4 ms·

> I don't think women care these days about getting a diamond. Unfortunately, most of the women I know do care about getting a real diamond. Doesn't matter if

> I don't think women care these days about getting a diamond. Unfortunately, most of the women I know do care about getting a real diamond. Doesn't matter if the grown diamonds will be better quality dollar for dollar - it's fake and it won't do.

ryandrake 13y ago
I think it says something about someone's character when they prefer jewelry [possibly] mined by a 12-year old slave at gunpoint, at great environmental cost, over jewelry produced in a lab.
- lostlogin 13y ago
  Unless you get certified ethically mined Canadian diamonds. They are a good way to get guilt free diamonds (at an even greater premium).
  - philwelch 13y ago
    Sustaining a cultural norm that causes children to mine for diamonds at gunpoint is not "guilt free". Your particular diamond is fungible. Diamonds should be as taboo as fur coats.
DrStalker 13y ago
My fiance and I designed an engagement ring set around a large blue-green sapphire set in yellow gold; it's a stunning piece that suits her far better than a diamond would. We both love it, but when she shows it off some people just can't get over the fact it's not a diamond even when they acknowledge it's a really nice ring.
- ScottBurson 13y ago
  Show them this: http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1982/02/have-you-ever-tried-to-sell-a-diamond/304575/ http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1982/02/have-you... HN discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4535611 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4535611 BTW the ring sounds gorgeous.
vacri 13y ago
You mean 'fake', not fake. It's a real diamond.
- thaumasiotes 13y ago
  This is an interesting one. You mainly identify synthetic jewels by how they're the same as mined ones, but higher quality (bigger, no inclusions, better color, etc). That higher quality gets you a substantial drop in the price. I was amused to learn that DeBeers backed a campaign to convince people that "real" diamonds should have serial numbers inscribed within them -- let's keep natural diamond prices high by artifically making their quality even worse! Another interesting aspect is that whereas natural rubies really are hard to find, and synthetic rubies are dirt cheap to produce... synthetic diamonds aren't all that easy to produce.

ryandrake 13y ago

I think it says something about someone's character when they prefer jewelry [possibly] mined by a 12-year old slave at gunpoint, at great environmental cost, over jewelry produced in a lab.

lostlogin 13y ago
Unless you get certified ethically mined Canadian diamonds. They are a good way to get guilt free diamonds (at an even greater premium).
- philwelch 13y ago
  Sustaining a cultural norm that causes children to mine for diamonds at gunpoint is not "guilt free". Your particular diamond is fungible. Diamonds should be as taboo as fur coats.

DrStalker 13y ago

My fiance and I designed an engagement ring set around a large blue-green sapphire set in yellow gold; it's a stunning piece that suits her far better than a diamond would. We both love it, but when she shows it off some people just can't get over the fact it's not a diamond even when they acknowledge it's a really nice ring.

ScottBurson 13y ago
Show them this: http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1982/02/have-you-ever-tried-to-sell-a-diamond/304575/ http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1982/02/have-you... HN discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4535611 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4535611 BTW the ring sounds gorgeous.

vacri 13y ago

You mean 'fake', not fake. It's a real diamond.

thaumasiotes 13y ago
This is an interesting one. You mainly identify synthetic jewels by how they're the same as mined ones, but higher quality (bigger, no inclusions, better color, etc). That higher quality gets you a substantial drop in the price. I was amused to learn that DeBeers backed a campaign to convince people that "real" diamonds should have serial numbers inscribed within them -- let's keep natural diamond prices high by artifically making their quality even worse! Another interesting aspect is that whereas natural rubies really are hard to find, and synthetic rubies are dirt cheap to produce... synthetic diamonds aren't all that easy to produce.