A Diamond Is...

I am consistently amazed and flabbergasted at the value that
people place on certain objects. Now, don't get me wrong, I
can understand that a wedding or an engagement ring is a very
special object, a precious symbol of the commitment and love
that a man has for his woman.

I am talking more along the lines of the old saying that "A
diamond is a girl's best friend". Why would a diamond be a
girl's best friend? As far as I can tell, only because of its
monetary value, thus giving the girl some security.

I do not understand why a person would desire the biggest and
brightest emerald, diamond, or ruby. Sure, they are beautiful,
but so are fake stones. Putting aside the fact that the stone is
worth money, it appears that some people just like to show it
off to others, as if to make them jealous. A diamond-studded
Rolex watch? I couldn't see myself spending ten grand on a
watch no matter how much money I had.

Sorry, but these types of useless objects are for the people who
can afford them, wealthy people who have nothing else to spend
their money on. A working slob like myself is not about to go
into hock for a piece of rock when there are either bills to
pay, or other more useful utilitarian things to spend money on.

I do understand that just by virtue of being rare, almost
anything becomes more valuable, but still, the object must have
some kind of intrinsic value. I don't believe that a rotten
tomato is going to be valuable just because it is the only
rotten tomato in the world.

Gold, however, is very different...it has three qualities that
make it extremely valuable...it actually is quite rare, it is
very beautiful, plus it has the added benefit of being a very
useful item! Forget about jewelry and baubles, gold is
used in industry because of its resistance to corrosion, its
durability, its electrical conductivity, and because it is so
malleable that it can be shaped and pounded into any shape with
ease.

It is used in electronics to ensure reliable and stable
connections in circuitry, and by NASA to protect delicate parts
from the harsh environments in outer space.

Precious gems and stones are also used in science and
manufacturing--a diamond is used for precision cutting of very
hard objects, and gems such as rubies and emeralds are used to
purify the light in lasers.

Given all this, I find it ridiculous for a working man to go
into debt to buy useless jewelry that he cannot afford. The
paradox here is that it is becoming ever more common for even
the wealthy people who own expensive jewelry to not actually
even wear it! They keep the real items locked up in the dark,
and often do wear costume jewelry modeled after the real items
they possess!

What is the logic? Are they afraid of being robbed? Why even own
it, unless purely as an investment, which actually is the only
logical reason I would ever have to purchase such trinkets.

This would be the same thing as a man buying an expensive car,
and then locking it away in the garage, only to drive a clever
imitation. Is this supposed to impress someone?
"Yes, this is a fake, but I really do own the real thing!"

Peace be with you