Lovelyish

I make high end jewelry for a living.

Diamonds are a scam.

Very interesting. I’d like to say “I don’t want a diamond ring now!” but I still would like a ring and most other gems look like costume jewelry.

This was very informational. I enjoyed reading it, but diamonds are still on my favorite stones list because of their multitude of purposes and personally, I like them because they are so brilliant and pure looking when cut correctly. I like shiny… mmm, shiny. 

I agree.  Strangely/Sadly/Oddly enough, I am reminded of a song by Justin Timberlake:

Not gonna get you a diamond ring

That sort of gift don’t mean anything

you are absolutely 100% correct. all I have is that they are pretty and sparkle beautifully in the sun and for an odd reason the lights at church, weird

and my favorite ring is the wedding band that is white gold that matches my husbands, no diamonds.

This was a good post. I’ve never been into diamonds that much. If I ever get engaged to my boyfriend I’d rather the ring be unique, not expensive or tradtional. I like emeralds much more.

I don’t like diamonds both on the reasons you listed and the fact they’re not aesthetically pleasing to me.

I prefer semi-precious stones like Turquoise and Lapis Lazuli. They’re much prettier to me and cheaper, too.
Although I do like shiny things, it doesn’t mean I believe shiny things=HELOVESMESOMUCH. 

I’ve been toying around with the idea lately that if I ever get married, I don’t really want a diamond. I’ve received diamonds before and those guys are long gone, so clearly diamonds don’t equal love forever.

And I don’t want to feel like my husband needs to buy me.

I TOTALLY AGREE. I think it’s bullshit that women’s engagement rings etc. are supposed to be like x amount of a man’s yearly income…like fuckin’ seriously???

Nope. Reminds me of the yahoos from Gulliver’s Travels who spend all their time digging for “pretty stones.” They’re worthless. 

I’d personally rather be given a large sum of money. Haermm…

I’m Vietnamese, so all of my relatives for the most part  have had jade rings

diamonds are so overrated

i think diamonds could be put to much better use in industry than to be sitting on ring fingers everywhere.(the fact that hundreds of people die annually mining these things also doesn’t sit well with me)

i think morganite is a much better stone to symbolize love marriage and commitment. morganite is cheaper, easier to obtain, and have properties that bring clarity commitment and love into everyday life (if you believe in that stuff) yay morganite :]

I agree with this and I’ve never wanted a diamond engagement or wedding ring. I’ve always wanted something slightly more unusual. At the moment, I’m leaning towards ruby and amethyst, or maybe emerald.

See, I completely understand diamonds are a scam, and some come from exploiting other people. And I really have no desire to own any diamonds, BUT my engagement ring. I don’t even need a big, pretty one, I actually really like my mom’s which is quite small. But honestly, if the guy who I want to marry can’t or doesn’t want to give me a diamond ring, that’s fine. He should give me some kind of ring though. I would be cool with a pretty Amethyst ring. Or something cool/pretty. Just something to know he isn’t just saying stuff to say it and means serious business haha.

Honestly, I just like traditions. I don’t feel a need to have any other diamonds other than my future engagement ring. I also just want something simple and fairly small. I think if whoever I end up marrying pays a ridiculous price, I’d probably slap him across the face. If I remember right, my boyfriend’s mom has a $16,000 ring or some shit. His step-dad had to take out a loan for it. Yeah, I suppose that says I love you, but…no thanks. 

Yeah, I hate diamonds. I also hate gold. I much prefer something with color in it, and silver is much prettier than gold, to me. My boyfriend already knows that, though, so hopefully he will never buy me gold/diamonds. So far he’s done well. I don’t really like jewelry that much though, so I’ve told him not to get me any more. I also will never wear any rings because of my future career.. it would prevent me from using my hands effectively. So I’d rather just not have any, lmao. To me the ring will mean absolutely nothing, if I ever get one. It will sit in a drawer or jewelry box until I decide to sell it, most likely. I don’t need a ring, a marriage license or anything else to know how I feel, and how he feels. It’s just there, and we prove it to one another every day.

xX Ame ~*~ Hana Xx

I want things money can’t buy. priceless gifts. I’d rather he spend his blood,sweat and tears gradually and meticuously carving a wooden statue of me to show his hard work and effort that he’d go out of his way to give me something that he made from the heart and that he worships me I’ll do the same. I love arts and crafts.

I think you guys just want a reason not to spend money on a lady. You want to seem all cute and sensitive by putting reasons out there not to get a ring; really it just makes you look like you’re cheap. 

I don’t want a diamond to symbolize a man’s love for me, I want it to show how successful he is in achieving what he wants. Asking a man to give up their money is the hardest thing a woman can ever achieve. I can definitely say that if someone is willing to work as hard as it takes to make enough money to buy a diamond ring, then it is worth it.

Basically what I’m explaining is not “I bought this for you because I know you wanted it”, but rather “I bought this for you because I want you to have it”. 

I’d want a dark blue stone cut in the shape of a heart on a white gold band. That’d be pretty.

I agree that diamonds don’t have anything to do with real love. I always thought that when I got engaged, I’d want some unique, inexpensive ring, maybe pearl or something. But I dunno, at the end of the day, there are certain traditions that I guess I have a hard time letting go of. I want to wear a white dress when I get married, and I wanted a diamond engagement ring. Granted, I asked for the smallest cut (it’s 1/10 of a karat) and the lowest grade clarity (the whole ring all said and done was equal to something like 1/14th the cost of my monthly rent). So it’s not like we poured any money into the ring at all. But I guess I do fall prey to the tradition of it.

Anyway, I can’t get too outraged because most things we do are a sham and we do them because someone sold us the idea. Hello, $3 coffees?

I’m not sure how I would feel about an engagement ring (seeing how I am yet not engaged yet).

Having said that, my mom has been going through my great grandmother’s jewelry, taking the diamonds out and getting rid of the gold. (Mainly because my mom and I don’t wear gold anymore and the actual piece may not be something we would wear.) My mom still has like 20 diamonds to put into jewelry. If I was dating a guy who was thinking about proposing to me, I’d totally be down with the guy taking some of my family’s diamonds and putting it into a ring. Family means the world to me and it would make the ring mean more to me. And the guy would get major props from me.

But seeing how I’m nowhere near getting engaged, I’d have to say that it would have to depend on the relationship, guy and what I would really have. (And quite honestly, I’m not sure if I’d go either way 100%.)

I think most people purchase diamond engagement rings because they’re already traditionally associated with marriage. For me personally, when I see a woman wearing a diamond ring in her ring finger… I immediately associate it with engagement. On the other hand, when she’s wearing a gemstone colored ring, I think of it as a fashion statement ring. Anyhow, I don’t think women really believe that “diamonds are a girl’s best friend and that they mean forever.”

I also don’t think people should be spending a fortune on an engagement ring. The ring is supposed to signify your willingness to marry someone not the size of your wallet.

I think diamonds are pretty, and they’re better than cubic zirconia because they’re more reliable and last longer

I can’t think of any other stone I’d like better for an engagement ring, either…

I believe diamonds are for the sake of tradition. I guess it’s a comfort/investment stone. However, I don’t think the worth of a materialistic object such as a diamond should define/scale my level of love. 

To answer your question directly:  you wouldn’t, because you’re clearly smarter and more informed than that.

Personally, I’d rather have something practical (like a down payment on a house) than a diamond, to kick off my marriage.  Though I would like a ring of some kind, both as a symbol of our commitment to each other and as a visual so other guys know I’m taken.  But a stone of some kind is not necessary. 

Having said that…I’d take anything YOU offered me, sir.  Will you marry me?  j/k  hahaha…

If you’d like to read the full blog check it out at the http://werejustnotthereyet.datingish.com/weblog/. Of find out more about us on our Facebook page

Of course, like anything, you should only purchase it if you like it and want it.  If your lady likes it, why would you deny her that? 

Sounds like you’re just bitter about the way supply and demand works!

I have a ruby engagement ring & a ruby wedding band. Don’t like the idea of blood diamonds or being ridiculously gouged for a piece of jewelry. 

If my future-fiance doesn’t buy me a diamond engagement ring, I’ll be mad. It’s what you do. DO IT.

That’s how I feel anyway. I’m totally chill about wedding stuff other than that. I just want a regular engagement ring.

I like the idea of having a ring, but not necessarily a diamond. The ring finger on the left hand actually has an artery that’s connected straight to the heart which is, traditionally, why the wedding band is worn there – also because bands, which are circles, represent infinity, or an eternity of love.

So I’d like a ring for those symbolic reasons, but anything pretty and fairly inexpensive will do. Basically as long as it’s out of the ordinary. If I do get a diamond, though, I’m not going to be upset. I’d leave that up to my boyfriend. I would like it to be conflict-free, though.

I hope you weren’t serious with the cracks about the government.  That effectively would make divorce a crime, with the confiscated ring serving as a fine.  Unsettling thought.

@Lakakalo@xanga - That song, “Dick in a Box,” is by The Lonely Island.

Hehehe, I love your “I don’t have GEICO insurance because a caveman told me to buy it, and I don’t drink Coca Cola because polar bears do and I don’t think smoking hot girls will actually show up in my shower if I use Axe body wash.” references.

I do believe in ‘em but I don’t NEED ‘em.

It’s just traditions really. Nor do I believe that they are rare stones. I like them because they are shiny and pretty and are meant to symbolize a commitment of marriage and even love. So, I’m still going to get a diamond engagement ring. 

@Crossed_Out_Name@xanga - Doh! >_<’

I don’t think diamonds are a bad thing if you aren’t a prima donna who needs a massive ring. My fiance spend a little under 2k for a ring that’s about 3/4 of a carat. Yes, a lot of money, but not for something that I’ll wear for ~60 years. I’m sure people have spent the same or more on something they use for 5 or 10 years, or maybe even less. But, I didn’t need a huge rock, or the very best cut, so I think it was very reasonable. If you are expecting your fiance to spend like 5k or 10k on a ring, yes that is ridiculous to me. 

@starcrossedloversdivine@xanga - I loved your last statement.

I already knew the information he wrote about, I was actually thinking he would also write about blood diamonds, etc, too… but the basic history was good.

I don’t understand why people should give private property to the state upon divorce, though… comparing commercialized products to what the state should do? Burden to the state?! Please… The state burdens, what should be the couple’s private affair, much more than vice versa. 

Besides… anyone knows anything that is run by the government fails… Why would collecting people’s private property be any different? The state should have nothing to do with private affairs – but, that’s not how it is, is it? :-p

Unless that portion was a modest proposal, it was a pretty poor ending.

I told my husband I didn’t want a real diamond, so he got me a cubic zirconia. I only wore it for the 9 months of our engagement, now I wear a simple silver wedding band with a gold braid around the middle. 

I don’t want a diamond ring because it’s a diamond. I want it for what it traditionally symbolizes. I don’t need it to be super expensive – but it’s not like buying a diamond engagement ring will ruin a guy’s financial future (if he’s smart about it), even if it is overpriced.

Marketing works, yes. But it’s tradition. I think most girls who would want a diamond engagement ring would do so because it’s traditional, not because they’ve been drilled with advertisements. I think the only purpose to market diamond rings is for each company’s individual business, not to get women to want to buy diamonds.

diamonds ARE a scam. but i think they’re a scam because of the companies that sell them. when i was browsing at tiffany’s for a pair of earrings, i figured i’d look at their rings too, just to see how they’re priced. a 3carat solitaire platinum ring cost over $400,000. i was so shocked… it’s like wearing a house on your finger! then i decided to investigate a little more. i went to a small jewelry shop in my town’s mall that was privately owned by some family. that same exact 3carat solitaire platinum ring cost only $30,000 from them. 30K is still a huge chunk of change, but why is the cost of the tiffany’s ring soo much more? because it’s freaking tiffany’s, not because their diamonds are superior to the other shop’s diamonds. it was literally the same diamond. same cut, colour, clarity, everything. diamonds are overrated. after my little investigation, i don’t think i’d ever buy diamonds, at least not from big companies like tiffany’s or debeers.

@starcrossedloversdivine@xanga - Damn straight. Hubby just recently told me how much was spent on my ring and diamond. It was around $8,000, but I didn’t have to tell him how much, and he’d never heard of that formula- he got it for me because he wanted me to have it, and he wanted the pleasure of seeing it on me. You get the point, as always, girl.

OP: Just for the record, there’s nothing immoral about ad campaigns. Suggesting that the government should confiscate personal property to punish two people for a private decision is though. Also, you’re wrong about stones never having been used to symbolize love. For a long time, rubies were a mainstream symbol of a virtuous women that the man wanted to or had wed.

@evangeliaaa@xanga - Tiffany’s IS way overpriced. Comparison shopping is a must for jewelry.

My boyfriend told me he wants to buy me a diamond when he proposes to me… But… I really dont care! Id prefer to have the fake one tbh.. Then with the left over money we can do something fun!

I love, love, love EVERYTHING about this post. So much awesomeness in it.

As for the diamonds… I wouldn’t ever want one. They, like many other ‘precious’ materialistic objects, are only special because YOU allow them to be that way. They hold no value to me and aren’t anything special, thus they aren’t worth much to me. You can say they are precious, rare, expensive, blah blah blah all you want. It isn’t worth the $ to me. I think diamonds should be used for more practical and logical uses.

Tanzanite on the other hand is one of my favorites and I would LOVE to own just one piece of jewelry that had tanzanite in it. Because it serves me no other purpose (much like diamonds), I’ve never spent the outrageous amount of $ required to purchase some. I won’t ever buy any for myself because I don’t NEED jewelry. But if anyone ever bought me a little tiny piece of jewelry with tanzanite in it – I’d love them for decades =).

My engagement ring cost 170 dollars. I’m fine with that. 

I’ve never been into diamonds, and when my boyfriend asked what kind of engagement ring I’d want I told him sapphire.

I had to look before I settled on sapphire, but I ALWAYS knew I didn’t want a diamond.Sapphires are the hardest stones after diamonds, and they’re rarer, and in my opinion more beautiful.

I’ve never really wanted a diamond. My sister was born in April, and her birthstone is, of course, a diamond. She always got the beautiful, pure cut, hand-me-down family jewelery (necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings). So her being spoiled kind of turned me off to wanting a ‘rock’ as a promise. I’m a step ahead of you

I enjoy diamonds. My husband’s parents divorced, are both jewelers, and both own their own shop. So I get jewelry for every holiday and I’m not complaining. My husband also didn’t have to over pay for my engagement and wedding rings. It’s definitely a perk to go with the awesome husband  

Haha. Then my dad completely fell for the diamond and luxury advertising. But when I get married I’ll probably end up with an inherited ring from my mom or grandparents. How’s that for friggin’ tradition?

I personally think diamonds are very pretty, but I prefer sapphires and turquoise stones.

Its funny because recently my boyfriend and I were talking about gifts for our one year anniversary, and because I am going two hours away to college I said I wanted a promise ring as a promise that we’d do our best to keep our long distance relationship working. I told him I only wanted something simple, like a $12 ring from Kohl’s, but instead he got me a diamond promise ring. I love it personally, but because its a symbol of our promise to each other. I didn’t need the diamonds, but I was incredibly touched that he was willing to go the extra mile for me. And before anyone hates, the present I got him was about the same price as the ring.

That being said, diamonds are definitely hyped. But I think they are nice, and hey I’ve never had nice jewelry before

you write well. i love this.

Very informative. I always imagine what it would be like if I bought all the diamonds in the world just so that I could inflate the prices to ridiculous levels. It’s always been one of my favorite unrealistic goals, along with ruling the world, although I’m not sure that the latter is that unrealistic. 

“Girls everywhere are convinced that their man doesn’t love them
enough to actually want to spend forever with them unless they buy the
biggest, clearest, best cut diamond they can’t really afford.”

Exaggeration much…? If there are girls who think that, then they’re tools. A materialistic gift does not equal love. I mean, isn’t that a basic life lesson people learn? That’s like saying my parents could just give me money all the time and not have an actual relationship with me. It doesn’t really work out. If I were getting married and my husband didn’t buy me a ring of any sort I would be disappointed. Not because he didn’t want to spend money on me, but because I wouldn’t have a very traditional status symbol on my hand letting everyone know that I’m taken and proud of it. Anyway, who says girls can’t chip in for the ring they want if they really want it?

I’m surprised this post didn’t go into the workers conditions while diamond mining. If there’s anything to be upset over about diamonds I’d think it would be that.

Diamond actually isn’t made of coal. It is formed by applying heat and pressure to carbon-containing minerals up to 120 miles beneath the surface of the earth. It gets shot up very quickly and deposited by volcanic processes. It’s not as stable as other forms of carbon, and if its ride to the top takes too long, it turns into a more-stable form of carbon, such as graphite. That’s one of the reasons diamond is rare.

And is has been valued for its beauty for thousands of years. You should check your facts

Even though I agree with this post, to some extent I think @stacrossedlovers or what her name has a point to some extent

But yes the diamond trade is ridiculous. People forget it comes from carbon and OUR ENTIRE PLANET IS ALMOST ESSENTIALLY CARBON that it’s not that rare to find these. Plus, DeBeers supposedly owns a diamond mine somewhere I believe in East Africa the size of New Jersey, how’s that for rarity?

…But I like my diamond.  =[

My boyfriend bought me a 1/3 carat diamond ring and proposed to me.  He’s a traditional guy.  He spent about $1000 on it.  
I didn’t need a lavish, big rock on my finger.  Just something small and simple.  

Like a few other people have said, its just tradition.  If my future boyfriend/fiance/whatever got me something else, I would be disappointed.  I agree that they probably aren’t worth the price and are damn useful for a number of other things, but its a tradition – its symbolic.  The size or final price doesn’t matter one bit to me…its just the meaning behind it.  Not of “forever,” necessarily, but of “be mine,” of “I’m taken,” of “we are committed,” of something more than words.  Its a symbol everyone understands the second they see it.  That’s why I got so damn angry for months when Facebook insisted on showing me diamond ring ads right after I got dumped.  Maybe I’m just a sentimental weirdo, but I don’t think I’m alone in this.

I like diamonds, I think they’re beautiful, and I think they’re a way for a man to show love and respect to a woman. Not the only way, maybe not the best way, but still a good way. It’s a symbol, and that’s important to a lot of women (including me). Some guys may not understand; that doesn’t mean it’s not important.

I’ve always said I wanted to be proposed to with a ring pop. 

it’s not about a ring for me, if I love someone, I don’t care. 

@evangeliaaa@xanga - What about Tiffany’s earrings and bracelets? Are they overpriced too or just the things that hold diamonds? I’m curious because my mom recently got me that silver chain bracelet that is so IN right now she was told.
I didn’t know that price differences existed because of the brand. I thought it’s because of their service (repairing broken stuff for free even years later) and possibly because the other shop in your example make the outside with platinum and the inside with some cheaper metal. And I also thought every company has its own copyrighted designs??

@Pickwick12@xanga - AMEN and thank you!

If you really think that a ring DOES NOT mean anything, than you are very delusional my friend.  If a man REALLY loves you, he would show the world he adores you and that includes giving you something as “little” as a ring. IT doesn’t have to be the best looking or most expensive, heck, it can be a RING POP or an ONION RING but it signifies something. If he doesn’t, that means he’s ashamed of you, trying you out, has problems with making a committment, is not a man but a SUCKER/COWARD, and doesn’t love you like you think he does. It’s sad in my eyes. I want a ring to separate myself from the single ladies and the mistresses! Women who don’t see that are delusional and are making excuses for these BOYS, I’m sorry.

Like Beyonce said “If you like it then you should of put a ring on it.”

I agree. I didn’t allow my husband to buy me a diamond ring when you got married. It’s a waste of money.

@lilblucherrygrl@xanga - I prefer emeralds, too! They’re so cool-looking!

I want a Opal for my wedding ring.

Don’t Think About Diamonds…

…Think About Desire!!

Don’t Think About Diamonds…

…Think About Passion!!

Don’t Think About Diamonds…

…Think About Love!!

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