Poll: Diamonds! Are Worthless Little Chunks Of Worthless Rock...

[Bara_no_Hime]

Diamonds when used for industrial purposes are pretty valuable iirc.

**stares at my beautiful diamond engagement ring from several years back**

Hmm? I'm sorry, I'm too busy staring at the shiny. What were you saying again?



OT: Yes, I expected (and received) a beautiful diamond ring.

 

[Rule Britannia]

Diamonds are as worth as much people think they're worth, it's just carbon. Diamond is an infinite resource, we can synthesize it and have it look exactly the same as a normal diamond. Gold and silver are both finite resources, logically, gold and silver should be worth more.

Your logic fails you, as you are not comparing like items. Gold is worth more than carbon, even in the form of a diamond. You can buy rough diamonds for dirt cheap on ebay. The problem with your assessment(and the biggest flaw with the OP's argument) is that you are only considering objective measurements when determining worth, yet you are comparing an element with a crafted good.

A diamond's value is determined chiefly by four factors: clarity, carat(size), color, and cut. Clarity and carat are the only ones that can be directly compared to gold, and even then it isn't a perfect match. Gold may be the rarer mineral, but you can melt gold down, extract impurities, combine small quantities to make a larger mass, and after all that, the resulting material will be worth the same(or more) than what you started with. A diamond is what it is. You can't refine an included diamond to make it flawless, and flawless diamonds of any size are rarer than gold(manufactured diamonds can be determined to be such by a professional). Beyond that, color can also affect the rarity(and therefore value) of a diamond.

But the most important distinction that you are ignoring is that diamonds are graded on how well they are cut. A talented and experienced gemcutter can cut a diamond to best show off its natural characteristics, which would increase its value far beyond the ones churned out to most jewelry stores. You can't even really compare it to a well crafted gold ring, as you don't get second chances with gemcutting. If you screw up, you're either stuck with the result, or you lose material(and therefore value).

Someone said it before, but a diamond is a work of art. And like all art, there are people who will appreciate it and people who will not(obviously the OP falls into this category). The reason diamonds can be(but aren't necessarily) expensive is because they are an artform crafted on to a rare(for high quality) and unforgiving canvas.

As for me... well I designed my wife's and my wedding rings(no engagement ring), and my wife's does have diamonds set into platinum, though none were terribly expensive(the center stone was $50 because it apparently has a black speck in it, but neither my wife nor I can see it). My own ring is platinum with a gold sunburst surrounding a topaz. I'm happy with the aesthetic and enjoy knowing that our rings are truly unique.

"Yeah but no but....you're stupid, I hate you!"
No you're right, I didn't even consider thinking of it that way, looks like you know what you're talking about.

 

[370999]

Diamonds are worth money because society says so, it's become part of our courtship rituals. Flowers aren't inherently valuable, they are seen as attractive due to what they represent, and in this case, it is commitment, the willingness to commit a substantial amount of money to signify your deotion to a monogamous relationship.

You may disagree and are welcome to, but that is why people act that way.

 

[James Joseph Emerald]

Actually, it just occurred to me, I'd probably prefer to use an opal. I just think they're prettier:

Yeah, the only thing I really feel like contributing to this thread is that those are stunningly beautiful.

This is now a pretty gems thread.

Spoiler: Benitoite

Benitoite:

Spoiler: Mystic Fire Topaz

Mystic Fire Topaz:

Spoiler: Ammolite

Ammolite:

Spoiler: Tanzanite

Tanzanite:

 

[Broken Blade]

My parents currently have titanium rings that they got to replace the ones they've misplaced over the years.

 

[Coffeejack]

It's not the hardest [footnote]http://phys.org/news153658987.html[/footnote] material and lab diamonds are used for those things seeing as they can be sprayed and grown to needed size.[/quote]

I really should pay more attention to scientific matters. It amazes me what is discovered almost daily and doesn't make it into BBC News. I didn't even know synthetic/laboratory-grown diamonds existed.

 

[Loop Stricken]

I don't see how everyone here is blind enough to see that a diamond engagement ring is a sign of commitment and love.

And the notion that you've chosen to spend your life with this person is NOT a sign of commitment and love?

Just because one thing is a sign, doesn't mean that another thing isn't a sign.

But seriously, even if you don't agree with me. Try telling your spouse that you're not buying a ring because you think diamonds are worthless...

Again, I'd hope I wouldn't be trying to marry a woman who's so materialistic.

 

[2HF]

A friend of mine provided the only other argument that seems remotely rational.

Diamonds are expensive and the ability to purchase them signifies that one will be a capable provider. Biologically we are wired to seek out the best provider of what we need on the most basic instinctual levels. In the case of males, a female to provide offspring, and in the case of females, a male to provide for her and her offspring.

Given the art angle and this genetic angle I am willing to concede that diamonds can in fact have some worth.

Here's hoping we can evolve past this silliness now that the females of the species don't actually need the males to provide for them.

 

[Giftfromme]

A friend of mine provided the only other argument that seems remotely rational.

Diamonds are expensive and the ability to purchase them signifies that one will be a capable provider. Biologically we are wired to seek out the best provider of what we need on the most basic instinctual levels. In the case of males, a female to provide offspring, and in the case of females, a male to provide for her and her offspring.

Given the art angle and this genetic angle I am willing to concede that diamonds can in fact have some worth.

Here's hoping we can evolve past this silliness now that the females of the species don't actually need the males to provide for them.

LOL your friend sounds like a very cheery bloke. I can see where you views come from. Why say something is fun, thrilling, awesome, when instead obtuse reasoning can be brought into the equation to make it as dry as possible? Those kids aren't having fun, they're fulfilling a biological imperative! Surround yourself with enough cheery blokes like your friend and soon enough your only experiences will be wired toward your biology (Or at least how you perceive it lol) and everything must be done in service to that. Parties? You can't go to them, they don't contribute to your survival. Movies? They don't do anything for your genes. On a date with a female? Unless you have sexual intercourse afterward, it was a waste of your time and didn't help your genes.

Here's hoping you stay surrounded by such cheery people!

OP you really just have to think about these things, because atm you're coming off as really detached from real life. Of course diamonds serve little to no intrinsic value, but you know what a lot of things don't. Do me a favour, open your wallet. You see all those little pieces of paper in there? We call that money. They are intrinsically worthless. They honestly cost next to nothing to produce and have no inherent value, based on your argument at least (in which case I happily invite you to give them all to me). Things have value because we ascribe value to them (and it really helps if the objects are rare and/or visually appealing). Welcome to the real world.

Careful, you might blow his mind. These revelations are best done one at a time, in small steps

 

[NightHawk21]

OP you really just have to think about these things, because atm you're coming off as really detached from real life. Of course diamonds serve little to no intrinsic value, but you know what a lot of things don't. Do me a favour, open your wallet. You see all those little pieces of paper in there? We call that money. They are intrinsically worthless. They honestly cost next to nothing to produce and have no inherent value, based on your argument at least (in which case I happily invite you to give them all to me). Things have value because we ascribe value to them (and it really helps if the objects are rare and/or visually appealing). Welcome to the real world.

 

[UnmotivatedSlacker]

This whole thread just seems like a whole "I'm trying to rationalize not buying a diamond ring for my fiancee because I'm cheap. she's mad about it but I think it's pointless" thread.

I don't see how everyone here is blind enough to see that a diamond engagement ring is a sign of commitment and love. And if you're refusing to buy a woman you're going to marry a ring based on principle, then god I feel sorry for them.

If they need some dumb rock as proof that you love them, then they can fuck right off.

 

[UnmotivatedSlacker]

This whole thread just seems like a whole "I'm trying to rationalize not buying a diamond ring for my fiancee because I'm cheap. she's mad about it but I think it's pointless" thread.

I don't see how everyone here is blind enough to see that a diamond engagement ring is a sign of commitment and love. And if you're refusing to buy a woman you're going to marry a ring based on principle, then god I feel sorry for them.

If they need some dumb rock as proof that you love them, then they can fuck right off.

Again, I feel sorry for whoever you're going to end up with.

The fact that you see it as "they can fuck off if they expect me to buy them some dumb rock" and not "I think that I could prove my love to my spouse with a dumb rock" is pretty sad...

I think it's sadder that you think you need a piece of rock to prove your love to someone. If they don't consider the time you spent with them as enough proof, something is wrong. It should never be a factor, merely a bonus

 

[Loop Stricken]

This whole thread just seems like a whole "I'm trying to rationalize not buying a diamond ring for my fiancee because I'm cheap. she's mad about it but I think it's pointless" thread.

I don't see how everyone here is blind enough to see that a diamond engagement ring is a sign of commitment and love. And if you're refusing to buy a woman you're going to marry a ring based on principle, then god I feel sorry for them.

If they need some dumb rock as proof that you love them, then they can fuck right off.

Again, I feel sorry for whoever you're going to end up with.

The fact that you see it as "they can fuck off if they expect me to buy them some dumb rock" and not "I think that I could prove my love to my spouse with a dumb rock" is pretty sad...

I think it's sadder that you think you need a piece of rock to prove your love to someone. If they don't consider the time you spent with them as enough proof, something is wrong. It should never be a factor, merely a bonus

You don't seem to understand the concept of a gift... Or long standing traditions which involve forms of 'gifts'.

if I were being proposed to, I'd much rather be gifted with something that had some meaning to it, rather than just something that's become the societal norm to gift.

Captcha = soufflé girl.

I'd much rather propose/be proposed to with a soufflé than a diamond ring.

 

[MeChaNiZ3D]

So basically, because they're not being used for something practical, they're worthless?

Well there's a lot of worthless shit in the world then.

 

[WOPR]

No I will not use a diamond as a shiny piece of jewelry, I'd much prefer it as a tool or weapon considering it's the hardest substance on earth ;P

captcha = "quotations"