Posted on 01/06/2007 7:44:37 PM PST by blam
If the fake ones look just as good at the real ones to you then you don't know anything about diamonds at all.
Really???? I has sold several pieces on the open market and got as much or more than I paid.
Those of us who follow the good Professor Walter E Williams know that a good gift for wifey is vacuum cleaner bags. That is appropriate after making sure her ironing board cover is not in need of replacement.
He is of course the retired chairman of the economics department of George Mason University and visiting host at the Limbaugh Institute of Conservative Studies.
http://www.gmu.edu/departments/economics/wew/
If they don't do any better job than they do with rubys and emeralds than manufacturing them won't make any difference. If you buy any of those stones you can tell the difference between them instantly.
Did your wife buy this argument??? Where did you get her wedding ring??? Out of a box of cracker jacks???
There are excellent fakes out there these days, and my jeweler friends recommend them. And most of the diamonds on the regular market for the average Joe are pretty crappy at best. Often floor sweepings with occlusions, poor color and even sadder clarity. The best you can hope for is usually a G, and maybe SI if you're lucky.
Heck, I have seen a D, but I think it was in a museum :)
If I could have a 1 carat 'real' diamond that was the average one carat 'real' diamond out there or I could take that chunk of change and buy are really good something rarer....
a real black opal (not doublet), a good purple grape tanzanite, a real estate Khasmir sapphire...
I would.....and have it set with the really good fake diamonds around it (which I have done and will continue to do).
In my experence, there is way more pleasure in purchasing the other stones than there ever will be in buying any diamond.... almost all other gemstones, you can find the best of the best...... Diamonds are rarely at their best when real....
Most people don't want fakes, certainly not any of those that can afford a good diamond. Nothing wrong with the fake if you want one but is not going to dent the sale of real diamonds. Most people will want the real thing, not some manufactured thing. Those that buy diamonds on a regular basis are not going to waste their time on the fakes no matter if a jeweler recommends them.
Honestly,
I don't see the hype about 'real' diamonds. Again, the good fakes serve the purpose from a jewelry standpoint. And I adore jewelery....just don't buy me diamonds. For me, they're a bore.
When it comes to investing, I'd rather buy something I can talk about, and really get into when I wear it....
"Oh, yeah, this is erm, a diamond and its, erm...clear and it sparkles and its from Africa."
Versus
"This is a Harlequin Black opal from lighting ridge! And it's not a doublet either! See all the different colors, and it's in it's natural shape."
Or finding a 100 old Alexandrite ring from Russia, or a pariba tourmaline uncut from the mines.....
Same with all the other stones....more stories to tell, more colors to flash...just way, way more interesting!
Sorta like comparing vanilla custard to chocolate raspberry cheesecake with real whipped cream. Both are desserts, but on is just way more fun to eat!
It's really strange they left out how many slaves he owned at one time.
Why do I have a picture in my mind of you shopping for diamonds.
Diamonds are not really an investment. But at least they are worth something. Keep a car long enough (unless fabulous care is taken of them) they eventually end up in the junk yard. Diamonds will always be worth something. When people speak of their re-sale value the same can be said of a car. I purchased a new SUV this year. The price was right in line with the book value. Now just 9 months later I owe 3000.00 more on that vehicle than the book value.
Who cares what the Hollywood elite think? Truth be told, if it wasn't diamonds, the'd be fighting over something else?
I have my share of them as well as quite a bit of gold. They dress up the outfit.
The other gems I mentioned not only are worth something, but usually appreciate in value---like my 10 carat deep purple tanzanite I got a 'bzillion years ago....it's worth 6 times more than I paid for it, if I wanted to sell it.
I'd rather wear it.
Same with black opals too....
Oh yeah,
and things like cars, clothes, furnishings etc...
Goodwill and Salvation army....really, really old, beat up and cheap.
Same as the dresses, apparently. The designers want their names in the news, so the movie babes wear the designers' latest frocks, prance around on the red carpet, and the designers hope to get some new clients with the exposure. Too bad so many of the dresses are awful!
I assume he didn't marry her; at least I HOPE he didn't!
Most women buy 'costume' jewelry, and are not looking to shell out a bunch of money for it. If they want a more stunning piece, they'll go with a nice 14K or even 18K setting, but for everyday stuff, they'll settle for 10K.
I can just imagine Mrs. Williams sitting in her lovely home laughing herself silly when he starts in on the radio like that. They must be a fun couple!
sw
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