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by swisswiz on April 9th, 2005

swisswiz

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What should I look for when choosing a diamond engagement ring?

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  • by Lucas_ on April 9th, 2005

    Lucas_

    Disclaimer: This may not really be the answer you expected or wanted to hear.

    What should you look for when choosing an diamond ring? Make sure you buy an artificial diamond ring.

    First of all, diamonds have no inherent value. Their value is created artificially. There's only one big supplier of diamonds (De Beers), and they do several things to artificially inflate the price they can ask for diamonds. They keep the supply low, they make people believe that you shouldn't re-sell diamond rings or buy used diamond rings (so they have no resale value), and they make people believe that you need to give a diamond ring to your girlfriend when you propose to her.

    There's another reason why diamonds from De Beers are a bad gift. Miners and diamond cutters who mine and cut these diamonds are treated like slaves and are often underage. The money you give to De Beers doesn't go to these people, but to the governments and rebel forces in Africa and thus funds civil wars in Africa. Diamonds thus hardly represent love.

    If you really need to give a diamond ring, give an artificial diamond. Artificial diamonds are a lot less pricey and do not exhibit imperfections that are inherent to natural diamonds. The money you pay for them does not go towards funding wars and enslaving children. They are actually cheaper, morally superior *and* qualitatively better than natural diamonds.

    My opinion? Instead of buying a diamond ring, give her some other gift or simply use the money for a nice honeymoon :-)

    For more information, read these links:
    http://www.anti-slaverysociety.addr.com/diamonds.htm
    http://www.fguide.org/Bulletin/conflictdiamonds.htm

    Addendum: Some people called artificial diamonds "fake". This is not correct. Artificial diamonds are not fake. The are the same as natural diamonds, just not grown by nature, but by man. The only difference visible in the actual diamond is that they don't show the imperfections normally inherent to natural diamonds, so quality-wise, they're actually better. They can also be made larger than natural diamonds. Let me repeat: If you showed a professional diamond seller an artificial diamond, he could *not* see the difference between this one and a real one. Some links about this:
    http://wired-vig.wired.com/wired/archive/11.09/diamond.html
    http://www.grabdiamonds.com/Artificial-Diamonds.html

    Others said things to the effect that "women want real diamonds" and that if you don't give natural diamonds, there's something wrong with your relationship. Think about that for a second. You want to prove your love by giving a gem to your girl that was made by slaves. And you can't just call that "political" and ignore it. People die, children are enslaved, and the money you pay for your diamond ring, which is supposed to show your love, goes directly towards paying for that. Does that sound right to you?

    Or think about this: what kind of relationship are you in where your girl will only stay with you when you give her an expensive ring. There's something *really* wrong with your relationship when she will only respect you if you give her an expensive diamond ring. Frankly, I wouldn't want to marry a person who will so willingly be influenced by ads and will expect me to give her a real diamond, knowing how they're made. Personally, I'd rather marry somebody intelligent, somebody capable of critical thinking and of putting her heart before her need for a diamond ring.

    What does it say about your relationship if you feel forced to give her a natural diamond, knowing how they're made? What does it say about your girl if she expects a natural diamond from you, knowing how they're made?

    Marriage is an expression of your love, diamond rings simply don't fit into such a celebration. There are many great gifts you can give when proposing. Expensive gems are among them. Diamonds are not.

    Comments

    • Very good points

      Drublic

      by Drublic on April 9th, 2005

    • That is your opinion and no woman wants a fake diamond

      DirtyDiana

      by DirtyDiana on April 9th, 2005

    • I'd rather have a cheap ring and a fun honeymoon. A nice guy is key, a nice ring is secondary :)

      Andy Is Wicked Married to Penal Colony

      by Andy Is Wicked Married to Penal Colony on April 9th, 2005

    • If the ring is fake, what can be said about the relationship? Only go artificial if she asks you to first.

      Anon

      by Anon on April 9th, 2005

    • When someone is getting engaged, that is not the time to be bringing up political strife. Fight your politics elsewhere.

      Ask_Cham

      by Ask_Cham on April 9th, 2005

    • good answer, dopes shouldn't be allowed to rate answers and add comments

      Ritz Anders

      by Ritz Anders on April 10th, 2005

    • I'm agree with Ritz.

      Dar Gentz

      by Dar Gentz on April 10th, 2005

    • it is a useful answer even though not what most people want to hear. my ex-girlfriend wanted a ruby.

      QuestionBoy

      by QuestionBoy on April 11th, 2005

    • I'm a geologist. Artificial diamonds are still diamonds. Those who are thinking otherwise are thinking of simulants.

      Glenn Blaylock

      by Glenn Blaylock on April 12th, 2005

    • It looks like Dharmakitten has bought into DeBeers scheme!

      dengel

      by dengel on April 13th, 2005

    • Diamond trading is one way terrorists make their money, so go artificial and fight terrorism... She'll love that...

      James Edwards

      by James Edwards on April 15th, 2005

    • No woman I married even wanted a diamond; bloodless diamonds come from Canada.

      RedJohn

      by RedJohn on October 13th, 2005

    • At the beginning, I was against you, but at the end, you're right. Mine didn't even care if I gave her one

      baldev

      by baldev on January 22nd, 2006

    • A really excellent answer. Ask_Cham, ethics are for life, not to be discarded on special occasions like some fad diet.

      Anonymous

      by Anonymous on January 25th, 2006

    • You need to answer what to look for in a diamond ring, but it was true information you gave out.

      RJTRIES

      by RJTRIES on February 10th, 2006

    • So I take it that de Beers is your favorite diamond retailer? r u their spokesperson? WAKKA WAKKA

      Answers101

      by Answers101 on March 10th, 2006

    • Brilliant answer.

      thintaonga

      by thintaonga on March 31st, 2006

    • Well, I learn something new everyday on here. I never thought about it that way. Good Answer

      guitarman18

      by guitarman18 on September 27th, 2006

    • I told my fiance up front that I did not want him to buy me a diamond for all the reasons you stated. While diamonds are pretty, I know squat about the 4 C's and couldn't care less. I should hope more people start to think about what it's funding, would we be so apathetic if the same were happening in our country? While I did end up with a diamond, it was a much older ring my fiance received from his mother and he had it reset in a setting I preferred at a small jeweler we trusted. Total cost of ring-$400- it is the most beautiful ring I've ever owned.

      chrys29

      by chrys29 on January 4th, 2010

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