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CNN Live Today
Oscar Night to See Dazzling, Costly Diamonds
Aired March 21, 2002 - 11:35 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: It's been said that diamonds are a girl's best friend, but the jewels are also buddying up with charity supporters too come Oscar night.
Our Daryn Kagan joins us now from L.A. with the details and the big stones.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Rough job I have here.
LIN: You do. Daryn, I feel so sorry for you, decked out in jewels, wearing gowns all morning. You look great, though.
KAGAN: Thank you.
I want you to pay attention, Carol, because as we show you some of these necklaces, I want you to pick out a favorite. It's kind of like we're going shopping together for diamonds.
LIN: All right, it's a deal. Go for it.
KAGAN: First let me tell you about this necklace that I'm wearing. I going to find out more about this with Joan Parker from the Diamond Information Center.
First of all, let's talk about this particular necklace. You said $1 million around my neck.
JOAN PARKER, DIAMOND INFORMATION CENTER: Absolutely, that's from Grath (ph), a well-known jeweler. Because it's so expensive -- it has very rare yellow diamonds with the white diamonds, and it has 120 karats worth of diamonds in that necklace.
KAGAN: No wonder it is so heavy. And of course, such a fabulous necklace needs these earrings as well.
PARKER: Right, exactly.
KAGAN: And tell me about these.
PARKER: Those are about $400,000. So you've got quite a suite on there.
KAGAN: That I do. Carol, they are clip earrings, but somehow, when you wear $400,000 in your earlobes, the pain just kind of goes away miraculously.
These are some beautiful necklaces designed by jewelers all over the country.
PARKER: Right.
KAGAN: The idea is not just to put beautiful necklaces on beautiful money, it is to raise money as well.
PARKER: Absolutely. This is called the red carpet diamond collection. The purpose of the collection is that every time a star wears it on the red carpet, $10,000 will be donated in the name of the celebrity by the jeweler. So because it is $14 million collection, we hope to raise $140,000.
KAGAN: Excellent.
Now let's look at some of these. You can tell us who they are designed by, how much they might be worth, can you pick them up at the local jewelry mart. I don't think so.
PARKER: This one right here is from Tiffany's lace collection. That is one of the less expensive ones in the collection.
KAGAN: A bargain at what?
PARKER: Seventy-five thousand dollars.
Let's go expensive and big. This Alora (ph) necklace -- it's a special lower special cut -- and that's over $1 million.
KAGAN: This looks interesting, I thought, the multichained.
PARKER: Yes, that is Bulgari. That is a beautiful choker. And that is about $500,000.
KAGAN: Two of them are really over the top. First of all, this one. There is a lot going on here.
PARKER: That is the most expensive one in the collection.
KAGAN: And I picked it out. How about that?
PARKER: I know, how about that.
It's by William Goldberg. It makes you think of Whoopi, because she likes big diamonds, right? That is $3,500,000, this necklace. So that is quite a number. That is the kind of thing you could see her hosting on the stage wearing.
KAGAN: You can see that all the way around the world.
This one is simple, yet that is one humungo diamond, over there. PARKER: That necklace, by H. Stern, actually has the largest diamond in the whole collection, which is 23 karats. That is a radiant cut 23 karats.
Then one of the other really large diamonds here is the Leo diamond. This necklace is around $600,000, and that diamond is 11 karats.
KAGAN: They are just incredible.
So explain to us what's happening in these days leading up to Oscars. You have a number of celebrities that you are visiting, and they are coming by to see you.
PARKER: Right. We do know people have been looking at them, and people want to support (UNINTELLIGIBLE) especially. And Marcia Gay Harden has been looking at some of the necklaces.
KAGAN: Who was last year's best supporting actress.
PARKER: Yes -- and she will be on the red carpet.
KAGAN: And the presenter, too.
PARKER: Yes. She wants to wear something to support (UNINTELLIGIBLE). We don't know what she has picked yet. They have been looking with her fittings. Sharon Stone was in yesterday. She is going to be at the Oscars this year.
KAGAN: She is a big (UNINTELLIGIBLE) supporter.
PARKER: She is. And she picked out, whether she wears it or not, a (UNINTELLIGIBLE), a beautiful ring. The reason it's not here on the table is she has it now. So we will see.
KAGAN: Sharon, send the ring.
PARKER: We don't know if she is wearing it yet. She is looking at it.
KAGAN: Could that happen? What if Sharon Stone or some star picks something and then somebody else wants it? Do you have a cat fight between actresses?
PARKER: No, because we just don't show it to anybody else, and we say it's out, it's gone.
KAGAN: First come, first serve.
PARKER: Then we have some very young and contemporary pieces that you will see on some of the younger stars, like this one from Miskada (ph): It's a heart necklace; this is only eight karats. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) diamonds in this one, right?
But a lot of stars like more modern contemporary, and that's the type, the kind of necklace, that they might choose. KAGAN: But I have also been hearing that even though we're just six months past 9/11, the stars, the women, the actresses, they are ready to load it on and really shine and have lots of glitz going on Sunday night.
PARKER: I think this is going to be one of the most glamorous of all Oscars. I think people are ready just to do it. You have never seen more diamonds. Myself, I'm surprised.
KAGAN: And you have seen it all.
PARKER: I have seen it over the years. The momentum is just going further. It is like now, everybody is looking for diamonds.
KAGAN: And you have them.
PARKER: We have them. We hope to see them raise some money this year.
KAGAN: Good luck, Joan Parker, and good luck raising money for (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
Carol, which one do you pick? I will slip it in my pocket and bring it back to you in Atlanta.
LIN: I actually like Joan's necklace.
KAGAN: Check these out. She likes your necklace. This is a three-stone necklace. This represents the past, present, and future. And actually, Gwyneth Paltrow owns this necklace, as well as some other stars. This has sort of a good message behind it, so a lot of stars have worn it.
KAGAN: Simple, yet classy. I'm not surprised that's the one (UNINTELLIGIBLE) picked.
(CROSSTALK)
KAGAN: I would bring it back, but there are a lot of security guards in the room with us, and $3 million necklaces and Joan's necklace as well. So I will do what I can.
LIN: I was going to ask you if you pay $500,000 or $1 million for a necklace, does it come with security guard, and is he cute?
KAGAN: Here's one of the security guards right here. This is Steve. He is guarding me right now with my...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She is not going anywhere without me.
KAGAN: Steve and I became very good friends when I put this on, let's put it that way. The security guards will be following these jewels throughout their journey through Los Angeles, I'm told.
LIN: Following the jewels and, apparently, following you.
Thanks, Daryn.
KAGAN: Yes, exactly. Thank you, carol.
LIN: You look great. You look like $1 million.
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