How do you feel about diamonds?

[prolesunited]

Do you wear them? Will you buy them? Why or why not?

[Trigger Hippie]

1. I think they're too conventional and

I don't see the big fuss over them. It's just a fucking rock... and I don't want one. :shrug:

[cssmall]

16. Knowing a family in the diamond industry, I wouldn't buy those overpriced

rocks.

Listen, from the way I understand it, diamonds aren't all that rare. So, why buy something that is the ultimate in conspicious consumption and competitive consumerism? There is no other reason to buying diamonds than to show it off. And, I'm not even mentioning the human rights violations that occur at diamond minds.

I know people who think we're idiots and wrong would say it's because I don't have the money. Well, that's not it. I could have bought my wife diamonds. But, why pay 1000 bucks on a ring with rocks that only worth 10 bucks? It's a dumb idea.

Sorry I posted in the wrong location!

[Trigger Hippie]

23. Thank you.

I agree 100 percent with your assessment. :hi:

[cssmall]

43. Luckily, my wife agrees with me.

She'd rather have Games Workshop products or stuff for her horse more than jewels.

[Trigger Hippie]

44. You've got a cool wife....

:)

[Shell Beau]

2. I like them and I want bunches of them. Yes, I wear them.

But the only diamonds I have are my wedding bands, some earrings, and a cross necklace!

I don't get the prices though!

[asthmaticeog]

3. I think they're delicious.

And they stay crunchy, even in milk.

[Susang]

48. I hear they're bad for your teeth, though

But are an excellent source of fiber. :D

[GOPisEvil]

4. Knowing what I know, I would only buy an heirloom diamond.

But, I'm not really a diamond guy anyway. I'm not even really a jewelry guy. :shrug:

[prolesunited]

10. You could be, if you found the right women

although be wary of diamonds.

[GOPisEvil]

11. This is true.

I'm hoping to meet a person who thinks about diamonds as I do. :)

[Divameow77]

5. Diamonds are a girls best friend

Okay maybe not really but I still love them.
I don't feel they are so conventional anymore, they have so many choices now with cuts, color, etc.

I really want a pink and a champagne diamond.

[bicentennial_baby]

6. no and no, generally speaking

i don't need that blood on my body, and i'm perfectly fine going without. :)

[LostinVA]

13. Demand is kept artificially high by De Beers and blood of

murdered, hobbled, and beaten men drip from them....

[bicentennial_baby]

17. Damn right...it makes me sick, personally

I'll wear one of those wacky lab-grown ones, but that's about it. I have enough karma issues of my own, I don't need theirs too :)

[Spider Jerusalem]

7. They make great drill bits.

Crush 'em to powder, and the dust is wonderful for adding more of an edge to a saw. The thermal conduction properties of the carbon lattice structure mean that diamond is a much better material for microprocessors than silicon. As jewelry, I've no use for them. Their value is artificially and grossly inflated by the DeBeers cartel, which controls a sizeable chunk of production, and the working conditions of most African diamond miners make toiling in a Malaysian sweatshop look like a vacation in Tahiti by comparison.

[trogdor]

9. The play my old LP's really nice.

[freestyle]

8. Some good industrial uses. I wouldn't buy them for jewelry.

I think they are boring, and apparently support a lot of death and destruction.

[flamingyouth]

12. I don't want one.

We've decided to opt for something different that is meaningful to us, like a runic design or something Celtic. :)

[XNASA]

14. Mrs. XNASA will not wear a diamond, or a fur.

So that makes me "Off the hook".

Personally, I'd rather spend the money on a guitar. You can play a guitar.

[Fenris]

20. A Gretch or a Rickenbacker..

You could buy one with the amount of money some people spend on diamonds.

Hell, you could buy both! :D

[flamingyouth]

21. Or that giant amp you have your eye on

:rofl:

[Fenris]

25. That Fender Vibro-King isn't going to buy itself!

:D:D:D:D

[flamingyouth]

26. It will be great with a giant stack of books on it.

:D

[Fenris]

28. ...

[flamingyouth]

30. That'll show that barking dog

:rofl:

[XNASA]

27. I was thinkin' maybe a 1940 Martin D-45

It goes along with this Dylan thing I've been on lately.

[Fenris]

29. Abalone!

My god, the inlay is gorgeous on that thing.

[XNASA]

31. For $200,000 it had better be.

Seriously. $200K

In 1940, it cost about $250.

[Fenris]

33. My dad has a late 60s/early 70s D-28

It pales in comparison to that thing, though. Jesus. $200,000.

[prolesunited]

22. And the Mrs. benefits from that how?

Will Cate be joining us on Sunday?

[XNASA]

24. She gets to hear me play.

And yep. As of today, she'll be there.

[Susang]

47. And that benefits her how?

:evilgrin:

I kid, I kid! You know I think you play marvelously! :loveya:

[XNASA]

50. It keeps me happy.

:grr:

And when Poppa's happy, everybody's happy. :)

[Susang]

59. Yikes!

I hope you're happy right now! :scared:

[XNASA]

62. Hey! That's an Elvis Costello lyric.

"He's acting innocent and proud still you know what he's after
Like a matador with his pork sword, while we all die of laughter
In his turquoise pajamas and motorcycle hat
I hope you're happy now because you'll soon put pay to that
I knew then what I know now I never loved you anyhow
And I hope you're happy now."

Pork sword. What a wordsmith. :rofl:

:hi:

[ScreamingMeemie]

60. But.....MrG can play me anytime he wants...

:o seriously though, we feel the same about diamonds and fur...but he can still play me...for free even. :)

[Taverner]

15. Hmmmm slave labor for vanity....

Now I'll be the first to admit I'm a vain guy...but I draw the line at Diamonds. Slave labor is used to mine diamonds, and the proceeds often fund terrorism. I'd stop using Gasoline for that very reason, but I'm hopelessly addicted. Lucky I have the methadone of the prius right now.

[jane_pippin]

18. I think they're pretty but I don't feel the need to buy one, ever.

I will, however, wear my mom's or grandma's some day.

[prolesunited]

37. I do have my grandmother's diamond wedding ring

If I had the stone reset — its brilliance is obscured by its current one — that would be the only one I would consider wearing because of its sentimental value alone.

But, although I haven't had it appraised, my aunt says it's quite valuable in real dollars because of its clarity and cut, I would be afraid to wear it.

[jane_pippin]

41. Yep. I don't know that I actually would wear them, but I'd like to have

them for sentimental reasons too. I don't think either of them are worth anything more than that anyway. Frankly I don't much care if they are worth money. I don't think I'd trust myself to wear them and not lose them either way.

[miss_kitty]

19. No If I could I wouldn't

I do think they are gorgeous and sparkly and stuff...but since the are mined by white guys using black guys, and Sierra Leone is being torn apart by diamond mining with people of all ages being murdered for chunks of rock, and millions of diamonds are held back to artificially inflate the price, I'll pass. That goes for most sparkly gems. Entire mountains are sluiced away to find an unnecessary bauble.

[caty]

36. I have a diamond

engagement ring from years ago. Today, knowing what I know about what goes on regarding the mines and the true value, I would rather have a ring with my husbands birthstone in it.

[miss_kitty]

58. You know, it's a personal choice

and heirlooms and stuff bought when there wasn't knowledge about the way harvesting was done-well what can you do now-I don't dislike small consumers for wearing or having what they have. A diamond has long been the symbol of success and love. It would be nice though if it came to pass that the symbols of success and love were non-material to the majority.

I have to say-I cringe when I see Oprah wearing her diamonds. But I think if she was sat down and told what goes on to get them-she'd treat them like beef.

But they are pretty and sparkly-I like my rhinestone jewelry-it's sparkly too

[Divameow77]

32. All I have to say is

I had no idea........

Now I feel bad

[Shell Beau]

34. Me either! And I wrote how I wanted bunches of them!

[Divameow77]

45. No matter how bad I feel wearing them

I don't think my husband would be okay if I stopped wearing my wedding set.

[Lisa0825]

55. Don't feel guilty....

I don't blame anyone who didn't know about it. I didn't know about it until my best friend told me a couple years ago. She just got married and had a beautil rose quartz ring made:loveya:

[MrsMatt]

35. pedestrian and over-done

the only ones I have are in my mother's wedding band and as accents in my beautiful emerald mother's ring. And they are all tiny.

But, they are pretty.

[northzax]

38. your mother is emerald? how cool!

sorry. couldn't resist.

[Susang]

39. I don't really think about them, to be honest

There are diamonds in my wedding ring and because of that, I'm afraid to wear it to work. I get too nervous that I'm going to damage it.

Believe it or not, I prefer costume jewelry. That way, when I inevitably destroy it, I don't feel so bad. ;-)

[Midlodemocrat]

40. I have a diamond engagement ring.

and a diamond wrap. They were gifts from my husband, but honestly, I don't really wear them that much. I love jewelry, especially ethnic pieces, but I don't have any pieces that I wear all the time. Not even my wedding band.

[LaraMN]

42. They're not really my thing.

Too conventional for my taste. I have a diamond ring, necklace and earrings, but rarely wear them. I wouldn't have chosen them for myself.

[Mutley]

46. Apathetic.

I'll wear one if someone gets it for me, but I'm not dying for one.

[eyesroll]

49. My (ex) engagement ring was an heirloom diamond.

It was beautiful -- and I was afraid to wear it. I thought the stone would fall out (even though a jeweler said the setting was fine).

I wouldn't have wanted one, otherwise -- not so much about the "blood diamonds" thing (I didn't know a lot about it then) but for the "wow, you spent HOW much on something because you felt you had to" factor.

Should I ever get engaged again, I would be OK with a ring that came out of a Cracker Jack box. I'd prefer something that let me know he cared, over something that let me know he spent a lot of money.

(That and I don't wear much jewelery -- J wears more than I do, actually; it's quite amusing.)

I have a pair of diamond stud earrings, from my grandmother, that I wear on rare occasions, for sentimental reasons. That's about it.

[hunter]

51. I gave my wife an heirloom diamond

It was cut more than a hundred years ago, and has been in my family ever since. The history is more important than the rock.

I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of diamonds these days are grown in clandestine labs and then "laundered" in various ways. You know anyone who buys a "blood diamond" is pretty shakey to begin with, so who the hell cares about the reality of their diamonds. The Rolex watch they are wearing is probably fake too, and their AK-47 (or the one they paid for) too.

In case you didn't know, the mine in Kimberly is shut down. All they do there now is sift through the tailings.

Cubic Zirconium has a lot of sparkle...

[China_cat]

52. No, to both questions

They are too covered in blood. As are most other gem stones.

[Lisa0825]

53. I pawned my engagement ring

and I'll never own another natural diamond again, now that I know about how evil the industry is... but I would consider a synthetic diamond.

If I ever get married again, I'll most likely choose a semi-precious colored stone, and maybe have synthetic white accent stones.

[XemaSab]

54. It's just like fur

It's cool looking until you know the suffering that goes into it, and that makes it not worth it.

[redqueen]

56. I've worn them, but I won't buy them. And I gave the ring back. n/t

[La Lioness Priyanka]

57. i love them

i have a lot of old diamonds in my family...

a jeweller on du told me that diamonds in india are not blood diamonds

[AlCzervik]

61. i have a pear shaped shaped diamond engagement ring that my

now husband gave me almost 16 years ago, it's a lovely ring but i never wear it, i wear my wedding band. I also have a set of diamond studs, again i never wear them. I'm not much of a jewelry person.

[Shine]

63. I wear my diamond wedding ring every day and I love it.

We had it custom-made by a local jeweler over 12 yrs ago, so it is quite unique and very beautiful.

It's also very "SHINE-Y" and thus, perfect for me. :)

Although I can appreciate others' points of view about the "slave labor in the mines", etc, etc...I do not choose to percieve my diamond ring in the same way. For me, it is NOT a source of guilt or discomfort.

Instead, when I look at it, I am reminded of the great Love between my husband and I and its ever-lasting nature. I feel blessed and grateful for the Abundance of my life.

Hey, maybe that's just me. :shrug:

Shine

[prolesunited]

65. You don't think

that you could place the same sentimental value in a plain gold band or other shiney rock?

[Shine]

66. Absolutely! but I've already got this amazing ring, so why get

rid of it, or worse, make myself feel like shit for wearing it? Sorry, that makes no sense to me whatsoever.

I agree with you, we can attach sentimental value to ANYthing. We simply chose to go the diamond wedding ring route.

Hey, I certainly don't begrudge anyone else's choice and would hope to recieve the same respect for mine.

That said, I'm not exactly rushing out daily and buying new diamond jewelry. I have my one diamond wedding ring that I love and am happy with. That's good enough for me.

My two cents...

[prolesunited]

70. I wasn't suggesting

you get rid of it or feel guilty. I was just pointing that we can attach sentimental value to anything, whether it's a diamond or not.

Of course, everyone is entitled to their own choice and I'm not judging anyone.

There were several people on this thread said they weren't aware of the ramifications, and perhaps others will give it a second thought before purchasing any.

This thread was merely about education and exchanging feelings about an issue. There's no need to be defensive.

I hope you continue to enjoy the love your ring symbolizes.

[Shine]

71. Fair enough and thanks for your good wishes, prolesunited.

No harm, no foul...to each, their own.

:pals:
Shine

[BeTheChange]

69. Me too...

We live in an such an imperfect world, it is often hard to find the perfect expression of the perfect love we are striving for.

My engagement ring and wedding band remind me of how lucky I am to have found something so "dazzling". I wont likely have many diamonds in my life, but the ones in those rings are beautiful, uncommon, unbloody, unguilty and perfect.

[MissB]

64. I do not wear them.

I made that decision 10 years ago. Won't buy them, won't wear them.

Back then it was a decision based on *not* being like everyone else. Now, I'd make the same decision, but based on how my I'd feel about the origins of the diamond.

Same goes for fur. Hey, I'm a cheap date.

[WindRavenX]

67. I dislike them. Too shiney and tainted by blood.

I like sapphires, and I hope those have some "safe" gems because I couldn't wear any vanity gem that I got at the cost of another person's life :(

[Sanity Claws]

68. Diamonds are necessary for the survival of baseball

Save the diamonds!

[chaska]

72. Thumbs down. Just weighing in.

[tjdee]

73. Cubic zirconia all the way here. Don't have the money. The "blood" thing

is an afterthought, because it's not even like I am in the position to purchase diamonds. And of course the industry is terrible. If I could buy them would I? Probably not, especially since the cz is looking more like the real thing all the time.

I think they're beautiful. So clean, sparkly... I don't even like them over 1.5- 2 carats, which is when they start to look ridiculous, extravagant, and wasteful (IMO)... but I do think they're beautiful.