Asklemmy

As someone who works in jewelry design, moissanite is far superior to diamond anyway.

• Very similar hardness (9.25+ vs 10), but lower value makes moissanite a bit less brittle, less prone to chipping and more durable overall
• Higher refractive index (2.65–2.69 vs 2.42), which gives moissanite more brilliance and sparkle compared to diamonds
• Lower Abbe number. It means that moissanite tends to disperse light into colors more than diamond, giving moissanite more fiery or rainbow colors
• Usually lab-produced, so much more ethical in general, and much higher clarity on average
• It’s waaay cheaper

So for anyone going for a diamond ring, I suggest trying moissanite instead. The only thing that diamond has going for it in this comparison is just decades-long PR. It’s not even a fun gem chemistry-wise, it’s just carbon. Moissanite, on the other hand, is SiC :)

Marriage is a silly concept to begin with. Engagement rings doubly so.

You have to be brainwashed to think a diamond is a good purchase

I mean I care about diamonds insofar as conflict diamonds and diamond mining are a scourge and I wish they would end.

That's about it. It's a little piece of rock.

A recent ad for a "sell your ring" service uses the tagline "Get What You're Worth", which suggests how deeply the diamond brainworms are embedded in American culture.

Eisenhower warned us about the engagement-wedding-kids-mortgage-divorce-childsupport-legal-industrial complex, but did we listen? Noooooooooooo

Tell me that you have never ever spent a year's salary for such a present made out of crystal & metal, without telling me that... :-)

Diamond is kind of a boring gem anyway imo, I’d prefer something with more colour