Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend

The next mindblow up to bat: people who "hate" diamonds.  I use quotations because I'm pretty sure that most people who say they hate diamonds don't actually hate them, they hate what they cost and doing what's expected.  Also, they probably hate that they don't have them.  So they pretend that these hates are actually directed toward the stone itself, and that the reason they don't have one is because they didn't want it.  They champion the cause of wearing alternate gemstones, they trumpet the benefits of moissanite and white sapphire, and won't ever admit that most of them only chose those stones because they look exactly like the diamonds they couldn't or wouldn't pay for.  Not buying a diamond is apparently the best form of antiestablishmentarianism, and we all know that your wedding has to be unique, or it doesn't count.  And what's more unique than NOT wearing a diamond engagement ring?

If you actually hate diamonds, good for you.  That's thousands of dollars you'll never have to spend.  If you don't give a rat's ass about diamonds either way, you just hate spending money, also good for you.  If you chose an alternate stone because you wanted to or liked the look better, awesome.  Blue sapphire and birthstones are perfectly acceptable, beautiful choices.  Wear them proudly.  Let people think your white topaz is a diamond if you want to, it's nobody's business anyway.  This post is not for you.  This post is for all those girls out there shouting about how much better those other stones are even though deep down they don't mean it - because when you say something loudly, it's more true.  Seriously.  Try it out.  Think of something completely ridiculous, and then say it REALLY LOUDLY.  Almost convinced yourself, didn't you? 

My last post was about other brides.  One of my biggest pet other-bride peeves is the diamond debate.  You would be shocked to know how many girls out there are marching into online forums and telling other girls that their diamonds are worthless.  Well of course diamonds are worthless.  So is everything.  Nothing anywhere has any intrinsic value.  Even your effing toaster is worthless until you want toast.  Things become valuable because people will pay for them, and that value goes up the more people want something that only a few people can have.  Your house is worthless, but you can put a price on it because someone out there is willing to pay you $350,000 so that they can have three comfortable bedrooms and an ensuite master bath in that area.  If everyone thought your house was ugly, or didn't want to live next to your 400-pound thong-wearing, suntanning neighbour, your house wouldn't be worth shit.  That's reality.  "Worth" is based on other people, and other people want diamonds.

Then, naturally, these freedom-fighters point out the fact that the reason those other people want those diamonds is based on the genius marketing and reputation of diamonds - but isn't that kind of my point?  Diamond brokers want money.  The way to get money is to make something desirable.  You desire a diamond, they get money.  Life is simpler than you think.  Many people may not realize this, and think that diamonds have some inherent worth, and I guess that's fine.  Lots of people don't know how cars work either, but that doesn't stop them from driving (unfortunately).  Others, like myself, are completely aware of the diamond "scam" and just plain don't give a shit.

It's just so frustrating. Wedding planning, the money, the time, the commitment, the stress. And people are going "Omg why don't you have a ring?!" or "zomg spring colours at your fall wedding?!" or "*gasp* why is your ring so small/big/boring/flashy/made of wood?!" and other people who should know how that feels are going to come online and tell me that my fiancé and I wasted our money getting a diamond just because it's not technically "worth" anything?  Jealous, jaded little girls shouldn't be stomping around with their noses in the air pretending that they aren't upset that I got diamonds and they got CZ. As though brides need anything else to stress about? I just cannot abide the absolute NERVE of some chick telling brides that they're wrong again about one more irrelevant detail that has nothing to do with them in the first place. Don't like diamonds? Take it up with DeBeers, don't dump your agenda on my effing lawn. You're not enlightened or a genius, you're a shit-disturber.

Heads high, brides! Diamond rings are pretty, and that's why I have one. Not because I NEEDED one, not as a resale investment (apparently people do this, wtf?!), and certainly not because I mistakenly believed that diamonds had some intrinsic worth that wasn't based on a marketing, supply/demand valuation system. We wanted one, we had the money, we bought one. My ring is pretty, and is a special gift from my future husband to me. I'm not sorry, and shame on anyone for trying to make me be.