Romancing The Stone
"Diamonds Are Forever." Where the hell did that come from? Who said you can't propose marriage without giving your spouse a diamond ring. For people who don't have a lot of money, that tiny little diamond ring will cost at least one thousand dollars. For people with means, that ring will cost five to twenty five thousand dollars or more.
Meanwhile the other spouse gets a gold or silver band that costs a few hundred bucks - What's Up With That?
Sooo, I researched what started this craze.
Although the ancient Egyptians are sometimes credited with having invented the engagement ring,[1] and the ancient Greeks with having adopted the tradition,[2] the history of the engagement ring can only be reliably traced as far back as ancient Rome.[3][4][5]
In many countries, engagement rings are placed on the ring finger of the left hand. At one time it was believed that this finger contained a vein (the vena amoris) that led to the heart. This idea was popularized by Henry Swinburne in A treatise of Spousals, or Matrimonial Contracts (1686).[6] The story seems to have its origin in the ancient Roman book Attic Nights by Aulus Gellius quoting Apion's Aegyptiacorum, where the alleged vein was originally a nervus (a word that can be translated either as "nerve" or "sinew").[7]
In the United States, the popularity of diamond engagement rings declined after World War I, even more so after the onset of the Great Depression.[26]
In 1938, the diamond cartel De Beers began a marketing campaign that would have a major impact on engagement rings. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, the price of diamonds collapsed.[27] At the same time, market research indicated that engagement rings were going out of style with the younger generation. While the first phase of the marketing campaign consisted of market research, the advertising phase began in 1939. One of the first elements of this campaign was to educate the public about the 4 Cs (cut, carats, color, and clarity). In 1947 the slogan "a diamond is forever" was introduced.[28]
Ultimately, the De Beers campaign sought to persuade the consumer that an engagement ring is indispensable, and that a diamond is the only acceptable stone for an engagement ring.
As I expected, this tradition happened in America out of the freedom to make as much money as you can and excellent marketing. That's right, we are all spending too much money because of marketing. If you don't give a diamond ring you're either cheap, a bum, an asshole or you really don't love me that much to marry me.
Now you have to give diamonds just to show you care about someone. You don't even have to be getting engaged. Giant stores like Zales markets you to death and tries to make you feel bad if you don't give some sort of diamond on birthdays, mother's day, Christmas or Hanuka.
In my first marriage, I did the traditional thing. I gave her a diamond ring that was more money than I could afford because she had to compete with her girlfriends who's boyfriends had more money than me. My second wife didn't like jewelry (she rather buy condos) so neither one of us got a ring.
My current love of my life had diamonds her mother left her and she made a diamond ring out of those diamonds (I loved that idea). Meanwhile, I never liked anything on my fingers so I didn't buy anything.
Sooo, what's this blog all about? It's about never do something because some master of marketing says you need to do it. It's about never buy something for someone so they can show off to others. It's about never buy something for someone so you can look like a great person. It's about showing your love for someone all the time not just when you buy them something.
Diamonds do last forever, but they have nothing to do with friendship or love.
True Romance Is what We All Want - With Or Without The Stone
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