# Diamonds are a scam, so how do I win? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 29, 2018, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diamonds-are-a-scam-so-how-do-i-win/807735 "2018-01-29T16:03:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diamonds-are-a-scam-so-how-do-i-win/807735/1 "2018-01-29T16:03:26Z")
I’ve read all the negative stuff about the diamond industry and I accept it all as true – diamonds have very little intrinsic value, they have next to no resale value, cultured diamonds are “real” in every meaningful sense of the word, etc etc. That said, I, uhh, need to buy a big-ass diamond. For a thing. How best do I go about leverage my belief that diamonds are a scam to actually get a good deal on a diamond? I read from some diamond website that lab-created diamonds are a bad deal because they have almost no value on the 2nd hand market. Which sounds great to me, can I buy one of those somewhere? Has anyone successfully navigated this minefield? ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diamonds-are-a-scam-so-how-do-i-win/807735/2 "2018-01-29T16:07:19Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > … > That said, I, uhh, need to buy a big-ass diamond. For a thing. > … Doesn’t she have a name? ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diamonds-are-a-scam-so-how-do-i-win/807735/3 "2018-01-29T16:10:45Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > Doesn’t she have a name? Nonsense, I would never marry someone obsessed with silly things like big ass shiny rocks. This is for a completely different project. Maybe a death ray or something. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diamonds-are-a-scam-so-how-do-i-win/807735/4 "2018-01-29T16:13:40Z")
I have the same general opinion of the diamond industry and my wife wanted a stone on her finger. We found a very nice ring at an estate sale which got her the rock and allowed me to salvage some moral footing at not (directly) supporting the diamond industry. ---
**Author:** ![Skara\_Brae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Skara\_Brae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skara_Brae)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diamonds-are-a-scam-so-how-do-i-win/807735/5 "2018-01-29T16:21:14Z")
Yeah, I think buying second hand might be the best way to “win,” but some woman have strong opinions on “used” diamonds. I’d feel out your thing’s feelings on that first… ---
**Author:** ![Tzigone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Tzigone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tzigone)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diamonds-are-a-scam-so-how-do-i-win/807735/6 "2018-01-29T16:22:38Z")
> [@](#): > > How best do I go about leverage my belief that diamonds are a scam to actually get a good deal on a diamond? I read from some diamond website that lab-created diamonds are a bad deal because they have almost no value on the 2nd hand market. Which sounds great to me, can I buy one of those somewhere? Has anyone successfully navigated this minefield? I have zero idea how good/reliable these sites are, but I found [altr](http://www.altr.nyc/created-diamonds/) and [brilliant earth](https://www.brilliantearth.com/lab-created-diamonds/). Altr was linked in a Forbes article and apparently owned existing (old) diamond-house that’s trying to work both the mined and lab-created market. Brilliant Earth seems to have a “[build your own](https://www.brilliantearth.com/oval-lab-created-diamond-search/)” page. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diamonds-are-a-scam-so-how-do-i-win/807735/7 "2018-01-29T16:24:57Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > a big-ass diamond. Someone clenched very hard? ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diamonds-are-a-scam-so-how-do-i-win/807735/8 "2018-01-29T16:38:02Z")
OP yes you can buy jewelry grade labgrown diamond rings. Type in “lab grown diamond rings” into Google and you’ll find several vendors. Up to you if there will be trouble with “a thing” if there’s low resale value. ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diamonds-are-a-scam-so-how-do-i-win/807735/9 "2018-01-29T16:45:07Z")
> [@WOPR](#): > > The only winning move is not to play. … ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diamonds-are-a-scam-so-how-do-i-win/807735/10 "2018-01-29T17:28:28Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > Nonsense, I would never marry someone obsessed with silly things like big ass shiny rocks. This is for a completely different project. Maybe a death ray or something. Don’t forget to get some extras to put on the collar of your fluffy white cat. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diamonds-are-a-scam-so-how-do-i-win/807735/11 "2018-01-29T17:33:44Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > I’ve read all the negative stuff about the diamond industry and I accept it all as true – diamonds have very little intrinsic value, they have next to no resale value, cultured diamonds are “real” in every meaningful sense of the word, etc etc. > > That said, I, uhh, need to buy a big-ass diamond. For a thing. > > How best do I go about leverage my belief that diamonds are a scam to actually get a good deal on a diamond? 1. Finding one secondhand is your best bet if you want to save money but it is not your best bet if you want to save time. 2. How the diamond appears TO YOU is the most important thing. (If you spend time shopping you will notice some look nicer than others.) While this is generally connected with the quality of the stone, it’s not absolutely, one hundred percent connected. A stone with a flaw you can’t see from above can be cheaper despite looking very nice. Diamonds aren’t a scam. “Intrinsic value” is a meaningless phrase. things are worth what the market says they are, and the market for diamonds is such that they cost a lot of money. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diamonds-are-a-scam-so-how-do-i-win/807735/12 "2018-01-29T17:34:39Z")
> [@Skara\_Brae](#): > > Yeah, I think buying second hand might be the best way to “win,” but some woman have strong opinions on “used” diamonds. I’d feel out your thing’s feelings on that first… Not “used”-“vintage”, “antique” or “heirloom”. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diamonds-are-a-scam-so-how-do-i-win/807735/13 "2018-01-29T17:55:19Z")
I bought my [del]thing[/del] wife a sapphire ring. Prettier (in our opinion) and less expensive than diamond. They come in every color. And (maybe?) fewer oppressed people mining them. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diamonds-are-a-scam-so-how-do-i-win/807735/14 "2018-01-29T18:23:31Z")
> [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > I bought my [del]thing[/del] wife a sapphire ring. Prettier (in our opinion) and less expensive than diamond. They come in every color. And (maybe?) fewer oppressed people mining them. Ditto, giant rock at half of the price. ---
**Author:** ![Skara\_Brae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Skara\_Brae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skara_Brae)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diamonds-are-a-scam-so-how-do-i-win/807735/15 "2018-01-29T18:28:42Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Not “used”-“vintage”, “antique” or “heirloom”. Those are better words, but I knew a girl in college who was presented with her fiancee’s beloved late grandmother’s engagement ring, but cried about how she didn’t want “some dead woman’s ring.” And then complained her “new” ring was so much smaller, since the guy couldn’t afford a whole karat.:dubious::rolleyes: There’s no pleasing some people… ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diamonds-are-a-scam-so-how-do-i-win/807735/16 "2018-01-29T18:28:47Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Not “used”-“vintage”, “antique” or “heirloom”. Certified pre-owned. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diamonds-are-a-scam-so-how-do-i-win/807735/17 "2018-01-29T18:32:25Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > This is for a completely different project. Maybe a death ray or something. A 1920’s-style one, please. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diamonds-are-a-scam-so-how-do-i-win/807735/18 "2018-01-29T18:35:53Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > Nonsense, I would never marry someone obsessed with silly things like big ass shiny rocks. This is for a completely different project. Maybe a death ray or something. That rationale doesn’t fly. If you’re doing a diamond-focused death ray, you’re obligated by the Evil Overlord code to steal the diamonds. Buy them? Feh. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diamonds-are-a-scam-so-how-do-i-win/807735/19 "2018-01-29T18:40:01Z")
> [@Skara\_Brae](#): > > Those are better words, but I knew a girl in college who was presented with her fiancee’s beloved late grandmother’s engagement ring, but cried about how she didn’t want “some dead woman’s ring.” And then complained her “new” ring was so much smaller, since the guy couldn’t afford a whole karat.:dubious::rolleyes: > > There’s no pleasing some people… When you walk away from such people, the number of pleased people go from zero to one. ---
**Author:** ![eenerms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cdc98d/32.png) [@eenerms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eenerms)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diamonds-are-a-scam-so-how-do-i-win/807735/20 "2018-01-29T18:44:19Z")
All my many diamonds:D are antique. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diamonds-are-a-scam-so-how-do-i-win/807735.md?page=2)