Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, and Patricia Arquette 'Raise Their Right Hand Ring for Africa' at the 2007 Golden Globes and Help Fund African Charities

Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, and Patricia Arquette 'Raise Their Right Hand Ring for Africa' at the 2007 Golden Globes and Help Fund African Charities

Hollywood's Leading Ladies Raised $30,000 to Help Build a Brighter Future for Women and Children in Africa

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Today the Diamond Information Center (DIC) announced the leading ladies who helped support the Raise Your Right Hand Ring for Africa campaign at the 64th Annual Golden Globe Awards(R) red carpet, generating $30,000 for three special projects that will directly benefit the people and communities in Africa. The leading ladies who wore a Diamond Right Hand Ring included: Beyonce, 2007 Golden Globes nominee for 'Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy'; Actress/Singer Jennifer Lopez; and Patricia Arquette, 2007 Golden Globes nominee for 'Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama'.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070124/LAW082-a )
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070124/LAW082-b )
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070124/LAW082-c )

"Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez and Patricia Arquette are all shining examples of classy, stylish, smart and sophisticated women," said Diamond Information Center Director Sally Morrison. "They represent not only the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, but they are superior role models, especially because of their humanity and compassion for those in need, caring for the world we live in and helping to raise money for valuable projects in Africa through the 'Raise Your Right Hand Ring for Africa' program."

Diamond Right Hand Rings Sparkle on Women and Child Orphan Projects

Beyonce, who wore a spectacular 25-carat grey, yellow and white Diamond Right Hand Ring by diamond jeweler, Lorraine Schwartz is contributing $10,000 to Link-A-Child (linkachild.org), a project Beyonce personally visited. Link-A-Child is a not-for-profit organization that serves to care for the more than 7 million child orphans and motherless babies in Africa who are abandoned. The organization connects children to people who take care of them, and to potential corporate and individual donors who provide aid to orphanages in all 26 states in the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. Link-A-Child's belief is that, through generating proper public awareness, everyone will share in the moral vision to help rehabilitate these children by showing their support and ensuring they receive basic needs such as food, clothing, shelter, healthcare and education to give these children a proper chance for a prosperous life and future.

Jennifer Lopez, who also wore a 30-carat yellow Diamond Right Hand Ring by Lorraine Schwartz, has not yet disclosed which project her $10,000 will support. Details will be available shortly.

Patricia Arquette wore a Platinum, Onyx and Diamond Right Hand Ring by diamond jeweler to the stars, Neil Lane. Patricia is donating the $10,000 generated to CARE International (care.org), a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. The organization places special focus working alongside poor women because, equipped with the proper resources, women have the power to help whole families and entire communities escape poverty. Women are at the heart of CARE's community-based efforts to improve basic education, prevent the spread of HIV, increase access to clean water and sanitation, expand economic opportunity and protect natural resources. CARE also delivers emergency aid to survivors of war and natural disasters, and helps people rebuild their lives.

Diamond Jewelers to the Stars Passionate About Dressing Celebrities for Worthy Causes

"It's a beautiful feeling to wear a magnificent Diamond Right Hand Ring and at the same time support these extremely important African causes," said Lorraine Schwartz, diamond jeweler based in New York.

"I love being involved in the glitter and glamour of Hollywood during award season," said Neil Lane, owner of Neil Lane Jewelry in Los Angeles. "Being able to participate in a program that gives back makes what I do with diamonds all the more rewarding."

The Diamond Right Hand Ring Tradition

Over the course of the last four years, the Diamond Right Hand Ring has come to represent a woman's independence and prosperity and a symbol of a woman's brilliant accomplishments, personal success, freedom and power in the U.S. Raise Your Right Hand Ring for Africa is part of the diamond industry's ongoing efforts to raise star-powered support for important projects and causes that are vital to the continued prosperity of key diamond-producing nations around the world, particularly southern Africa.

The DIC has invited Hollywood's leading female nominees and presenters to proudly wear a Diamond Right Hand Ring on this year's red carpet for any of the 2007 awards shows: Golden Globes, 49th Annual GRAMMY Awards or Academy Awards. A $10,000 donation will be granted in their name to a special project or cause of their choice benefiting Africa. The diamond industry hopes Hollywood's leading ladies will help generate up to $100,000 in donations for important social projects or causes in Africa during the 2007 award season.

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070124/LAW082-a
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070124/LAW082-b
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070124/LAW082-c
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN 8,9,10
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Diamond Information Center

CONTACT: Erin Shiba (DIC), +1-310-854-3257, Erin.Shiba@jwt.com; or
Joanna Cichocki (BNC), +1-310-854-4773, jcichocki@bncpr.com, for Diamond
Information Center

NOTE TO EDITORS: For photo requests of Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez and Patricia Arquette, please note contacts above.

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