Starting today, April 20th, The World Gold Council is unveiling the "Leaves of Change" collection of celebrity-designed jewelry. All of the piece will be auctioned off on May 7th as part of a charitable New York City gala, which will feature a simultaneous live and online auction (the online auction will take place at Proxibid.com/Leaves of Change). Each of the jewelry pieces currently on view at LeavesOfChange.org was imagined and sketched by a Hollywood celebrity who, in turn, paired up with a renowned jewelry designer to properly execute the design — and, more importantly, the proceeds from each item being auctioned will benefit the corresponding celebrity designer's charity of choice. Among the celebrity designers involved, you'll find Debra Messing, Marcia Gay Harden, Susan Sarandon, Christina Applegate, Chris Noth, Paulette and Denzel Washington and Whoopi Goldberg.
Pictured above are some of my favorite pieces. At top, you'll find a brushed 18k gold olive leaf necklace with 1.5k of diamonds designed by Marcia Gay Harden in conjunction with Ariane Zurcher (valued at $24,000), the proceeds of which will benefit the Waterkeeper Alliance. Next, you can admire the Debra Messing/Robert Lee Morris design (which has an estimated retail price of $25,000), a chunky, bold 18k gold hinged cuff bracelet lined with diamonds (totaling 3 carats), the proceeds of which will benefit Youth AIDS. Or if you prefer a more classic, understated style, you might like the simple 18k gold movable leaf pendant designed by Pauletta and Denzel Washington in conjunction with Leslie Greene (valued at $2,780), the proceeds of which will benefit Jewelers for Children. And lastly, you'll find a very free-spirited 18k gold necklace with moonstones (valued at approximately $5,350) designed by Susan Sarandon and Mattioli for Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen.
Three pieces were created per design: one was gifted to the celebrity designer, one will be auctioned off on May 7th, and one will travel to various events throughout the U.S. from July to December to raise awareness about the charities involved.
Want to own a jewelry piece designed by your favorite actress and help a charitable organization in the process? Want to admire the original sketches on which the designs were based or check out all the selections? Then log on to LeavesOfChange.org for more information.
