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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

#611

Post by BlueTemplar »

dublinben wrote: post #597
BlueTemplar wrote: post #506

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can see some of that impact on this chart : https://www.pricescope.com/diamond-prices/diamond-prices-cha... That (crappy) $4.6k diamond would be from $3.3k on now : https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-search/?CaratFrom=0.9&Carat... So that's a -28%, and assuming no change between 2006 and 2008, this does seem to fit the recent drop in 0.5 to 1 carat prices seen on the chart ? (Note that all of the drops happened sin…

The $550 figure came from the first search result (www.cleanorigin.com) for lab grown diamonds. No clue if this is a reputable site.

Diamonds aren't cut equal - imagine getting glasses that don't fit well your prescription.

All the sellers I have seen so far but White Flash seem to at best have a tiny, monocolor «Hearts & Diamonds» logo - which makes it hard to judge for yourself. And at this point the prices are low enough that it doesn't seem to make sense to settle for less if your goal is something like an engagement ring.

I don't know, maybe I am exaggerating the importance of this - (and maybe moissanite or even cubic zirconium would actually make for even better optical properties) - but it does seem like that diamond buyers are overwhelmingly getting taken advantage of : https://beyond4cs.com/truth-about-gia-triple-excellent-diamo...

I was interested enough from this article that I was willing to try to find out by myself (including comparing with similar crystals) - but annoyingly White Flash is US based and doesn't export to my country.

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

#612

Post by svnt »

klyrs wrote: post #496
svnt wrote: post #433

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am getting tired of this default perspective that “it’s about time men got around to this.” Anecdotally I’ve never read or heard the male term IRL so I decided to check the phrases on Google trends. Direct comparison of both full phrases shows that “keep the hubby happy” essentially doesn’t exist: https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&geo=US&q=k...

Funny that you cherrypick a single phrase that I actually made up, because I was generalizing, and use its unpopularity to insinuate that sexism never existed. https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&geo=US&q=h... Above I'm comparing "happy husband" to "happy wife" because it includes searches for the phrase "happy wife happy life" and I don't know of a similar rhyming phrase involving husband and I want th…

I didn’t insinuate anything about sexism never existing.

I also didn’t cherry-pick anything, I used the exact phrase you said you’d heard all over women’s spaces.

The data you show are based on broad terms that would be difficult to ascribe to any causes or uses as they could just as likely be a reflection of men’s increasingly poor mental health — “why isn’t my husband happy” or the increase in relative participation of wives in Google searches.

Sexism is rampant. I had just hoped the incoming matriarchy would be more compassionate than the previous patriarchy. It isn’t looking good so far.

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

#613

Post by blindhippo »

AlecSchueler wrote: post #598
blindhippo wrote: post #593

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Try any other bit of social media. Some how my instagram feed (whenever I actually go to use it) is now full of silly "haha my husband is stupid he can't find anything without me" nonsense, or "lol, my wife can't drive or deal with any sort of complex social engagement like getting a car repaired". Bland judgement based on arbitrary buckets like gender/sex seem to be the norm vs actual, thoughtful discourse.

I'm not sure what you're trying to tell me. Are you agreeing or disagreeing?

Sorry, was mostly just agreeing with you and adding that gender based nonsense is endemic everywhere. It's alienating me across the whole media spectrum.

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

#614

Post by rexpop »

iancmceachern wrote: post #609
rexpop wrote: post #578

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I will admit that, as I was writing my little tirade, I was thinking "damn, though, if that ring is passed down even one generation, it gathers enough meaning to invalidate my claim." I won't begrudge anyone their personal family heirlooms. I completely understand your perspective, because it's a nice story. That being said, you've shifted the goalposts with your anecdata. Familial inheritance is an exception which p…

Do you have a life partner? How do they feel about your thoughts here?

Well, first of all, whether you read this or not (let alone agree, or concede even an iota) thanks for the opportunity to articulate my thoughts.

I don't currently have a partner, no, but I inherited these views from many years of lovers, partners, and friends. As a straight, white man raised in a Christian nation, I held the familiar, patriarchal views on marriage and gender roles without question until I started dating queer women in college (and almost exclusively thereafter).

I think that "how they feel about it" is they would prefer to live in a world with men who are familiar with—and reluctant to participate in—patriarchal dynamics. These women have been hurt by men who mistake domination for romance, and furthermore believe this mistake to be commonplace. I can't say what they "feel" about my precise thoughts here, because I'm extrapolating from a lot of data over many years: conversations, books, research, statistics, workplace and social experiences, etc.

I think it's safe to say, though, that I cultivated a feminist viewpoint in part because the women in my milieu wouldn't have otherwise felt safe around me. This is a perspective that I took in an attempt to empathize with women who explicitly told me they were both weary and wary of men who don't take this perspective.

So unless I've made a terrific mistake and fundamentally misunderstood dozens upon dozens of women and feminists, I think they feel safe, relieved, and reassured. That's all I'm trying to be, by the way: safe, and not harmful in the ways I've seen people hurt.

...and I think engagement rings cement relationships that facilitate abuse. I doubt you spend much time interrogating the sources and prevalence of abuse, but little matters more to me.

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

#615

Post by iancmceachern »

rexpop wrote: post #614
iancmceachern wrote: post #609

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you have a life partner? How do they feel about your thoughts here?

Well, first of all, whether you read this or not (let alone agree, or concede even an iota) thanks for the opportunity to articulate my thoughts. I don't currently have a partner, no, but I inherited these views from many years of lovers, partners, and friends. As a straight, white man raised in a Christian nation, I held the familiar, patriarchal views on marriage and gender roles without question until I started da…

Your last sentence says it all.

You are allowing your beliefs to cause you to throw stones at others.

In this interaction, you are the abuser, to me, to my wife, to the others you have insulted and hurt with your statement.

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

#617

Post by qingcharles »

oblio wrote: post #358
Maxion wrote: post #253

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That first link makes me want to buy some 1 carat CVDs to play around with. I mean at those prices, making my own diamond chandelier isn't too out of the question.

Well, if you think about it, mass manufacturing, progress in industrial chemistry, plastics, etc, did a lot of impossible things super cheap. We have disposable pieces of plastics worth 10 cents that if teleported back to 1600 in bulk (say, 1000 units) would have cost entire counties back then, including the people living on them: light, strong, elaborate and very precisely machined. Look at this thing: https://www.d…

I've always loved these chairs.. they are $12, very light and are almost entirely indestructible under normal use:

https://www.shoprite.com/sm/planning/rsid/316/product/resin-...

If you took one back to 1600 I wonder how much you could get for it?

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

#618

Post by rexpop »

iancmceachern wrote: post #615
rexpop wrote: post #614

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, first of all, whether you read this or not (let alone agree, or concede even an iota) thanks for the opportunity to articulate my thoughts. I don't currently have a partner, no, but I inherited these views from many years of lovers, partners, and friends. As a straight, white man raised in a Christian nation, I held the familiar, patriarchal views on marriage and gender roles without question until I started da…

Your last sentence says it all. You are allowing your beliefs to cause you to throw stones at others. In this interaction, you are the abuser, to me, to my wife, to the others you have insulted and hurt with your statement.

Critique is not abuse.

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

#619

Post by vel0city »

fomine3 wrote: post #565
PawgerZ wrote: post #551

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You could replace that CZ every year and still spend half the amount of a diamond ring.

I'm not a fan of jewely, but permanency should be a important feature for it

By volume I imagine most jewelry sold is cheap stuff intended to only be worn a few times. Go to any fast fashion store and you'll see piles of cheap earrings, necklaces, etc. Not every piece of jewelry needs to become a family heirloom.
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