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Re:The natural diamond industry is getting rocked. Thank the... by ghushn3 on Saturday July 26, 2025 @11:49PM (#44698796)
I don't think those are orthogonal.

Natural diamonds are more expensive, and they therefore have a conspicuous consumption element to them. That could be valuable as a means to gain social cachet. Except you'd have to speak loudly about how they were natural.

And in doing so you are loudly proclaiming you don't care about human suffering it took to get the diamonds. That's probably fine in very wealthy circles, but in upper middle class/upper-upper middle class circles, it's likely quite gauche.

If the natural ones didn't have this faux pas attached to them by default, then they might carry more interest as a "I saved up for these" class indicator.

Re:The natural diamond industry is getting rocked. Thank the... by DonHopkins on Sunday July 27, 2025 @05:45AM (#44700088)
>And in doing so you are loudly proclaiming you don't care about human suffering it took to get the diamonds. That's probably fine in very wealthy circles, but in upper middle class/upper-upper middle class circles, it's likely quite gauche.

Oh, loudly proclaiming you don't care about human suffering is quite popular with middle and lower class MAGA, who view empathy as a weakness and vote to harm people they hate instead of for their own self interests.

They just don't have the money to buy overpriced diamonds and fur coats, because the leaders they voted for gave enormous tax breaks to billionaires, while gutting health care, social security, consumer protection, student loan debt relief, and driving the economy into the ditch with tariffs.

Re:The natural diamond industry is getting rocked. Thank the... by grues-dinner on Sunday July 27, 2025 @06:04AM (#44700160)
> have a conspicuous consumption element to them

I've never understood this really because no-one carries their GIA certificate with them. With the existence of moissanite and artificial stones, it should be a "market for lemons" situation where a given stone on someone's finger is assumed low-value by default.