Diamonds as Emotional Icons...

I asked in an earlier post, just what is it about diamonds that's so alluring?

Even if you haven’t figured it out yet, diamonds are one of the most precious and powerful forms of tangible emotional communication. For engagements we all know that nothing says “I love you” and “I want to spend my life with you” quite as boldly as a diamond ring.

We also know that there are plenty of other significant emotional moments in life. Of course, these can also be celebrated with diamonds.

Common wisdom says that a woman marries a man and then seeks to change him. And, that a man marries a woman hoping that she will never change. But, here's the rub. Men don't change, they remain little boys until the bitter end. And, women go through many changes in life, eventually becoming their mother.

Maybe that's too simplistic, or cynical, but I can see the logic. I'm forever being told to just grow up. And, I'm pretty sure that I don't fully understand all the changes that a woman goes through.

That certainly doesn't mean I don't appreciate my wife's trials and tribulations. Or more importantly, want to honor her achievements and successes. Lucky for me, she loves gifts of jewelry in general and diamonds in particular. So personally, I'm never at a loss for finding the appropriate "Recognition Symbol".

For men who seek help in this department there is hope. Increasingly, specific diamond products are being identified with particular milestones in life.

There has long been the aptly named Anniversary Band. Those typically have 5 to 7 diamonds in a row, if the diamonds go all the way around its an Eternity. Next up there is the simple 3-stone band, formerly known as Bostonian (which doesn't necessarily mean much to those outside Beantown), that is now called "Past, Present and Future". That covers a lot of emotional territory.

To signify all the steps that a couple may take together in life there is multiple-diamond jewelry cleverly called Journey. To recognize her personal individuality there is the rather bluntly named Right Hand Ring. To commemorate the birth of a child there is the even more rudely conceived (sic) Push Present, but there is also the tender and elegant mother and child collection from Hearts On Fire called Enduring.

The really good news is she doesn't even have to wait for engagement time, there are 1st diamond pendants for daughters. There are crosses for Communion. There are earrings for Sweet Sixteen. There are bracelets for graduation. And, there are all kinds of diamond jewelry that work very well for... just because!

Once she's been graced from the depths of your heart, she'll always enjoy the Ultimate Recognition Experience.

Bearer of Odd News...

Just got back from summer vacation and reviewed my e-mails to find a wee bit of very Odd News.

It seems a 3.02 carat diamond ring worth $40,000 was found in a parking lot somewhere in Washington, DC and then returned to a local jewelry store whose name appeared stamped inside. The store owner commented, "People are careless". That's quite the understatement!

He also inferred that even if his people inspect the stone in an attempt to identify it, which incidently begs the question of how anyone knows its worth $40K without already having made the proper ID, it would still be like "finding a needle in a haystack" to track down the rightful owner(s). Whatever.

Careless or not, the owner of this ring wasn't properly protected in the first place. These days any diamond can easily be inscribed on its edge with a serial number or other identifier. And, you'd think that a truly customer service oriented retailer would keep detailed records of any item sold for that kind of money.

The best diamond companies and the best jewelers do everything they can to protect the consumer.

For example, serialized Hearts On Fire diamonds each have a unique laser inscription that includes the brand name, the company logo and the number assigned to that individual diamond. This number is recorded on the HOF Diamond Identification Document and the AGS Diamond Quality Document that are both delivered at the time of purchase.

In addition, a Transfer of Ownership is signed which registers the diamond to its rightful owner with both the retail jeweler and the Hearts On Fire Company.

All of this information is extremely useful to insurance companies in the event of a loss. It is also great help to law enforcement authorities. In fact, a ring of thieves was arrested by the FBI after a serial number of a particular Hearts On Fire diamond that had been reported stolen appeared on an online auction.

Don't you think that when you spend your hard earned money on a piece of the rock, you'd expect more than a little peace of mind to come with it?