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The diamond world takes radical steps to stop a pricing plunge

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Re: The diamond world takes radical steps to stop a pricing plunge

#81

Post by ThrowawayTestr »

subpixel wrote: post #72
brink wrote: post #3

I would like to take this moment to thank https://diamondssuck.com/ for preventing me from buying my wife a diamond, and getting her a much prettier moissanite instead. It's been on hn's front page several times.

My wife thinks little of diamonds. So when we got engaged I gave her a ring set with an emerald my grandfather got in Colombia in the 50s and that my grandmother and mother wore. Turns out all those warm fuzzies are generally cancelled out by the likelihood that our emerald is as bloody as any diamond. The story of emerald trafficking in Colombia is dark.

On the other hand, not wearing the gem means those people slaved away in the mines for nothing.

Re: The diamond world takes radical steps to stop a pricing plunge

#82

Post by defrost »

bluGill wrote: post #63
defrost wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Gold, just gold, is an investment simply because people value it - it's a shiny noble metal that stays "pure", ergo percieved value. From a resource utility PoV it costs more to source than copper or aluminium which are nearly as conductive - so they win out for electronic and power transmision applications. There are applications where gold is the clear winner - "forever" circuits and switches that are worth the ext…

Copper is significantly more conductive than gold. Folklore holds a.myth that gold is really good, but basic physics disagrees.

It's not very significant (by most definitions of the word), a typical physics | engineering quote is:

    The electrical conductivity of copper is slightly higher at 5.96 x10^7 S/m than gold which is 4.11×10^7 S/m. More importantly is the lifespan of the two metals. Copper has a high oxidation level. So, if installed in an unstable environment (such as outside), it will fail sooner than gold.
They're close (which is how I misordered the two) with the corrosion Vs non corrosion of copper V. gold being a factor in switch contact lifespans - typically high copper alloys with lower oxidation rates are used.

Re: The diamond world takes radical steps to stop a pricing plunge

#83

Post by cactusplant7374 »

xivzgrev wrote: post #46
brink wrote: post #3

I would like to take this moment to thank https://diamondssuck.com/ for preventing me from buying my wife a diamond, and getting her a much prettier moissanite instead. It's been on hn's front page several times.

Guys, buying diamonds, can complain all day about what a rip off it is (it is). But if you apprise your fiancé of the alternatives / opp costs (moissanite, man made, second hand, etc) and she still wants a new diamond, just get her a new diamond. It will make her happy for years. My wife had her heart set on a pink diamond, so that’s what I got her. I made it clear though that if I got this, she is not getting a new…

I am married to someone that didn’t want a diamond or upgrades. I prefer it.

Re: The diamond world takes radical steps to stop a pricing plunge

#84

Post by bombcar »

bluGill wrote: post #63
defrost wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Gold, just gold, is an investment simply because people value it - it's a shiny noble metal that stays "pure", ergo percieved value. From a resource utility PoV it costs more to source than copper or aluminium which are nearly as conductive - so they win out for electronic and power transmision applications. There are applications where gold is the clear winner - "forever" circuits and switches that are worth the ext…

Copper is significantly more conductive than gold. Folklore holds a.myth that gold is really good, but basic physics disagrees.

Gold-plated connectors don’t oxidize- which is a benefit over copper alone.

Re: The diamond world takes radical steps to stop a pricing plunge

#85

Post by cactusplant7374 »

bombcar wrote: post #70
xivzgrev wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Guys, buying diamonds, can complain all day about what a rip off it is (it is). But if you apprise your fiancé of the alternatives / opp costs (moissanite, man made, second hand, etc) and she still wants a new diamond, just get her a new diamond. It will make her happy for years. My wife had her heart set on a pink diamond, so that’s what I got her. I made it clear though that if I got this, she is not getting a new…

And make sure you appraise her of it - shenanigans like buying something else and passing it off as a diamond could result in her being absolutely embarrassed in front of her friends, which should not be a position you want to put her in.

Not everyone wants to spend $20,000 on a rock so that their spouse isn’t “embarrassed in front of her friends.”

Re: The diamond world takes radical steps to stop a pricing plunge

#86

Post by WheelsAtLarge »

xivzgrev wrote: post #46
brink wrote: post #3

I would like to take this moment to thank https://diamondssuck.com/ for preventing me from buying my wife a diamond, and getting her a much prettier moissanite instead. It's been on hn's front page several times.

Guys, buying diamonds, can complain all day about what a rip off it is (it is). But if you apprise your fiancé of the alternatives / opp costs (moissanite, man made, second hand, etc) and she still wants a new diamond, just get her a new diamond. It will make her happy for years. My wife had her heart set on a pink diamond, so that’s what I got her. I made it clear though that if I got this, she is not getting a new…

I tend to agree. This falls in the same realm as a fancy wedding versus a trip to a courthouse to get married. Some couples are fine with going to a courthouse, others will never accept it even if they have to borrow to accomplish it. When it comes to big weddings there is no such thing as a smart expense. Most couples would be better off by going to a judge to get married but that just can't be accepted by many. Diamonds are just another cost of getting married by most couples.

Re: The diamond world takes radical steps to stop a pricing plunge

#87

Post by cactusplant7374 »

pbj1968 wrote: post #49

These threads are always great for men posting about how their wives love the imitation stones “just as much” and “I didn’t foolishly spend money.” As always, if it worked for your marriage, it worked, but many of us can sniff out a fake from across the room. And it will always look tacky and cheap and she will be wearing it, in theory, the rest of her life. I have visited exactly one jeweler in my life that set man…

Wearing a man’s wealth on a finger is tacky too. Goes both ways.

Re: The diamond world takes radical steps to stop a pricing plunge

#89

Post by mjamesaustin »

Loughla wrote: post #68
huytersd wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There’s specifically no market for them somehow. I tried to look but the only places I could found that sold them was at pawn shops.

Honestly, second hand diamond and other gemstone jewelry seems like such a missed opportunity. I feel like people would go for it, with the new focus on sustainability and what-not. I wonder why that's not a thing?

Because the marketing goal of the diamond industry is to convince buyers that the amount of money you spent indicates how much you love your spouse.

Re: The diamond world takes radical steps to stop a pricing plunge

#90

Post by escapedmoose »

WheelsAtLarge wrote: post #67
xwdv wrote: post #41

Diamonds are worthless, but reject them at your own peril. When my friend proposed to his girlfriend of 3 years, because the ring didn’t have a diamond she said no.

If you think about it, a ring is just as unneeded as a diamond. The situation is that a diamond ring has become a social norm. I would bet that if you ask most women whether they want a diamond engagement ring or another type of rock, they will pick the diamond ring by an overwhelming majority. Imagine a woman telling others about their engagement and showing a rock other than a diamond. It would be a disappointment…

I and most of my friends (late 20s to early 30s) have non-diamond engagement rings. The consensus is that diamonds are outdated, exploitative, and scammy. I also think they’re not as pretty/eye-catching as my lab-grown emerald.
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