It’s getting pretty close to one of my best friends’ birthdays, so I’ve been dwelling on what to get for her. I remember a couple years ago, a few friends and I chipped in together to buy her a pair of diamond earrings, since she just got her ears pierced. The ones we bought her were tiny, but still really expensive.
If you think about it, a diamond is just a hunk of rock made up of carbon atoms–the same material as graphite is made of. In fact, rubies are more expensive than diamonds, with the exception of very rare coloured diamonds. So why are other gems less popular than diamonds?
Well, ever heard of the saying, “a diamond is forever?” What about “eternity rings” or “trilogy rings?” How about the idea that a man should spend two to three months’ salary on an engagement ring?
All were clever marketing ideas from the De Beers company, which is in the diamond industry.
Take the “eternity ring”, for example. The target market for this product was married men who wanted to give their wives a symbol of their never-ending love. The ring itself is a band of precious metal set with a continuous line of identically cut diamonds, which reflects the idea of eternity.
Diamonds are now commonly seen as symbols of love and commitment because of these successful marketing campaigns.