To think diamonds are horrible unless you spend about £5,000

[SomeGuy]

My DW said she would like 'a bracelet' for her birthday.

So I went to the jewellers and had a look, they showed me various things for hundreds of a pounds with perhaps a single diamond in. I said 'how about that one', pointing to the diamond tennis bracelet. 'That is £5,025' The one next to it was £10k. 'We do have one at £2,500'. So they got it out, but the diamonds were so ridiculously small they didn't really sparkle at all.

So I left and went to Swarovski and bought a nicer looking bracelet for £70. Not diamonds of course, but it seems a bit ridiculous that the only nice looking jewellery wih actual jewels in cost thousands of pounds as a minimum - you could buy half-a-dozen designer handbags, which would make far more of an impression for the money.

I have a ring with 9 diamonds in it, it's platinum. I found it in a public toilet, so - obviously - I spent nothing on it. My sister got it valued about 6 years ago and she was told 3k to replace it. I wouldn't part with it for that, no chance! I love it! There is NOTHING horrible about it!

I make jewellery, the best commission I have ever seen was about eight years ago. This 'lady' had 4 really chunky gold initial rings made to wear on one hand, each initial spelling out her name, Lucy. It was class!

fairycake123 Sat 31-Jul-10 02:42:03
I have a ring with 9 diamonds in it, it's platinum. I found it in a public toilet, so - obviously - I spent nothing on it. My sister got it valued about 6 years ago and she was told 3k to replace it. I wouldn't part with it for that, no chance! I love it! There is NOTHING horrible about it!

You found someone else's ring and you still have it

Fairycake - Is that true ?

I trust that you handed into the police and waited the required amount of time to see if anyone claimed it ?

That ring would surley be a highly sentimental piece that some-one was distraught at loosing.

God I would be heartbroken if I lost my ring, I used to take it off to wash my hands as it was a little big. The thought that someone would pick it up and not hand it (sentimental value must be obvious?) kind of spoils my faith in humanity. I certainly wouldn't boast about it, unless as Pippy says you waited the right amount of time etc.

I think they are horrible no matter what. The methods used to extract them are cruel, enslaving and scar the environment.

I think diamonds are truly horrible because of their links with child slavery, tribal warfare, genocide and other human rights atrocities.

No way would I be seen wearing one and I am shocked by people who do.

agree expat, totally takes the sparkle out of them for me. I told DP I did not want a diamond engagement ring, then I looked at ethical rings but unfortunately they are somewhat out of our price range. Now I have decided if I go for a sparkly one it will be extremely second hand- cheap and not dripping in blood. DP admires my ethical values (bollox- DP loves it that I am a cheap date)

I agree, which is why it meant a lot that the husband specifically bought a certificated ethically sourced one.

The only thing horrible about your ring Fairycake, is that its stolen.

Do you prefer diamonds from Sierra Leone:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9bcwb_cVMs

Or from Zimbabwe:

www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jul/23/zimbabwe-blood-diamonds

Or perhaps Angola:

online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704198004575311282588959188.html?mod=rss_africa

They are so sparkly and pretty. And you deserve one.

To the posters above - get a grip FFS.

Some diamonds are conflict diamonds, therefore all diamonds are bad.

Ha ha haaa!

There is nothing worse for a genuine cause than it being barked out by moralising grandstanders, who probably read about it in a magazine.

I guess you are applying that high powered logic to other such causes, for example oil exploitation in Africa (all oil is bad so never use cars), and child labour in China (all chinese goods are bad, so no cheap primark stuff).

Thought not...

i buy mine from lizzy duke

to be honest no onw KNOWS the studs in my ears arent real
and i lose them ALL THE TIME

agree wholeheartedly with sugarpinkmouse... nasty thread that the OP knows will make people feel a bit shit about their own rings etc, nevermind the blood diamond aspect which shows him to be a bit of a duffer in any case.

you people do realise not all diamonds are conflict diamonds dont you?!
Major diamond retailers (Boodles, Graff, Tiffany, De Beers, Chopard etc) all have very strong stances on how and where they source their diamonds, you receive certiicates to prove their provenance, basically they cannot risk theri brand image being caught up in such dubious trade. The UN provides strong guidelines for them on how to ensure they are non blood-diamonds. I think a few of you have watched 1 film and judged an entire industry. You cannot tar an entire industry with one brush, just as youcannot for oil, food, clothing, anything else!

I do know where the OP is coming from. Tennis braelets ought to look better the more you spend on them, in that the diamonds will be larger, better cut, clarity and colour...but thats not to say anything less tha £5k is crap. Far from it! He is also not talking about solitaire diamonds so i'd not worry about what he might be saying about your engagement rings etc.

As for designer bags, i have a few Mulberry ones, they are classic designs, non showy, hand stitched and last a lifetime. In my view, far better to spend £600 once on a classic black one than £50 every yr or so on cheaper ones that will fall apart.

OP was looking in H Samuel and some indies, coraltoes.

the whole diamond industry is a gouge anyway, someguy's just come away having swallowed what the salesperson told him... although this sent him directly to swarovski ironically enough.

LIZZY DUKE!

lol.

yes happy birthday dear, instead of a present i put money into the mortgage.

happy birthday dear, here is a beautiful necklace that i helped the maker to design, and by the way i have put £4,750 into the mortgage.

that's the sort of thing that would make me truly happy on my birthday.