The most effective advertising subterfuge

[verty]

Honestly, I'd rather have a flawless, undectable fake at a fractuion of the price and spend the rest of the money on something practical.

I think the only reason people buy diamonds is because they are rare and expensive and thus exclusive. If cheap undetectable fakes flooded the market, I think they would become tacky soon enough.

 

[turbo]

If I ever meet the right guy, turbo is in charge of directing him toward appropriate engagement ring choices. I used to want onyx, which really would have made some guy happy, but I also used to be more cynical (yeah, really, more so than I am now!) and thought it would be humorous to have a black stone for an engagement (in case anyone ever wondered why I'm still single ). Now I lean more toward sapphire. I like the darker blue color rather than light blue, and if my understanding is right, that's actually a cheaper stone, so I'm still going to make someone happy.

You're right. US women are not as discerning as Asian women regarding the qualities of colored stones, so the best rubies and sapphires tend not to show up on this market. Instead, we see pink "rubies" that would never be called rubies on the Asian market and inky sapphires. Many of these sapphires are so dark and included that they hardly show any color, even in melee-sized cuts. A good sapphire should be of a color that will hold up well in large-sized stones and is very lightly included. Those are expensive stones.

Edit: Sapphires are a very good choice for an everyday-wear ring like an engagement ring because they are are very hard and tough. For people that work with their hands, I recommend either a bezel mount or a 6 prong Tiffany mount in 10 or 12 karat gold. 14 karat and finer gold is soft and the prongs wear easily, leading to the eventual loss of the stone. For instance, someone who tucks in sheets (makes beds) or puts on work gloves frequently should avoid 4-prong Tiffany mounts and 14 karat or finer gold like the plague, especially if their stone is a $$$ one. You should also tell the jeweler that you work with your hands, and want to have the prongs left a little "meatier" so you won't lose your stone.

 

[turbo]

I think the only reason people buy diamonds is because they are rare and expensive and thus exclusive. If cheap undetectable fakes flooded the market, I think they would become tacky soon enough.

The point is that diamonds are not rare. They are one of the more common gem-stones. DeBeers keeps the prices inflated by monopolizing the trade and regulating the supply. If diamonds came to the market at the rate that they are mined, they would be VERY affordable. By comparison, if every woman in the US wanted an engagement ring with a Tsavorite, Alexandrite, or Demantoid stone, they would be out of luck. These stones are exceedingly rare, especially in larger sizes, and any sort of increased demand would price them out of reach of all but the very wealthy.