eBay Invites Women across America to “Build Your Bling” and Win the Diamond Ring of Their Dreams Worth $25,000

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--eBay (Nasdaq:EBAY), the world’s largest online marketplace, and BRIDES magazine, the country’s foremost authority on engagement, weddings and marriage, invite women across America to "Build Your Bling" – a nationwide contest to design the diamond ring of their dreams, with the opportunity to win the one-of-a-kind rock and ring they designed worth up to $25,000.

“The Diamond Ring Designer underscores our commitment to innovate across the Marketplace, using technology to develop and deliver an exceptional shopping experience”

This Valentine’s Day season, love will not only be in the air, but also online when the "Build Your Bling" contest kicks off on February 8, summoning sweethearts everywhere to configure their perfect diamond ring using the eBay Diamond Ring Designer. An online experience for diamond ring design and purchase, the eBay Diamond Ring Designer delivers access to certified, conflict-free loose diamonds and gorgeous ring settings available on eBay. With an engagement ring selling every 80 seconds on eBay¹, users are now able to customize their design by selecting specific attributes including cut (55% of engagement rings purchased on eBay are Round, 25% are Princess²), carat, color and clarity.

“The Diamond Ring Designer underscores our commitment to innovate across the Marketplace, using technology to develop and deliver an exceptional shopping experience,” said Lorrie Norrington, president of eBay Marketplaces. “Through diamonds.ebay.com, we’re bringing quality, selection and value to the online diamond buying experience, enabling savvy shoppers to design and purchase exquisite diamond rings with confidence and convenience.”

Contest participants register at diamonds.ebay.com, and customize and upload their unique ring design in three simple steps. Through the Share function, which houses more than 50 social media channels including Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and MySpace, entrants are able to spread the news about their gems and encourage voting, since the winner of "Build Your Bling" will be determined by public poll. America is asked to vote on its favorite sparkler, with the designer of the most popular ring winning their customized carat. Voting is open for two weeks, culminating February 19.

The eBay Diamond Ring Designer home page will feature content from BRIDES magazine, including daily tips on topics including proposals, engagement and weddings from BRIDES Editor-in-Chief Millie Martini Bratten, and insight on diamond ring design and trends from BRIDES Beauty & Jewelry Director Denise O’Donoghue, throughout the duration of the contest. On February 26, the winner will be announced on diamonds.ebay.com, and two runners-up will be awarded an eBay gift card for $100.

“Buying an engagement ring is the first of many exciting stops along the road to planning a wedding,” said Millie Martini Bratten, Editor-in-Chief of BRIDES. “It is also one of the ways for a bride to show a bit of her personality — which is why brides-to-be should look for a ring that reflects their unique style and individuality.”

The eBay Diamond Ring Designer was developed to provide a safe and sound diamond buying experience, offering high-quality diamonds at extraordinary value, and delivering a robust customization function critical to prospective buyers. Additionally, eBay has enhanced the experience with a unique, patent-pending Selection Ring and Settings Tray, where buyers can store and compare diamonds they like while considering their final selection.

For more information and to enter, visit www.diamonds.ebay.com.

About eBay

Founded in 1995 in San Jose, Calif., eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY) connects hundreds of millions of buyers and sellers globally on a daily basis through eBay, the world's largest online marketplace, and PayPal, which enables individuals and businesses to securely, easily and quickly send and receive online payments. We also reach millions through specialized marketplaces such as StubHub, the world's largest ticket marketplace, and eBay Classifieds sites, which together have a presence in more than 1,000 cities around the world. For more information about the company and our global portfolio of online brands, visit www.ebayinc.com.

About BRIDES

BRIDES was the world’s first wedding magazine, launched in 1934. In 75 years of publication it has remained the most widely read magazine in the category and the country’s foremost authority on engagement, weddings, and marriage. BRIDES reaches over 6.5 million readers per issue and is published 12 times a year by Condé Nast, a division of Advance Publications, which operates in 24 countries and is the world leader in exceptional content creation.

¹ Data based on diamond engagement rings purchased on eBay in 2009.

² Data based on diamond engagement rings purchased on eBay from October 1, 2009 to January 25, 2010.