Poll: Diamonds! Are Worthless Little Chunks Of Worthless Rock...

[DanDeFool]

I voted no, but only because I intend to buy a synthetic diamond rather than a natural diamond. So, basically DeBeers wants me to pay an artificially inflated price for an inferior mineral specimen that was probably scratched out of the ground by some sunburned African miner who is barely paid enough to keep himself alive. Yeah, that's exactly what I have in mind for my ultimate expression of love and commitment.

Assholes...

 

[Rodrigo Girao]

in the early 20th century it wasn't unusual for women to have sex with their finances before marriage.

Fucking money. Literally.

 

[xDarc]

Let's say a woman could be replaced by a completely synthetic robot that you couldn't tell the difference from the real thing, except that it has no real material needs of it's own.

Now then, who buys boats, sports cars, luxury items, kitchen appliances, etc. Who has children? Who cares? The whole entire economy collapses without men trying to get stuff to get women. Marriage has historically been a business deal for people who had anything to begin with. Regardless of the times we live in and current attitudes about sexism, there are only a few basic things that motivate people to do anything. As long as we are human, that will never change.

Hence, items that don't do much except be rare and pretty, have value.

 

[Goldeneye1989]

My father taught me something when I was very young. "A thing is worth what someone else will pay for it." Ergo, as diamonds do sell for hundreds to thousands of dollars, they are certainly not worthless.

Do I expect one? No. I'm far more partial to personalised touches. If my girlfriend were to get me a silver and amethyst ring, that would be far more worthwhile to me than a diamond or gold. I just don't care for gold much.

You daddy is a very wise man, from that quote...

OT: It's the same reason people would by a Rolls Royce ect. People will pay for something that seems like other people will be impressed with, and thats fine.

 

[BiscuitTrouser]

So basically your argument is "If you ignore aesthetic and rarity (real or otherwise) a diamond is worthless". Well fucking... yeah of course it is. Much like i can say "If you ignore aesthetic and rarity the original mona lisa is worthless". You just singled out the two reasons why its important and said "Without those its unimportant!" which is a pretty useless observation. My girlfriend likes diamonds because they look pretty to her. Its aesthetic value only. Coupled with the fact that in society diamond ownership is rare and highly valued. If i make her part of this select group it makes her feel special, like i care about her enough to want her to be happy no matter the monetary cost. It isnt about impressing random people. Its about symbolising how i feel about her.

Honestly you sound like i did when i hit 14 and realized money is an "IOU" from the state, it even says so on the notes. Society values some things and things with aesthetic have value even though said aesthetic is logically hard to define. Thousands of years ago people paid thousands of lives to have a dick waving pyramid built to impress everyone with their death. Still a pretty pyramid isnt it? Rather than complain about the way society values random things why not just try and appreciate them for what they are and see the nicer side. Being cynical isnt cool kids.

Also if i DID get my girlfriend a ring it would be meteorite with emerald. Just sayin.

 

[BiscuitTrouser]

Let's say a woman could be replaced by a completely synthetic robot that you couldn't tell the difference from the real thing, except that it has no real material needs of it's own.

Now then, who buys boats, sports cars, luxury items, kitchen appliances

If you think my love of the ocean and fast cars stems from women youre sorely mistaken friend. I imagine MANY others feel the same. Id get a boat if the world was only populated by men! Also people need to eat... food yes? Like devour it? Even men sometimes? So why wouldnt we get kitchen appliances... i love cooking... are you implying only women cook because they value the materials?... i dont imagine the economy would change much at all. Luxury items are meant to be enjoyed by the person buying them. Just because the motivation changes from "For us" to "For me" Doesnt mean a speed boat isnt fun as fuck.

 

[Agente L]

Well, if I manage to have enough money to buy one without shooting myself in the foot (aka, if I'm rich or something near that) and if I REALLY like the girl, I think I could risk buying a diamond.

Their worth may be merely simbolism, but I think it would make a nice ring.

 

[2HF]

-snip-

This argument also seems rational and again I am willing to swallow this pill. A bit outdated, but rational.

As for the rest of you, I do admit to a degree of disconnect with the world as it is today. I find almost all you, by you I mean general society, alien. I don't understand this society. What you watch on TV, what you listen to, what you read, basically all of the things that you appreciate baffle me. As a collective I mean. I know that each of you is an individual but honestly you're not unique little snowflakes. I don't understand you.

 

[chuckdm]

Diamonds when used for industrial purposes are pretty valuable iirc.

A diamond sitting in a ring (read: anywhere other than industrial purposes) is absolutely worthless. No?

Let's start with the diamond ring. We're going to assume a loving relationship that lasts until death. Whoever is wearing the diamond ring is walking around with anywhere from hundreds (poor folk) to hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars (rich folk) on their finger for absolutely no fucking reason!

*SNIP*

Diamonds are compressed coal. Coal is fossilized biomass. Considering as how there's a never-ending stream of dying people, animals, and plants on Earth, the number of diamonds in the world will only increase over time, and considering their hardness, they are very slow to decrease in number. Thus, by supply and demand, Diamonds should be worth less and less as time goes by.

This stands in stark contrast to Gold. All the gold on the face of the planet that has ever been found, and all that will ever be found, was deposited here by meteorites over 4 billion years ago when the earth was first hardening. There is no such thing as newly created gold. Newly mined, yes. Newly created, no. Big difference. Thus, as time goes on and we eventually deplete all the gold from every mining site around the entire world, gold will eventually hit a fixed supply that can never again increase, which due to use as gold dust in certain industries will then slowly decrease. This means that gold will continue to decrease in supply forever. Assuming it only increases in demand, Gold will be worth more and more over time.

So if you really want to take a scientific or economic approach to this, the truth is, Diamonds are indeed worthless, but that gold band you probably set the diamond in? Now that sucker is priceless!

 

[Chaos-Spider]

Diamonds when used for industrial purposes are pretty valuable iirc.

They are also quite valuable for medical or research laboratory purposes making microtome blades for cutting histiological tissue samples for examination under an electron microscope, so it's not only for industrial purposes.

 

[stutheninja]

Well then we should all just walk around naked, because the only reason we wear clothing (apart from keeping warm) is to impress people. should we stop driving cars and just walk everywhere like we used to?

 

[concrete89]

Where I live wedding and engagement rings are plain more often than not, so it isn't really an issue unless we do not get more Americanized by the time I get around to it.
That said, doamonds are only rare becaus the people selling them wants them to be, only valuable because shitheads pay through the nose for them, and if I want to show my commitment with a blood sacrfice, I would rather go out and stab something, then bring her a pint or two of its blood.
Not that anyone I have ever been with have shown any interest for pints of blood.

 

[Ryotknife]

jewelry/gems is one of the things that make me rage. Utterly pointless and expensive to boot, yet I will be required to dunk a significant portion of my money to buy it for my significant other in all likelyhood.

cars, even the expensive kind, serve a purpose. Hell, even expensive handbags serve a more practical purpose than jewelry, even though those same handbags can be replaced with a plastic bag.

rather get her a fancy gauntlet. Fashionable, powerful, classy, and if anyone gets in your way a single uppercut will knock their heads off.

 

[ohnoitsabear]

As long as there is a demand for hard shiny rocks, and they remain difficult to acquire being buried under tons of rock, they are valuable. WHY there is a demand for it is beyond me though.

It's sort of like this "Squishy Baff" stuff that my work sells, it's this powder that you put in the bath tub to turn it into jello, and it sells for $10 a box, which is only good for two uses! there is absolutely no rational reason to buy the stuff, it would be worth nothing if not for the fact there is FUCKING DEMAND FOR IT! we sell out of this stuff all the fucking time! People fucking love squishy baff!

Consumer demand just doesn't always make sense, but as long as it exists, worthless junk like diamonds and 'Squishy Baff' are going to be expensive, and they're going to sell.

I really have nothing to contribute to the discussion about diamonds. I just want to say that, until reading this post, I had no idea that "Squishy Baff" existed, and yet now I desperately need it. You need to tell me where to get some of this stuff. I don't think I'll be able to live without it.