41–50 of 82 posts
He proposes that diamonds are an essential part in the mating ritual and then goes on to say they are not an investment? As silly as it is if the dumb ring helps you convince your future wife she should be your future wife I'm going to go ahead and say that it is actually a wise investment. I don't see peacocks wandering around saying "feathers are bullshit" Subjective theory of value...etc.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Gold jewelry generally resells for ~1/2 of its initial purchase price +/- whatever the gold market did. Land also has a high transfer cost (Real Estate Agent etc) and it's often paid for with a loan which also inflates the purchase price, not to mention taxes, none of which is reflected in the sale price. Generally, if you’re moving in less than 5 years it's better to rent.
This was addressed in the first page of the article. Gold in the form of coins or bullion is a commodity with high resale value. Gold in the form of jewelry is a luxury item with extremely low resale value. You can't compare the two. You can even hoard gold under your bed and buy gold coins and bullion (albeit at a ~10% premium to market rates). If you want to hoard gold jewelry however, there is typically a 100-400%…
If the price goes down 20% over a period of time, you've wiped out your investment. Free leverage is neutral to expected value, and leverage with interest has a negative impact on expected value.
The real value in residential real estate is the fact that the US government is prepared to spend unlimited amounts of money to make sure you don't lose your shirt. Because something something yeoman farmers. However, that means there's also a unique risk to bear. Just as the goldbug needs a greater fool to want his shiny, so to the real estate owner needs a government in place that will continue to massively subsidize the individual ownership of residential real estate. The US government, today and for the last 7 years, has issued, bought, or guaranteed the lion's share of residential mortgages. Take that away and prices fall dramatically.
I tried to explain all that to my gf, but she was having none of it. It was either a diamond or hit the road, Jack. Proposed to her last Saturday with a shiny diamond ring, she's now my fiance, so I think it was worth it.
Not to be a dick or anything, but "diamond or hit the road" sounds like she is valuing the diamond more than you. I'm sure there was some hyperbole involved, maybe your post is actually an ironic fable, but if neither of those are true ... well, good luck!
I tried to explain all that to my gf, but she was having none of it. It was either a diamond or hit the road, Jack. Proposed to her last Saturday with a shiny diamond ring, she's now my fiance, so I think it was worth it.
Sounds like you got a raw deal. You just proposed to someone who literally would dump you over not getting a shiny rock. Coercion like that is a major red flag.
I tried to explain all that to my gf, but she was having none of it. It was either a diamond or hit the road, Jack. Proposed to her last Saturday with a shiny diamond ring, she's now my fiance, so I think it was worth it.
Every time I think of this, this plays out in my head: "Sorry sweetie, I love you but hate diamonds more. I'm not going to buy you a sweet ring to show off to all your friends. Will you marry me anyway?"
Earlier quoted context omitted.
However, to many women who grew up in the US, there are huge differences between the two stones. One is a diamond, the other isn't. There's a cultural expectation here about diamonds that's pervasive, and women who say that diamonds don't matter and actually believe it are rare. My now wife was actually willing to go along with a no-diamond ring, but she was clearly bummed, so I ended up finding a diamond that never…
No there aren't. The majority of the people can't tell the difference between a man made diamond and a natural one. Most people can tell when they are in a super car instead of a Honda civic.
Lab diamonds aren't really cheaper than natural unless you are talking about pure shit quality or really tiny ones.
For someone who is opposed to getting diamonds, what alternatives exist? Every time I think of this, this plays out in my head: "Sorry sweetie, I love you but hate diamonds more. I'm not going to buy you a sweet ring to show off to all your friends. Will you marry me anyway?"