I’m not crazy about diamonds. I prefer emeralds and garnets. Actually, I prefer wide bands with no stone at all. I am trying, to no avail as of yet, to convince my honey not to waste his money on a real diamond for me. I’d rather spend the money on decorating the house or books. Always remember: engagements can be broken, marriages end in divorce, but a good book is forever. 
And, I really like the Beatles
There’s no snooze alarm on a hungry cat. =^…^=
A reply to Timothy Campbell’s post here. “Getting” the Beatles is like “Getting” any music of complexity and emotion. I got to have the experience of a lifetime this week, because the poet/songwriter whose work I so respect wound up giving me tickets and backstage passes to his concert. He formed his group when I was all of… 7. I grew up listening,and loving the layered lyrics and astonishing musicianship.
“Getting” music is a relative thing. While I like the Beatles okay, listening to the music of “YES” for the last 25 years has soothed my soul and lifted my heart on hundreds of days and nights. Good music is where you find it, narrowing it to just ONE group, and just ONE Decade does a great disservice to the rest of the musical world. Mozart is spinning in the lime pits !!
Cartooniverse
" If you want to kiss the sky, you’d better learn how to kneel "
To answer Yarster, I’ll agree with Manda JO…
A friend of mine pawned some stuff, like TV and CDs. He got less than 10% of the value for them, even though they’re fairly easy items to resell. I can’t imagine how bad a deal he’d have gotten on jewellery, especially if they’d thought it was stolen and desperate. (More desperate than the average person who pawns stuff, I mean.)
Mangeorge:
About the only way for a layman to tell a CZ from a diamond is to pick the one that looks better (less flaws), that’ll be the CZ. They aren’t as durable as a diamond, but then, they’ll probably still outlast the setting.
WhiteNight, are you suggesting that it might be better to invest in Beatles collectibles, such as early original albums?
Quand les talons claquent, l’esprit se vide.
Maréchal Lyautey
Hey, Minx:
When my last wife and I got engaged, she chose a Saphire (my birthstone) with chip diamonds on the setting. A lot cheaper than a big diamond and the saphire seemed to mean a stronger bound to me. Didn’t work out quite that way, but the idea was good.
I don’t like DeBeers, but DeBeers like me…
“That’s entertainment!” —Vlad the Impaler
To Gilligan and Neuro-Trash Grrrl:
A back cover of Mad, circa 1960, spoofing a De Beers ad, carried the caption:
“Memories…painted for all De Beers he could drink by Frank Kelly Freas.” 
“If you drive an automobile, please drive carefully–because I walk in my sleep.”–Victor Borge