Why are diamonds a girl's best friend?

[Mike 03]

I ask this question tongue in cheek, a bit, but I want to give my mother and sisters something a little special this year (not diamonds, but something nice).

Is the importance of giving something nice that "someone thinks I am worth this" the point?

Why are expensive stones "a girl's best friend"? Is it the symbolism? The effort? The cost?

Any opinions would be very welcome. Thanks in advance.

[HopeHoops]

1. Because Ruby told all of her secrets to Jade.

[Mike 03]

2. LOL. Love it. NT

[rug]

3. They're always hard.

[madinmaryland]

4. Because the blood cartel named deBeers says so. nt

[nolabear]

5. Yes, yes, yes and yes.

But other things work too.

[thirtiesgirl]

6. Because they're pretty.

Although I generally prefer emeralds to diamonds.

To answer your question the way a jeweler or someone in the diamond industry would (or perhaps a bridezilla), a diamond is supposed to be the physical representation of eternal love, since the stone is indestructible and lasts forever.

...But really, the whole point is to give a gift that shows you were thinking of the other person, saw something beautiful that reminded you of them and/or a piece of jewelry that you thought they'd really like/seems like their particular style & taste, and wanted to give it to them. THAT's why I'd want someone to give me a piece of jewelry, anyway.

[hippywife]

7. They aren't.

Some people just want you to think that. ;)

[DBoon]

8. because they never leave dirty underwear on the floor

nt

[kentauros]

9. I'm a guy, but have always found diamonds to be rather boring.

They're clear, may or may not "sparkle", and can cut glass. Woop-tee-doo!

Personally, I like what other gems and polished rocks can offer, including the "lowly" amethyst:




This appears to be a decent site, too, with plenty of good photos of gems and stones:

Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery

[flvegan]

10. Because asking for a pearl necklace can bring confusion.

[one_voice]

20. *snort*

[seabeyond]

11. i have a diamond, sittin in a safe, i have never worn. inherited. no diamond engagement ring. not

my best friend.

thoughtful gift, doesnt have to cost anything. as a matter of fact, the ones i have liked the best are ones made or cost little, but have meaning.

thinkgs, stuff, spending isnt indicative of love and respect

[eShirl]

12. because they will always be pawnable

[clyrc]

13. That's it!

Or at least that's what I got out of the song.

[applegrove]

14. I have a cousin who was given a big diamond by her then fiancee. She took it to the jeweler and

said "make it smaller". He/she said "you mean the band". She said "No, I mean the diamond". LOL!

[RZM]

15. Not sure. Good question

Here's a song about it by a Russian pop group:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95l1aOVzGnc

:P

[Maru Kitteh]

16. I don't have enough expletives to convey my hatred for those commercials.

You want to show me you love me? Don't do it by going into (or plunging us both into) debt. Don't try to tell me how much you love me with shiny trinkets a few times a year, I'm not a child - do it by showing me at least the common courtesy and kindness you would give a stranger. Do it by being kind to me even when it's not the easiest thing to do - and I will do the same.

[Lucian]

17. Nothing says "I love you" like something mined by children.

[Dystopian]

18. Give from the heart....diamonds don't cut it

I have never owned a diamond...never will.
Refused them.
Associated with materialism....and the mining horrors, etc.

I do have my Mother's engagement ring, which I will pass on to my daughter.
Of course that's different.

The symbolism, effort and cost are disgusting....to me, anyway.
I'm certain that you can find something meaningful ...
If you're looking for jewelry...Native American is beautiful.

Happy gift hunting...:hug:

peace~

[kentauros]

19. And our own DUer denbot

makes Native American jewelry :D

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=user_profiles&u_id=103021

[Dystopian]

21. !

Thank you!:hug:
Why didn't I know this?
I thought I knew everything!

Going to contact....:-)


peace~

[kentauros]

22. I am in a position to contact him again this year,

and not have to worry about not having a special someone to give something nice :)

[pitohui]

25. some (a lot) of native american jewelry is also fake

i also cut/sell gemstones and this issue of fakes is just overwhelming at times

native american jewelry (esp. "turquoise") is just full of fakes, sometimes there is no turquoise content at all, it's a resin (plastic)

unless you know what you're doing, you need to shop for stones with someone else who knows what they're doing

native american jewelry is pretty much like sports memorabilia -- they say aabt 50% of sports memorabilia is fake, well OF COURSE it's fake, same for the native american stuff, there are not native americans on this planet earth to produce all the "native american" crap sold in las vegas alone

if there's too much of something on the market, it can't all be real

i'm at the point where i won't buy or sell any turquoise i didn't cut myself

[lunamagica]

23. They are not.....but they are so pretty!

I love diamonds. I love that they are clear and sparkle. To me, they are like holding/wearing stars.

Having said that, after finding out so much ugly stuff about them I doubt I'd ever buy one (not that I think I could ever afford to, Anway)

But, does anyone remember that scene in Superman where he squeezes a peace of coal and turns it into a diamond for Lois Lane? If I had that ability I'd have dozens of diamonds, just because they are so, so pretty......

[pitohui]

26. some russian factory DOES have that ability

i think in coming years there is going to be a huge scandal in the diamond market when it comes out just how many modern 21st c. "diamonds" are lab created

the price is going to crash when it happens

they already don't keep up w. inflation since the moissanite scandal (when it came out that a lot of "diamonds" weren't even diamond, they were moissanite put in settings where it wasn't obvious that the stone had double refraction)

i always tell people, if a jeweler gives you a huge appraisal on a diamond, often to sell him the diamond at half that appraisal, if the appraisal has any bearing to reality, he'd jump at the chance to buy and double his money when he resells...but he won't, cuz it doesn't

[siligut]

28. Wow, good advice

"i always tell people, if a jeweler gives you a huge appraisal on a diamond, often to sell him the diamond at half that appraisal, if the appraisal has any bearing to reality, he'd jump at the chance to buy and double his money when he resells...but he won't, cuz it doesn't"

Not that I am going to buy any. I have some inherited diamonds I won't even wear because of all the cruelty associated with them.

[pitohui]

24. it's the cost

it is not the symbolism, it's the cash -- there are a lot of fakes out there now (how many russian diamonds are actually synthetics being laundered into the diamond marketplace, i just don't know) but a diamond used to be a girl's best friend because no matter what happened, no matter what man dumped you (or what woman dumped you for that matter) a diamond had a certain known value for which it could be quickly re sold in the marketplace

in times of true trouble, what has helped you more? a friend trying to get you off the phone so he won't get mixed up in your trouble...or money

this isn't symbolic, a genuine certified diamond is real value and can be re=sold in an emergency (granted, the diamond giver paid retail and you'll only get wholesale when you sell it, but the price the other guy paid isn't your problem if you got it as a gift)

a big problem w. stones now is that most of them, even in fine jewelry stores, are "lab created" fakes -- MOST of the rubies and emeralds you see for sale in the mall are FAKES and you're paying big money for a FAKE worth a few pennies

[BlueIris]

27. The only reason a gift is nice to me, fine jewelry or cheap slippers, is if it reflects

an effort to get me a gift I'll actually want/like. Is it a reflection of someone's effort to understand my needs? Then it's great. If it's not...if it means someone didn't take the time to think through what I'd want on a certain occasion, then I don't want it even if it cost fifty grand. (Seriously.)

And even if it's super, super cute, a diamond is only my friend if it was ethically mined/manufactured, and yes, I know there's a whole school of thought on this topic that dictates that no diamond is earth friendly/people friendly.

[Bucky]

29. Because they can use them to scratch "I hope she was worth it" into your car door

[begin_within]

30. It's all about status.

Diamonds are not rare, they are plentiful. The DeBeers cartel has expertly crafted a propaganda campaign to make them into a status symbol. Then by controlling the supply they were able to jack up the price of them to ridiculous levels. This is one of the most succesful campaigns in history. Diamonds simply represent power, status, money, control, all of that. The act of giving one to someone confers a granting of status to them. The truth is that looking at a diamond ring is boring after the first 10 seconds. You go, "Oooh!" and then a minute later you forget about it and are thinking about something else. But that fact is not mentioned in the commercials.