The necklace : a true story of 13 women, 1 diamond necklace, and a fabulous idea / Cheryl Jarvis.

Jonell McLain the visionary: making an idea happen -- Patti Channer the shopper: rethinking consuming passions -- Priscilla Van Gundy the loner: discerning the real jewels -- Dale Muegenburg the traditionalist: rekindling the marital spark -- Maggie Hood the adventurer: striving for a healthy life -- Tina Osborne the reluctant: finding joy in making a difference -- Mary Osborn the competitor: aiming for empowerment -- Mary Karrh the pragmatist: rediscovering a passionate life -- Nancy Huff the exuberant: creating more fun -- Roz the leader: finding a sisterhood -- Jone Pence the designer: celebrating second chances -- Mary O'Connor the rock 'n' roller: shaping a legacy for our daughters, ourselves -- Roz McGrath the feminist: raising awareness of women's lives -- The experiment: creating its own history.

Four years ago, Jonell McLain saw a diamond necklace in a jewelry store window. The necklace aroused desire first, then a provocative question: What if we shared what we desired? Several weeks, dozens of phone calls, and a leap of faith later, Jonell bought the necklace with twelve other women. With vastly dissimilar histories and lives, the women transcended their individual personalities and politics to join together in an uncommon journey. Part charm, part metaphor, part mirror, the necklace weaves in and out of each woman's life, and comes to mean something dramatically different to each of them. What started as a quirky social experiment became something far richer and deeper, as the women transformed a symbol of exclusivity into a symbol of inclusiveness. They discovered that sharing the necklace was only the beginning: the more they shared with others, the more profound this experience became.--From publisher description.