# I pit diamonds (mild) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 1, 2007, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-diamonds-mild/402249 "2007-05-01T02:24:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RedRosesForMe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/91b2a8/32.png) [@RedRosesForMe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedRosesForMe)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-diamonds-mild/402249/1 "2007-05-01T02:24:00Z")
In [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=418908), **gatorman** seeks advice on how much to spend on an engagement ring. Basically, his SO wants a Tiffany diamond, and he has a $30K bonus soon that he’s willing to spend on it. I’m not pitting **gatorman** or his SO, but seriously, WTF? **$30K is 20% of a house in some places**. I hate diamonds. I think they’re ugly, and can’t understand the reasoning behind buying one. Maybe a rare yellow diamond, at least it has some color. But just a regular diamond? They’re ridiculously overpriced and look like cut glass. OK, sure, I haven’t seen a $30K diamond, and maybe they are really pretty, but that’s just it. _They’re pretty, they serve no other purpose_. I’m not against jewelry, I have a few pretty rings I really like. But they all cost less than $50, and though I could see spending more on engagement or wedding rings, I couldn’t stomach spending more than a few hundred dollars. If a guy proposed with a $30K ring, I probably wouldn’t dump him, but I would at least smack him and make him take the ring back. I’d be flattered that a guy was willing to spend that much on me, but that could be money that _we_ spent on a house or car, things much more important to me than pretty jewelry. Shit, even if he wanted to spend it on something frivolous because he thinks it’s romantic or thinks I’m worth it, take me to fucking Paris for a month! I’d appreciate that a hell of a lot more than some [ugly ring](http://www.tiffany.com/expertise/engagement/engagement.aspx?style=legacy&ring=side_stones). I also hate that, because it’s the norm, someone who doesn’t spend 2 months’ income or some other ridiulous amount on an engagement ring is seen as cheap, or doesn’t love you as much as some other wahoo who might be willing to drop 5 figures on a fucking rock. I’ll be thrilled with an emerald or sapphire in a nice setting that still leaves enough money for a honeymoon. Or the wedding itself, for that matter. Even if a guy had more than enough to spend, and $30K was a drop in the bucket, I’d appreciate him, instead of"showing his love for me" with one stupid piece of jewelry, surprising me with a weekend in Rome or Athens or London 10 or 20 times. Or buying a summer house on the shore. Or by, I dunno, _actually enjoying my company and actively making time to spend with me_. Fuck consumer culture. Fuck conspicuous consumption. Fuck Tiffany’s. ---
**Author:** ![enigm4tic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@enigm4tic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enigm4tic)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-diamonds-mild/402249/2 "2007-05-01T02:29:18Z")
[http://www.aerotune.com/upload/diamond5.jpg](http://www.aerotune.com/upload/diamond5.jpg) [![](https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v671/enigma42/diamonds.jpg) ](https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v671/enigma42/diamonds.jpg) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-diamonds-mild/402249/3 "2007-05-01T02:35:32Z")
[QUOTE=RedRosesForMe] **$30K is 20% of a house in some places** [/QUOTE] $30K is 100% of a house here. Our house. A 1920s foursquare, three bedrooms, 1 bath, full basement, big back yard, 2-car garage. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-diamonds-mild/402249/4 "2007-05-01T02:43:34Z")
[QUOTE=Duck Duck Goose] $30K is 100% of a house here. Our house. A 1920s foursquare, three bedrooms, 1 bath, full basement, big back yard, 2-car garage. [/QUOTE] Side note…nothing personal…but as someone living in Southern California…FUCK YOU! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![RedRosesForMe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/91b2a8/32.png) [@RedRosesForMe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedRosesForMe)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-diamonds-mild/402249/5 "2007-05-01T02:44:30Z")
[QUOTE=Duck Duck Goose] $30K is 100% of a house here. Our house. A 1920s foursquare, three bedrooms, 1 bath, full basement, big back yard, 2-car garage. [/QUOTE] Wow. Around here, your house would run about $100-$150K. If not a helluva lot more, depending on location and how much it has been fixed up. ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-diamonds-mild/402249/6 "2007-05-01T02:47:07Z")
[QUOTE=RedRosesForMe] Wow. Around here, your house would run about $100-$150K. If not a helluva lot more, depending on location and how much it has been fixed up. [/QUOTE] Double wow. Around here, more like $400K. ---
**Author:** ![RedRosesForMe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/91b2a8/32.png) [@RedRosesForMe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedRosesForMe)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-diamonds-mild/402249/7 "2007-05-01T02:47:51Z")
[QUOTE=enigm4tic] [http://www.aerotune.com/upload/diamond5.jpg](http://www.aerotune.com/upload/diamond5.jpg) [![](https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v671/enigma42/diamonds.jpg) ](https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v671/enigma42/diamonds.jpg) 😃 [/QUOTE] Oh my. That’s hysterical! As for the first one, no diamonds necessary, you just have to ask real nice. 😉 :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-diamonds-mild/402249/8 "2007-05-01T02:56:28Z")
And use lots of lube. A much better investment in a relationship than diamonds. ---
**Author:** ![enigm4tic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@enigm4tic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enigm4tic)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-diamonds-mild/402249/9 "2007-05-01T03:05:12Z")
[QUOTE=RedRosesForMe] Oh my. That’s hysterical! As for the first one, no diamonds necessary, you just have to ask real nice. 😉 :eek: [/QUOTE] how YOU doin? 😉🆒 I’ll stick to the standard route though. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![T\_SQUARE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9de053/32.png) [@T\_SQUARE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/T_SQUARE)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-diamonds-mild/402249/10 "2007-05-01T03:05:50Z")
I don’t have anything against diamonds per se, but I don’t get the Tiffany thing. At least with other luxury goods, like purses, you could probably distinguish it from a cheap purse with some tests and examination. A diamond, on the other hand, is a commodity, unless you get into some really big rocks. A 2 carrot stone of a certain grade you get at Tiffany is going to be exactly the same as a stone you get in a back alley in Monrovia. I hope I find a woman that agrees someday, because I’ve always wanted to buy something in a Monrovian back alley. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-diamonds-mild/402249/11 "2007-05-01T03:09:55Z")
As far as I’m concerned, a diamond is only useful for playing baseball, playing records, or playing cards. I sure as hell won’t ever buy one, even if I become a millionaire. If I was going to propose to a woman, I’d rather give her something unique. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Tiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Mama\_Tiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Tiger)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-diamonds-mild/402249/12 "2007-05-01T03:13:11Z")
I’d suggest being very, very wary of a woman who wants a 30K engagement ring. What on earth is the _wedding_ going to cost? As an example of an overpriced wedding, when a friend’s daughter got married a few years ago, it was fortunate she and her groom were able to foot much of the bill themselves because although they only stuck my friend with the florist’s bill, that alone was nearly 20K! I insisted Papa Tiger not get me a diamond. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love nothing more than a huge rock on my finger, but if I want that? I’ll get a cubic zirconia or something; only an expert can tell the difference. He got me a simple ring with a flat-set emerald in it that probably cost him 10% of one month’s salary, at most. And I get compliments on it constantly; it’s truly beautiful. The only reason diamonds are so overpriced is the power of monopoly. Apparently someone in Russia has invented manmade diamonds; I’d love to see the market flooded and the price down to what would make them reasonable for people like me who love the glitter but not the accompanying price. ---
**Author:** ![RedRosesForMe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/91b2a8/32.png) [@RedRosesForMe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedRosesForMe)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-diamonds-mild/402249/13 "2007-05-01T03:30:50Z")
I just saw a thread that reminded me of what would truly show a man loved me and knew me well, and be just as frivolous as an expensive diamond. A Kitchenaid mixer in every color, so it would always match even if I redecorated the kitchen. I want a Kitchenaid mixer soooo bad. That’s how a guy should propose to me. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-diamonds-mild/402249/14 "2007-05-01T03:30:51Z")
I’m another woman who’s not all that fond of diamonds. Nor am I a fan of a dozen roses. I like field flowers best. Daisies and pansies are my favorites. My favorite gifts from men are ones that show he was listening to who I am and bought accordingly because he really knows and just “gets” me. Count me in as thinking that kind of money for a shiny rock is really dumb. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-diamonds-mild/402249/15 "2007-05-01T03:30:57Z")
> [@Mama Tiger](#): > > As an example of an overpriced wedding, when a friend’s daughter got married a few years ago, it was fortunate she and her groom were able to foot much of the bill themselves because although they only stuck my friend with the florist’s bill, that alone was nearly 20K! :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: Please tell me that figure was actually in lire or rupees or something. You can’t possibly mean $20K in _ **US dollars** _?!!?! For the **flowers alone**? Where’s the swoon smiley when you need it? > [@Mama Tiger](#): > > Apparently someone in Russia has invented manmade diamonds; I’d love to see the market flooded and the price down to what would make them reasonable for people like me who love the glitter but not the accompanying price. I think what you’re hoping for is [already here](http://ezinearticles.com/?Man-Made-Diamonds;-A-Buyers-Guide&id=82480). (The article even quotes Cecil! :)) > [@](#): > > Diamond Nexus gemstones are excellent diamond simulants and come very close to matching the properties of mined diamonds at many different comparison points. They cut glass, being virtually identical to diamond on the Mohs (hardness) scale. They refract perfect “hearts and arrows” and have radiance and brilliance readings extremely close to flawless diamond. > > Best of all, they are currently introductory priced for the U.S. market, and are a steal at $79 per caret. Diamond Nexus gemstones are only available in precious metal, solid-gold settings. At $79 per caret, you could get quite a rock for a few hundred bucks. $30K would get you a Diamond Nexus about 3.5 times the current size of the Kohinoor. ---
**Author:** ![RedRosesForMe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/91b2a8/32.png) [@RedRosesForMe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedRosesForMe)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-diamonds-mild/402249/16 "2007-05-01T03:32:25Z")
[QUOTE=CanvasShoes] I’m another woman who’s not all that fond of diamonds. Nor am I a fan of a dozen roses. I like field flowers best. Daisies and pansies are my favorites. My favorite gifts from men are ones that show he was listening to who I am and bought accordingly because he really knows and just “gets” me. Count me in as thinking that kind of money for a shiny rock is really dumb. [/QUOTE] I’m with ya there. Part of the humor of my name (for me) is that I actually don’t like roses- it’s just the name of my favorite album. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-diamonds-mild/402249/17 "2007-05-01T03:39:36Z")
[QUOTE=RedRosesForMe] Fuck consumer culture. Fuck conspicuous consumption. Fuck Tiffany’s. [/QUOTE] Don’t hold back. Tell us what you _really_ think. I agree. 30k for a chunk of carbon? Buy some CD’s. They’ll be worth more in the long run. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-diamonds-mild/402249/18 "2007-05-01T03:42:32Z")
[QUOTE=Projammer] Don’t hold back. Tell us what you _really_ think. I agree. 30k for a chunk of carbon? Buy some CD’s. They’ll be worth more in the long run. [/QUOTE] No, they won’t because CDs are flimsy and weak. Buy some cassettes!! ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-diamonds-mild/402249/19 "2007-05-01T03:50:44Z")
Metal oxide film degrades faster. Now lean in closer so I can smack you smart ass. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-diamonds-mild/402249/20 "2007-05-01T03:52:25Z")
My husband wants to replace my wedding set with a big fat rock when he graduates from law school. I already gave it the veto. Pretty stuff holds no purpose for me. Unless they accumulate a lot of wealth. Like I could totally go for a few gold ingots. I’m with ya on the KitchenAid stand mixer though, **RedRosesForMe**. And a set of German-made Henckels. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-diamonds-mild/402249.md?page=2)