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Diamonds Are Bullshit

blog.priceonomics.com

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Re: Diamonds Are Bullshit

#601

Post by gizzlon »

brazzy wrote: post #547
bilbo0s wrote: post #297

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are a great many couples in my social circle who eschewed the diamond ring. They have meaningful, and expensive alternative rings, but not diamonds. We don't have diamonds either. My only point is that not ALL women are about making other women feel inadequate. Or showing off their diamonds. Many are actually just as disgusted as men are about it. And they prefer men who have that conscious, and will put some t…

> They have meaningful, and expensive alternative rings, but not diamonds. How is that any different?

One is showing off with how much money you can spend, the other one is showing off with "how much you care".

Or, maybe they actually care ..

Re: Diamonds Are Bullshit

#602

Post by takluyver »

sjtrny wrote: post #495
toast76 wrote: post #110

Trying to argue against engagement rings is like arguing against internet censorship. Your opinion is tainted before you open your mouth because the only people who could possibly oppose such things are cheap bastards or pedophiles, respectively. If you refuse to buy a diamond, it's because you're cheap or don't love "her" enough. No amount of hand waving or sensible logic will make up for the fact that you'll just l…

If your other half says that it's because you don't love them enough you need to get a new partner who doesn't behave like a 10 year old.

You have to accommodate some disagreements in a relationship. Most men aren't going to disagree strongly enough on this one issue to use the nuclear option on the relationship.

Re: Diamonds Are Bullshit

#603

Post by EvaK_de »

I tried to get an impression of how (American) women think about this, so I went ahead and posted this article in a wedding-related forum. The forum's population is about 99% female (including me). Usually the tone there is very civil and opinions are well-balanced. Members treat each other with resepct.

But his time it's completely different: the reactions are crushing! I was bashed and put down like never before on the web, although I never even suggested that I agree with the author's opinion. They even went so far as to scan my older threads. They found one from half a year ago, where I pointed out another article with a similar topic, and then began to bach me in this dead topic, too.

Meanwhile it seams that the mods have closed the old thread, and I have deleted the new one myself since the bashing was getting me down.

What is it that makes american women so aggressive, when it comes to criticizing diamonds? I don't get it.

Living in Germany, I never quite understood how you can restrict a whole culture to believe so fiercely that a piece of compressed carbon is so very meaningful.

Link to the closed thread: http://boards.weddingbee.com/topic/mens-view-on-engagement-r...

Re: Diamonds Are Bullshit

#604

Post by gizzlon »

mistercow wrote: post #356
dkural wrote: post #350

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Except it happens to be factually, empirically true. Read the behavioral & social psychology literature; double blind experiments.

[citation needed]

All the boring but stable and decently successful men that get laid like crazy.. oh, wait..

Re: Diamonds Are Bullshit

#605

Post by rayiner »

spankalee wrote: post #414
rayiner wrote: post #332

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Good diamonds depreciate less than say cars or stereo equipment or computers. A Tiffany's ring with GIA certs can resell for half its original purchase price. There is an active secondary market in diamonds, so if you buy a high-quality GIA certified stone used, you should be able to sell it for a similar price to what you bought it for. Most of the depreciation on a diamond happens the moment you "drive it off the l…

Where is this secondary market that you speak of?

Same as the secondary market for used laptops or whatever. There are people who buy used diamonds. Check out pricescope.com.

Re: Diamonds Are Bullshit

#606

Post by jennyjitters »

rayiner wrote: post #226
clicks wrote: post #219

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For individuals, there are reasonable, cost-effective substitutes to reduce oil consumption. That may be true in Europe and the East coast but it is not true for large remote country areas etc. It's certainly not true for where I live -- there are no bus/train routes that can get me to my workplace from my home, and I cannot re-locate because of my financial position. I know of countless others in similarly tied posi…

Sure, but what about all those people who have a choice? Where is the Atlantic article excoriating Silicon Valley and companies like Facebook, Google, etc, for not moving out of the suburban wasteland to a place where it is possible to live a life that causes less violence to the environment?

I think you make a really great point here. And although I don't think buying diamonds and burning fossil fuels are equivalent evils, I do strongly believe that you always have a choice. I don't personally make a lot of money--and I have been financially supporting my boyfriend who's been working on a start-up for past last year--but leading a "green" urban lifestyle is extremely important to us. Yes, living in the city tends to be more expensive, but when you account for all the fuel you're not burning by not driving, it makes the lifestyle much more financially viable. We bike or walk absolutely everywhere we go, and although we don't have the ability to eat out all the time, we've managed to put a good amount of money into savings. My point is, if you're committed enough, there is ALWAYS a choice not to drive, not to buy diamonds, and to live a life that doesn't support things that hurt the environment and other people.

Re: Diamonds Are Bullshit

#607

Post by EvaK_de »

supersaver wrote: post #538
kyrra wrote: post #132

(person I know) worked for GE (General Electric) on their industrial diamond production process back in the 90's, and I got to hear lots of fun stories from this. Diamonds that are man-made[1] are stronger (fewer imperfections) than those that are mined from the earth. Because of this, industrial diamonds tend to be man-made. (for reference, industrial diamonds when cutting hard materials, such as metals). While work…

Can I get one of these industrial diamonds in a ring?

I don't know, but you can buy men-made Moissanite (silicon carbide), which is superior to diamond in every category except for hardness: it's only the second hardest rock in the known universe!

Re: Diamonds Are Bullshit

#608

Post by robomartin »

> this obligation only exists because the company that stands to profit from it willed it into existence

No it does not! It exists because idiots go along with this senseless idea. It's the same idiots that jump in line like little marketing-driven robots every Valentina's day and every other holiday. It's almost as if people have an API call for "time to shop for some senseless shit".

In our own case, no diamond ring, no jewelry at all. We bought a frigging house, we spent a couple of weeks in the Caribean and a few weeks in Europe. There is no way a diamond or jewelry can compare to that. Oh, yes, no getting down on one knee either. What a demeaning way to start a relationship. If you want to show respect do it with the actions you take every day, not empty marketing-driven cargo-cult gestures.

As for my own daughter, we are going to teach her that a moron who spends his life savings on a diamond ring is just that and someone who can't reason his way out of a paper bag. What a horrible financial decision.

In jest now. Perhaps one could launch a marketing campaign to make people give programming courses as engagement gifts. Talk about a life-changing gift.

Re: Diamonds Are Bullshit

#609

Post by n09n »

pyre wrote: post #579
n09n wrote: post #571

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes there is. It's like the classic burning of your ships once you've landed. Once you know there's no turning back, you have no option but to make things work by going forwards.

Huh? Having the money to splurge on a ring is a signal of financial fitness because you have the extra money to spend on something that will 'have no return' (so the speak). It's hardly a case of 'burning of your ships.' If you have the financial security to splurge on some ridiculous ring, then it's also possible that you have the ability to just absorb the cost if you don't like the marriage. Besides, depending on…

Two people propose to you with rings that cost 25k each. One ring is resellable for 20k. One is resellable for 5k. Which one do you think is more likely to renege?

Re: Diamonds Are Bullshit

#610

Post by mikeash »

g8oz wrote: post #299
mikeash wrote: post #253

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We're not talking about worth. The exact words were, "more functional". A purse is obviously more functional than a TV.

It could be argued that killing time is a function.

Of course, in exactly the same way that it could be argued that "showing off your wealth with designer accessories" is a function.
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