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Have You Ever Tried to Sell a Diamond? (1982)
- ChainOfFools 3y agoI'll upvote this every time I see it, because it's well-written (from a time when The Atlantic was stylistically closer to the Economist) and succinctly encapsulates the entirely practical business of perpetuating a culture of shallow veblun status-seeking consumerism in its pure, shall we say, crystalline form. Yet every time I mention it, a little voice in the back of my head asks, has anyone ever tried to replicate this piece? It's well into its 5th decade and as the cat has been out of the bag for a long time, I wonder if nothing at all has changed in the diamond-hawking business in response to that
- snakeyjake 3y ago>It's well into its 5th decade Pump the brakes there buddy I'm older than this article and nowhere near my 5th decade...
- aidenn0 3y agoI don't know about "well into" but it's definitely into its 5th decade (as am I, at 2 years older than TFA): 1st decade: 82-91 2nd decade: 92-01 3rd decade: 02-11 4th decade: 12-21 5th decade: 22-31
- ChainOfFools 3y agoAs much as it pains me to say it, being in that same ballpark myself, when one turns 50 one does not begin their fifth decade, but rather, completes it.
- dang 3y agoThreads about diamonds are forever: (btw, reposts are fine after a year or so! These lists of related links are just for amusement.) Diamonds Suck (2006) - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26698511 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26698511 - April 2021 (53 comments) Diamonds aren’t special and neither is love - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25978139 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25978139 - Jan 2021 (90 comments) Diamonds Are Bullshit - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25059605 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25059605 - Nov 2020 (27 comments) Billions of dollars of unsold diamonds are piling up around the world - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23502201 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23502201 - June 2020 (104 comments) Shaking Up the Diamond Industry - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22209364 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22209364 - Feb 2020 (120 comments) Diamonds Keep Getting Cheaper - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21522898 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21522898 - Nov 2019 (389 comments) Have You Ever Tried to Sell a Diamond? (1982) - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20818618 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20818618 - Aug 2019 (237 comments) The Elite Club That Rules the Diamond World Is Starting to Crack - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20555503 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20555503 - July 2019 (200 comments) Would You Pay $32,709 for a Lab-Grown Diamond? - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19287565 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19287565 - March 2019 (34 comments) Diamonds Suck (2006) - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17186457 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17186457 - May 2018 (215 comments) Diamonds Are Bullshit - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17184539 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17184539 - May 2018 (45 comments) De Beers admits defeat over man-made diamonds - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17183603 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17183603 - May 2018 (439 comments) Lab-grown diamonds threaten viability of the real gems - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16551147 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16551147 - March 2018 (301 comments) Diamonds Suck (2006) - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12944464 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12944464 - Nov 2016 (576 comments) A Lab-Grown Diamond Is Forever - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11903409 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11903409 - June 2016 (106 comments) What the diamond industry is really selling - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11099809 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11099809 - Feb 2016 (83 comments) Diamonds Suck (2006) - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10834567 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10834567 - Jan 2016 (2 comments) Diamonds are Bullshit (2013) - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9251952 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9251952 - March 2015 (75 comments) A Diamond Market No Longer Controlled By De Beers - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7793386 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7793386 - May 2014 (111 comments) Diamonds Suck - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6868968 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6868968 - Dec 2013 (3 comments) Diamonds Are Bullshit - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5403988 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5403988 - March 2013 (734 comments) Have You Ever Tried to Sell a Diamond? (1982) - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4535611 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4535611 - Sept 2012 (225 comments) Have you ever tried to sell a diamond? - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1405698 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1405698 - June 2010 (85 comments) Have you ever tried to sell a diamond? - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1110283 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1110283 - Feb 2010 (76 comments) The Facts About Diamonds (and why I don’t like De Beers) - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1109318 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1109318 - Feb 2010 (41 comments) De Beers profits fall 92% - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=722115 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=722115 - July 2009 (25 comments) Diamonds on Demand - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=330749 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=330749 - Oct 2008 (16 comments)
- dang 3y agoHmm, there's a related ongoing thread which is a recent story: Diamond prices are in free fall in one key corner of the market - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37387731 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37387731 - Sept 2023 (3 comments) Not a classic like this one, but maybe we should wait and see if it gets much discussion.
- Modified3019 3y agoFor those with zero knowledge of gems, I highly recommend this video: Moissanites: What Every Consumer Needs to Know by Rhino's School of Rock https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KJjohJJYOMU&pp=ygUKTW9pc3Nhbml0ZQ%3D%3D https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KJjohJJYOMU&pp=ygUKTW9pc3Nhbml... It’s a bit longer than it could be, but it’s basically a guy walking through his day job, giving unique context. It goes over grading, and cut design, touches on machine scanning, and light ray simulation software. Very eye opening if you are interested on the technical aspects of gem design.
- lbourdages 3y agohttps://archive.ph/nGWrx https://archive.ph/nGWrx
- gymbeaux 3y agoI know someone who is trying to get $300 out of her engagement ring set. It cost around $5K from Zales and the center stone is I believe 3/4 a carat. It’s a real diamond, but unfortunately the clarity is bad. Not to the naked eye of course, but if you really zoom in, it’s all sorts of bad-looking. Apparently she’d have been better off with a smaller but clearer diamond.