Is a 35 karat engagement ring a bit "too much"?

[Art_from_Ark]

77. I agree that gold mines are a source of concern

A lot of them are poorly run operations, especially in 3rd World countries, and the use of mercury leaching to extract the gold is especially bad for the environment. However, they are also a way for 3rd World countries to get hard currency and to develop infrastructure. These days, if a mining company wants to set up operations in a 3rd World country, it will often have to set up infrastructure that not only it, but local residents as well, can use. That includes roads, power lines, water supply.

Some companies make promises but fail to deliver. I could mention some really bad cases, but I won't in a public forum for personal reasons. All I will say is that Chinese mining operations are particularly bad, but there are a few Western mining companies that have a pretty bad reputation, too.

Anyway, most of the gold that is available today was dug up a long time ago. Are you going to hold me in disdain because I like to collect old American gold coins that were made more than 80 years ago? Is it a terrible thing that I consider these coins to be a way of helping myself to prepare for the eventual day when I can no longer work and would otherwise have to rely on a pittance from SS or maybe even from a private-sector pension that might go bankrupt before I have a chance to collect anything? Savings account and CD interest is at historical lows, 401k's are iffy, and don't even get me started on the stock market.

Collecting gold coins from the distant past doesn't hurt anyone. But it can, if done knowledgeably, help to supplement income.