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Princess Diana’s
Sapphire and Gold Floral Necklace with Prince of Wales Emblem is on Exhibit
with Kazanjian’s Jewels for Charity
–Kazanjian Foundation charity adds priceless necklace owned by the late Princess
Diana to its collection of prized jewelry formerly owned by Hollywood’s A-list
celebrities including Bing Crosby, Clark Gable, Eva Gabor and Howard Hughes–
BEVERLY HILLS, California, August 15, 2007 –The Kazanjian Foundation’s Jewels for Charity
program, the charitable arm of the prominent jewelry company Kazanjian Bros.,
Inc., announced that the charity has received the late Princess Diana’s sapphire
and gold floral necklace with the Prince of Wales emblem to include in its Jewels for Charity Hollywood Collection
which tours to fine jewelry stores, galleries and museums worldwide. The item
is on loan and not for sale.
At any future
events that showcase Princess Diana's necklace, Jewels for Charity will donate
the host's thirty percent of the proceeds from sales of donated jewelry to the
Princess of Wales Memorial Fund.
The Jewels for Charity Hollywood Collection features
prized jewelry formerly owned by Hollywood’s A-list celebrities including Bing
Crosby, Clark Gable and Eva Gabor. Jewelry from such notables as Howard Hughes
and the 78 ct diamond tiara worn by Madonna during her wedding to Guy Ritchie
is also featured. These important donated pieces are the cornerstone of the
Foundations philanthropy. It is through their sale that charities and
individuals benefit.
According to Suzy
Menkes’ book The Royal Jewels, “Diana’s natural taste was for sweet and traditional
jewels. When Designer Lexi Dick was commissioned to make a wedding gift by the
Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths, she presented her drawing to Diana. Instead
of the bold white and gold unicorn set in the necklace of sapphire flowers,
Lady Diana asked for the more conventional Prince of Wales feathers.”
Jewels for Charity also received the original wax
model of the unicorn, originally designed for the centerpiece of the gold and
sapphire necklace, and original letters from designer Lexi Dick to include in
the exhibit of the piece that belonged to Lady Diana. Word has it that she sold
the item prior to her death on August 31, 1997 to a jewelry store in London.
Jewels for Charity provides individuals with an
opportunity to donate fine jewelry to the charity of their choice and receive
the highest tax benefit permitted by law. Jewels
for Charity makes the donation process simple and enjoyable, and helps
individuals help those less fortunate.
In the past,
charities liquidated fine jewelry at wholesale rates, usually ten to twenty
cents on the dollar, so jewelry donors could only deduct the amount the charity
obtained, typically just pennies on the dollar. Jewels for Charity enables individuals and charities to obtain full
fair market value for donated jewelry, often benefiting far more than from a
liquidation sale.
Because the
Kazanjian Foundation uses the pieces in its traveling educational Jewels for Charity Hollywood Collection
tour, donors can realize more after taxes through Jewels for Charity than by selling the jewelry first hand.
In exchange for the
opportunity to host the Jewels for Charity Hollywood Collection Tour, the venues are asked to sell the
jewelry that has been donated by individuals at full market value. The host
venue joins the effort by giving up their normal profit in exchange for the
opportunity to donate 30 percent of the proceeds to a local charity of its
choice, while the remaining 70 percent goes to the donor’s charity of choice
and the donor receives the tax benefit. To qualify for the Jewels for Charity program, a charity must be 501C (3) nonprofit,
tax exempt and domiciled in the United States.
Donated jewelry
must be worth over $10,000 per piece. Items preferred include Art Deco, vintage
and exclusive items. Items are kept in the Jewels
for Charity Hollywood Collection tour for two years and remain for sale at
the appraised full market value. If a donated item does not sell by that time,
the Kazanjian Foundation will sell it at auction and the funds will then go to
the charity of the donor’s choice.
For those
interested in donating jewelry, please call 310.278.0811 for forms and
procedures. If necessary, the Kazanjian Foundation will help individuals locate
an independent appraiser in their local area.
About The Kazanjian Foundation (www.jewelsforcharity.org)
The Kazanjian
Foundation, a 501c (3) non-profit organization, was established in 1957 to
support scientific, artistic, cultural and other worthy causes. The Beverly
Hills-based Foundation emphasizes programs for disadvantaged and
underprivileged youth, and also provides scholarships for promising inner-city
youths. The Kazanjian Foundation underwrites all costs and expenses incurred in
the sale of any donated jewelry
so that 100 percent of the proceeds go
to charity.
Headquartered at
9489 Dayton Way, Suite 300, Beverly Hills, CA
90210; Tel: 310.278.0811; Fax: 310.275.0713 or visit www.jewelsforcharity.org
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