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.

fair enough Aitch!
I would hazard a guess that if the OP has 5k to spend on a bracelet the mortgage isn't a worry...but i could be wrong!

he doesn't. that's why he hit swarovski in double-quick time.

desperately naff to have to buy diamonds.....

Even if DH and I had that kind of money (which we don't) there is no way on this earth I would waste that amount of cash on a bit of bling! My Engagement and wedding rings are white gold, both with Diamonds and cost around £1500 for both. I think that is more than enough to spend on rings!

Second hand or antique. Excellent quality, excellent price. Highly recommend some of the shops on Burlington Arcade.

Conflict diamonds are a major problem though - strong evidence exists that the Kimberley Process isn't working and that conflict diamonds are smuggled through, bypassing the certification process. So saying you buy ethical diamonds only isn't a sure-fire safety net - even major diamond dealers have been slapped over it.

Fairycake, that ring is probably mine.
I have 3 rings, platinum, engagement, wedding and eternity. all custom made. my eternity and engagement are platinum with diamonds.
good job mine was stolen and covered on my home insurance.
can't believe you kept it.

so, yes i had another made. but it doesn't change the fact that it is a replacement and not the original. sentimental wise that is not good.

does thta kind of thing not bother you ?

Did you leave it in a toilet?

why didn't you hand it into the cop shop, fairycake, that does seem a bit mad just to keep someone else's ring?

if you take a design to a manafacturing jeweller, you should save ££££

anyhoo. am still reeling that someone would find a ring in a public loo and just keep it

that's vile, that's immoral and just wrong

would you keep cash you found, or a wallet?

disgraceful.

Well don't buy diamonds then. But something nice instead,

Or unless you go for diamonique, SomeGuy

My grandmother lost her engagement ring in a public loo.

She saved up to buy her self another one.

I don't think it is like finding cash. A ring also has sentimental value. [sad

happy statement 1: 'oh look at my shiny new ipod.'

riposte: 'Your ipod is produced in sweatshops by people who could never dream of owning such a thing'

happy statement 2: 'Oh look at my shiny new car'

riposte: 'The fuel that goes into your car is funding and promoting the oppression of women, global anti-semitism and radical Islamist ideologies'

By comparison, diamonds (of which Russia is the number 1 supplier) look pretty sparkling.

Snobear claims to have principles by not washing her car (if she doesn't use it why doesn't she sell it, rather than letting it rot?) and eating seasonal produce, fact is that the claims of people on the internet are unverifiable whereas the observable truth in the real world is that very very few people opt out of globalisation.

I'm not a fan of ostentatious displays of wealth as I really couldn't give a shit, but my wife is, so maybe I'll buy her some real diamonds next year, at least I've got an excuse then (she will be 30).

Anyway I'm obviously a cunt for saying that diamonds are a rip-off and I'm a cunt for even looking at them, and I'm a slave to diamond marketing for shopping in Swarovski, oh and I'm a right wing propagandist, most likely in the pay of Rupert Murdoch. Thanks for enlightening me, I never knew before now - obviously I need to seek out my local branch of the 'aggressively pious and self-righteous association' so I can learn a few more home truths. Perhaps George Monbiot can give me a lift in his car.

Thats the spirit Snowbear!

You exploded with rage there, didnt you You're quite the earth mother.

Now go buy yourself a diamond bracelet, give the kids some broccoli imported from Israel, and stop being such a poe-faced sanctimonious bore.

People like Snowbear are always hypocrites SpaceHopper. Thats why they react as they do.

She'll be OK though as next month her magazines will lend their support to something else, and conflict diamonds will be forgotten. Got to keep up with current trends if you want to keep your sneering fresh.

Jeez, there are some nasty comments on this thread. Sanctimonious oneupmanship. Is this what we're doing now?

If you don't like them, don't buy them. If you do, great, ensure that they are ethical. If you can afford big expensive ones, then you are lucky, and I'm happy for you.

Those of you assuming ALL diamonds are unethical, I'm just going to politely disagree with you. I'm sure you have your reasons for believing that, but it does seem to differ from the opinion of the experts.

In the late 1990s, it is estimated that between 4 and 15% of the world?s rough diamond supply was touched by conflict.

Kimberley and Global Witness have estimated that 99.8% of the world?s diamonds are now conflict free.

I admire someone with ethical principles. Although less so if they use their piety to insult and demean others.