Take a quick glance at the sales in the jewelry industry, and you can recognize one thing really quickly: diamonds are king. Diamonds represent the forefront of the jewelry trade, make up a vast amount of sales from jewelry stores, and have come to be nearly synonymous with marriage. If there’s one thing that millennials are known for, however, is that we don’t like to do what everyone else did. Just because everyone else gets diamonds isn’t enough of a reason for us to want them; in fact, it might push some away from doing something that’s been done so much already. So what reasons are there to consider other gemstones?
Diamonds Aren’t That Rare
The idea that diamonds are super rare stones is one that’s pretty much just cultivated because it’s useful. In reality, diamonds have some of the simplest structures of any type of gem around. It’s just compressed carbon, and carbon is one of the most basic elements out there. Truth is, there are far more diamonds out there than anyone would guess, more than many parties are even aware of. Some diamond sellers have bought up large amounts of diamonds to make them rarer and drive up the value. When you’re looking at another gem, like an emerald or a ruby, you’re looking at something with a much more complex physical structure and, consequently, something that is much rarer.
Diamonds Aren’t Forever
A diamond ring as a wedding offering isn’t a long standing tradition. It’s more like 80 years old, in fact. Long enough for pretty much everyone to think it’s been around forever, but nothing in the face of other traditions. The origins of diamonds as wedding gifts came about from simple capitalism; once a company got their hands on enough diamonds, a relatively low-value stone, they built up the expectation of one for marriage, making purchases a necessity and allowing them to drive up prices. The only real reason diamonds are more expensive than other stones is that we have been convinced they hold that value.
Diamonds Aren’t that Interesting
Walk into a local store and really look around. Diamonds, separated from all of the cultural trappings, simply aren’t that interesting. Rubies, sapphires, and emeralds have bright, vibrant colors; opals reflect a wide range of colors; pearls are opalescent and completely smooth. Diamonds, by contrast, are just clear stones. Next time you go to a buy gemstone jewelry in Ohio, ditch the diamonds and get yourself a more interesting stone.