The Mother of All Mother's Day Gifts: Club Store Offers Pink Diamond Pendant Valued at Nearly $1 Million

BENTONVILLE, Ark., May 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Hollywood's latest fashion craze is color, diamonds with color, that is! From J-Lo's pink diamond engagement ring, which was so popular that her jeweler bought it back after the demise of her relationship with Ben Affleck, to Sean "Puffy" Combs' yellow diamond cufflinks, to Oprah's first set of diamond stud earrings (in pink of course), celebrity fashionistas have begun a color craze that has consumers clamoring for the generally high priced gems worn by their favorite stars.

In fact, according to a recent survey by the Jewelry Consumer Opinion Council (JCOC), fashion conscious Americans, especially married women between the ages of 24 and 55, are seeking out affordable, fancy colored diamonds and gemstones in droves. Thanks to SAM'S CLUB, consumers now can cash in on the colored diamond craze without paying millions -- and just in time for Mother's Day.

SAM'S CLUB, the nation's largest discount warehouse chain, announced today that they will make available a 3.74 carat, one-of-a-kind pink diamond pendant online at http://www.samsclub.com/ beginning Friday, May 6. Valued at nearly $1 million and fully certified by the International Gemological Institute (IGI), the pink center stone is accented with a 0.5 ct white pear shape diamond and is set in an 18K platinum antique setting. The balance of the mounting includes .83 cts of melee and 83 diamonds weighing .83 cts. Magnificent by all standards, this piece truly is the mother of all Mother's Day gifts.

"Fancy colored diamonds are the hottest trend in jewelry," said SAM'S CLUB jewelry expert Dee Breazeale. "We are thrilled to bring the fancy colored diamond trend enjoyed by Hollywood's elite to the general consumer population. And the timing of this pendant couldn't be better. What mom wouldn't be delighted to receive a piece of jewelry worth $813,000 for Mother's Day?"

While other consumer retail and designer jewelry stores offer similar fancy colored pieces at prices upwards of $750,000, SAM'S CLUB is making this exceptional pendant with approximately 5 cts of combined pink and white diamonds available to members for the everyday low cost of $560,000. According to Breazeale, selling the pendant for more than $250,000 less than its appraised value exemplifies the core of the SAM'S CLUB mission. While consumer interest and demand in fancy colored diamonds continues to grow, a commitment to value remains the key to purchasing decisions at SAM'S CLUB.

"SAM'S CLUB has a truly wonderful selection of jewelry for the person that wants the best quality at the best price," said Breazeale. "We offer members a fantastic value and the word is getting out! People who discover SAM'S CLUB jewelry are really amazed at the quality and the great prices."

While only one person in the world is going to be lucky enough to get this unique pink diamond pendant, any luxury shopper looking for high quality jewelry at affordable prices will be impressed with the selection offered by SAM'S CLUB. And while the pink diamond pendant is truly one-of-a-kind, SAM'S CLUB also offers many other gift options for one-of-a-kind mothers and grandmothers this Mother's Day holiday. If pink isn't her color, try the 27 ct fancy intense yellow diamond ring on for size. Valued at just over $750,000, this amazing trend piece will be available to SAM'S CLUB members nationwide via http://www.samsclub.com/ beginning this Friday, May 6, for the everyday low cost of $610,000.

Other great Mother's Day items available at SAM'S CLUB and http://www.samsclub.com/ include: exotic flowers and live plants such as the Phalaenopsis Orchid or Bromeliad Garden; travel packages from SAM'S CLUB Travel Department; electronics like digital audio players or digital cameras; and fresh bakery items, including chocolate and lemon poppy seed muffins, custom decorated cakes or carrot cake, and a variety of cookies.

SAM'S CLUB (http://www.samsclub.com/ ), a division of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , is the nation's largest warehouse chain in the United States serving small business owners and operators. The purchasing agent of choice, SAM'S CLUB provides everyday low costs to more than 46 million entrepreneurs and consumers.

About SAM'S CLUB Jewelry Department

For more than 20 years, SAM'S CLUB has offered exceptional quality diamonds at everyday low costs. Each diamond sold at SAM'S CLUB and http://www.samsclub.com/ is hand-selected and undergoes a quality inspection by the SAM'S CLUB Quality Assurance Lab prior to shipping.