The Phantom of the Oprah
During Oprah’s recent Australian tour, each member of her 6,000-strong Sydney audience was gifted something - a white gold necklace featuring Rio Tinto Ltd's famous Argyle diamonds.
The one-off necklace, with a pendant shaped in an “O” in “Australian colors” featured seven diamonds including a rare pink Argyle diamond mined from Rio Tinto’s operations in Western Australia's Kimberley region.
So far, so good.
Fast forward six months and things are not so rosy.
Not easily satiated, Oprah’s fans have launched scathing attacks on Facebook and other Oprah fan sites. Apparently the gifts that were due for delivery three months after the December tapings of the show were only recently received.
The fans were finally treated to their gift but it seems as though their expectations exceeded Oprah’s generosity, their anticipation resulting in discontent.
 
Fans believed the pendant would arrive on a white gold chain but instead was presented on a silver chain. Similarly, fans complained of the pendant looking “cheap” and like a piece of “costume jewelry.”To compound fan dissatisfaction, it seems as though this “uniquely Australian” gift was neither “unique” nor truly “Australian.”               
Manufacture of the piece was outsourced to Chow Tai Fook, a China-based jewelry manufacturer. Now I know Australia considers itself a multicultural society, however crack of the whip, mate! As for “unique,” you can acquire this limited edition style bauble direct from the manufacturer’s website for HKD1,800 (USD231).
Harpo Productions, Oprah’s holding company claims that Rio Tinto was responsible for the necklaces and Rio Tinto claims that the necklace delivered was as described by Oprah.
 
First the dramas with Oprah’s school for girls in South Africa and now the diamond necklace fiasco; I think a consultation with Dr. Phil would not go astray.

Love Don’t Cost a Thing
Her love may not cost a thing but her fancy color diamond habit sure does.
It cost J-Lo’s first beau, Ben Affleck, the princely sum of $1.2 million for a Harry Winston 6.1-carat pink diamond ring… yet they did not manage to make it to the alter.
 

Fast forward a few years and the American Idol judge was presented by present hubbie Marc Anthony with a 14-carat solitaire blue diamond ring. The ring, worth over $4 million dwarfs her first ring both in size and cost. However, it was a gift to commemorate their first wedding anniversary.
 
Do you think it cynical to ask what Ben would have given J-Lo for a first wedding anniversary present had they made it that far?