Diamonds are a sham? Tell that to Sir Lawrence Olivier... <iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/lC-DSaxzDzs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Nike - sweatshops in the Philippines and China, possible underage labor but still giving much needed work to the poor, cover ups with celebrity endorsements and PR campaigns using high end factories. $15 cost of product, sold upwards of $100. Soft Drinks - Terrible for your health. No way around it. celebrity endorsements and incessant product placement to make it feel familiar and safe. LV / luxury handbags - Modern day status must haves based on trends dictated by the elite. Often use skin of endangered animals or fabrications made in poor working conditions. Look, there are Michelin restaurants that used the most inhumane production methods of foie grad and people kept coming. The majority of people aren't being duped by the price of these products because of some marketing conspiracy - they're willingly paying a premium for a variety of reasons. Luxury markets with any product work in a similar manner, exploiting extremely cheap/unfair labor practices and inflating the market with branding strategies to convince people they need something they don't. Some claim to be rare, others claim to make you feel like a million bucks. All of them have their niche. For you the issue might be convincing your fiancee that she doesn't need a $30,000 ring, for a hippie it's that a grocery bag holds as many items as a coach purse, someone else it's that fox keeps you just as warm as mink or Russian sable. Relatively, though, there's not a huge difference between the industries - which is why I stated your issue was with how money works and not diamonds persee.
No, my problem is diamonds. As far as I known Nike, luxury bags and soft drinks are not and have not been used to fund conflicts, a documented fact of diamonds. The companies that produce these products have not joined a conglomerate to help drive up prices. So on and so on.
The price of diamonds is bull***. Like about 90% of all the luxury items we covet. Why is a $300 pair of sunglasses better than a $30 pair, $200 jeans better than a $20 pair of Austin's at Academy, $200 wine when a $15 dollar bottle tastes about the same and gets you just as buzzed? There are some things that are worth paying for for the experience, but stuff that just fuels your ego is a waste. Buy cheaper and give more to charity if you want to feel good about yourself. The reason I quoted FB is that after my wife's very expensive wedding ring got stolen in a home invasion we decided it was kinda dumb to walk around with a couple of thousand dollars on your finger. Even if it's insured it's an open invitation for a dangerous confrontation with someone desperate for cash. We replaced her ring a moissanite ring. It still looks too inviting for me but at least there would be no hesitation in handing it over and the laugh we'd get knowing someone is getting gypped when they try to hock it. And it looks great, no different than a diamond at 1/3 the cost. Be smart, make good value choices about utility, don't get sucked in by advertising. Everyone out there wants to take your money and as much of it as they can talk you in to.
I was referring to the article da1 posted that mentions diamonds are "masquerading as an investment". And, your last sentence expands on what I was trying to say about knowing women. You buy an engagement ring because women like it. My fiance fully understands the BS behind diamonds, she still likes them. I suspect there are many women like her. I'm smart enough to know there is no logic and to just get her what she likes. lol good catch. Obviously, I meant blood diamond.
It has zero to do with feeling good about yourself. Sometimes you pay for what you get in as far as utilizing what you have paid for. Nikes last longer than Spaldings, luxury bags tend to use better materials in their products (leather trumps vinyl and most other synthetics), Pittsburgh tools break and/or rust quicker than Craftsman tools, so on and so forth. Basically anything I spent more money on when there were less expensive options I can justify. Diamonds on the other hand I just don't get and I'm sorry that "she's worth it" or "the experience" or "it makes her happy" sounds rather shallow to me. I have a problem with how they are obtained sure but my bigger issue is the stigma around them and their highly overinflated value, as I stated in my original post. In the end I guess it really doesn't matter because we're all going to spend money on items we want regardless what others think.
You being a self-actualized superior being maybe. But the entire commercial/industrial complex of the US and western countries is founded on up-selling you image. I'm not against it, I'm not a monk myself. I just want my young friends on Clutchfans to give a little thought to what they are buying and why so they make good choices, i.e. buying a moissanite stone has every effect of buying a diamond other than the perception that one is valuable and one is not. It works well as a pretty ornament but not so well if it doesn't get you laid.
Can I get it in sword form? My wife wants to take family members ashes and make diamonds out of them. How cool is that? Not cool at all.
consumers are dumb, it's not the diamond companys fault for exploiting the excessive superficiality of men
people like me? what does that even mean? you mean people that keep it real? or was it something to do with your not-so-clever ad hominem attack at the end "dreads and hairy pits" hahaha just face it man you married into a superficial life
Quite simply expensive perfumes, handbags, clothing, jewelry, etc. are bought by men to ornament women so women can mitigate their innate insecurity by showing it off to other women typically friends and family. Men are made to fee successful if they can afford it and women are successful if they can attract a man who can shower them with it. Men trade money for pu$$y women trade pu$$y for money. We like to act like this this materialistic behavior is anything other than legalized prostitution. Guys you want to ensure you're not marrying a prostitute? When you propose tell her that she can choose to get just a band and you'll either put $20k down on a house or in an investment or she can have a $20k rock. If she chooses the latter dump the hoe.
