Diamonds - Are They Really Worth the Cost? 2388
hardDiamond asks: "I'm going to get engaged. I know my 4 C's. I know I'm going to get screwed by the jeweller, but that's okay: after all, a diamond engagement ring is a time-honoured tradition... NOT. Having checked out the goods, looked for the flaws, I found the biggest one of all. Diamond engagement rings are the creation of a well orchestrated advertising campaign for most of the last century - according to this article.
Would you buy one for the love of your life? I know my girlfriend would love a diamond, but ethically I have my doubts. Diseased-miners, child slave labour, cartel inflated prices... and as if that wasn't enough, diamonds have no resale value. Naddah. Zilch. They'll sell you the shit, but damn it, they're not taking it back at any price. So what have my fellow slashdotters done with regards to engagement rings? What's a good substitute for diamonds? My girlfriend understands my thoughts regarding diamonds, but deep down, I'm sure she would like a diamond. Even a small one." I've never even thought about questioning such a time honored tradition, but now I'm curious. Have any of you looked at the issues surrounding diamonds and found them wanting? What alternatives have you found and were they acceptable?
After researching this a bit, one of the key facts to surface is that 2-4.5% of diamond sales will go to finance terrorism or forms of violence. Such diamonds, for want of a better term, have been named "conflict diamonds". For those of you interested in following up on this subject, here are a few more links:
For those of you who have a subscription to Science News, the cover story, this month, deals with this issue as well.Fatal Transactions
Conflict Diamonds: Sanctions and War
The Campaign to Eliminate Conflict Diamonds
The Kimberly Process, which will attempt to track diamonds to their origin. This is to begin in November.
Hmmm... (Score:2, Interesting)
Two Words: (Score:5, Interesting)
I gave my wife a pretty cool engagement ring from an antique jewelry outfit. Sure, it's 2nd hand, but it has the personality and it doesn't get crazy as far as prices go either.
Re:Hmmm... TRADITIONS!? WTF!!!? (Score:2, Interesting)
nowadays, even the suggestion of such a thing disgusts many people.
times change. traditions change. break the mould, don't get stuck in it.
This alternative really is FOREVER.... (Score:2, Interesting)
It can never be lost. It doesn't ever need adjusted really, maybe touched up. And you can never just take it off, so you'll never have to be tempted.
Re:The Answer (Score:1, Interesting)
Bottom line (at least as far as I can see it) is that if she wants one you should get her one. Once you get it out of the way you can make room for future comprimises. I have convinced my wife that for anniversaries and such that I will get her alternatives like moseinite (sp?) and other things
Re:alternatives? (Score:3, Interesting)
With that said, you're probably screwed unless you get your fiancee's buy-in.
My wife is cool (Score:4, Interesting)
Seeing as how I had no idea how to pick a ring, I bought a $20 engagement ring for my wife. When I proposed I gave it to her and told her it was a symbol and that we could pick the ring of her choice for her. She refused and said she didn't want any other ring. She said that was the ring I gave to her and it was the most beautiful ring in the world.
Re:How can they have no resale value? (Score:5, Interesting)
Better yet, see if you can somebody to refer you to a diamond wholesaler. They save you a bundle, and the person who refered you will get a small kickback as a referer's fee. I got my diamond for wholesale, and because the jeweler recommended me, he ended up applying the referer's fee to the price of the ring. Result? The ring appraised the next day for almost double what I paid for it.
Buy used (Score:3, Interesting)
Or am I being hopelessly naive somehow? (it wouldn't be the first time
Reset a family heirloom (Score:3, Interesting)
You can always get another stone as well. There is no rule that says it has to be a diamond. The first engagement ring I bought, several years ago, was a created sapphire. There are many semi-precious stones out there that are quite beautiful. Depending on your girlfriend's preferences, you may have a lot of options.
Having said that, if she wants a diamond, then it's worth it to get it. Just keep in mind that you don't need an internally flawless diamond. A VVS1 or 2 will do just fine, and a VS1 or 2 is going to be OK too. As you have noted, diamonds really don't have a resale value, and how many people are going to be looking at it through a scppe after you purchase it? Same goes for color. Get a G-H, or F. And as for the carats, you'll pay a bit less if you stay just under the round numbers, so
The one thing you really want to make sure is excellent is the cut. This is something you want to be as close to ideal as possible. A friend of mine recently got married, and her well-off husband got her a rather large diamond for her engagement ring. When I looked at it, I was horribly underwhelmed. It was a poor cut, and reflected very little light. It looked flat. And this is not a man that I would have expected to miss the details.
I know you know the 4 Cs, but it's always worth repeating, and elaborating on how to get a better deal using what you know.
-Todd
Re:What does she want? (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Two Words: (Score:2, Interesting)
I've become cynical about them... (Score:2, Interesting)
I built the website for, and helped run a company that sells discount diamonds [rings-online.com] on the web. Over the course of working for them, I became pretty cynical about the industry. The diamond market is incredibly over-priced and price-fixed. It was very easy for us to undercut retail jewelers because they typically mark up diamonds by 3x wholesale. (this is actually recommended by all of the wholesalers I've seen).
On the other hand, diamonds do look much better than CZ, and you can always tell the difference when they are next to each other, especially under natural lighting. Moissanite, however, look very close and can even fool less skilled jewelers.
Diamonds *do* have resale value. Some dealers won't want your diamond, because they don't want to risk getting de-frauded, but many dealers do buy good used diamonds, and it isn't hard to sell a decent diamond in the newspaper or forums.
I personally think stones like ruby, sapphire or emerald are more beautiful and more rare. I bought my fiancee a diamond (wholesale for me of course) because I was concerned that she would be self-concious around friends if I didn't. Would they think I didn't value her as much?
In the end, I think buying a diamond is one of those things that doesn't make much sense, but you will take a lot of crap if you ignore it, kinda like women changing their last name when they get married or celebrating Christmas. But if your fiancee doesn't mind, and you don't mind taking some crap from friends, then you can save the money.
Careful (Score:2, Interesting)
Absolutely (Score:2, Interesting)
If you're anywhere near New York, go down to 47th street (between 5th and 6th avenues), and scour the diamond exchanges. Skip the obnoxious folks who try to force stuff into your hand and look at the smaller booths with art-deco and 30s/40s rings. You'll see more beautiful antique rings in one place than you'll find in all the antique stores in most cities.
Incidentally, I'm going to plug this guy [antiqueeng...trings.com] because he was really good to us when we were shopping (no, I don't get a kickback from him.) The site gives you an idea of what I'm talking about.
Diamonds aren't this girl's best friend (Score:5, Interesting)
When Richie and I got engaged, it was back in the day when South Africa was ruled by the Apartheid regime and Nelson Mandela had been doing time for longer than I had been alive. I told him "no diamonds." We went to a local lapidary shop where they had many different options for stones and picked out a sterling silver setting for it. I chose a diamond-cut quartz crystal. It was beautiful, the ring didn't cost much at all, and after someone assembled it Richie proposed to me in front of everyone in the store. Got on one knee and everything. Priceless. Everyone applauded.
However, that ring was short lived. I don't remember exactly how I did it, but the ring's setting got bent and I lost the stone. It lasted only a few months.
Next, sometime around Christmas that year, there were several small jewelry carts that set up in the local mall. One had a ring with a great-looking amethyst point mounted on it. Not too expensive, looked cool. We grabbed it. The ring lasted for about a year before the amethyst point worked its way loose. I Krazy-glued it in and it stayed in for a few weeks more before I lost it for good.
Richie was upset, I was bummed. Two rings given, two down. I decided the next replacement for the engagement ring would not have a stone, tradition be damned.
That next summer I found a sterling silver Claddagh ring. Traditional Irish love token. Symbol from pre-Christian times. Very appropriate. Very cool. I've had it ever since.
Anyway, even with Apartheid over, I wouldn't touch diamonds if they were...well, diamonds. For one thing, I'm not crazy about them aesthetically. I'd rather have a blue topaz or a sapphire or a ruby or emerald or even better, a fire opal. For another thing, unless you can make darn sure where you are getting them from, you could get them from terrorists or Russian mafiosos or any number of other unsavory folks.
And most importantly...I would rather spend my money on geeky stuff. Save that money and get something I really want...like a DVD-RW or a Radeon AIW 8500 video card.
If your intended is a geek grrl, get her something she'll really want. If she isn't...well...maybe that diamond is kinda mandatory. Check up on the provenance of that rock...there are Canadian stones from the Yukon Territory strike that have a polar bear etched next to the laser-inscribed ID. There's nothing morally reprehensible about the Canadians, last time I checked.
Re:alternatives? (Score:5, Interesting)
I've never understood the point to diamonds. They're shiny, sure, but so are soap bubbles, sunlight, and tinsel. The "good" ones are perfectly clear. What's the point? And while we're at it, gold can take a hike; yellow doesn't look good on me.
So you know what people say when they see my ring? "Oh, that's so pretty; is that a sapphire? How nice, and different." I have never had a single person, friend, family, or stranger on the street, imply that they thought there was something wrong with my ring, or that maybe he was being cheap. If they had, I would have explained to them that I *asked* for these materials, but it's never come up.
When it comes down to it, if she wants a diamond because she thinks she's supposed to want a diamond, and you want to get her a diamond because you think you're supposed to get her a diamond, I don't know what to tell you except to find your own mind. Oh, and look into created diamonds. [bbc.co.uk]
figures (Score:4, Interesting)
-a
lessons from my family (Score:5, Interesting)
Some personal perspective on the issue:
That isn't very many data points, but I think the lesson is that if the ring selection is more of a personal investment than a shopping effort, it's a good sign. Sure, the ring should have some durable value, but anyone who says only diamonds have value as a symbol of love needs to ponder on the primary practical use of diamonds: an abrasive.
Jon
A better option (Score:1, Interesting)
My brother handforged steel rings for my wife and myself. Surgical grade
stainless steel. (His wedding gift to us.)
They are unique. Nobody else has such a ring, period.
They are durable; a lasting symbol of affection and trust.
They subsidise no industry other than the steel industry. Good steel can
be had from recyclers, if you know what you are doing.
The steel was chosen not to corrode from prolonged exposure to skin, and after
some seven years is holding up fine. It is tough and comfortable, with an
attractive handbuffed finish which no prepackaged jewelry can match in
character or elegance.
Pay some money, hand over some numbers to a company, or put your own thought
and work into it. Which means more?
Design Your Own (But Beware) (Score:2, Interesting)
Do what I did. Tell her you'll happily buy her whatever stone she wants, but that you think it would be cool to design your own rings. Sit down together, sketch out some ideas, take them to a local custom jewelry maker (your burg has at least a couple). Get his opinions on metal and stones, pay him to make a few sketches. Don't do this to be cheap; do this to create something unique you'll both like.
In our case, we ended up making three rings that stood on their own but fit together conceptually; earth (her wedding), sky (her engangement, with an amethyst for the sun), space (my wedding
My wife has never had anyone comment on her lack of diamond; they are usually too taken with the distinctiveness of the rings and the story of their creation.
Two final words of advice:
First, don't have your ring sized in the hot, sweaty days of August. Mine was so hard getting off, I asked the jeweler to enlarge it slightly. By the time December rolled around, the thing was flying off my hand ever time I turned around.
Second, think twice about the ceremony if your wife wants an inscription that starts "One ring to rule him..."
So if you don't pop her cherry, no ring? (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:How can they have no resale value? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Let's give this some thought (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:The Answer (Score:3, Interesting)
What's geekier than using the might of man's technology to make a timeless token that also glows in the dark!? Besides when the wedding day comes you're already covered on the old and new front.
I would imagine that they would cost in the ballpark of "natural" stones.
I think it was these guys. [diamondregistry.com]
Re:alternatives? (Score:3, Interesting)
It took her some time to explain to the predominantly middle-aged bunch she worked with at the time that no, she didn't mean she'd had to buy herself a ring, that she had in fact bought her fiance a ring.
Conventions are amusing. If the girlfriend is happy with something other than a diamond, then why be a slave to convention? My wife's friends (as opposed to her workmates) all thought the idea was pretty cool. Perhaps selecting better friends would help.
The Ultimate Substitute (Score:2, Interesting)
My alternative will be stated in a moment, but first I want to give you a few things to think about.
1- Tradition is strongly rooted and if you search back far enough you will find 'True' time honored traditions of the heart.
2- Women love to feel unique. Currently most women accomplish this by getting the bigger diamond. Though there are other ways to separate them into a truely unique field of their own. Separating them entirely from everyone they know. And at an EXTREMELY low cost.
3- What is a time and time again statement from married women whose husbands go away with the boys. Or leave on business trips??? Will they take off their ring? What if you could absolutely prove to her you wouldn't?
4- Couple with #3, what if it was your true love that showed her you were true to her and would never stray?
Answer: A puzzle ring.
These rings consist of many bands, ranging from 4 bands, to as many as 8 (I've seen as many as 12, but they are rare.)
These bands come in gold, silver and many different designs. The makers of these rings can usually customize them and possible add diamond chips (for appeal) if you wish. The are inexpensive, in the area of $100 to $250 each for gold, and even cheaper if you choose silver. I'm sure they come in white gold also.
These rings have quite a history dating back (from what I found) to midevil times. The ring consisting of bands that interlock to form the ring. But remove the ring and the ring falls apart. The come with no instruction and are very difficult to reassemble. The more bands that you have, the more complicated it becomes.
When I suggested these to my girlfriend (prior proposal) she was overwhelmingly pleased that I would even suggest such a thing. That I would willingly want to put somethign on my hand that I couldn't take off in the heat of the moment or at a glance of a pretty woman coming my way., Though I reassure you, that I wouldn't anyway, I truely love her, but the extra notion of dedication was purifying to the occasion.
And as I said, ALL of her friend and co-workers are jealous, more over that their husbands wouldn't dare where that type of ring.
Wrong or right.. I made the correct choice.
Here is an example of the rings.. I simply seached E-bay, but I am sure there are other avenues to follow in order to purchase such rings. The sellers on e-bay often advertise that they custom make these ring.. and size and many styles.
Happy shopping and good luck with a life time of happiness to both of you!
Example at: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item =949361336 [ebay.com]
Re:alternatives? (Score:5, Interesting)
So if you want to donate money do DeBeers (hint: they don't need any more) go ahead and surprise your wife with a diamond ring. But if you have a relationship of trust and communication (i.e. you're not already screwed), talk about it with your wife -- she's an adult, and can tell you herself what she wants. And keep in mind that any diamond you're likely to buy had no significant value until 1938, and there's no particular reason to think that they will in 2038, so the only real value is sentimental (which in this case is up to your wife-to-be). So talk it over. If she thinks that a diamond ring is important, then it is, and you should buy her one. But treat her like an intelligent human being, and give her the chance to talk it over.
Personally, we bought a moderately sized diamond (this was before I knew just how artificial a diamond's value actually was), but more importantly, it's set in a custom ring that we designed and bought together. Instead of surprising her with a ring, we flew to Paris, and I proposed under the Arc de Triumph looking at the Eiffel Tower (after hitting the Louvre and eating an insanely fantastic dinner). She was still surprised (and had a goofy grin for weeks), and this all cost far less than the "two months salary" line DeBeers pitches, and was a lot more memorable because it represented real effort to arrange rather than simply writing a check. We designed and bought the ring a month or two later, together.
Re:alternatives? (Score:2, Interesting)
In other words, have at it. You can do whatever you want with your relationship. But if you want to tell me that my relationship is doomed because of biology or our principles, well...you best not let my girl hear you. She'll whip your ass.
Materialistic women... (Score:3, Interesting)
Uh, I hate to burst your bubble, people, but being materialistic, particularly as regards to selection of men, is evolutionarily very advantageous for women.
Think about it. Take two women, one who is materialistic and one who isn't. The materialistic success of a potential partner doesn't matter to the non-materialistic woman, but does to the materialistic one. So the woman who is materialistic is more likely to end up partnering with a guy who is materially successful than the woman who isn't.
End result? The materialistic woman is more likely to end up with offspring who are more capable of being materially successful than non-materialistic woman and, on top of that, the offspring of the materialistic woman will be better provided for.
Material success is strongly tied to the ability to provide for a family. The more materially successful you are, the greater the resources you have at your disposal to provide well for your offspring. The better you can provide for your offspring, the greater their chances of survival. The better their ability to provide for themselves (i.e., to inherit your success traits), the greater their chances of survival and reproduction. And the odds of survival and reproduction are the only things that matter in evolutionary terms.
So if you were to start with those two women and look at their extended family many generations later, you'll probably find that the materialistic woman has more descendants and that those descendants are materially better off, on average, than the descendants of the non-materialistic woman.
Eventually, the materialistic types will dominate the population. Which, I think, is exactly the situation we see today. And it's no coincidence that those greedy types happen to be the most successful, as well. Why else do you think greedy entities like Microsoft, the RIAA, etc., are all so powerful and successful? It's because they're run by people who are also greedy and materialistic -- the very trait which enables them to succeed.
There is more truth than you can imagine in the phrase "nice guys finish last". You can thank evolution for it.
Re:Man-Whoring [Was: Re:apparently, an...] (Score:2, Interesting)
personally, i don't understand why fiance loves her diamonds so much...but she doesn't understand why I love computers so much. It merely differences in priority.
which leads to the following point: do really think ALL your system's components were built under humanistic conditions???
Guess what folks.. Africa is not America. They do not have the same standards as Americans do. They do not follow the same rules.
Deal with it and get on with life. There is a lot more to worry about than the kid who lost his hands because he tried to steal diamonds from DeBeers to sell on the black market
(oh... thats right... the human rights activists forgot to tell that part of the story... silly me... )
Comment removed (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:alternatives? (Score:3, Interesting)
Abandoning your morals to follow pointless traditions is not an act of love, but an act of sheer cowardice.
Re:They're worth it (Score:1, Interesting)
Gee.
Tough decision. Heck its not my kids. Not my family.
But fuck that. Sorry but innocent kids win in my book every time.
All you losers out there who would gladly partake in the MURDER of children to make your own sorry lives a bit easier be glad it's not your own kids' lives you're sacrificing.
It's sad there are self centered people out there living with a "I dont care how many people I step on to live a luxurious life" attitude.
But remember
Maybe I do fucking have morals.
Engagement rings in germany (Score:2, Interesting)
we (my wife and me) had no special engagement rings.
German 'tradition' in that matter is to buy the weddng rings but to wear them on the left hand, and put them on the right hand after the wedding.
Both partners usually have the same ring (style-wise) and admit it, a diamond does look strange with a man...
we have rings made from platinum and gold, platinum on the outside and gold on the inside.
bye,
[L]
Re:alternatives? (Score:5, Interesting)
As for mine, tiny skulls side-by-side that wraps around my finger molded out of white gold. It was originally based on a cheaply made silver ring I got from OzFest'97. When I first met my wife to be, the ring broke that nite. She offer to repair it and no sooner than after i put it on, it broke. Years later when we decide to marry, she surprised me by recasting the old broken ring into something new and improved. The Jeweler made considerable number of structural improvements and left plenty of room for future customizations (ruby eyes, plenty of surface area to attach additional skulls, etc). Needless to say, I was floored by her surprise.
My point? Why buy stock jewelry at all?? treat it like open source, extend, embrace and wear =)
The uniqueness alone makes it valuable in it's own right, maybe not on the marketplace, or maybe so, but who really cares, it's the sentimental value that matters the most, regardless of cost.
What's that??? some of you are saying i'm blowing shit out my mouth cuz we were able to afford these rings, our tune would probably change if were poorer...HEH...Well remember, her folks gave us the worthless diamond, and all the customizations were under $1000 combined and that's STILL less than 2 months salary, way less,
but worth a million times more than any old piece of junk from a jewelry store.
mindrape
damaged cybernetics
Re:alternatives? (Score:3, Interesting)
I got my wife a Honda CRV for an engagement ring and every other woman she tells that too thinks she got the better end of the deal.
For the wedding rings, I had a platinum band etched with a simple floral pattern (based on a symbol my wife loves.) I had it made outside the US which cut the price in half.
Re:Let's give this some thought (Score:3, Interesting)
Well said, this part and all the rest of your post. Not every girl wants diamonds, and they're not right for every couple, but if it's what your girlfriend/fianceé wants, and it makes her happy, that's the most important thing. Period.
There is no "right" and "wrong" decision here - this is a field of subjectivity. The many people around here who have been bashing people for buying diamonds are nieve.
By the way, congratulations, and best wishes to both of you in your marriage.
love and devotion (Score:5, Interesting)
She loved it, because of what it represented. She knew I had more prospects than money, and she was able to see the ring for what it meant, rather than what it was composed of chemically. She told me that she was glad I hadn't blown a ton of dough on a big ring I couldn't really afford, because she didn't want to start our married life in debt for something that wouldn't add to quality of life the way a car, house, blender, etc. would. Our wedding was great, our marriage has been wonderful. I would be a shabby imitation of myself if I didn't have her in my life.
She got a lot of really great reactions to the ring, surprisingly. A red stone for an engagement ring is unusual enough to be eye-catching. It's a dark red garnet, and a lot of people asked if it was a ruby. She's not ashamed of her ring, and always told them that it's a garnet, a semi-precious stone. I suppose there's a certain cache in that, a ring who's value is so purely symbolic, because she often saw women with big diamond rings in platinum settings get jealous.
We've been married 11 years, now. Our third child, a little girl, was born 8 weeks ago, and our two boys are bright, energetic, handsome kids. Our love is flourishing. As for the ring, my wife accidentally dropped it over the railing from the third tier at Wrigley Field a month after we were married, still not used to wearing it. By some miracle, we found it on the pavement outside the park; one of the prongs holding the garnet in place got bent, but the stone was OK. After a few years, the thin gold band was wearing through, and the bent prong would catch on fabric, and she had to be really careful with it. For our 5 year anniversary, I suggested we get her a higher quality ring. OK, but she wouldn't hear of replacing her garnet. We had the stone reset in a better quality band, flanked with a pair of small diamonds. We'd saved up some money, despite both of us being in graduate school at that point, and went with diamonds for an aesthic reason - they set off the garnet and made it appear even more dark and lustrous.
When I finished my PhD, and got a postdoc position, with my first salary that didn't start with a "1", I wanted to adorne my wife, to gild the lily, give her something beatuiful and extravagant and utterly impractical, to make up for the years of more practical and useful gifts. She selected small diamond stud earrings... because our new baby boy kept grabbing at the long, dangling earrings she typically wore. Sensible, even in her extravagances. What a wife.
I got a real job three years ago, and we moved and bought a house. For our 10th anniversary, we were still broke from buying the house. For our 11th anniversary, our 4-week old baby let us sleep for 6 hours straight. It was wonderful. After a few raises and promotions, I've got some money now. I suggested to my wife that we get her some more jewelry, maybe some rubies or emeralds to set off her eyes. With a kiss and a hug, she handed me a stack of brochures about savings plans for college tuition, and said that there were more important things. What a wife.
With 300+ comments already attached to this
facts on canadian diamonds (Score:2, Interesting)
Having just got married... (Score:2, Interesting)
If you really want to get a diamond I suggest that you look at Canadian diamonds. They are mined in non-terroist conditions and are a bit more unique. And lots of them have a kewl little polar bear etched onto the girdle of the diamond.
Diamonds not always a girl's best friend (Score:2, Interesting)
First, according to Hindu Sidereal astrological principles, only approximately half of the population can or should wear diamonds. For the other half of the population, wearing a diamond may cause health problems, relationship problems, problems with children, and/or problems in other facets of life. The determining factor here is the sidereal ascendant or rising sign.
My wife's ascendant indicates that a diamond would be detrimental.
Second, I bought my wife a Star Ruby as an engagement ring. She loves the attention she gets from having a unique non-traditional engagement ring.
Did I save any money? Mind your own business!
It's Like Using Windows (Score:3, Interesting)
So while you think you got a got deal, and are not supporting the diamond cartels, you in fact are. Every time another women looks at your fiancees ring, the apparent traditional will be reinforced in another persons mind.
I think of it like this, and can't believe I haven't seen it anywhere else yet.
You can run around downloading warezed copies of Windows 2000 and Microsoft Office, and declare that you feel good about not giving a god damned penny to those evil Microsoft people. But every time you download and use a Windows product, every time you accept an emailed Microsoft Word document, every time you tell people you use Windows, every time you don't tell people your believes about why Microsoft is bad but use Windows anyway, during all these situations you are further perpetuating the Microsoft monopoly. And I see diamonds in the exact same way.
diamonds: not anyone's best friend (Score:2, Interesting)
I have been aware of the social, political, and environmental implications of the diamond trade for a long time. Before we got married, I think my husband was struggling with more of the sheer expense (for nothing of any real value) issue when he finally came to me and asked.
This conversation really happened, and we are quite happily living for the fourth year in our brick, two-storey home, with a fine swing on the porch. It doesn't have a garage as yet, but last month it appraised at $32,000 more than the purchase price. With equity like that, we could build a garage and a data haven as well.
And the last time i checked, diamonds don't have spare rooms that can be used as anything, let alone converted into a nursery when life takes an unexpected turn.
Chances are that if your lady has sense enough to like a geek, then she has sense enough to value something other than a diamond. I advise asking; you might be surprised at the answer.
Love and peace,
heidi
Re:How can they have no resale value? (Score:2, Interesting)
GRAPHITE is forever!
One very reasonable alternative. (Score:1, Interesting)
And they have nothing to do with deBeers