Worth reading if you're thinking of popping the question...

[krunchkin]

http://www.businessinsider.com/why-diamonds-are-a-...

Basically diamonds are a marketing scam along the same lines as 5 blade vibrating razors and Audis.

[BoRED S2upid]

Good luck trying to tell a woman that diamonds are a sham and instead your going to buy another stone which is less shiny.

[P-Jay]

BoRED S2upid said:

Good luck trying to tell a woman that diamonds are a sham and instead your going to buy another stone which is less shiny.

This.

You could show this to your intended, back it up with well written reports about the inflated value of them, the suffering that goes on, even mention that whilst they're renowned for being indestructible, they actually burn quite readily.

She'll read it, agree with you, smile sweetly and then tell you her Sister has a big rock, her Best Friend has a big rock and she's not looking like a scrubber because you're too cheap to keep the scam rolling on.

[12v3pot]

Indeed. I was a guest on a freebie PR trip to some diamond factory in Amsterdam. Our hosts told us just how the market (sic) works. They seemed shameless, every one of us journos was gobsmacked.

However, later in the bar, a straw poll of the women journalists on the same trip showed precisely 0% in favour of anything other than diamond for an engagement ring.

I think "reassuringly expensive" is the relevant term.