Have You Ever Tried to Sell a Diamond? (1982)

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1982/02/have-you-ever-tried-to-sell-a-diamond/304575/

by mhb • 3 years ago

30 11 3 years ago

I'll upvote this every time I see it, because it's well-written (from a time when The Atlantic was stylistically closer to the Economist) and succinctly encapsulates the entirely practical business of perpetuating a culture of shallow veblun status-seeking consumerism in its pure, shall we say, crystalline form.

Yet every time I mention it, a little voice in the back of my head asks, has anyone ever tried to replicate this piece? It's well into its 5th decade and as the cat has been out of the bag for a long time, I wonder if nothing at all has changed in the diamond-hawking business in response to that

snakeyjake• 3 years ago

It's well into its 5th decade

Pump the brakes there buddy I'm older than this article and nowhere near my 5th decade...

aidenn0• 3 years ago

I don't know about "well into" but it's definitely into its 5th decade (as am I, at 2 years older than TFA):

1st decade: 82-91

2nd decade: 92-01

3rd decade: 02-11

4th decade: 12-21

5th decade: 22-31

ChainOfFools2• 3 years ago

As much as it pains me to say it, being in that same ballpark myself, when one turns 50 one does not begin their fifth decade, but rather, completes it.

dang3• 3 years ago

Threads about diamonds are forever:

(btw, reposts are fine after a year or so! These lists of related links are just for amusement.)

Diamonds Suck (2006) - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26698511 - April 2021 (53 comments)

Diamonds aren’t special and neither is love - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25978139 - Jan 2021 (90 comments)

Diamonds Are Bullshit - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25059605 - Nov 2020 (27 comments)

Billions of dollars of unsold diamonds are piling up around the world - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23502201 - June 2020 (104 comments)

Shaking Up the Diamond Industry - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22209364 - Feb 2020 (120 comments)

Diamonds Keep Getting Cheaper - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21522898 - Nov 2019 (389 comments)

Have You Ever Tried to Sell a Diamond? (1982) - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20818618 - Aug 2019 (237 comments)

The Elite Club That Rules the Diamond World Is Starting to Crack - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20555503 - July 2019 (200 comments)

Would You Pay $32,709 for a Lab-Grown Diamond? - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19287565 - March 2019 (34 comments)

Diamonds Suck (2006) - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17186457 - May 2018 (215 comments)

Diamonds Are Bullshit - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17184539 - May 2018 (45 comments)

De Beers admits defeat over man-made diamonds - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17183603 - May 2018 (439 comments)

Lab-grown diamonds threaten viability of the real gems - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16551147 - March 2018 (301 comments)

Diamonds Suck (2006) - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12944464 - Nov 2016 (576 comments)

A Lab-Grown Diamond Is Forever - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11903409 - June 2016 (106 comments)

What the diamond industry is really selling - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11099809 - Feb 2016 (83 comments)

Diamonds Suck (2006) - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10834567 - Jan 2016 (2 comments)

Diamonds are Bullshit (2013) - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9251952 - March 2015 (75 comments)

A Diamond Market No Longer Controlled By De Beers - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7793386 - May 2014 (111 comments)

Diamonds Suck - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6868968 - Dec 2013 (3 comments)

Diamonds Are Bullshit - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5403988 - March 2013 (734 comments)

Have You Ever Tried to Sell a Diamond? (1982) - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4535611 - Sept 2012 (225 comments)

Have you ever tried to sell a diamond? - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1405698 - June 2010 (85 comments)

Have you ever tried to sell a diamond? - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1110283 - Feb 2010 (76 comments)

The Facts About Diamonds (and why I don’t like De Beers) - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1109318 - Feb 2010 (41 comments)

De Beers profits fall 92% - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=722115 - July 2009 (25 comments)

Diamonds on Demand - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=330749 - Oct 2008 (16 comments)

bap• 3 years ago

This bit of context is a bit more robust than most you offer @dang - do you have some tool?

dang3• 3 years ago

Yup: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35668525

dang3• 3 years ago

Hmm, there's a related ongoing thread which is a recent story:

Diamond prices are in free fall in one key corner of the market - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37387731 - Sept 2023 (3 comments)

Not a classic like this one, but maybe we should wait and see if it gets much discussion.

Modified3019• 3 years ago

For those with zero knowledge of gems, I highly recommend this video: Moissanites: What Every Consumer Needs to Know by Rhino's School of Rock

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KJjohJJYOMU&pp=ygUKTW9pc3Nhbml...

It’s a bit longer than it could be, but it’s basically a guy walking through his day job, giving unique context. It goes over grading, and cut design, touches on machine scanning, and light ray simulation software. Very eye opening if you are interested on the technical aspects of gem design.

lbourdages• 3 years ago

https://archive.ph/nGWrx

gymbeaux• 3 years ago

I know someone who is trying to get $300 out of her engagement ring set. It cost around $5K from Zales and the center stone is I believe 3/4 a carat. It’s a real diamond, but unfortunately the clarity is bad. Not to the naked eye of course, but if you really zoom in, it’s all sorts of bad-looking. Apparently she’d have been better off with a smaller but clearer diamond.

Have You Ever Tried to Sell a Diamond? (1982)

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