Perhaps the BEST B1G Forum anywhere, here at College Football Fan Site, CFB51!!!

especially, if you're trying to stir something up a bit

You would never do that.

Correct.

So a long time ago (this thread?? another thread??) I was talking about lab-grown diamonds and what they might do to the diamond market. 

I have a theory that one of the problems with lab grown diamonds is that they make diamonds less rare. While they make them more accessible to more people, that IMHO actually devalues diamonds because the allure of diamonds is that they are an exclusive good. 

So that there may be a short-term aspect where a bunch of people who couldn't get diamonds before are now sporting diamonds, but that very thing will actually turn diamonds into a largely worthless commodity going forward. Because nobody who looks at your jewelry will know whether they're natural or lab-grown, so the women sporting a lot of diamonds can no longer use just the existence of the diamonds to show their status. 

So I came upon this story in my news feed and thought it interesting. 

https://www.thenationalnews.com/lifestyle/luxury/2024/07/19/mined-or-made-the-great-debate-over-the-future-of-the-global-diamond-market/

And this part in specific:

But, there's also an emotional element to buying a diamond, which is difficult to discount. Those who favour natural over lab-grown, like Martin Rapaport, say that especially when it comes to engagement rings, “the idea that the gift of commitment must be expensive will dominate and many traditional women who received synthetic diamonds will feel cheated”.

“The wealthy class may turn to other natural gems now that the reputation of diamonds has been tarnished,” he added.

Far from being tarnished, Mr Afshar claims the advent of lab-grown stones has “democratised” the diamond market.

“How come one girl gets to live out her Kim Kardashian dreams? Every girl wants that, and what lab-grown allows you to do is democratise it,” he told The National.

It's two sides of the same coin. But the problem is that once people of normal wealth can live out their Kim Kardashian dreams, those who are actually wealthy must define a newly exclusive good with which to show their status. And at that point diamonds will lose their allure. 


Hence, short term "everyone gets diamonds!" and long-term nobody wants diamonds. 

I find it odd that the parties have split on Israel/Palestine.  

I'll never understand the demonization of the Jews.  All of those university students must not be the older sibling. 
The little brother might hit you here and there, but can't really harm you.  Hell, when I made mine mad, he'd wall on me, but I'd turn my shoulder and laugh.

But if they do that when you're pissed off, when you're tired of it or just 'done,' you tire of being Superman and holding back all the time.

Israel is simply doing that.  After so many years of playing defense, how can anyone have a problem with them letting loose on Palestine?  I don't get it.  

And folks may look to more expensive settings with more Au or Pt.

I don't know... Can most people visually tell the difference between a silver, a white gold, or a platinum setting? I don't know that either of them confer "status" if you can't tell looking at them, just as we may be approaching a point where a diamond doesn't confer "status" because to the naked eye you can't tell if it's natural (expensive) or lab-grown (inexpensive)...

I find it odd that the parties have split on Israel/Palestine. 

Israel is simply doing that.  After so many years of playing defense, how can anyone have a problem with them letting loose on Palestine?  I don't get it. 

The Democratic party itself is split.  Republicans have a significant evangelical component which supports Israel for religious reasons.  There are not many Jews in the US, but they do have influence and tend to vote Democratic.  And the AOC "progressive" group has come out against Israel.  It's a minefield for Harris to navigate.

As for being against Israel "letting loose", in my view,  they have WAY over stepped what was needed and legitimate and in so doing have harmed their interests.  But that doesn't make me in any sense "pro-Palestine", I just note that in my view, the IDF and government have done things that appear to me to be excessive given the threat.

Hamas has made it that way.  There's no low-civilian-body-count way to kill Hamas.

And if Israel just threw their hands up, then Hamas wins.
I respect Israel for at least doing all their goals require, knowing that everyone else would say it's too much.

Every single innocent life lost is on Hamas' head.