We've all been told that diamonds are a girl's best friend, and they undoubtedly have the magical property of curing your girlfriend's constant nighttime headaches as soon as you present one. Before diamonds were discovered, women only had four fingers on each hand and rappers pierced their ears to reduce wind resistance for when running from the police. But what exactly are they and why do they cost a penny almost as pretty as they are?
Wooo, sparkly!
What are Diamonds?
Unless you've been living under a rock all these years, you'll know that diamonds are a hard, transparent substance that sparkle when light passes through them. And if you have been living under a rock, first check to see if the rock is a diamond and if so, send it to me and I'll dispose of it for you free of charge.
Molecular structure of the carbon covalent bonds forming diamond
Diamonds are made entirely out of carbon atoms arranged in a crystalline lattice which gives it it's rigid form. Historically, they were considered to be the hardest natural substance although recently there has been some challenges to that claim. There appears to be no strong consensus around the latter view however, so perhaps it's a myth that it's a myth that Diamonds are not the hardest substance and they remain the hardest substance on the planet, regardless of what your boyfriend or husband would boast about himself.
Why are Diamonds So Expensive?
Diamonds are expensive for the same reasons as why anything else is expensive: good old fashion law of supply and demand...and price fixing and monopolization and manipulative advertisement and exploitation. You know, basically the same tactics I employ to maximize post payouts.
You see, diamonds aren't at all that rare; it's a myth that it's a myth that it's a myth that they are. It's scarcity is entirely artificially created. Through a series of unpredictable, haphazard and disorganized business deals during the early 1900s, which later some asshole would take credit for as a genius entrepreneurial move on his part, a single company, DeBeers, ending up acquiring over 90% of the world's diamond mines. The DeBeers cartel is in a unique position to deliberately withhold supply of the tonnes of diamonds obtained through exploitative mining in South Africa, propelling prices up. The company itself has escaped abroad to avoid antitrust legal action in the United States. Like a dog with a bone, their business practice revolves around digging the stuff out of the ground just to hide most of it again as soon as they get it.
Diamond Engagement Rings
RRP - an arm and a leg
Diamond engagement rings are also a scam. DeBeers realized that while they had all the diamonds, there was no one to sell it to, as diamonds themselves, while slightly prettier than glass if you look closely enough, don't really serve much of a purpose. So in the 1930s they started an ad campaign that encouraged everyone to forget about saving for a deposit on a house, or tuition funds for their future children, and just spend it all on a sparkly little rock instead. Otherwise, it means he doesn't love you enough. And we all bought it, yes diamonds are forever screwing us over. On an unrelated note I've bought out all the sequins factories in the world and I think nothing says 'I love you' more than spending 3 months salary on a sequin vajazzle for that truly special someone in your life.
Oh and fun fact, the largest diamond ever found was the Cullinan Diamond at over 3000 carats. This might sound like something large enough to store Han Solo in cryogenic sleep again, but it's actually just roughly the size of my fist. And if you don't know how large that is, ask your mother when you see her later - Happy Mother's Day everyone!
Special Announcement - Some time over the next week I'll be running a fun little competition that'll hopefully allow some smaller talented comedy writers to get some notice and win some money on Steemit, please keep an eye out for it
If you enjoyed this article please Upvote, Resteem, and Follow me @trafalgar, especially if you think non Steemit/Crypto related posts are good for the growth of this platform
Step 1: I am going to convince my wife that you are the leading expert on economics and diamonds on steemit (possibly the world!).
Step 2: I am going to break it to her that her engagement ring is a fake.
Step 3: I will wait for her to heap praise on me for being so smart and betting that would be ring money on a race horse named "Diamond"... who ran the race backwards.
Step 4: I will convince her that you are the greatest divorce lawyer...
Terrible plan. Back too the drawing board!
hahaha I don't think you'll need that great a divorce lawyer - last I checked conveniently forgetting your password to your crypto wallet right before the asset split isn't a crime...
Brilliant!!! You are an expert on everything.
New question. I have this thing that lasts more than 4 hours...
Never mind.
HAHA! thats awesome dude!
Thanks for an informative post! In my uneducated opinion, many other gemstones are more beautiful than diamonds. Looking forward to having more comedy writers on Steemit. We all need a good laugh sometimes!
Ya diamonds are pretty bland overall
Thanks a lot for your support, hopefully i'll figure it out and start it within a week and make it a weekly little thing if it catches on
Feel free to remind me if I forget. Definitely want to support that!
thanks a lot, will do =)
Well I didn't ask my mother, because ew, but I asked A mother who pointed at The Donald's creepy small hands and shuddered....hahaha!
psst I think you're missing an eye before an out ;)
haha thank you, I took an eye from this emoticon and stuck it in . )
I would highly recommend your planet's inhabitants stop wasting their money on these trinkets and invest heavily in this:
You are going to need them very soon.
By the way,there is only one diamond in the entire universe that has any value
her name is Vera.
@trafalgar I left a message for you in the comments section of my latest transmission.
Hmm but isn't your lightsabre powered by similar crystals?
It depends on how you define "similar".
Sure Kyber crystals are "similar" to diamonds... if you believe my mastery of the force is "similar" to yours.
Kyber crystals are far more valauble than your silly carbon based pieces of garbage. They are also far more awesome!
Five simple steps to becoming insanely rich while tricking everyone in the process:
ya exactly
plus because of the emotional connection we draw with love and romance, second hand engagement rings etc are pretty much worthless, so there's always demand for new diamonds from the mines
Unbelievable! Lol...Great informational post @trafalgar:)
Very informative and yet quite hilarious! I chortled at especially at the fist hahaha!!
thanks a lot meester, love your posts too
Value is something subjective. Diamonds became valuable due to the fact that they abide to a ceremonial token giveaway that is popular is the standard in our society - marriage.
it is but that belief is entirely created by a monopolistic company in the 1930s
diamond rings weren't really a thing before that
Well, beliefs hold strong. This is their nature. They become part of society and then it becomes extremely hard to disperse them. Romantic Love is too a meme, invented in the Romantic Era. Before that it didn't exist. Yet, look where it is today and how people go crazy over it.
https://steemit.com/life/@lifeworship/diamonds-the-reality-the-monopoly-and-the-blood
interesting, glad we reached the same conclusion!
Diamonds do have amazing industrial uses, but they simply aren't that rare, and the idea that they are valuable enough to cost people their lives, is ridiculous. Decorative baubles can only have engineered demand. Let's ask Hallmark about Valentines day.
I wouldn't trade my diamond surface grinding equipment for anything else, unless I can find something better. I've found nothing better as yet.
I did downplay their utility for comedic effect, they also have certain desirable properties like being a good conductor of heat but not electricity, but yes, most of the premium they command is not due to their utility value
Agreed, most of the premium they command is that of fraud, commanded by con artists.
such an interesting point of view.
thank you =)
I still think mine is harder than diamond.
haha you're like a failed Wolverine experiment
Diamonds can be man made also. I wonder how many are out there in circulation right now.
yes, I think it's still quite expensive, but they're of a much higher quality than those mined
and of course the DeBeer company hates that and does all it can to stop them
I knew it!!!
yup! good instincts! Total scam!
Nice post brother 😊
Crazy, I wrote something so similar here. https://steemit.com/money/@will-zewe/a-diamond-is-forever-the-slogan-of-a-century
The picture you used caught my attention. Nice read.
Sry to cover the same ground
hopefully the style was different enough even if the message was similar
Diamonds - waste of money for my opinion. XD
yup, no doubt!
The price of diamond changing too?
Laughed my ass off at that one.
Thanks. Now, how can I sit down?
glad you enjoyed that one :)
The diamond is not going to be a scam . lol
i am resteem post you
thank you =)
sames sir, I enjoyed reading your postings :D
yes they are! go with cubic lol
haha I think CZ is a lot clearer and almost identical
diamonds are a complete scam :)
Hahaha. Nice one. Resteemed.
thanks lichtblick!
You are very welcome @trafalgar :-)
They make diamonds like gems in a lab.
They store diamonds in warehouses to keep price high
There are lots of diamonds in the universe and on this planet.
I believe diamonds are not that special, good marketing makes them special.
It's just carbon.
So yes I think it's a scam :-)
yup, definitely agree with all of this
there are planet sized diamonds all over the universe
plenty of diamonds store by a single company that control 90% of the diamonds mines here! it's ridiculous
Informative and entertaining, happy Monday!
thank you very much daisy :) you too!
I had heard about this before , and of course, in Mechanical watches the industrial ( usually red) diamonds made excellent bearings. In your research on this , were engagement rings( any Jewel) a feature in say , the 1800's?
They were precious, but no more so than other precious gems
They didn't have the symbolic weight as an inseparable part of an engagement as they do now
Thank you for the information)) I have never so globally thought about this)))
thanks for having a read :)
Thanks, for a well written and funny post! Will follow your posts!
thanks for having a look =)
Diamonds is my filtering topic on first dates.. and I still have no idea why Asian cultures have anything to do with the love of diamonds. (since it's the norm these days)
haha, I think it's just a part of the westernization process
lucky you, everything seems to be a filtering topic on my first dates because I never seem to get a second one
YES
There is one instance I would be mad if my man didn't bring me diamonds, and that's with drilling and cutting tools for concrete:)
haha I have an image of your wielding your engagement ring like a sword =)
Such a ring would not be functional ( or how do you say that) I would be stuck somewhere and maybe cut of my finger. It would give a terrible mess with blood and so and I would pass out and bleed to death. lol.
In other news, gold is overpriced too ;)
haha i think it was 30c in the 70s :)
Very good for you, you tell me about diamond, surely all want to have it.
Good job @trafalgar
I will share this post, so everyone knows.
thanks barvon :)
^_^
Diamonds are a sore topic for me....lost a fair amount of money on a diamond mining firm...
thats sad to hear, but there's always other investment opportunities out there
Amazing..! O_O
thank you :)
Assuming my wife is not here I would sign the opinion diamonds are scam :-)
she's right behind you!!
lol - yes always!!! How did you know.....
hahaha
awesome guitar!
She has even more tools to beat me :-)
It's a ukulele!
;)
When I want to see some treasures, I go to the "green vault of Dresden" in my hometown, where there is everything the heart and the eye desire. But when I get out again, I'm exactly as arm as before. haha**
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grünes_Gewölbe
haha =)
All minderals are a scam
Except gold cause it's vital for our lives and is great for science and spacecraft.
gold is certainly better :)
Thanks! This post was informative and funny in one for me! I never was engaged in diamonds (and in girls who desired them) and I will never do so. Gold, silver, bitcoin will remain my favourite savings.
I think that is wise :)
Diamonds are actually the most common gem in the world. Thats the secret that jewlers dont want anyone to know..
they're definitely up there! All controlled by a single company scamming us for a century
Congratulations @trafalgar!
Your post was mentioned in my hit parade in the following categories:
If you are buying an engagement ring, buy a SAPPHIRE. Sapphires come in many colors, not just dark blue, but also orange, pink, green, yellow and light blue. They are hard and durable so they wear well. Also a much better investment than a diamond should you ever have to resell it. Sapphire is the usual choice of British royalty for their engagement rings. Think they might know something?
I'm sure MANY married or unmarried humans will prefer to receive BTC now or some other spiking cyber currency....such as STEEM. Diamond are way over priced for such an easily mined commodity.
it is the bigger scam....
Searching Steemit for a jeweller and of course Traf is the first on the search list with diamond post. Haha.
Yeah theyre a scam. If you dont know what youre doing youre going to pay 4-5 times more then you should.
Of to search someone selling diamonds on Steem. 😂
My wife who went to Africa knew all to well about diamonds and their history. It makes me all the more proud and feel more like a man in knowing that she has a light blue sapphire that I personally dug up from Montana. So much cheaper and much more personal! Chew on that DeBeers!
Awesome analysis on diamonds liked your blog
Upvote.
Feel free to check out my blogs on (Future)
Have a great day.
If DIAMONDs were so RARE,.. would there be 5-8 specialty jewelry stores in every mall?!??!?!?!
Thank you very much for soooo manyyy informations :) , greetings Lena
Yes! They really are. I read about 35 years ago how DeBeers cornered the market to create the false narrative of diamonds being rare but try to tell your wife or girlfriend.
I really enjoy your humour and I'm excited about your contest! Your rock'n it here on Steemit my friend! Kudos!
Most of "fashion" is a scam. For example, women's bag cost a few dollars to make in China or some developing country; but the consumer sell price can be thousands of dollars.
Good interesting.
Up and resteem