this is irrelevant to everything but i always get so mad that the Big Romantic Gem is diamonds and it’s diamonds this and diamonds that

because

1. diamonds ain’t shit

2. diamonds are over graded in the us usually by about 2 grades which means you are paying WAY too much for diamonds

3. they will *only* sell back for way less than you paid because of number 2 and by way less i mean usually less than half the price

4. half the time the only reason we want diamonds is because every inch of media is covered with diamonds = romance, marriage, engagement

5. the mines are often shit for the environment

6. the diamond industry is responsible for millions of deaths because diamonds fund civil wars in the areas they’re mined (largely african countries) because diamonds are basically traded out for weapons and then the wars are fought over even more diamonds

7. a lot of diamond miners are children who either work in shitty conditions to bring money to their poor families or are forced to work in shitty conditions so people can sell more diamonds

8. the shitty conditions all oil and exhaust and dirt workers are exposed to all sorts of horrible diseases that you thought only happened in oregon trail

9. not to mention if they’re paid it’s disgustingly low they could buy like, an egg with that

10. you’d think stores wouldn’t buy diamonds from situations like that but like more than half of diamond stores won’t even talk about their conflict-free policy IF they have one

11. and then the money you spend doesnt even go to the people who mined it

12. they ain’t even rare or anything diamonds are used all the time for saws and blades and heatsinks and half the time they’re synthetic diamonds WE CAN JUST MAKE DIAMONDS IN LAbs the difference between gem-quality and industrial-grade diamonds is like ???? we just dont know

13. they aren’t even pretty they’re clear who the eff cares??? LIKE LOOK HOW MANY COOL STONES THERE ARE OUT THERE YOU CAN GET RINGS OUT OF OPAL IF YOU WANT i wouldn’t recommend it tho opals are mostly water so they break easy OR WHATEVER THE HELL GET LIKE A BONE RING GET A SAPPHIRE HELL GET THAT SHINY PIECE OF AMETHYST YOU BOUGHT AT A FAKE-NATIVE SHOP IN THE MALL

i mean damn