Thespia's Thoughts and Diamond Lust :)

I've become something of a diamond fan (show me a girl who isn't!).  But jewelry and the stones themselves really interest me.  I think its the artistic side of me more than the romantic.  I love the way that rings are set...and looking at different designs is really fun to me!  Apart from that...I'm a little bit of an activist against the way DeBeers owns and controls the diamond market, pushing up prices to astronomical heights and exploits the use of conflict diamonds (diamonds which are the source of slavery and civil war in the countries from which they are mined!).  Plus, most of diamonds sold in chain stores are very poorly cut, over priced (I've heard as much as pushed up 200 %!) for what they are worth.  People go there in hopes of getting something beautiful and sentimental, and are royally taken advantage of.  In a mall or chain store, you are often paying for the setting as much as you are the actual stone you are getting.  Not that some of these stores don't sell beautiful things, don't get me wrong!!!  I'm just pretty frustrated by the whole diamond business in general.  Diamonds are NOT rare...the prices are very inflated and I wish something would be done about it.  However...I still love them!!!  Here are some fun pictures I've gotten of f the internet. Round Brilliant cut is by far the most popular cut out there.  But there are manyother cuts which are beautiful and can be used in different ways to make wonderful settings, or alone in a solitaire.

   Cushion ---------------- Asscher ---------------Oval--------------Princess 

Round Brilliant cut is by far the most popular cut out there.  But there are manyother cuts which are beautiful and can be used in different ways to make wonderful settings, or alone in a solitaire.

The background of this page is my dream ring :)  Its a Verragio, round brilliant with two pear sides.  Notice how lovely and detailed the setting is...its not just stuck together with prongs.  I want this ring...but I might want a squarish cushion cut or something besides a round brilliant in the center...just to change things up a bit.  Here's another picture:

Isn't it lovely?