You know what’s insane? De Beers’ stranglehold on the diamond industry and their deliberate pricing strategies.
What’s the rule for an engagement ring? That it should cost about two months’ salary? I see peers in Sillicon Valley spending more like three to six months’ salary sometimes. Insane!
So it fills me with joy when I hear that manufactured diamonds are becoming as good as mined diamonds. The benefits are endless:
…environmentally friendly (no open-pit mines), sociopolitically neutral (no blood diamonds), and monopoly-free (not controlled by De Beers).
Not to mention, hopefully, much more affordable too. Unfortunately, due to technical constraints, they haven’t been able to manufacture clear diamonds yet – only yellow diamonds (which happen to be very rare in the wild).
But before you run out and buy one, you’ve got to ask yourself: “Will your sweetie mind a manufactured diamond?” Has De Beers’ apparent monopoly also brainwashed her into believing that only mined diamonds = true love? (And if so, do you really want to go through with this? Just sayin’.)
P.S. Here’s a handy guide of manufactured diamond producers.
