living experience.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can read the full review on my blog.

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.

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.

[Saleh MoonWalker · Rating 2 out of 5]

داستان کوتاه و جالبیه راجع به 13 زن که با خریدن یک گردنبند، زندگی خودشون رو تغییر دادند. قسمت ها کوتاه و کمی طنزآمیزه و اختلاف بین زنها زیاده. گردنبند به طرز متفاوتی روی هر زن تاثیر می گذاره. داستان کوتاه و تاثیرگذاریه راجع به رابطه های دوستانه بین زنان.


[Mark Twain:] "Let us not be too particular. It is better to have old second-hand diamonds than none at all." (ص. 132)

[Renee Crook · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about 13 women who bought a diamond necklace together so that they could all experience a little bit of luxury in their life. The 14 chapters in the book each visit one of the women that was involved in the experiment, with the final chapter a reflection of how well things worked. The book stated that this was a political experiment, but personally I think that it fits better as a socio-economic experiment. I thought the best part of this book was being able to see how having a diamond necklace changed the lives of these women; it was a different sort of change or transformation for each woman and it was a great way to show multiple perspectives. One thing that I also found to be fun was that even one of the husbands of the women was changed by the fact that this diamond necklace had found its way into their lives.
This book made me think about if I would ever become involved in an experiment (or investment) like this --- my answer is probably not. It sounds like fun, but I just don't know that I am spontaneous enough to do that. I might do it... IF it was with a group of women that I knew personally. I know for sure I would not do this if there were friends of friends in the group. This book definitely made me think about some things and it also made me consider what it means to have true happiness in my life.
My mom and I read this book aloud together on a car ride. This book was so entertaining and it was so much fun to read with my mom. As we were reading it out loud we were also able to discuss it with each other. It was also very interesting to hear my own opinion with that of my mom's and to hear the difference in our generational gap. Overall, a very fun and light book that is perfect for any woman of any generation.

[Elizabeth · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was a huge disappointment. The experiment sounded pretty interesting, but the book itself ended up as a superficial, boring account of a necklace timeshare. The importance of the necklace is ridiculously overstated and, worse, the most intriguing issues were unexplored (i.e., the juxtaposition of disposable wealth and expressed charitable purposes; the reasons several women left the ultrafabulous group; the group's annoyance with one member for seeking media attention, but their contradictory excitement about a People Magazine interview). I wish the author had taken a more neutral tone, instead of the annoyingly Teen Beat one she used. Really, I wish I hadn't wasted the time it took to read it.

[Ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Muito além da futilidade, este livro descreve um caso real de um grupo de treze mulheres que compram um colar de diamantes. Este grupo, que vai muito para além da partilha de um colar, é para estas mulheres a oportunidade de modificarem as suas vidas e de voltaram a concretizar sonhos que há muito tempo estavam esquecidos.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came upon this book while browsing the library's new releases. I was curious about the story; 13 women go together in the purchase of very expensive diamond necklace. So I am thinking "Ok, this is like The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants for the baby boomer generation." I was also thinking that even at a little over $1,000 per person this is still a pompous think to do. Very much like "The Sisterhood..." this book promises that "the necklace weaves in and out of each woman's life, reflecting her past, defining her present, and making promises for her future."

As I read the book it became more about the women, and their lives, and less about the materialistic purchase of an expensive necklace. As each of the women have their turn with the necklace they find that their lives have taken on positive changes.

This story is told by the author from each of the women's point of view so that it reads a lot like a novel because you are drawn into the "character's" lives. A quick enjoyable read.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I give this book five stars, not because it was exceptional writing, but because it was a thought-provoking book. This is not a book about materialism. It is about relationships, the joy of generosity, and sharing with the intent of making others feel special and loved. I also liked that this book is about older women who find it out it's never too late to change your life or do new things. This would be a great book club discussion, or a nice one to discuss with a friend (or 13!)

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and read it quickly. The idea that 13 women could own and share anything was what caught my attention, but to own and share a $28,000.00 diamond necklace just didn't seem possible! But they do and the story of how that works is amazing especially considering the diversity of the women. Rather than share my thoughts of the book here I'd like to share a couple of quotes that will give you a feel for what the book, the women, and the necklace are all about:

The book begins with this quote of Jean Shinoda Bolen (not one of the women). "Here we are, women who have been the beneficiaries of education, resources, reproductive choice, travel opportunities, the Internet, and a longer life expectancy than women have ever had in history. What can and will we do?"

Near the end of the book is this quote from the woman who brought the thirteen women together in an adventure and experiment that transformed their lives and many others along the way. "Ownership is overrated. We should elevate sharing. wealth is individual; sharing is collective. We are not what we own. We are what we do, who we help, and the difference we make in the world. At the beginning, the group was so narrow in its concept of sharing. We think that by sharing we give up something, that we get less. But the more we've shared the necklace, the more profound the experience has become. By sharing, we've gotten so much more. If we share, there's enough on the planet for everyone."Sharing really is the way to happiness."

I encourage all of my women friends to read this book to see the hundreds of ways these women found to share this necklace among themselves, their families, their friends, co-workers, and total strangers, including a homeless woman and numerous fund-raisers to assist charitable organizations. I pretty certain you'll laugh, smile and be shocked at times! This is a true story.

[Jennie Dopp · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Here we are, women who have been the beneficiaries of education, resources, reproductive choice, travel opportunities, the Internet, and a longer life expectancy than women have ever had in history. What can and will we do?"

I thought The Necklace was a unique look into the workings of women's groups and friendship. What made the book that much more enjoyable is that it is a true story.

Again, maybe it is just where I'm at in life, but this one was a quick read for me. I identified with most of the women in the group and loved reading about how their lives were transformed because of one necklace.

I'm very lucky to have close friends in my life. I also belong to a world wide women's organization. I truly believe that not only do women need women, but that when women are united under a righteous cause, there is little to nothing that can stop them.

I read this story has been picked up for the movie rights. While it isn't The Help, it is certainly a good tale of personal discovery, friendship, community and service.

[Becky · Rating 1 out of 5]

The idea behind the necklace is nice; sharing and forming a sisterhood, yet I can not relate with these women. Yes, yes, yes, "the things you own, start to own you". It's great that this group can grasp this idea while holding their ladies group meeting in one member's five floor house with a balcony overlooking the Pacific Ocean or another's second home in Key West. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate that these women decided to use their club to do fundraising for charity, bring joy to others, etc., but it is the way that this group is painted as a group of Mother Theresas. To them it is nothing to drop thousands of dollars on a charity dinner or buy a diamond necklace with some friends. But to me they all seemed like a bunch of bored rich women who successfully united with other bored rich women to spice things up with a new pet project. I wasn't impressed and wish I had never read this book.

[Birdie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Take a $37,000 diamond necklace, one woman with an idea and lots of energy, and a commitment of twelve others--and you have a unique story. Each woman who buys a share of the necklace, called 'Jewelia', (and they didn't pay full price), does it for different reasons and is affected in different ways. The women of Jewelia as a group have a profound influence on the community of Ventura, California, as they use the necklace for fundraisers, to boost self-esteem, share it for weddings and share it for fun. I enjoyed the book and getting to know these women. Having lived in Ventura made it even more fun to read.

[Mo · Rating 3 out of 5]

2 1/2 stars

This book was lent to me by my good friend MaryLou. Unfortunately, it never really held my interest.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

uch an interesting premise of how a group of women create a social experiment and all contribute $1200 to have partial ownership of a dazzling diamond necklace originally priced at $37,000. Each woman gets the diamond necklace for one month and then reports back in a monthly meeting of where “Jewelia” has been. Sometimes she’s been sky diving, sometimes lent for a wedding, sometimes to ordinary places like the doctor’s office.

But it’s not about the necklace itself, it’s about the relationships between an awesome group of dynamic women, each with a varied background, and who ultimately use the necklace for great charities and deeds o kindness. Each chapter is about one of the women’s lives and what the deepening friendships meant to them, having an impact like no other. I envied having such friendships and enjoyed getting to know the dynamics of each individual woman that made up such a great circle of friends. Recommended reading.

[Adnamy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars & only just !
While I liked the concept of the book a lot, I was underwhelmed by the writing & the omissions. At least 2 people from the original Baker’s dozen left, no explanation; poor timeline, 1 or 2 or 3 years into it … there is a Facebook group to look up if you wish. It was twee. But it was a terrific concept particularly that it was a sexy necklace wow! Stories it could’ve told but didn’t… & that was half the problem Stories that could’ve been told but weren’t … obviously there were a number of fights in the group derrrr all groups fight & they resolved a lot of theirs .. hooray (& I genuinely mean that) but who fought? Why was it so annoyingly anonymous?
The women became a little confusing as the book seemed a bit rushed, but saying that I read it in a day (it has been a season of grey rainy days here) & I was intrigued … it was a terrific idea. I’m still intrigued - maybe 3 is harsh …. No sticking to 3 stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my typical read and on the surface, you would think that there would be nothing I could relate to in this story, It is the real-life account of a group of women who "go in on a necklace together." Yep, that's right, twelve women each chip in toward a $15,000 necklace. I do not indulge in luxuries, I hardly wear jewelry, and I am kind of a tight-wad...so I couldn't relate to the experiment in its barest form, but what drew me in and what kept me reading was the social experiment of it all. How the women shared it, how they each treated it differently, how it changed how they felt and acted. And most intriguing to me, how their friendship and association grew and changed and morphed into something life-altering. This is how I feel about some of the women in my life and about my book club. Did I agree with everything in the book?...heck no, but it made me pause and think about the power for good that a group of women can have -- on each other, their families, and the world.

[Cynthia Egbert · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am too fat and common to wear the necklace that is the focus of this book and so I almost tossed it aside but I am glad I didn't. This is not great literature but it was a fine reminder that, in the words of one of the women of this group, "Women friends are essential to a healthy life". There was one particular story that I needed for my own personal growth and while I don't need it as part of my library, I am glad I read this book.

[Heidi Huus · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a cheeky little book. I kept wavering between the fact that this was a good idea, and a bad idea to share this necklace. Some of the women seemed so spoiled and full of themselves, but it couldn’t have been the case because they ended up being so generous With the necklace and within their networks. I’m glad I read it and it was an easy read.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed it. The concept is so extraordinary. I love that they also included some disputes and not just the good that came from it. I appreciated the honesty of the experiment. Great story!

[RoxAnne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to laugh at those that gave this book 1 or 2 stars, it’s obvious they didn’t get it. I am in a women’s group so I do get it. It’s so much more than sharing a necklace, it’s about sharing yourself and helping others. This was a very fun read.

[Sarah Tobias · Rating 4 out of 5]

very inspiring book!

[Cindy Torres · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of the first books I read that are a true story. I enjoyed most of the book and learning about the women’s past and how they grew by being part of this group. I find it amazing how 13 women could share one necklace, you would think there would be chaos and there was but they overcame it. This book teaches us how communication can solve everything. One item brought many women and their community close. Definitely a fun read.

[Mandi Rinaldi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sisterhood of the traveling necklace

[Charlotte Sinclair · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting experiment to have done but there just wasn’t really enough that happened to need a whole book. Some of the women involved seemed to have quite interesting lives but you only got one chapter about each and that was it so not enough to truly know their stories. Only 200 pages so a quick read but definitely not the extraordinary journey that the blurb promised.

[Rachelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all the book itself is just a simple narrative of the experiences of 13 women. The writing itself is nothing special so my review is just based on the subject matter.

Basically it tells of the experiences of 13 woman in Ventura California who decided to all buy into a $37,000 necklace that they would share. It seems that everyone who participated did it for different reasons. Some women did it to advance their political views, to make a statement about materialism and the nature of wealth. Other women did it because they wanted to own that necklace for one month out of the year and still others did it because it sounded like fun and the sisterhood it created was meaningful to them.

At first I was pretty turned off. I'm not a jewelry person and I can't imagine spending that much on something to put around your neck. I scoffed at many of the women's experiences... thinking... okay you don't need a necklace to improve your marriage, increase your self-confidence or help you through a divorce. But then the group started being a group and decided that they could use their force for good. They started fundraisers for causes that they believed in and started sharing the necklace with others. They have raised far more money for their causes than the necklace ever cost. They also became a support system for each other and as a sisterhood they did help each other to improve marriages, increase their self-confidence and make it through difficult times in life. So I began thinking that while I have no interest in owning a diamond necklace, I wouldn't mind be part of women's organization that meets regularly to learn and visit, supports each other, and works together to do good in the world. Then it occured to me that I already am part of such an organization... it is called Relief Society. I suddenly felt proud of being a part of the largest women's organization in the world. I realized how fantastic it is that this need for sisterhood and the power of women to do good was realized and organized way back in 1842. Cool cool cool. And Relief Society doesn't require an $1200 investment to become involved.

I think in the end I admire these women for doing something.... trying to change something and join forces for good. At the very least it was a book that made me think and that is always good.

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 1/2 stars