Are Pre-1900 Diamonds Evil?

[Coventina]

I'm interested in an old diamond ring.
I boycott diamonds due to DeBeers, but I'm wondering if I could buy this ring with a clear conscience?

[supernova]

1. I have no idea

DeBeers is a little over 100 years old, IIRC. So, if it's older than that, you might safely assume someone other than DeBeers mined it.

How old is it? Have you had it appraised? Sometimes jewelers can tell you where antique jewelry was made.

[Coventina]

2. Not much info available yet

The stones are said to be very old - pre-20th century by their cut.
The ring was supposedly made in the 1940s.

It just caught my eye, so I thought I would throw the question out here, because I know some DUers are very knowledgeable about DeBeers and the diamond trade.

[bleedingheart]

3. Technically yes...because

most diamonds are mined under horrible conditions and back then there were no unions or organizations that tried to help the workers.

However that can be said of many industries.....

What does it look like and how large is it? I love shiny things...even if they are fake...

[mobuto]

4. All natural diamonds are pre-1900

and many were formed millions of years ago!

Actually, if you're talking about diamonds dug up way back then, go ahead and buy them. The problem with conflict diamonds is that the money you spend goes to support the thugs who dug them up. Pre-1900 diamonds may have been dug up by thugs, but they're dead now, so they won't be reaping any of the reward. Your conscience is clear.

[nedlogg]

5. All diamonds are evil

And expensive!

Get youself some of those cubic zirconium things and no one will be the wiser.

And you'll be a lot richer.:)

[Wickerman]

6. yep, no one will know until your unborn child has them appraised

on the death of not yet spouse. Then, your kid will know that you were a cheapskate. Might want to leave some notes somewhere that you bought the cubics on principle!

[Astarho]

7. Not really

Both the exploiter and the exploited are long dead (don't know if that makes you feel better)

What is the cut, if you know? Did it look like this:
http://www.mineraltown.com/Reports/21/old_miner1.jpe

[Hammie]

8. Objects can't be evil

People can be.

[Coventina]

9. It is actually "rose cut"

which I am told is even older than the "mine" cut.
:shrug:

[Astarho]

12. The Rose Cut

Is one of the oldest cuts and was most widely used up to the early 1800s, when it went out of fashion, so its possible that this is not even an African diamond at all (most likely Indian or Brazilian).

The first African diamonds were found in the 1860's, so this likely pre-dates De Beers.

[Blue-Jay]

10. Oh, just buy the damn thing if you want it.

Here I am walking around in Evil Socks, that were probably made in some Third World sweat shop, but hey, my feet get cold.

damned evil socks....

[spinbaby]

11. I'm wondering about ivory, too

There's a tiny ivory figurine coming up for sale at an auction house I frequent. I don't buy ivory, but this is very old ivory and it's a beautiful object.

[mobuto]

13. Buy it

The elephants are already dead. If you buy new ivory you're creating a market for it, encouraging poachers to kill elephants. But if you give money to an auction house you're not creating a market for new ivory.