Why Diamonds Are Expensive (They're Not Rare)

Be honest. Did you think this rock was rare? Walk it into a pawn shop. What does the counter say? Edward Jay Epstein asked it in The Atlantic in 1982: have you ever tried to sell a diamond? Cecil Rhodes merged the mines into De Beers in 1888 so one closet could hide the extra. In 1947 Frances Gerety wrote four words: a diamond is forever. Ad Age called it the slogan of the century. BBC: about 10% of American engagement rings had diamonds before the war. About 80% by the late century. Two months' salary was an ad, not a law. Pretty can be real. Rare was the campaign. Comment TWO if you thought two months was a rule. Comment LOVE if you thought it was just love. Not financial advice. Educational and entertainment only. Sources Edward Jay Epstein — Have You Ever Tried to Sell a Diamond? (The Atlantic, Feb 1982) BBC — De Beers myth: a month's salary (2014) Ad Age — Advertising Century: Top 10 Slogans (29 Mar 1999) Al Jazeera — How the diamond engagement ring was invented (14 Sep 2025) Music Background: cool bed from Mixkit catalog ("Allure", royalty-free).