Diamonds are forever?

[redambition]

Quote:

Originally Posted by amoona omg those pink diamonds are gorgeous! i want a new ring and was thinking of a yellow canary ring but i might have to check out a pink diamond now. omg i have to go to australia now and check this company out haha.

yes.. their pink stones are pretty! they are much nicer than a normal white diamond. I saw a lovely one in perth (the first time i saw argyles in real life). It was gorgeous. however, it was 5 carats and AU$65,000. way too big and too expensive. give me a 1/2 - 1 carat any day

if i couldn't have an argyle diamond, i'd go for an emerald or a white sapphire.

the white sapphire would have to be mined in australia or the USA.

the emerald would have to be from either australia, USA, Austria or Norway.

the horrible things about the diamond trade aren't just limited to diamonds. other gemstones can be tainted by this sort of thing as well... many different gems are mined in africa, and in other countries that also might have similar conditions in the mines. (I say might because I have not researched enough here to be conclusive.) be aware, and choose a gemstone that doesn't come from these sources. research where your gem is coming from and which company mined it.

 

[Beauty Mark]

Quote:

Im in shock that people were unaware about all this.

A lot of people aren't that invested in what they're buying to thoroughly research it or they turn a blind eye to the news.

What's even more shocking, to me, is that I met people who don't give a rat's ass about the diamond trade, because they want something pretty and sparkly and only a diamond will be good enough for them.

 

[*Stargazer*]

Quote:

Originally Posted by quandolak Im in shock that people were unaware about all this.

I think you'll find that there are a lot of people that really on pop culture to get their world news, so until Hollywood takes on a certain subject, the Average Joe remains ignorant of it. People that do know about what goes on in the world are the people that read world new sources or periodicals and watch educational programming in addition to other shows.

 

[YvetteJeannine]

Sapp.ires were/are t.e traditional en.a.ement rin. in Britain...

In fact, t.at is w.at I always wanted...but my .usband .ave me a diamond instead...Not t.at I dont like diamonds..quite t.e contrary...but Ive known for years about all t.is information....In fact, Diamonds werent even very popular until t.e cut was introduced to make t.em sparkle...

I most love Emeralds..My birt.stone...In fact, many dont know t.is, but t.e Emerald is t.e most valuable stone in t.e world....

I .ave six diamond rin.s, an Emerald/Diamond rin.(a custom created take on t.e Princess Diana cut) , and a Tanzanite/Diamond....I most love t.e Emerald/Diamond and Tanzanite rin.s...Its sad .owever...t.ey re doin. t.e same t.in. w/ Tanzanite now t.at t.ey did for years w/ Diamonds....Its nearly impossible to .et a nice piece of Tanzanite (or any piece, for t.at matter) w/o .avin. to sell your soul. W.en my sister went to Tanzania, s.e .ot two pieces...A lovely 4K deep purple stone (t.e best Tanzanite is deep colored), and an EXTREMELY RARE 7K .reen Tanzanite stone t.at s.e turned into a rin...I spoke wit. a jeweler w.o .ad never even seen .reen Tanzanite....

Aaaa....T.e price we pay for luxury.....

 

[~LadyLocks~]

Wow I had no idea!

Guess that shows that many people aren't aware of the situation and is really naive in some sense which I admit to being. I definitely need to check out this movie you guys are talking about. What is the name of it?

For me, I've never been that girl who has to have a diamond on her finger. Of course most girls dream of getting married and having a ring on her finger but not necessary a diamond like myself. I've been engaged for a year and a half now so yes, I am wearing a diamond but I am very proud of it cause my man has spent his hard earned money on it and sometimes struggles in paying the bill. I never asked for a diamond, hell I never even asked for a ring but in his eyes I guess he felt like I deserved it which makes me happy knowing that he thinks I'm worth it. For that reason, I am proud of the ring I have on my finger but makes me kinda sad knowing what some people went through just to make my hand look pretty :shrug:.

 

[Lalli]

Quote:

Originally Posted by redambition This is exactly why I want an Argyle Diamond, and ONLY an Argyle Diamond. http://www.argylediamonds.com.au/home.asp Mined right here in Australia... where labour laws are rather more stringent than in Africa.

im showing this to my bf

ive never really bought a diamond before but that article has made me more aware of what goes on

 

[lara]

Quote:

Originally Posted by redambition This is exactly why I want an Argyle Diamond, and ONLY an Argyle Diamond. http://www.argylediamonds.com.au/home.asp Mined right here in Australia... where labour laws are rather more stringent than in Africa.

I fully concur. One, Australian diamonds are ethically and humanely mined, and two, they're not subject to the DeBeers cartel and their price structure. That and they unearth some of the most pure diamonds produced anywhere in the world. Major quality.

A brilliant-cut cognac diamond from Western Australia, mounted into a Tiffany setting made from recycled electrum - what, a girl can't dream of ethical bling?

 

[redambition]

Quote:

Originally Posted by YvetteJeannine Sapp.ires were/are t.e traditional en.a.ement rin. in Britain... In fact, t.at is w.at I always wanted...but my .usband .ave me a diamond instead...Not t.at I dont like diamonds..quite t.e contrary...but Ive known for years about all t.is information....In fact, Diamonds werent even very popular until t.e cut was introduced to make t.em sparkle... I most love Emeralds..My birt.stone...In fact, many dont know t.is, but t.e Emerald is t.e most valuable stone in t.e world.... I .ave six diamond rin.s, an Emerald/Diamond rin.(a custom created take on t.e Princess Diana cut) , and a Tanzanite/Diamond....I most love t.e Emerald/Diamond and Tanzanite rin.s...Its sad .owever...t.ey re doin. t.e same t.in. w/ Tanzanite now t.at t.ey did for years w/ Diamonds....Its nearly impossible to .et a nice piece of Tanzanite (or any piece, for t.at matter) w/o .avin. to sell your soul. W.en my sister went to Tanzania, s.e .ot two pieces...A lovely 4K deep purple stone (t.e best Tanzanite is deep colored), and an EXTREMELY RARE 7K .reen Tanzanite stone t.at s.e turned into a rin...I spoke wit. a jeweler w.o .ad never even seen .reen Tanzanite.... Aaaa....T.e price we pay for luxury.....

yes.. the price we pay (and others also pay

) indeed. I've never been all that fussed on the diamond ring, but it was something that came up in conversation with some friends. i just basically said that if a diamond was ever bought for me it would have to be australian, and argyles were the ones i preferred. since seeing the argyles, it's become "only"

in the end, it's the love, not the rock, that's important to me. the rocks are pretty though.

 

[moonrevel]

I would actually love to shake the hands of the marketing execs at DeBeers. They have fooled several generations of women into thinking that men have ALWAYS purchased diamond rings for their beloveds, and that the bigger the rock, the more the man must care (aaarrgh!), and all the while hiding how many people they were killing in the process. However they did it is brilliant. I have never wanted a new diamond ring, and told my boyfriend that I would be more than happy with just getting wedding bands, but since he insisted, I told him that he must take a family heirloom diamond, heck, even one from my family, and get it reset and not to dare to buy a new one. I don't need for my boyfriend to buy into the exploitation of workers and this ridiculous marketing scheme to know that he loves me.

 

[Raerae]

Regardless if it's a new tradition or not, I still like it hehe... I dont really care if it's "just carbon." I want a pink diamond though hehe.

 

[amoona]

Quote:

Originally Posted by moonrevel I would actually love to shake the hands of the marketing execs at DeBeers. They have fooled several generations of women into thinking that men have ALWAYS purchased diamond rings for their beloveds, and that the bigger the rock, the more the man must care (aaarrgh!), and all the while hiding how many people they were killing in the process. However they did it is brilliant. I have never wanted a new diamond ring, and told my boyfriend that I would be more than happy with just getting wedding bands, but since he insisted, I told him that he must take a family heirloom diamond, heck, even one from my family, and get it reset and not to dare to buy a new one. I don't need for my boyfriend to buy into the exploitation of workers and this ridiculous marketing scheme to know that he loves me.

I've bought all my own diamonds.

Who said diamonds have nething to do with a man loving you. I don't understand why the entire stone has to be seen as negative when it's not EVERY single jewler who sells conflict diamonds or EVERY single diamond that is a conflict diamond. None of my diamonds are from Africa, they're all mined in Palestine. I purchased my neckless from Tehran, Iran (it's gorgeous, it says God in Arabic) and my newest diamond ring from Amman, Jordan. The rest of the diamonds that I've purchased for myself were bought in the US from very well known local jewlers who don't carry conflict diamonds. Like I've said before, they themselves have told me that these conflict diamonds aren't even that great of quality compared to non-conflict diamonds mined in the Middle East and many other regions of the world.

 

[als1626]

Most of my friends think I'm nuts, but I truly don't even understand the concept of an engagement ring. When I'm ready to start my life with a partner, I want that money going toward our house, or investments, not toward a piece of jewelry. I'm a big proponent of getting a CZ and calling it a day, and using the money for something that matters.

As I said, most of my friends think I'm nuts!