Angelina Jolie had a double mastectomy, in case you hadn’t heard. How dare she remove those ticking time bombs from her chest, amiright? Like, hasn’t she learned by now that her body is public domain and we all get to vote on what she does with it? Sheesh, how selfish can ya get.
scotchtrooper:
Diamonds Are Bullshit
“American males enter adulthood through a peculiar rite of passage - they spend most of their savings on a shiny piece of rock. They could invest the money in assets that will compound over time and someday provide a nest egg. Instead, they trade that money for a diamond ring, which isn’t much of an asset at all. As soon as you leave the jeweler with a diamond, it loses over 50% of its value.
Americans exchange diamond rings as part of the engagement process, because in 1938 De Beers decided that they would like us to. Prior to a stunningly successful marketing campaign 1938, Americans occasionally exchanged engagement rings, but wasn’t a pervasive occurrence. Not only is the demand for diamonds a marketing invention, but diamonds aren’t actually that rare. Only by carefully restricting the supply has De Beers kept the price of a diamond high.
Countless American dudes will attest that the societal obligation to furnish a diamond engagement ring is both stressful and expensive. But here’s the thing - this obligation only exists because the company that stands to profit from it willed it into existence.
So here is a modest proposal: Let’s agree that diamonds are bullshit and reject their role in the marriage process. Let’s admit that as a society we got tricked for about century into coveting sparkling pieces of carbon, but it’s time to end the nonsense.”
Read on.
I’m not a fan of diamonds, personally. Not for any noble political reason, they’re just so… boring. Ideally, they’re flawless. All that money for a perfect bit of clear rock.
I’ve always loved amber. Partly because of Jurassic Park, and partly because it’s the flaws and tiny inclusions in amber that make it so pretty and interesting.
There are other stones I prefer more than diamonds, but most of them are not ideal for rings because of how easily they chip, crack, or break out of settings. Nothing like spending a hunk of money on a ring to have the stone break out
Also, I had an ex who thought the most romantic engagement ring would have my birthstone in it. He actually got pissed when I told him my birthstone was a diamond
