The Manolo has passed on the Carnivale of Couture to the Bargain Queen, and here is this week's topic:

What is your best-ever bargain? Where did you find it, how much was it and why is it your favourite?

This was a tough topic, but with the rise in gold prices, I remembered one of my best gold bargains ever - a simple gold rope necklace I bought (or actually my husband bought for me) about 15 years ago.

Here it is pictured - an 18 inch 18kt gold rope-style necklace. It weights about 20 grams, and I originally found it on the Home Shopping Network for 15 dollars a gram.

It's one of my favorite jewelry pieces because it's substantial enough that I can wear it alone, but it's not so thick that I can't add a pendant to it when I want also.