...The CZ Button Upgrade is Really Worth It!!!
Now I understand the allure of Diamonds to my wife. Jim
I'm with you on the allure of sparkly things and in fact my uncle was a jeweler for many decades. So please pardon me while I relate some trivia I find fascinating.
Throughout history, diamonds have always been prized, but not so much more than any other precious gem. That began to change in the early 1900s when the DeBeers diamond cartel started one of the most effective marketing campaigns in history.
They decided to try to influence people (especially women) to think of their stone in a new way and began to promote the diamond engagement ring. Through various measures, they influenced the society page editors in all the major cities to always mention the diamond engagement ring in any announcement. Same for the editors of the leading magazines focused on ladies. Coverage of the diamond was always extensive in any article on wedding trends.
At the time, the diamond ring was not the tradition we see today. Since back in those days the "society" group were trendsetters, the custom grew into where it is today; one can hardly think of an engagement without thinking also of a diamond ring. DeBeers has even been so kind as to currently suggest to men that to avoid being considered a cheapskate they should spend a bare minimum of two months' salary on a ring.
True story for those who think that marketing doesn't move mountains at times. Depending on your age, your grandmother probably had an engagement ring but your great-grandmother and her previous counterparts wouldn't have known what you were talking about if you'd mentioned it to them.