# Does Anyone Else Dislike Diamonds **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 27, 2009, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-dislike-diamonds/483290 "2009-01-27T21:43:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-dislike-diamonds/483290/1 "2009-01-27T21:43:56Z")
I don’t really think they are that pretty. I don’t hate them, but if money was no object and I was going to buy a ring, I’d rather get a ruby or emerald or sapphire, even if it were less expensive. I know some people don’t like them because of the politics behind them, but is there anyone else on here who doesn’t like diamonds for æsthetics reasons? If so what do you prefer in place? ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-dislike-diamonds/483290/2 "2009-01-27T21:52:38Z")
I’m not a big fan of them. That’s not to say I’ve never seen one that I liked, but, like you, they’re not my favorite gemstone. My engagement ring has a sapphire as the main stone. It does include diamonds, but they’re tiny - 18 of them on the band, each of them maybe 1.5 - 2.0 mm in diameter. ---
**Author:** ![Orual](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orual](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orual)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-dislike-diamonds/483290/3 "2009-01-27T21:58:11Z")
Diamonds are boring - I prefer colored (amethyst and garnet) or iridescent (opals, moonstones) gemstones. I also prefer [cabachon](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabachon) stones to faceted. ---
**Author:** ![Litoris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9f8e36/32.png) [@Litoris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Litoris)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-dislike-diamonds/483290/4 "2009-01-27T21:59:13Z")
Me. I find them boring. I love, love, love emeralds, though. My husband finally got around to buying me an engagement ring for Christmas last – it is 2 rows of chip emeralds set in white gold – I LURVE it 😃 ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-dislike-diamonds/483290/5 "2009-01-27T22:01:57Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > I don’t really think they are that pretty. I don’t hate them, but if money was no object and I was going to buy a ring, I’d rather get a ruby or emerald or sapphire, even if it were less expensive. > > I know some people don’t like them because of the politics behind them, but is there anyone else on here who doesn’t like diamonds for æsthetics reasons? If so what do you prefer in place? ooo ME ME ME ! I would take almost anything in place of a diamond, but I particularly prefer good imperial jade, a killer piece of opal or a good rich garnet. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-dislike-diamonds/483290/6 "2009-01-27T22:07:02Z")
I don’t care for them. I prefer sapphires. I’m due to get some big honking diamonds when my mother dies - guess I’ll stick them in the safe deposit box and forget about them. (Seriously - I’d feel really weird wearing any stone that big, let alone a diamond.) ---
**Author:** ![Karyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/fbc32d/32.png) [@Karyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karyn)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-dislike-diamonds/483290/7 "2009-01-27T22:08:06Z")
I don’t dislike them but I would never spend or want anyone else to spend that much on jewelry for me. If money was no object I would want emeralds or sapphires more but there are lots of other things that I would rather spend the money on at any given moment. ---
**Author:** ![Kayeby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de0a6/32.png) [@Kayeby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kayeby)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-dislike-diamonds/483290/8 "2009-01-27T22:12:51Z")
I’m not a fan. I actually like my everyday jewellery to be very simple - my wedding ring for instance is a plain rose gold band. The gemstones I prefer are opals, pearls and labradorites. I guess I like iridescence more than sparkle. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-dislike-diamonds/483290/9 "2009-01-27T22:18:35Z")
I think they’re kind of boring, and more suitable as an accent stone, with a colored center stone. My engagement ring has a [Tsavorite garnet](http://www.gemstone.org/gem-by-gem/english/tsavorite.html) as its center stone and [moissanite](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moissanite) side stones, (because aside from thinking they’re a bit boring, I prefer not to get involved in the sale of diamonds) ---
**Author:** ![emmaliminal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@emmaliminal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emmaliminal)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-dislike-diamonds/483290/10 "2009-01-27T22:36:46Z")
I don’t like diamonds and prefer jewelry without them even as accents. I’ve always preferred things with iridescence, like opals and pearls, or multiple colors, like ametrine, or that are different colors in different lights, like alexandrite, or just rich deep colors. Or good art glass. I have recently become aware that I own enough shiny things already and don’t need any more, but my inner five-year-old still likes looking. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-dislike-diamonds/483290/11 "2009-01-27T22:49:29Z")
It’s my birthstone, and I don’t like them; they’re almost as boring as glass. I prefer opals, emeralds, rubies, and sapphires. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-dislike-diamonds/483290/12 "2009-01-27T23:08:24Z")
As I’ve mentioned before on the boards, I’m anti-diamond. Some of that is political, but some of it is just the way the stone has been commercialized and marketed. If someone looks at it and thinks of it as the most beautiful gemstone, then they should go for it. But there’s no reason it should hold a place of primacy among jewels. I have a lot of beautiful gemstones, some colored and some, like white topaz, that are clear, but I won’t buy anything with diamonds, even as secondary stones. Before the big DeBeer’s campaign, the most popular stone for engagement rings was a pearl. Even though I know it’s a softer stone, I’m still hoping to get a pearl engagement ring someday. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-dislike-diamonds/483290/13 "2009-01-27T23:17:13Z")
don’t like them, i find them boring. opal are tops, with anything blue or green following. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-dislike-diamonds/483290/14 "2009-01-27T23:38:28Z")
I don’t like them at all - particularly not the honkin’ ‘He Mortgaged the House to Pay’ engagement style stones. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-dislike-diamonds/483290/15 "2009-01-28T00:02:48Z")
I don’t like them because they’re trite. A rapacious company like DeBeers trying to get all sloppy sentimental in ads for diamonds is repugnant. I prefer almost anything else, particularly opals. ---
**Author:** ![Omegaman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e480ec/32.png) [@Omegaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omegaman)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-dislike-diamonds/483290/16 "2009-01-28T00:14:30Z")
My wife likes them just fine. I wouldn’t even wear gold before I met her. Too much death involved in all of it for my tastes. ---
**Author:** ![seodoa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@seodoa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seodoa)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-dislike-diamonds/483290/17 "2009-01-28T00:18:29Z")
As industrial tools, sure, they’re okay. As accessories they aren’t terribly impressive. A few people look good with diamond stud earrings but I don’t see how they are worth the price when cubic zirconia and moissanite give the same appearance for much, much less. For myself, I prefer colored stones. I’ll give another vote for opals, I’m also a big fan of jade. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-dislike-diamonds/483290/18 "2009-01-28T00:21:02Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > I don’t really think they are that pretty. I don’t hate them, but if money was no object and I was going to buy a ring, I’d rather get a ruby or emerald or sapphire, even if it were less expensive. > > I know some people don’t like them because of the politics behind them, but is there anyone else on here who doesn’t like diamonds for æsthetics reasons? If so what do you prefer in place? I feel the same way. What is so friggin special about something that looks like a piece of glass? A blue diamond maybe. And I especially don’t like a lot of little diamonds clustered together. To me, they remind me of those little glass figurines people collect. ---
**Author:** ![Kricket](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f14d63/32.png) [@Kricket](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kricket)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-dislike-diamonds/483290/19 "2009-01-28T00:25:34Z")
Not a big fan of them either. I told my sister once I didn’t like them because they are pretty plain and look like glass and she just couldn’t understand why I wouldn’t just love a diamond. And the commercials for some of those rings drive me insane! ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-dislike-diamonds/483290/20 "2009-01-28T00:26:36Z")
I don’t like them for political, commercial, and aesthetic reasons. I have declined diamond jewelry (politely, of course :)) before on these principles. My favorite stone is [iolite](http://www.jewelsforme.com/Iolite.asp?gemtype=GS) – I love that deep purplish-blue color. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-dislike-diamonds/483290.md?page=2)