One of my coworkers has possession of nearly $14,000 worth of diamonds this weekend. She's been carrying them in her coat pocket all day today.
Backstory? Her son is planning a Christmas surprise proposal to his girlfriend. Their family is friends with a diamond wholesaler out of state, who mailed 3 diamonds to my coworker's house. Coworker's son came by the office to pick the one of the 3 he wants to buy and have set into a presentation setting for his surprise proposal. Coworker had planned to FedEx the other two back to the wholesaler today but was told to wait until Monday.
Coworker's son left, and I got to take a peek at 3 princess-cut diamonds all worth around $4500. Sparkly! Shiny! Square! And also, rocks.
Man, I don't know if I can think of anything that makes me more nervous than carrying around something really valuable. I don't think I've ever carted around anything worth more than a few hundred dollars at any given time (including cash), so the thought of walking around with many thousands-worth of precious gems makes my stomach kind of droppy. I think this is one of the reasons that I don't want a diamond ring for my own self - that, added to the whole DeBeers thing, the overvalued thing, the conflict diamond thing, and the fact that I prefer colored stones. I honestly don't think I would like walking around with a piece of jewelry on my hand worth more than the total value of my other posessions, having to worry about what happens if it falls out or gets stolen or whatever.
I must admit, they were pretty and sparkly. But sheesh, talk about pressure, carrying them things around and having them at home for days! I wouldn't want that kind of stress.
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12 comments:
People who wear jewellry that expensive insure it or, are half-witted if they aren't. My sister's ring is insured. If you lose it the pang is more for sentimental value for that particular stone than being out 14K.
Let me state for the record that I myself lost $2000 worth of diamonds and am among the half-wits who didn't think to insure.
Ah, but even with insurance I think I'd still be nervous. Just the thought of wearing something worth that much makes me a little queasy.
I kind of used to feel that way about brand name items but I got over it. People get robbed and killed for dollars and I like expensive jewellry though I'm not sure if diamonds are my thing. They're very beautiful but it's still pressurised carbon and the economics of the DeBeers cartel bugs me. I continue to be obsessed with the Periodic Table of Elements. Am gunning for a Freon ring.
What about a meteorite? I think you can get those.
Oooh, those are so cool...they are lab produced, though, actual meteorites being in short supply.
I know what you mean about diamonds. I don't care about the status symbol and wedding industry issue at all (other people's money, their business) as much as DeBeers being a really nasty piece of work and the concept of a societally and state sanctioned cartel pisses the hell out of me.
There are other companies, of course, I think artic diamonds are becoming a big thing but it's the artificial price inflation that kills the capitalist in me. There is no free market for diamonds and that bugs. If I'm going yuppie, I'm going all the way.
lol Monkey.
I lost a teeny tiny diamond earring while swimming. It was probably worth more in sentiment than dollars. I have not yet told the spouse. :(
I don't think I've ever seen that many loose diamonds together like that, Mle.
Sparkly indeed.
I absolutely adore precious stones, but somehow it's like I prefer oohing and ahhing over them to actually *wearing* them.
Sadly, it is my true desire to own and wear a giant, honking sapphire and emerald ring. Old emerald of the variety no longer seen. Alas.
Diamonds are kind of boring, but from a chemistry standpoint are kind of interesting. 4 covalent bonds - FOUR! I think that's neat.
I wouldn't mind a sapphire (a star sapphire would be cool!). But I'm not too fond of emeralds; they are too delicate and too expensive (the real ones, anyway).
I agree that diamonds are interesting from a chemical perspective and they certainly are cool to look at rolling around in the jeweler's tissue-y paper (sparkly!) but I'm just not interested in wearing them.
I wonder if Leonardo DiCaprio killed anyone for those diamonds.
So much talk these days about "ethical" diamonds.
When I bought Q's engagment ring, I went home with it and felt as tho everyone knew i had it on me. I hid it in the basement ceiling for 2 weeks, always checking to make sure it was still there.
That's awesome.
I hope you didn't make her retrieve it from the basement ceiling like some kind of scavenger hunt. Heh.
Of Course not. My proposal story is very sweet and charming. I dressed the ring up as a Xmas ornament and asked her while decorating the Christmas tree. It was very nice.
Aaaaaaawwwwwww.
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