Millennial Trend: Diamond Engagement Rings Are No Longer Forever

[Deleted]

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entr...b0be71dcf38aab



Great to see. Time to move away from spending so much on jewellery.

Agree - if we haven't managed to do anything useful with these stones up till now they are just garbage. We have many worthy resources to care and distribute.

[Kathandira]

Do you actually have anything to add besides stupidity?

Now there we go. That actually sounds nice.
To me it's never about the money but more about the romance and the memories/sentiment inspired.

Thanks. It also helps that my GF isn't really into extravagant jewelry.

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Do you actually have anything to add besides stupidity?

Now there we go. That actually sounds nice.
To me it's never about the money but more about the romance and the memories/sentiment inspired.

Thanks. It also helps that my GF isn't really into extravagant jewelry.

[Lady Dragonheart]

I think it's also down to sentimentally too. Weighing things in life as well because as society has changed so has luxuries too.

Yes, because education fees put people in thousands of debt before they even see a decent job, housing market is so fucked that getting onto the property ladder before your 30 is a dream, starting salaries even with or without qualifications are similar to that from 1999, living costs are rising all the time... But yeah totally down to laziness.

These reasons, and significantly more, make me glad that I am older and lived in an age where many current day issues weren't really issues, at least for me. It's one of the reasons why I more pity the younger generation than anything else... most of them have no idea how nice things where when I was their age in my era. :|

[Deleted]

Why the fuck is anyone wasting their time studying how much we as a generation are spending on rings?
Out of all the things you could be doing in the world, bad or good, who thought "Wow this is super important let's put resources into it!"

My thoughts on it however... I spent 1.5k on hers and £65 on mine, reasons being? We liked them. None of this millenials trying to rebel against the system bullshit, we liked the rings so we bought them.

[Lady Dragonheart]

I left out fake diamonds for a reason, because if fake diamonds are good enough, then why does it need to be a diamond at all. Why not some other stone that isn't fake, but genuine?

Lab grown gems are still the same gems. Fake would mean that they are impostors, which they aren't. They are still diamonds, they just weren't found in the ground. That's like saying mustard isn't mustard unless you find it in the wild instead of a farm designed with the specific intention to grow it.

[Deathquoi]

You know you can live with someone and have kids without being married, right?

Did you also know you can exist in an unmarried state without expressing fake shock that people choose to get married?

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The broke part is pretty true. More difficult job market and increases in cost of living without a real increase in general pay to offset it. And, while true, our generation is richer than 99% of the planet in that we can afford a computer and internet access [which for some people, including myself, are necessities], it doesn't really help any of the other problems. So...yeah, We're poor, and spending thousands on a symbol, when that money could be spent on proper housing or preparing for starting a family makes a lot of sense.

Plus I'm a sucker for the simple gold band.

Broke, yes. Lazy is the part I took issue with.

[falagar112]

That, again, is if you care about conspiracies to begin with. I'm a traditional older woman (somewhat, I bought most of my own jewelry instead of being given it). There are people and clients that I (now used) to encounter that could tell my prosperity though appraising my jewelry on sight, giving me a considerable edge in such a social environment.

To me, they were pretty, useful, cultural (technically by both my age, race, and family heritage), and I didn't mind knowing that they are, in fact, part of conspiracy. I can afford them, myself, and I enjoy them. So, I wear and collect them.

Ah I don't think it has much to do with caring about conspiracies - it's just that a lot of people out there genuinely believe that diamonds are the "rarest" and because of that the most expensive (and even worse, because of that, the best token of appreciation!) - when that is not exactly the case. If you'd go by rarest you'd wear a lot of things that are not diamonds.

And even if you are in the jewelry world and able to get uncut gems at cost- you still pay this premium on diamonds. So to make money on them you have to resell at a premium as well.

I have a few people in my social circle that are making their own jewelry, and almost all of them avoid diamonds. Not because it's an ugly stone - but because they say "who would buy it at the price i have to ask to make a profit".

So it still comes down to taste. If you enjoy the stones you have - regardless of what stones they are, then you did alright!

As for social status - it's a sad world that these things matter when they shouldn't is all I can say. And I shouldn't say this but I'm going to do it anyways. I would argue that most people in those circles couldn't tell you the difference between a white sapphire and a diamond, let alone a good fake diamond.

Fakes are pretty good nowadays. You'd need a very very close look to even spot the differences - a much closer look as you will get at any social gathering

[Azadina]

Lab grown gems are still the same gems. Fake would mean that they are impostors, which they aren't. They are still diamonds, they just weren't found in the ground. That's like saying mustard isn't mustard unless you find it in the wild instead of a farm designed with the specific intention to grow it.

I didn't say it wasn't a diamond, I just believe it defeats the whole point of having one, if it's not even natural and rare one, outside of artificially limiting the production.

[falagar112]

I didn't say it wasn't a diamond, I just believe it defeats the whole point of having one, if it's not even natural and rare one, outside of artificially limiting the production.

But going by that logic, you'd either get musgravite, or painite, jadeite, tanzanite, black opals... I can go on?
I mean they are actually rare

[breadisfunny]

I think it's also down to sentimentally too. Weighing things in life as well because as society has changed so has luxuries too.

Yes, because education fees put people in thousands of debt before they even see a decent job, housing market is so fucked that getting onto the property ladder before you're 30 is a dream, starting salaries even with or without qualifications are similar to that from 1999, living costs are rising all the time... But yeah totally down to laziness.

actually 1999 was better because gas prices weren't nearly as high as well as prices for other items relative to minimum wage.

[Lady Dragonheart]

Ah I don't think it has much to do with caring about conspiracies - it's just that a lot of people out there genuinely believe that diamonds are the "rarest" and because of that the most expensive (and even worse, because of that, the best token of appreciation!) - when that is not exactly the case. If you'd go by rarest you'd wear a lot of things that are not diamonds.

And even if you are in the jewelry world and able to get uncut gems at cost- you still pay this premium on diamonds. So to make money on them you have to resell at a premium as well.

I have a few people in my social circle that are making their own jewelry, and almost all of them avoid diamonds. Not because it's an ugly stone - but because they say "who would buy it at the price i have to ask to make a profit".

So it still comes down to taste. If you enjoy the stones you have - regardless of what stones they are, then you did alright!

As for social status - it's a sad world that these things matter when they shouldn't is all I can say. And I shouldn't say this but I'm going to do it anyways. I would argue that most people in those circles couldn't tell you the difference between a white sapphire and a diamond, let alone a good fake diamond.

Fakes are pretty good nowadays. You'd need a very very close look to even spot the differences - a much closer look as you will get at any social gathering

I used to be able to easily tell a synthetic. These days, I can rarely tell unless I can closely appraise it, personally. Something that I actually prefer, despite how some (even more) traditionalists harp against lab grown gemstones.

As for social circles, I don't recall any that I know that are like they were in the 70s/80s, like I was involved in. Younger people care a lot more about tech than wealth when it comes to social status among peers, or so I've seen. Something that I've been adapting to, at least a bit.

All of that said, I don't "only" have expensive vintage jewelry. I have, and wear, cheap but still really artsy and pretty jewelry as well. As I said before, I aim for a style, sometimes a posh style is benefited by wearing posh jewelry.

[breadisfunny]

That, again, is if you care about conspiracies to begin with. I'm a traditional older woman (somewhat, I bought most of my own jewelry instead of being given it). There are people and clients that I (now used) to encounter that could tell my prosperity though appraising my jewelry on sight, giving me a considerable edge in such a social environment.

To me, they were pretty, useful, cultural (technically by both my age, race, and family heritage), and I didn't mind knowing that they are, in fact, part of conspiracy. I can afford them, myself, and I enjoy them. So, I wear and collect them.

that's not a conspiracy that's pseudoscience.
as for me i'm not financially able to spend a great deal on a ring so i hope my significant other(when i meet them) doesn't feel overly attached to material objects as status symbols. then again that's the type of person i dislike immensely as they tend to have shallow personalities and be very vain and cold which irritates me.

[Azadina]

But going by that logic, you'd either get musgravite, or painite, jadeite, tanzanite, black opals... I can go on?
I mean they are actually rare

It is so rare that in 2005, there were only eight gem quality Musgravites in the world. Price per carat is around $35000

No to that one, altho the look is pretty.

Tanzanite color is less saturated in smaller sizes. Gems must be above five carats in size to have fine color.

That means can't have one without it being enormous.

The rest I'd like as gem collection, not in a ring. So I guess that leaves no to all

[Lady Dragonheart]

I didn't say it wasn't a diamond, I just believe it defeats the whole point of having one, if it's not even natural and rare one, outside of artificially limiting the production.

That's an opinion, then, not a fact. Calling something "fake" when it isn't actually an impostor. I do understand that some people like to call synthetic lab grown gemstones "fake" but that is usually due to the reason that very dated, when you could spot a synthetic gemstone across a table or in a crowd, when it didn't look like the gemstone that it was designed to look like, earning the term "fake" looking.

These days, that is not the case at all. Technology has come an extremely long way in this regard, where the structure of a gemstone made in a lab is now higher quality (in design and growth) than a mined gemstone.

You were basing a natural gemstone from the 80s against today's modern gemstone market. They are completely different eras of jewels that cannot be compared in that manner without massive bias.

[Tack980]

Prefer Gold/silver only rings over stones, looks better, more creative designs ( in my mind), and silver/gold hold their value way better than stone centered rings.

[falagar112]

No to that one, altho the look is pretty.



That means can't have one without it being enormous.

The rest I'd like as gem collection, not in a ring. So I guess that leaves no to all

You are responding with your personal taste - I think you see where I'm going

People should always follow their taste when it comes to any jewelry - and in that, diamonds have no more value then any other stone.

Tanzanite is absolutely amazing, and is as far as I am aware only found in one place in the world. We will run out of Tanzanite way before we will run out of diamonds. Especially taking the carat needed to get a nice gem in consideration. Yet the prices are nowhere near. You can get that huge stone still at a fraction of what a smaller diamond would cost you.

Tanzanite is a good investment I think

[ComputerNerd]

This is because millennials are broke.They're lazy and don't contribute anything but outrage to society.

Or the ones who raised the millennials, and are ultimately responsible for their attitudes and trying to blame anyone but themselves.
By generalising people in such a way it is just about trying to prove your own superiority through some artificial measure.
Respect is earned, not demanded.
If earlier generations want recognition, do something worthy of it.
Don't simply tell us that you should be.

[Varaben]

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entr...b0be71dcf38aab



Great to see. Time to move away from spending so much on jewellery.

Sounds more like it's being done out of necessity. I think the younger generations are probably spending all their money on student loans rather than weddings or rings or whatever. I couldn't have bought an expensive ring for my wife even if I had wanted to. She had her own ring that she was saving and we used that; done deal.

[falagar112]

I used to be able to easily tell a synthetic. These days, I can rarely tell unless I can closely appraise it, personally. Something that I actually prefer, despite how some (even more) traditionalists harp against lab grown gemstones.

As for social circles, I don't recall any that I know that are like they were in the 70s/80s, like I was involved in. Younger people care a lot more about tech than wealth when it comes to social status among peers, or so I've seen. Something that I've been adapting to, at least a bit.

All of that said, I don't "only" have expensive vintage jewelry. I have, and wear, cheap but still really artsy and pretty jewelry as well. As I said before, I aim for a style, sometimes a posh style is benefited by wearing posh jewelry.

A little before my time, being from 1985 and all - and you're absolutely correct. Not that nobody cares, but most I consider friends don't care about wealth beyond the point of being able to live somewhat stress free. But that maybe is biased, my friends circle consists mainly of music producers and ICT/game design so they obviously care more about tech than wealth

[Azadina]

That's an opinion, then, not a fact. Calling something "fake" when it isn't actually an impostor. I do understand that some people like to call synthetic lab grown gemstones "fake" but that is usually due to the reason that very dated, when you could spot a synthetic gemstone across a table or in a crowd, when it didn't look like the gemstone that it was designed to look like, earning the term "fake" looking.

These days, that is not the case at all. Technology has come an extremely long way in this regard, where the structure of a gemstone made in a lab is now higher quality (in design and growth) than a mined gemstone.

You were basing a natural gemstone from the 80s against today's modern gemstone market. They are completely different eras of jewels that cannot be compared in that manner without massive bias.

Fake is shorter word than synthetic The point is the same, it's not refuting it's not a diamond, but that it's not the genuine sort out of ground. It's artificial.

Also, it was the first I found on google. I gave another link to gemstones, with I assume current price of 600k on one diamond, which is smaller than the one from 80's. Seems to me the prices are abysmally high on those ones, and I maintain that no average people were buying such in last generation either. Nor are they now. Also, there's a reason why I ruled out celebrities and collectors (which you have since said you collect), is because they do not represent the average norm in any generation.

You are responding with your personal taste - I think you see where I'm going

People should always follow their taste when it comes to any jewelry - and in that, diamonds have no more value then any other stone.

Tanzanite is absolutely amazing, and is as far as I am aware only found in one place in the world. We will run out of Tanzanite way before we will run out of diamonds. Especially taking the carat needed to get a nice gem in consideration. Yet the prices are nowhere near. You can get that huge stone still at a fraction of what a smaller diamond would cost you.

Tanzanite is a good investment I think

But that's what I've done from the very first post I made in the thread! I've never argued against someone elses taste being wrong, or inferior, even tho I had such arguments towards me earlier.