The movie "Blood Diamond" -

I just watched it and am blown away, and sickened. I wear my grandma's diamond ring given to her in 1926 as her engagement ring. My mom gave it to me. They are both dead now, but I felt like flinging this ring after seeing this movie.
People can be so cruel, all over the world. It makes me feel like we really are missing the big picture because of this deadly, convenient occupation we're involved in while ignoring so much else in this world.

trade in precious metals and stones is as old as the hills.

And DeBeers has kept diamonds artificially expensive for far too long.

Fiance and I rented that movie for tonight. We look forward to it.

I already have plans to have my engagement ring to be of non-diamond variety; for the reasons the movie makes clear.

I inherited my ring, but pick a color stone you can live with. What was with that diamond thing anyway? This movie is an eye-opener.

I actually think they're boring, lol.

this movie, should I be sentimental or throw it in the ocean, or sell it? I don't know. We have the original bill-of-sale. Hopefully, in the year this was bought people weren't so murderous or mercenary.

My mom and grandmother both have antique diamond rings, and although my mom would *never* buy diamonds, she enjoys it for the sentimental value. I think buying new rings is a greater evil nowadays than merely passing it along.

:shrug:

Seriesly, keep it and will it to someone.

The country's military rulers rely on sales of precious stones such as sapphires, pearls and jade to fund their regime. Rubies are probably the biggest earner; more than 90 percent of the world's rubies come from Myanmar.
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Although the United States imposed a ban on imports of Myanmar gems in 2003, a customs loophole allows in stones cut or polished elsewhere. As Myanmar exports virtually all its gems uncut, this interpretation rendered the ban useless.

http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2007/10/04/myanmars_rubies____bloody_color_bloody_business/

I couldn't bear to watch the movie.

The only ones I had were in my wedding ring - I switched to a non-diamond variety.

I won't be purchasing any more.

That and my Prius - the oil companies are a bit poorer after I purchased that car - that's two tanks' worth per week they don't get from me!

I don't wear them and never have

That's one thing I can certainly live without.

I learned of this long ago, and it sickened me then. Diamonds are so freaking NOT rare it isn't even funny. It's a total scam, and innocent people give their lives so people can sparkle and shimmer at cocktail parties. "Blood Diamonds" is a must-see.

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I'm just sad at the moment because my daughter just got married -- she wouldn't wear diamonds; she knew . . . but the guy she married had an aunt working for Fortunoff and so she seemingly willingly surrendered to it -- but supposedly not a "blood diamond."

I'm really sad right now because she has also been a vegetarian since she was a teenager and now she's talking about eating some organic chicken.

When I was a kid, there was rarely any jewelry bought --- maybe a gold neckless for a young girl --
but the rings and bits of gold were handed down -- had great sentiment.

Glad this story is getting out ---

And, the world would be a better place, I think, if this all stopped.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=2200890&mesg_id=2200890

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.... it actually pre-dates the marketing blitz carried out by De Beers. Not that I would blame people for being drawn into what is probably one of the most successful ad campaigns in history ("a diamond is forever", which really got rolling in the 1940s). But I suspect that your grandparents had been following a much older Victorian tradition. Do you know where the diamond originated? Even if it did come from South Africa and the colonial-era mines (with all the exploitation that resulted), it was a different situation back then. I seem to recall that the civil wars that led to the recent trade in blood or conflict diamonds were post WWII -- and even post Cold War.

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/198202/diamond
http://www.stayfreemagazine.org/archives/16/diamonds.html
http://www.un.org/peace/africa/Diamond.html
http://www.amnestyusa.org/Our_Issues/Conflict_Diamonds/page.do?id=1011014&n1=3&n2=74


You have held the ring in your hands, and thought about the possibility that the materials used to make it (diamonds, gold) were extracted under dubious circumstances, and that people were exploited or hurt in order to get it. It may be that there isn't as much blood on the ring as you fear. But the main thing is that you thought about it, and are still thinking about it. If you tell people about these ideas ... and about the blood that might be on other commodities, like copper or plastics ... I think that the ring can be a valuable reminder to you, of how attitudes change.

Why women are so attracted to diamonds is a bit amusing to me. Whenver someone of the female persuasion tries to crack on us guys and our fascination with boobs, I will come back with their fascination with shiny objects.

Sometime earlier this century. "Diamonds are forever" and all that crap. There was a documentary I saw on diamonds earlier this year. I can't remember the name right now but it was on the Discovery Channel. It talked a great deal about conflict diamonds and had one diamond broker from New York trying to set up some alternative channels in which the workers got a bigger cut than they do currently. The problem was, in Sierra Leone, the brokers there have a monopoly. If you go against them in any way, you are out. It was sad.

DeBeers basically took over the entire diamond industry. Going around buying up the smaller mines. When they came across those who did not want to sell they pulled the same thing the Hunt brothers did with silver. They had the largest diamond mine operation around. They had and still do have vault after vault filled to the brim with these supposed 'rare precious stones", if you didn't want to sell they threatened to release everything in their vaults and flood the market which in turn would tank the outrageously high price of a diamond and render your small operation bankrupt. Diamonds are NOT rare. There are tons of them out there. They just control the market and only realease them in small quantities to keep the price high.

If you can find a natural saphire or emerald, now there is a rare and truely precious stone.

so I've always liked them, but after learning about conflict diamonds, I told my DH to buy me only lab/man made diamonds from now on.

My 3 stone anniversary ring is just as beautiful as one made with 'blood diamonds,' and I wear it with a clear conscience.

Canadian diamonds are another option if you have to have the "real thing."

always thought everything 'romantic' involved death. diamonds, fur, and flowers. funny that. amazing so many people believe debeers.

i have family members are diamond people. pfft. if anything, get one of them colored aussie ones.

I think the diamond trade and their supposed worth are one of the biggest scams known to mankind.