Ah, vindication

[matril]

Just a ploy of the diamond industry." Of course I already knew that jewelry stores prey upon couples with their sentimentalized presentation of sparklies, but I wasn't aware of just how direct it was - first there was no such thing as diamond engagement rings, then, after a clever ad campaign, it became the norm. I'm proud to thumb my nose at it. Thbbbt!

On a serious note, I'm overwhelmed by what's been happening in Iran. Who would have guessed that when they tried to shut down every news outlet, twittering would become the heroic thing to do? I only hope their courage can make a lasting difference. (Though I still dislike Twitter on a general basis...)

Comments

[robogock.livejournal.com]

Yup; "A Diamond Is Forever" is basically the world's most successful marketing campaign.

I debated for a long time whether I really wanted a diamond. I'm definitely not a fan of the diamond industry. In the end, though, gustaf made the call (which was essentially "you like shiny things" combined with "you're too clumsy for less hard gems"). I got sapphire side stones, though. :)

[matril.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't have minded other, more colorful gems too much (frankly, pale colorless diamonds leave me feeling cold) but in the end I couldn't see the justification for spending so much money on a token. Besides, my ring looks like the One Ring. :D

[lazypadawan.livejournal.com]

At last, Twitter accomplishes something more than "JoeBlow just took a dump."

I do have a Twitter account though and the #iranelection tag has been really fascinating. The revolution wasn't televised, it was on a lil' ol' social network.

[matril.livejournal.com]

The usual trend I've seen is for technology to transition from useful tool to frivolous toy, so it's nice to see something move in the other direction!

[sonetka.livejournal.com]

Well, to get all technical, there had been diamond engagement rings before but they were just part of a pack which included lots of different (and sometimes more valuable) gems :). Interesting little article, though I'd take issue with what they said about wedding presents and registries; if you were having a society wedding, you most certainly did get lots of presents from both distant families and friends, even if you lived in the 1800s or early 1900s. All that happened there was that as the middle class became wealthier they started wanting to have big splashy weddings which previously had been doable only by the really rich. Enter the registries. (Also, poorer people still got a good bit of stuff for the weddings even if they were married in the parlour - where do they think wedding showers came from?) Green bean casserole is still terrifying, though :).

[matril.livejournal.com]

I kind of thought the registry story might be suspect. Heh, green bean casserole. I never had it much, growing up. And the onion toppings would be out, since onions wreak nightmarish havoc upon my digestive system. ;)

[melitusj.livejournal.com]

I'm pleased to note that I saw through green bean casserole long ago. Horrible stuff. (Although perhaps our common genetic disposition against onions also played a role)

I got a diamond engagement ring because I saw no other opportunity to get a "birthstone" ring (being an April child). As a chemist I adore the elegant simplicity of it's molecular structure so I'm probably good for one diamond sale- but I have to admit the first store we went too made too much of a big deal about diamonds and generally creeped us out. We bought ours at the place that didn't make a fuss- for all its amazing molecular interconnectivity it really is just a rock. I have no plans to buy any more, though, one is enough.

We were, apparently, one of the >10% of couples that DIDN'T register for gifts, it seemed so presumptuous. Perhaps people complained because they had to think about what to give us if they chose to give a gift- but frankly, I just don't feel you should EVER assume that someone should give you a gift. I was pleased with everything we got, my friends and family are far wiser than I was at the time and I appreciated their insight into what would be useful.

My husband and I give each other candy AFTER Valentine's day, because, well it's cheap and so are we. :)

[robogock.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the first jewelry store we went to was creepy, too. The first thing they did was take us into a side room to look at cuts of diamonds. They seemed befuddled that I wanted to look at rings first, and only THEN consider what kind of stone they should get. (We didn't buy anything from them.) I do admit to liking the sparkliness of diamonds. I do wish it was easier to get man-made diamonds, though. I would've rathered that than a mined one. And the only reason why they aren't readily available is because of the diamond industry cartel. Grr.

We did register for gifts--not because we expected people to give us things, per se, but because we knew at least some people would want to give stuff, anyway. We're thrilled with everything people gave us, on and off registry. :)

[matril.livejournal.com]

We like post-Valentine's candy too.

[rebebba.livejournal.com]

Discounted candy tastes better. The price markdown gives it just a little added sweetness.

[rebebba.livejournal.com]

What I thought was really interesting was that the diamond industries pushed for surprise proposals. It makes sense now that I think about it, but I never would have thought of something that insidious. The idea of getting a surprise proposal someday kind of creeps me out now...

[melitusj.livejournal.com]

If you're actually surprised by a proposal SAY NO!

If I'd followed that one golden rule I'd have saved myself a lot of hassle.

[matril.livejournal.com]

The only surprise about my proposal was having it accidentally captured on camera. :D And I certainly picked out a cheaper ring than Mark would have.