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> How is gold superior to diamonds really? Copied from an article [1] on why diamonds aren't worth the cost: A diamond is a depreciating asset masquerading
by curun1r 11y ago
> How is gold superior to diamonds really?
Copied from an article [1] on why diamonds aren't worth the cost:
A diamond is a depreciating asset masquerading as an investment. There is a
common misconception that jewelry and precious metals are assets that can store
value, appreciate, and hedge against inflation. That’s not wholly untrue.
Gold and silver are commodities that can be purchased on financial markets. They
can appreciate and hold value in times of inflation. You can even hoard gold
under your bed and buy gold coins and bullion (albeit at a ~10% premium to
market rates). If you want to hoard gold jewelry however, there is typically a
100-400% retail markup so that’s probably not a wise investment.
But with that caveat in mind, the market for gold is fairly liquid and gold is
fungible - you can trade one large piece of gold for ten smalls ones like you can a ten
dollar bill for a ten one dollar bills. These characteristics make it a feasible
potential investment.
Diamonds, however, are not an investment. The market for them is neither liquid
nor are they fungible.
Also, despite thousands of years of attempted alchemy, no one has ever made gold. Carbon, on the other hand, is incredibly common and there are companies that have figured out how to make diamonds that are more flawless than naturally occurring diamonds. They've even figured out how to mimic the impurities after it was suggested that they were somehow not "real."
[1] http://priceonomics.com/post/45768546804/diamonds-are-bullshit http://priceonomics.com/post/45768546804/diamonds-are-bullsh...