A diamond necklace shared among 13 Ventura County women has attracted the eye of a national candy maker.

Recently, The Hershey Company commissioned Camarillo jeweler Priscilla Van Gundy to create a replica of Jewelia, a 16-carat diamond necklace that is owned by 13 women of different ages and dissimilar backgrounds, including Van Gundy and Jonell McLain. They call themselves the Women of Jewelia.

“It was an honor for me,” Van Gundy, 56, said of the Hershey commission. “I can’t believe it . . . so many lives touched, so many lives changed, so much good coming out of it.”

McLain, a 64-year-old Ventura real estate broker, agreed. “I was quite struck by the whole thing,” she said.

In 2004, McLain, then a speech therapist, saw the necklace in Van Gundy’s Ventura mall store. McLain, who worked with destitute students on Ventura’s west side, said the $32,000 necklace made her wonder if people who owned such luxuries were happy. She also wondered what it would be like to share something so beautiful with others.

McLain rounded up friends who agreed to buy the necklace jointly. When the women came into the store, Priscilla’s husband, Tom Van Gundy, was moved by their laughter and spirit. He wanted his wife, whose sister had recently died, to be a part of that camaraderie. When he negotiated the price of the necklace with McLain, one of the conditions was that his wife be included as one of the owners.

Priscilla Van Gundy, who had made the necklace, became part of a group of women who took turns wearing the piece of jewelry. The group gave Van Gundy an opportunity to connect with people again after the pain of her sister’s death in 2003. After losing her sister to cancer, Van Gundy had stopped singing, something she’d done all her life with her sister. With the support of the Women of Jewelia, Van Gundy sang at her son’s wedding in 2007.

The story of the women’s unique friendship began to take on a life of its own. Their story appeared in a local newspaper. In December 2008, Random House published a book, “The Necklace,” about their experiences. This past August, the paperback version was released. In addition, Fox Searchlight Pictures renewed an 18-month option recently to produce a movie about Jewelia and the women who own it.

Then came the call last summer from Hershey’s, who wanted Van Gundy to make a replica of Jewelia for its Share the Bliss contest.

The contest is a promotion for the company’s Bliss chocolates. Entrants write an essay explaining why they want to experience bliss through wearing the 16-carat diamond necklace. Hershey’s selects five winners, who will each be able to wear the Bliss necklace for 14 days. Winners are then invited to write about what it meant for them to wear the necklace, and the responses will be posted on Hershey’s website, www.hersheysbliss.com.

Two winners have been selected so far.

The women help select the next recipient of the necklace, thus connecting the five women, said Jody Cook, Hershey’s spokesperson.

Mutual appreciation

In September, Hershey’s flew Van Gundy and McLain to Pennsylvania. The women brought Jewelia and the replica with them and told their story to the employees.

“They were just so moved by the story,” Van Gundy said.

Van Gundy said she felt an emotional connection to the people she met at Hershey’s. Employees asked her to sing, and she sang the same song she performed at her son’s wedding.

McLain said she, too, was impressed with The Hershey Company.

“I was honored that they saw a connection (with) us,” McLain said.

Both women pointed out that Hershey’s established and has supported for 100 years a family-style group home and school for hundreds of children with social needs. The children are eligible for a college scholarship when they graduate from high school. Also, a portion of Hershey’s candy sales go toward the company’s philanthropic efforts.

When the Share the Bliss contest ends in December, Hershey’s plans to donate the $32,000 Bliss necklace to Young Survival Coalition, a cancer nonprofit. The five Bliss winners will meet in person for the first time next spring when the coalition holds its 2010 benefit fundraiser in New York City.

Back at home, Van Gundy, McLain and the other Women of Jewelia continue to meet every four weeks as they’ve done for the past five years. Although the get-togethers are an opportunity to present Jewelia to the next woman, it’s more of an occasion to share what’s new in their lives and support one another in their dreams and ventures.

As for a movie about their experiences with Jewelia, the friends have discussed which actress they think should play them should Fox Searchlight exercise its option.

But if a movie about Jewelia doesn’t materialize, that’s okay, Van Gundy said.

“We’ve already had a good run with it,” she said.

For information about Hershey’s Share the Bliss contest, which ends Dec. 4, visit www.hersheys.com and click on “Promotions.”