I decided that this year, as one of my Style Resolutions, I wanted to buy myself a really nice ring. Here’s what I wrote originally:

I have been wearing plastic jewellery for a long time & I think it’s time for that to end. Sure, when it comes to necklaces that I’m only going to wear for a few months, plastic is great, but if I buy anything that I want to wear for a significant period of time, it’s sad when the glue finally gives out, it leaves marks on my fingers or snaps in half. I don’t mean diamonds, since everyone with half a clue these days knows how corrupt the diamond industry is. I don’t mean normal old gold either, because it’s never really appealed to me. The yellow tones against my skin are no good. I do however like white gold & I am keen on cubic zirconia.

I don’t see why I should sit around waiting for a man to buy me something I want. I’ll buy it myself. I’m going to throw a party when I do, too. Anyway.

I went into a jewellery store a couple of days ago — a nice one, the sort where they will design anything you like. I asked one of the designers whether they worked with cubic zirconia or not. He said no, saying that they were too soft & scratched too easily. I told him I wasn’t interested in supporting the diamond industry & the atrocities that go on in Sierra Leone, etc., to which he replied that they were part of a group where the diamonds were “guaranteed conflict-free”. I tried on a couple of rings — nice solid bands with floating diamonds, that kind of thing, really stylish. He gave me his card & I left.

After I walked out of the shop, my brain switched on again.

How can they “guarantee” that diamonds are conflict-free? How would the consumer ever know, anyway? The answer: the jewellers can’t, & the consumer never would.

From here:

While less than 2% of all diamonds were at issue and far less now, in truth, no American jeweler can absolutely guarantee any diamond sold is conflict-free unless it is one of the new Canadian certified diamonds.

While I could buy a Canadian lab-manufactured diamond, I don’t want to. It’s not just the fact that the industry spills blood, or that jewellers will lie to their customers just to get them out the door. It’s the fact that diamonds are worthless, & that women’s obsession with diamonds is proof that anyone can be suckered in with enough advertising. They are a terrible investment. Why the hell would I want to support that?!

The whole thing is quite upsetting, especially because I like the look of them — which begs the question, WHY do I like the look of them? Is it just because I like sparkly things, or is it because The Media(tm) (dun dun dun dunnnnn) has ensnared me, too?

Regardless, my search for a jeweller who can do what I want with cubic zirconia & white gold will continue.

What do you think of diamond jewellery?