Have you ever wondered to yourself, “Why are diamonds the symbol of engagement and love?” Yeah, probably not, right? It’s a timeless tradition that sort of just makes sense. Well, now that you ARE wondering about it, let’s look at where this tradition came from.
The earliest known records of this tradition come from an ad by the diamond company De Beers in 1947 with the slogan “a diamond is forever”. From there, diamond engagement rings soared in popularity and became a standard for marriage proposals.
So, thanks to some clever marketing, diamonds signify love. People spend thousands of dollars on diamond rings to show how committed they are to their partners. I mean, diamonds are so expensive and sought after because they’re so rare, right? Wrong. Diamonds are one of the most common gemstones on Earth. So, who has been lying to you? The diamond industry… and they’re responsible for a lot worse than just lying.
The Horrors of the Diamond Industry
Monopolies
The world produces a lot of diamonds, but most of them come from the same place. Of the top 10 diamond producing countries, only 2 are not in Africa. After the discovery of the diamond mines across Africa, Cecil Rhodes formed the company De Beers and monopolized the mines, which for a long time were the only mines in the world. Along with the ad campaign to promote diamond engagement rings, De Beers also stockpiled diamonds and actively price-fixed to drive up rarity. This isn’t skepticism either. De Beers admitted to partaking in price fixing in 2004.
Blood Diamonds & Child Labor
Perhaps the most infamous issue with the industry, blood diamonds are still a thing, and the violence surrounding the diamond industry has yet to cease. African countries have historically sold the diamonds they mine to fund war efforts against governments and other groups. To fund these efforts, countries have resorted to child labor. 6 African countries are reportedly utilizing child labor in their diamond mines. Two of which are also using forced labor. These mines are hazardous and unsafe, especially for children, and lives are being put at risk to fund acts of violence.
(I could go on, but for the sake of space I’ll instead share some links at the bottom where you can go to learn more.)
Alternatives
After learning all of this, I no longer want to support a corrupt, greedy, and violent industry. If you’re with me, then you’ll be happy to know there are alternatives to diamond engagement rings. Other gemstones such as ruby, sapphire, and emerald can make beautiful and uniquely colorful center stones. These are only a few alternatives, and if you still love the diamond look, you can opt for a lab-grown diamond or a moissanite gem. Alternatives like these are growing in popularity and the idea of colorful and different gemstones are becoming more widespread. Admittedly, though, these are surface-level solutions. There lies a deeper issue that we need to address.
What can we do?
As a society, our fascination with diamonds is engrained. Why? Clever marketing from over 70 years ago that we hardly think twice about because it’s considered “tradition”. If De Beers can artificially generate this idea that engagements require a diamond, then we can reverse it. We need to, as a society, stop pushing the norm that proposals aren’t the same without a big diamond ring, or that the proposer doesn’t love their partner if they don’t drop half of their savings to support a troubled industry. Proposals aren’t about the price tag associated with the gesture. Proposing is an act of vulnerability and is about the gesture itself and the meaning behind it. Love isn’t about materialistic goods.
I encourage all of you to make this change in the way you think, and to share it with others. Be conscious consumers. Be ethical consumers. Don’t let the idea of a big shiny rock on your finger justify decades of deceit and human rights violations.
More information:
The world’s top diamond mining countries –
The major exporters of blood diamonds –
Russia’s involvement in the Industry –
A little bit of hope –
https://fortune.com/2023/11/11/diamond-industry-faces-price-plunge-gen-z-uncertainty
ShoutOut! James Madison University 