Los Angeles-Online pearl retailer PearlParadise.com has reached its goal of donating $1 million in pearl jewelry to charities nationwide, the company has announced.

Three years ago, company founder and president Jeremy Shepherd launched PearlParadise.com's "Giving Back Program" to help charities in need. Through the program, PearlParadise.com donates genuine pearl necklaces to charitable nonprofit organizations, which in turn use the pieces in auctions or fundraising events to generate money for their respective causes.

Since the program's launch, PearlParadise.com has helped raise funds for a wide breadth of nonprofit agencies and causes, including research and aid organizations that help children with disabilities; animal rescue groups and volunteer organizations; environmental organizations; cancer research institutions; and cruelty prevention advocacy organizations.

Each necklace donated by PearlParadise.com has an estimated retail value of $500, and to date, PearlParadise.com has sent out well over 2,000 necklaces to various charities, with many of the necklaces attaining well over their retail value at auction, the company said in a media release.

Due to the popularity of the program, Shepherd and PearlParadise.com have announced that they will extend the Giving Back Program, with the goal of donating a total of $2 million worth of jewelry by the end of 2011, PearlParadise.com's 15th anniversary year.

To qualify to receive a necklace, charities are required to visit PearlParadise.com, where they are asked to fill out a Donation Request Form and provide documentation that their organization is a qualified nonprofit. Once verified, PearlParadise.com sends the necklace to the charity.

"It's not just about writing a check," Shepherd said in the release. "It's about spreading the word and helping out charities that, in these tough times, need it most. The more that people take advantage of the Giving Back Program, the more causes we can help."