I wonder how well this Reddit-famous commentary about the diamond industry has aged:
https://reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/8pb8d5/i_grow_diamonds_i_...
Pandora says laboratory-made diamonds are forever
21–30 of 686 posts
Re: Pandora says laboratory-made diamonds are forever
#22Married members of HN, what did you do if you think diamonds are utterly ridiclious however due to societal constraints some kind of ring is required for your SO?
My mother had inherited a bunch of jewelry from her mother, among which was her engagement ring. It was a really nice ring that was just sitting in a box, so I asked if I could have it and used that.
Re: Pandora says laboratory-made diamonds are forever
#23Married members of HN, what did you do if you think diamonds are utterly ridiclious however due to societal constraints some kind of ring is required for your SO?
What social constraint requires a ring?
We bought the cheapest gold rings we could fined. 757 gold due to the internet saying that below that, your ring will loose material.
We wanted wolfram but it's bridle, ring size can't be changed and gold was just the easiest at the end.
I think we paid 700$ for both.
Re: Pandora says laboratory-made diamonds are forever
#24Married members of HN, what did you do if you think diamonds are utterly ridiclious however due to societal constraints some kind of ring is required for your SO?
Honest question: Why marry in the first place? Why practice a personal relationship in a way others have designed? Isn't it somewhat contrary to the theme of Hacker News? To me, the term "hacking" describes the habit of doing things in a more interesting/efficient/fun way than how they are usually done.
Being married has a bunch of tax benefits where I live.
Re: Pandora says laboratory-made diamonds are forever
#25Married members of HN, what did you do if you think diamonds are utterly ridiclious however due to societal constraints some kind of ring is required for your SO?
Honest question: Why marry in the first place? Why practice a personal relationship in a way others have designed? Isn't it somewhat contrary to the theme of Hacker News? To me, the term "hacking" describes the habit of doing things in a more interesting/efficient/fun way than how they are usually done.
It's an interesting question! I think a lot of the time when both partners feel getting married adds no value, they don't marry! I know plenty of older couples who never got married and don't regret it.
Some good reasons I've heard.
1. Legally it's a lot simpler if you're married, if one partner dies for the other partner to get control over assets/legacy.
2. For many couples it's a ceremonious way of making a commitment that is recognised and understood between cultures.
3. In some cases, it allows for certain benefits/perks to be shared (tax, healthcare).
4. It's fun to have a party and get family together.
I personally don't see Hacker News as one homogenous culture with a distinct opinion on what "hacking" is. Being curious, rational and experimental, I still think getting married can fit into that.
If you were truly trying to optimise every aspect of life to be some sort of objective best option, I think getting married may or may not be the right option. I do think generally we give too much power to "the culture" over how we live our lives though and so I do think being sceptical of the rituals/ceremonies we're born into is a positive thing.
Re: Pandora says laboratory-made diamonds are forever
#26Married members of HN, what did you do if you think diamonds are utterly ridiclious however due to societal constraints some kind of ring is required for your SO?
There are lots of other types of pretty rock available. I think also if you decide to bow to those constraints, grit your teeth and buy a diamond, you can get ones certified to as less likely to have murder and slavery involved in their extraction. Albeit you'd still be supporting that ridiculous market indirectly. Smashing the stigma against lab diamonds seems like a great idea.
As anyone ever would be able to distinguish a real diamond from anything else.
Like srsly how often even does someone look longer than a few seconds on your ring?
I would bet people can't really determine a difference between glass and a diamond
Re: Pandora says laboratory-made diamonds are forever
#27Married members of HN, what did you do if you think diamonds are utterly ridiclious however due to societal constraints some kind of ring is required for your SO?
Honest question: Why marry in the first place? Why practice a personal relationship in a way others have designed? Isn't it somewhat contrary to the theme of Hacker News? To me, the term "hacking" describes the habit of doing things in a more interesting/efficient/fun way than how they are usually done.
I considered marriage and we even filed half the paperwork, but I decided against it because it would end up in the public records that I am married, and to whom exactly.
So, I didn't marry out of infosec concerns.
Re: Pandora says laboratory-made diamonds are forever
#28Married members of HN, what did you do if you think diamonds are utterly ridiclious however due to societal constraints some kind of ring is required for your SO?
Explain it to them. If they don't understand or come to some compromise, maybe they aren't the right SO to marry. I'm married and we don't wear rings at all, we discussed it and agreed they were pointless and spent the money on better things.
Re: Pandora says laboratory-made diamonds are forever
#29Earlier quoted context omitted.
It depends on culture. In my country, a gold or silver ring is acceptable.
> a gold or silver ring is acceptable As in not having a ring is 'unacceptable' somehow then?
Not op, but yes. Engagement traditionally is giving a ring to your desired future wife. I don't understand your point.
Of course you can ignore tradition but then why marry in the first place?
Re: Pandora says laboratory-made diamonds are forever
#30Married members of HN, what did you do if you think diamonds are utterly ridiclious however due to societal constraints some kind of ring is required for your SO?
The Missus refuse to wear one. We both have (relatively) massive silver wedding bands.