diamonds

Al Baker(pumpman) · Mar 8, 2016

So if a guy goes into one of the big jewelry stores to buy a nice rock for his sweetie they show you these big expensive shiny stones. My question is what happens to all of the old ones? For the last sixty years or so it has been customary for a guy to buy his fiancee a ring, or maybe one later when times get better, most every guy has bought a ring. Now fast forward to my age group and most guys have been married two, three, maybe four times. This isnt that out of line, but where do all those rings go? Seems like the US would be full of used diamonds. Wouldn't the supply start to get slim, or the used market get saturated. When you look at the ones in the big stores are they a used rock bought from a pawn shop and cleaned up and put in a new ring. If so, how could you tell. With all the WWII vets, and early baby boomers dying, on top of the high divorce rate, seems like a ton of rings are going somewhere each day. Now expand that to most of Europe. Seems like a big number to me. Am I nuts or do you think some of those jems are being recycled? Sorry for the strange post, but I figure there are some pretty sharp minds on here that wont mind my brain that works overtime thinking of strange thoughts waiting for spring.

Jim in New Mexico · Mar 8, 2016

Al, I hear you, What I've always heard is diamonds never lose their value! But try to take a diamond (ring or not)and try to sell it back where you bought it. When I got married I paid 11K for a ring, He said it's worth 22K,and gave me a document to take to my Insurance Co.to insure it at that value! Now if I take it back to him, I'll bet he'd offer 5 or 6K maybe? I believe it's the same with people buying gold.....Your turn!!! Jim in N.M.

Ray IN · Mar 8, 2016

I think there are drawer-fulls of diamonds in stock. No need to recycle an abundant piece of rock. They are only valuable because of the racket that is the jewelry industry. Ever try to pawn a used diamond? Buying a diamond might be a good investment in the relationship, but not in real value. I have very few facts to back up this opinion, but I'll bet its not too far off!

RayP(MI) · Mar 8, 2016

Think newer diamonds are somehow engraved with some sort of a serial number. Each diamond has it's own identity.

Al Baker(pumpman) · Mar 8, 2016

They say diamonds are harder than glass, will not burn, and will last forever. So they dont wear out, or get used up. Old tractors wear out, and get thrown away, but you can find one almost anywhere. Heck of a lot more husbands in this world than farmers, so where is all the old rocks? Bet a large number get recycled and the price goes back to the top. Almost like a reset button. Wish I could reset my powerstroke. Paid over 25 grand for it. now rusty its worth maybe 4--4 1/2. Wish I had a reset on a lot of things.

David G · Mar 8, 2016

They are probably worth 10 cents on the dollar used or less, it is a racket.

Frank 41 · Mar 8, 2016

Wholesale and retail is the difference, it depends which side you are on. The main thing is doing business with some one trustworthy. Some one that will not change stones when you bring it in to get cleaned, that will not sell the correct size stone or weight of metal, fake appraisial, chain stores, and etc. I was trying to buy a gem quality stone 1.25 ct for $7500 that the store was asking $10K in the 1970s. Didn't buy it but the next year it was worth $25K retail. There were bargains and some from individuals and some antiques. We got some dead pawn out west that was cheap. All in the eyes of the beholder and whether you are selling. A hard market any time.

CenTex Farmall · Mar 8, 2016

Diamonds are great. They do an excellent job dressing grinder wheels and cutting concrete.

Gene Davis (Ga.) · Mar 8, 2016

My late wife had a diamond engagement ring that she inherited from her mother who inherited it from her mother-in law since my wife's father was the only child in the family. The grandmother willed it to her daughter-in law. When my wife passed away in February of 2015, she willed it to our daughter who will be the 4th generation of her family to wear this ring. She will in turn pass it on down to her daughter who will be 5th generation owner. I guess you could say we do recycle it. The ring has an insurance policy of it's own. it gets re sized for each new owner.

big fred · Mar 8, 2016

If you like old movies, there's one called "11 Harrowhouse" that shows one possibility of where all the excess diamonds go.

tractorsam · Mar 8, 2016

No idea what they do with used ones although I've been wondering the same lately. I'm just on my way home from a new diamond mine in the Northwest Territories, Canada. They sure are going to some lengths to dig some little stones out of the ground. And no, the don't give out samples

LarrySTN · Mar 8, 2016

One of my best friend's wife (now exwife) has her own jewelry store and buys used diomands from agencies that purchase high end type used jewelry. These suppliers harvest different components from these items of jewelry and then polish the the stones, recut some,then grade them and resell the different parts to different jewelry makers. The gold or silver is melted down and spin cast into new designs. Some of the best used jewelry which shows no wear is just resold. My friend's ex creates her own line and does fairly well with her shop. My friend became too much of a farm hick for her, but prior to the divorce, I purchased a number of ear rings and such for my wife. The sad truth, though, is jewelry almost always has poor resale value once it used. Tractors are a much safer investment as I have never heard any evidence of a SWMBO being held up at gun point and being ordered to surrender any tractors

)

Hoenes · Mar 8, 2016

Ray, the facts you mention "were" covered on a cable show called "Adam ruins everything." The DeBeer brothers controlled the diamond industry in South Africa, and somehow had to convince everyone they were valuable,so they fabricated the idea that an engagement wasn't any good without one of their rocks. This was done with ad campaigns in the 1930's.

Billy Shafer · Mar 9, 2016

They also work well on Calming upset girlfriends and the wife.

Ultradog MN · Mar 9, 2016

Ray,
You are correct most diamonds of any size and value will be laser inscribed with a serial # and entered into a searchable database that will have all the info on it - cut, clarity, color, etc, etc.
I don't know where used diamonds go. But I know that girls value them more than we do our tractors.
one diamond

gtractorfan · Mar 9, 2016

Your thinking reminds me of a similar but unrelated question I wonder about. Here in the midwest every time we have a bigger snow event people rush to hardware stores and buy them out of snowshovels. What becomes of all the previous years' shovels?

Taylormade · Mar 9, 2016

^^^Yep! I was waiting to see if anyone had seen that show. It's on youtube as well, in fact I'll link it here, but be forewarned the web version has some language not safe for work.
Adam Ruins Everything Diamonds

Dick2 · Mar 9, 2016

Remember the old saying that "Diamonds are a girl's best friend". It doesn't say a thing about the guy who usually pays for the diamonds.

Dachshund · Mar 9, 2016

I'm a cheapskate - My wife doesn't have a diamond - and doesn't WANT one! Our wedding rings are simple silver bands that a friend made (cost $25 each). For an "engagement ring" I gave her a Walmart $15 ring with a Ruby in it. She has a coupe "cubic Zirconia" earrings, but she's just as happy with cheap "flea market" jewelry.

teddy52food · Mar 9, 2016

So where are those natural diamond made or where do they come from?

Determined · Mar 9, 2016

(quoted from post at 04:56:55 03/09/16) They also work well on Calming upset girlfriends and the wife.

Your comment about wives and girlfriends reminded me of back when I had a shop.
One fellow that worked there every now and again would get a call from his wife during the day, not long calls so no big deal.
The thing that annoyed me was when I would holler to him in the shop hat he had a phone call he would yell back ,who is it?
My attitude towards this was, buddy I am not your secretary.
Finally one day when his wife phoned and was on the line waiting he yelled his standard Who is it?
I hollered back I don't know if it is your wife or your girlfriend and I don't want to make that mistake again.
Needless to say after a long conversation with his wife, he never again yelled back who is it.

Steamboat · Mar 9, 2016

Considering the fact that it takes thousands of years under thousands of pounds of pressure to create a diamond, what difference does a couple divorces make??

JL Ray · Mar 9, 2016

Both wife one and two still have there's. The sad thing to me is, I went big time with wife two and she never wore it all 16 years we were married. Also in hind site, she didn't spend a dime on me. She could have got me four "M"'s for what I spent. Now wife three is something else. Didn't want one. Would rather we spend money with the kids and grand kids. Life is good. Wife three really wants to be together for ever and shows it everyday.

CenTex Farmall · Mar 9, 2016

On mine not so much. She could care flip about jewelry!

big fred · Mar 9, 2016

That's because in the movie the song is from, the guy that gave her the diamonds was married. Marilyn Monroe says "I should have the diamonds because she has you."

formenwhogrow · Mar 9, 2016

Dang, you are a cheapskate.

Southern Ray · Mar 9, 2016

Still married to the same girl for almost forty years. She is a peach.
Rock number one is we think somewhere in the front yard as it we think broke off when we were moving out of the mobile home into our newly built home.
Rock number two is somewhere we don't know as it too broke off.
Rock number three is a much smaller stone to close up the hole in the ring.

teddy52food · Mar 9, 2016

So where is the material that put the pressure on that carbon to make it a diamond? It would have to be harder than the diamond to hold pressure. Think about it!

Geo-TH,In · Mar 9, 2016

I gave my late wife's diamond to my daughter. She incorporated it along with the one her husband got her into a one of a kind ring. As for me, I was only married once. I was married for 29 years before she passed 16 years ago. So, no diamonds laying around at my house.

Ark68SS · Mar 9, 2016

Some of them come from Arkansas.

You can dig for them @ $8 a day and keep all you find. It's best after a good rain.
http://www.craterofdiamondsstatepark.com/

The pressure and heat to make the diamonds came from the innards of extinct volcanoes.
BillL

D beatty · Mar 10, 2016

teddy diamonds are formed from carbon-bearing materials under pressure and temperatures of 1650-2370 degrees F. If you look up how diamonds are formed it will tell you the whole story on how diamonds are formed.

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