Are Diamond Wedding Rings Losing Their Appeal?

This question is somewhat subjective, but I've definitely heard the accusation thrown around a time or two that diamond wedding rings are losing their appeal. There are good reasons that these anti-traditionalists will rattle off, and some do have some legitimacy. We will cover those arguments, in addition to some popular alternatives to a classic diamond wedding ring.

Why Diamond Rings Might Be Losing Their Appeal?

Points I Agree With

The first and largest reason that people give is something that I absolutely agree with, and that is financial viability. The hard truth is that when you buy a diamond ring, you will very likely never get that amount of money back out of it should you ever need to. The new diamond market is a bit of a monopoly, and diamonds bought second hand will only be sold for pennies on the dollar (if you can sell them at all).

Pawnshops won't pay squat for diamonds. Literally a shop designed to buy and sell anything won't deal in diamonds. Check out our blog on Why Pawn Shops Don't Buy Diamonds? for some insight. To sum things up, diamond rings are a very poor financial investment to make. You can certainly recoup some of the cost if you need to, but it might take some time to find the right buyer. If you are buying jewelry then it should usually be because you enjoy it, not to strike it rich somewhere down the road.

Points I Disagree With

The other points are ones that I agree with much less. I've heard diamonds called bland and boring, and that is quite simply a bad take. If a diamond doesn't take your breath away it's often an issue of quality on behalf of the jeweler. Diamonds are naturally beautiful and far from bland. If the clear color doesn't appeal, you can find diamonds that are brown, yellow, or black fairly cheap. If you have big bucks to spend you can even go for the ultra-rare red or blue diamonds.

A diamond with the perfect cut and setting can easily grab the eye and send people over the moon about how striking your diamond ring is, so I don't agree at all with the statement that 'diamonds are boring'. The last argument I tend to hear is simple contrarianism. "Everyone else has a diamond ring, so why would I want one?" Well... Mostly because it's what expected. I have a deep love for tradition, so I can't grasp this concept at all.

Arguments Against Diamonds Losing Their Appeal

The truth is that nothing has the same punch as a diamond ring. You can offer your significant other a colored gem of some sort, but I highly doubt they'll be as excited for that as they would be for a diamond. My spouse loves the color red, so naturally they are nuts about rubies. Rubies even cost more than diamonds in some markets, but when I asked whether they preferred a diamond or a ruby? The classic diamond was the way to go.

We've been conditioned to expect a diamond when things are getting serious in a relationship. There are probably some people out there that would prefer an emerald or lapis lazuli or whatever, but I'd bet a bundle that 9 out of every 10 people that I asked would insist upon a diamond. Tradition runs deep with humans and I'm not going to be the one to try and change things around. As far as I'm concerned? If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

One of the main selling points of diamonds is the massive durability. Other gems might be cracked or chipped in situations that diamonds could easily weather. You can certainly chip a diamond as well, but that prospect is significantly more difficult than it is when discussing other gems. Some proposed diamond replacements are absolutely frail when compared to the classic diamond. Yet another reason why I'm quite sure that diamond rings will never lose their appeal.

While diamond rings themselves don't make a great investment, one of the biggest keys to their appeal is that diamonds are a symbol. Wearing diamonds signify one's reproductive value, to put it in the crudest terms possible. What better way to exhibit that you've got plenty of extra resources than by buying things that could be considered worthless outside of looking nice and making your partner feel happy whenever they take a look at their hands.

Caring For Diamonds

You should always keep your diamonds looking great, and luckily that task has never been easier! If you need a quick clean then our portable diamond cleaner brush will keep your sparkle on point anywhere you go. If you've got time for a more thorough clean, the ultrasonic jewelry cleaner can get in every nook and cranny to make that jewelry piece shine like new.

Alternatives To Diamond Rings

There are an endless amount of alternatives to diamond rings if you truly believe that diamond rings are losing their appeal or going out of style. Gemstones come in every color, and you can mix and match to get the rainbow ring of your dreams if that's what you truly want. It's not what I'd suggest, but if you like it then who am I to judge? It will be hard too coordinate that jewelry with your outfit though. As I mentioned, my spouse's favorite color is maroon so a ruby ring would be perfect. Lovers of green will enjoy emeralds, fans of blue might enjoy lapis lazuli or sapphire. You can also find yellow sapphires if that's your fancy.