Why do people love jewellery?

Bronte said:

Jewellery is my occasional afternoon hobby Wayne
I just love jewellery

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I've often wondered this. I admire the craftsmanship and art that goes into making an individually designed piece, and I do appreciate it on women tastefully and moderately applied.

But is it important that it is true diamonds and not cubic zirconia etc? Why?

Why not costume jewelery that looks the same to all but an expert?

I remember standing in a line at an airport and the guy behind me taking every opportunity to shove his Rolex in my face. Obviously the chap had self worth issues that he felt could only be solved by ostentatious displays of wealth.

As an ardent antisnob, I find it a bit puzzling.

Just something my girlfriend’s friend said while watching a doco "blood diamond", on TV. On part went on about engagement rings etc.
She bursts out with... “I can't wait to get engaged so I get a diamond ring".
The ring seemed more important than anything else.

WTF!!!

I must admit, there are some watches with price tags that rival that of a reasonbly priced car which I'd gladly endulge myself of (if I didn't need my reasonbly priced car!)...but things like this are symbolic to me of what I've achieved...I really couldn't give two hoots whether anyone else realises its real or from Thailand. In fact I find that displays of real wealth can be bothersom if you intend on having real and normal friends.

I know wealthy people who still buy the ones from Thailand and China! Haha. They come back with a new Tag or Breitling and a cheap Armani dress-shirt after every business trip...they love it

Missus has a 2.5 carat diamond ring (inherited) that she almost never wears. (and would happily flog off if it weren't for the emotional value. [favourite granny])

Occasionally she'll wear it, but tends to hide it rather than shove it in peoples faces. But some people still spot it and it is absolutely &^%ing hilarious watching peoples reaction to it, and how differently people will treat us because of it.

We are both cynical enough to think to ourselves; "tossers" LOL

Even experts cannot tell a diamond from glass or quartz without examining.

The only people who can authenticate a real diamond are certified gemologists specializing in jewelry. However, if you are browsing rings at a flea market and want to quickly assess whether a clear stone is probably glass, cubic zirconium, quartz, or leaded crystal, there are a few easy tests you can apply without any special equipment. These tests at least rule out recognizable imposters because they rely on the way a real diamond stone refracts light, conducts heat, and looks up-close.

If the gem in question is loose and unmounted, try placing it over printing. Diamonds refract so much light that they will not work as a magnifying glass and you would see no lines, circles, or letters through them. Other clear stones like glass or crystal will reveal the print clearly. A similar test uses a small light, such as the one that comes with your key ring. If you shine the light through the stone and cannot see it on the other side, but only a bright halo around the rim, it is more likely to be a true diamond.

Diamonds are also very good at conducting heat. Breathe on the surface of the stone and immediately check to see if it has fogged up. Again, quartz, glass, and cubic zirconium will stay hazy for a moment before the condensation dissipates, but you shouldn't be able to see any moisture on a true diamond. However, one rock, called moissanite, will also pass this test, so the best way is to get a complete thermal conductivity evaluation performed by a jeweler.

Looking closely at the specks, ridges, and facets can also give you a clue into the identity of your gem. Diamonds do have inclusions, tiny bits of other minerals that got crushed into the diamond while it formed deep under the earth. However, if the facets have worn or rounded edges, bubbles, or if the gem looks rippled or pitted, it is probably glass. Those gems that are perfectly clear, with absolutely no inclusions, are probably quartz.

Finally, some common sense measures can prevent you from getting pressured to purchase a gem that turns out to be something other than a diamond. It shouldn't be ridiculously inexpensive, or you'll get what you pay for. It also will usually be mounted in an "open back" setting, which means that you can see around the rear of the gem and the back surface isn't coated with any silvery substance. Although it's true that diamonds are the hardest organic substance on earth, the infamous test of scratching diamonds across glass or metal might just give you a damaged diamond.

Even many gemologists cannot distinguish "real" diamonds from cultured diamonds. Cultured diamonds have been artificially manmade in a laboratory, not mined from mountains, yet they are chemically identical to those diamonds. Some companies are developing new kinds of identification methods for those who would like to purchase a mined diamond or for those that prefer a cultured one.

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Being in the industry i thought i would comment.

The simple answer is vanity

Even thow a CZ (Cubic Zirconia) might look like a diamond from far off to the naked eye its the individual (mostly women) that know its not a true diamond hence its value means little so that makes their ego (smaller, or worth less). Jewellery is mostly personal, sure people like showing it off but when people ask is that a diamond, gold etc.. they say it with pride and joy if its authentic.

Vanity exists in many industry's and thats what makes this world go around.

P.S a trick with diamonds is that most people state what only the carat size might be, and usually i say to people why not get a 2 carat diamond with average colour, clarity etc... instead of a 0.50 carat diamond but with high quality colour and clarity for the same price. Again when people know the shine isnt as nice as a higher quality diamond they feel cheap so they usually go after a balance.

In the end its how much they want to spend and what are they after.

Although i must admit Australia is very behind in fashion here (for jewellery) as most shops just want basic stuff as it sells more (compared to europe where fancy is everywhere).

wayneL said:

Even experts cannot tell a diamond from glass or quartz without examining.

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hehe this is very true, even with an 8x loupe scope its very hard to tell. Like it says only trained gemologists that have dealt with many diamonds will only be able to tell (thats why you get them to check it, someone you trust of course).

its symbolism. A reflection of emotion. A reflection of character.

engagement rings - high quality diamond, 18 ct gold - the better the diamond, the more serious the commitment. the better the diamond, the more discerning the bride to be, in her mind it also reflects on the quality of the partner, and for the husband to be the better the ring the more it reflects on his own success, commitment, love etc. etc.

watches - fake rolex, fake owner. real rolex - d__head with no idea how to spend money for enjoyment lol. These days unfortunately with the easy access to debt any fool can own one, but once upon a time these things were symbols of achievement, and also quality. Rolex is too easy - find the real quality watch.

pretty much about ego it seems to me, but we've all got one, even if we've got an ego about not having an ego.


waffle blah blah I've had a beer this might make no sense.

Hey ASX,

theasxgorilla said:

I know wealthy people who still buy the ones from Thailand and China! Haha. They come back with a new Tag or Breitling and a cheap Armani dress-shirt after every business trip...they love it

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And why not.. there's nothing quite like the genuine imitation...

Regards,

Buster

One of my literacy students is a bikie with a very large nose ring.
This is jewellery to him and apparently symbolises his standing in the gang.
To me it looks horrible, but what would I know!

The only jewellery I have ever really liked was a plain gold wedding ring.
Just don't go for all the bling.

wayneL said:

Even experts cannot tell a diamond from glass or quartz without examining.

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But WayneL, would drive a BMW or a Holden...

I remember that add for the new Commodore and how apparently experts rated it better than the BMW, blah blah blah...

And i remember thinking to myself, but its a Commodore!

Sure, both are rear wheel drives... have 4 wheels and get you from A to Z... but heck, one is a piece of engineer brilliance, the other... well... maybe the new ones are better, but my past experience of commodores and their handling, center of gravity, not to mention reliability... well, i might be wrong

Pat said:

The ring seemed more important than anything else.
WTF!!!

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Yep, that's women for you

Me, I like a nice watch... I decided a few years ago to by a Tag and got the wife (now ex wife) an Omega, both are still going well.

m.

I think Jewellery (even though i wear none myself) is one of those things that are nearly part of the Human genetic make up, I mean our species have been wearing the stuff for thousands of years as a disply of status/wealth/beliefs etc ....... So i figure wearing Jewellery for many is pretty much done instinctively.

Rafa said:

But WayneL, would drive a BMW or a Holden...

I remember that add for the new Commodore and how apparently experts rated it better than the BMW, blah blah blah...

And i remember thinking to myself, but its a Commodore!

Sure, both are rear wheel drives... have 4 wheels and get you from A to Z... but heck, one is a piece of engineer brilliance, the other... well... maybe the new ones are better, but my past experience of commodores and their handling, center of gravity, not to mention reliability... well, i might be wrong

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Cars are different because of engineering, utilitarian, and reliability factors.

A diamond is just a clear piece of rock and has no use apart from decoration, a use easily fulfilled by a piece of glass.

But as far as cars are concerned I would never buy BMW/Merc/whatever purely for the snob value, which many owners of these cars clearly do.

People are stupid.

I turn gold green and silver black, and I'll never be able to fit a ring on any of my fingers (stupid hockey) so I think instead of a watch to inflate my sense of self worth, I'll just get a penis extension :

theasxgorilla said:

I must admit, there are some watches with price tags that rival that of a reasonbly priced car which I'd gladly endulge myself of (if I didn't need my reasonbly priced car!)...but things like this are symbolic to me of what I've achieved...I really couldn't give two hoots whether anyone else realises its real or from Thailand. In fact I find that displays of real wealth can be bothersom if you intend on having real and normal friends.

I know wealthy people who still buy the ones from Thailand and China! Haha. They come back with a new Tag or Breitling and a cheap Armani dress-shirt after every business trip...they love it

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Must agree here.
Watches just do it for me. Other jewellery i would never bother with.

As for fake as opposed to real. Those that wear fake are only doing it to impress people. Those that wear real couldnt care less what people think and pay for the quality and as a symbol that they've made it.

A friend of mine bought a nice Cartier a few years ago from Thailand for a few bucks (I thought he got ripped off, in Indonesia you can buy them by the kilo, LOL). On a trip to Europe this year he stopped by at Cartier in Paris and asked the people there (who swarmed on him, LOL) how much it would cost for the real one (of the imitation he was wearing). They were confused. When they examined the one he gave them, they thought it actually was a real one!

On a slightly related issue they have found the oldest(known) Diamonds in existence , 4.25 Billion years old in WA.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/08/070822-diamonds.html


Now if you could afford those bad boys and wacked them in a ring you would be pretty sure your advancing high up the food chain!

nizar said:

Those that wear real couldnt care less what people think and pay for the quality and as a symbol that they've made it.

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Made what exactly?

I can point out tons of people who look like they've "made it", but in reality they are just deep in debt. What they've "made" is a whacking great hole in their cashflow.

According the the book "the millionaire nextdoor", those that have "made it" financially are least likely to have outward signs of wealth.

wayneL said:

Made what exactly?

I can point out tons of people who look like they've "made it", but in reality they are just deep in debt. What they've "made" is a whacking great hole in their cashflow.

According the the book "the millionaire nextdoor", those that have "made it" financially are least likely to have outward signs of wealth.

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true, any person that thinks material possesions such as jewellery, cars etc.. defines you as wealthy you better re-read your bank balance and cashflow vs expenses.

wayneL said:

I've often wondered this. I admire the craftsmanship and art that goes into making an individually designed piece, and I do appreciate it on women tastefully and moderately applied.

But is it important that it is true diamonds and not cubic zirconia etc? Why?

Why not costume jewelery that looks the same to all but an expert?

I remember standing in a line at an airport and the guy behind me taking every opportunity to shove his Rolex in my face. Obviously the chap had self worth issues that he felt could only be solved by ostentatious displays of wealth.

As an ardent antisnob, I find it a bit puzzling.

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I can tell you that there are three main types of customers I serve... there is the person who loves jewelery like fine wine and fine arts... There is the occasional buyer who will buy jewelery moderately and these are people that buy jewelery only when there's a need like in the occasion of a birthday or because they need a watch... And then there are people who buy jewelery to compensate This is probably 99% of the customers that walk in... They over compensate whether it is to make them selves appear more extravagant or buy someone else something for approval like sometimes I get some loser guy buying their "girlfriend" an expensive gift... I always have to ask how long they've been seeing her... 3 months is apparently long enough lmao... I've tried talk one guy out of spending too much and he bloody bought more... lol

Yes most people who buy Jewelery do it to compensate for the lack of personality they have... sometimes I wish I could jump over the counter and beat the living day lights out of them if they're rude to me... I can't stand people who don't make eye contact with me when in conversation... It really is insecurity at its greatest...

The only jewelery I own are presents from my parents... I have never bought Jewelery on my own accord... And I get wholesale prices...

It seems the Rolex man is compensating for something if he shoved it in your face... Anyway Rolex is poor rich mans watch ... some watches can cost more than houses... not joking brands like; Esquire and Felipe Patek can go for $350,000.00 US Dollars... Yep that's right...

But watches actually say a lot about the person wearing it... They can open new doors for ya in business relations etc. 75% of women will check your watch as well as your shoes when summing you up... Real gentlemen never wear dangly jewelry in business only rings and watches... Rings also say a bit about ya... thumb rings mean creative, pinky rings represent war, index means assertiveness, middle is lover and annular is loyalty...

Believe it or not, it is superficial and if first impressions are what somebody has of you then that's all they will use to sum you up...

wayneL said:

I

But is it important that it is true diamonds and not cubic zirconia etc? Why?

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The thing is with the variety of metals and stones they all have their characteristics that make them better to use then others... For example you can't resize a silver ring with Cubic Zirconias because under heat the stones will pop out because CZs expand... Diamonds don't and silver is too cheap to customize because it is a semi precious metal...

Just trust me when you look at a few stores you will start noticing the difference between good and bad clarity stones (sparkle more) and white to yellow stones...

wayneL said:

Even experts cannot tell a diamond from glass or quartz without examining.

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Depends what you mean by examining... I can tell the difference just by looking at them with a naked eye... It comes down to experience... Occasionally its a bit hard and I might get it wrong so I double check with a diamond tester which takes about 1, 2 ,3 no wait 1 second and done...

We have a regular customer who once gave a ring she never went out of the house without it for 25 years to a friend. Her Favorite ring. The friend worked at a jewellery store who contracted a jeweller to do the repairs... Anyway the ring needed to get the claws rebuilt and diamonds reset and a polish... It was 18ct gold with 5/20point diamonds... The ring was scratched up and looked like crap so when she got it back it looked fantastic... The customer, I forgot her name nice lady though, wore it and always thought that there was something weird with it but you never think the worsed thing will happen to you so you create something called denial... so 10 years later she comes to our shop and she got talking with my brother and she started talking about the ring and how she wanted to clean it and get rid of the cloudiness of the diamonds cos they looked dirty... my brother cleaned it and in his mind he thought they're not diamonds... He grabbed the pocket diamond tester and guess what... they weren't... He told her and she went pale with fright... went over to another jeweller and double checked and the same thing came up... She always knew they were changed but doubted it... The lesson here is get valuations with items above $1000.00 so that you can go back and complain because since then that jeweller was long gone and how argue that...

Anyway this broke up their friendship because the friend didn't care and didn't even try to help...

How do I tell the difference between diamonds and a Cubic Zirconia?

It's easy...

First tell tail sign is what is it in? Silver or gold? I doubt I will ever see a diamond in silver unless it was the size of a bread crumb...

Second is the Price... If it's too cheap then its a CZ...

Third is the Stone... Cubics zirconias are meant to be absolutely flawless... But they have a kind of consistent cloudiness to them... It's kind of like when you pour some milk in water and stir it up... It's subtle but its there

Fourth A good Clarity diamond has more sparkle because the dense carbon structure refracts light more and then reflects it back out better...

Fifth Diamond cutters take more time cutting a diamond than cutting a CZ so sometimes you get really shallow looking CZ that you can see through and this will make looking for the milkiness easier.

And that's about as much as I can bare talking about...