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If you’ve ever thought to yourself, “For goodness sake, why are engagement rings so darn expensive?” (There may or may not have been greater use of expletives by your inner-voice.)
Then this video is for you.
Your mind is blown, right?
So are you disappointed by the fact that it turns out diamond engagement rings are a massive con, created by an advertising company? Or do you not give two shits and love your diamond HARD?
Top Comments
This is not news!
Just an interesting video. I thought it was a pretty fun clip! x
10 Reasons Why You Should Never Buy A Diamond
(Source: Center for Popular Economics)
1. You've Been Psychologically Conditioned To Want a Diamond
The
diamond engagement ring is a 63-year-old invention of N.W. Ayer
advertising agency. The De Beers diamond cartel contracted N.W.Ayer to
create a demand for what are, essentially, useless hunks of rock.
2. Diamonds are Priced Well Above Their Value
The
De Beers cartel has systematically held diamond prices at levels far
greater than their abundance would generate under anything even remotely
resembling perfect competition. All diamonds not already under its
control are bought by the cartel, and then the De Beers cartel carefully
managed world diamond supply in order to keep prices steadily high.
3. Diamonds Have No Resale or Investment Value
Any
diamond that you buy or receive will indeed be yours forever: De Beers’
advertising deliberately brain-washed women not to sell; the steady
price is a tool to prevent speculation in diamonds; and no dealer will
buy a diamond from you. You can only sell it at a diamond purchasing
center or a pawn shop where you will receive a tiny fraction of its
original "value."
4. Diamond Miners are Disproportionately Exposed to HIV/AIDS
Many
diamond mining camps enforce all-male, no-family rules. Men contract
HIV/AIDS from camp sex-workers, while women married to miners have no
access to employment, no income outside of their husbands and no
bargaining power for negotiating safe sex, and thus are at extremely
high risk of contracting HIV.
5. Open-Pit Diamond Mines Pose Environmental Threats
Diamond
mines are open pits where salts, heavy minerals, organisms, oil, and
chemicals from mining equipment freely leach into ground-water,
endangering people in nearby mining camps and villages, as well as
downstream plants and animals.
6. Diamond Mine-Owners Violate Indigenous People's Rights
Diamond
mines in Australia, Canada, India and many countries in Africa are
situated on lands traditionally associated with indigenous peoples. Many
of these communities have been displaced, while others remain, often at
great cost to their health, livelihoods and traditional cultures.
7. Slave Laborers Cut and Polish Diamonds
More
than one-half of the world's diamonds are processed in India where many
of the cutters and polishers are bonded child laborers. Bonded children
work to pay off the debts of their relatives, often unsuccessfully.
When they reach adulthood their debt is passed on to their younger
siblings or to their own children.
8. Conflict Diamonds Fund Civil Wars in Africa
There
is no reliable way to insure that your diamond was not mined or stolen
by government or rebel military forces in order to finance civil
conflict. Conflict diamonds are traded either for guns or for cash to
pay and feed soldiers.
9. Diamond Wars are Fought Using Child Warriors
Many
diamond producing governments and rebel forces use children as
soldiers, laborers in military camps, and sex slaves. Child soldiers are
given drugs to overcome their fear and reluctance to participate in
atrocities.
10. Small Arms Trade is Intimately Related to Diamond Smuggling
Illicit
diamonds inflame the clandestine trade of small arms. There are 500
million small arms in the world today which are used to kill 500,000
people annually, the vast majority of whom are non-combatants.
I would also add 11. Because there are many alternatives, in the form of other gemstones that are mined in more ethical ways (although all mining damages the environment) or diamond alternatives like titania, moissanite or cubic zirconia. You can also now purchase lab-created diamonds that are identical in every way – chemically, physically and visually to mined diamonds, but without any of the ethical issues that plague diamonds dug out of the ground. They are so identical in fact that De Beers now stamp their diamonds so that they can be differentiated under a strong microscope because without a stamp, there is no way of telling the difference between a lab-created or a mined diamond. They're both just chunks of heated carbon, which can be just as easily created in a science lab as by nature.
Yep, pretty much every reason why I'll get a diamond 'made' for me if / when I get to the 'I do' stage with a guy.
I have to take issue with your point 6 with regard to Australian operations.
All Australian mines are required to recognise aboriginal ownership and make substantial payments to the traditional owners. These monies are then distributed amongst the people.
They also recognise sacred areas and are required to protect them.
These agreements are mandatory before the miners can start digging holes, and the aboriginal people are pretty good at negotiating favourable terms for themselves. The aboriginal people recognise that these projects are necessary, and aren't anywhere near as stubborn about it as the armchair experts who have never driven on a dirt track.
Get one of these Zeppy, mined, cut and marketed in Australia.
You might have to sell your soul to the devil but they are beautiful.
I'm not so much a fan of coloured stones, just a personal thing. In response to your question below (that still hasn't made it through moderation!) regarding what type of ring I'd like, well, this is the one that Cumberbatch sent me over the weekend. 4.6 carats. Top that and I'm yours!