I posed this somewhere else but it bears repeating...can we please come up with another name for the nauseating term "Bling". I don't even like real diamonds let alone this forgery of the pathetically self indulgent and hideous need to draw attention to the possiblility that one might be important. We need another term that doesn't make me, and hopefully other people, hurl.
Eh, diamonds are overrated (and rooted in some pretty shady business practices, all things considered). Family Guy put it best.
I've always been a fan of pearls. And rubies, and opals and stuff. Unorthodox gems can look really cool and leave a ton of money for, say, a romantic cruise instead...
__________________ "May clinging breasts always come to your aid in the kitchen."
rubies rule...sapphires for serenity...pearls are lovely but you must kill the oyster to obtain them...so will not wear...diamonds are common and often have a bloody history...
i suppose that would be ok..but let us not fool ourselves that that would satisfy the demand..nor deny that cruelty will not disuade the greedy and the vain
Iolite definitely kicks ass! That's my latest loose gemstone I'm on the look out for.
A good color changing alexandrite can amuse me for hours.
Garnet in its rainbow colors knocks my socks off (standard deep red, mandarin orange-yellow, tsavorite green, spessartite deep orange). And it's 8.5 on the hardness scale, so it's durable.
But Aye! Corundum! 9.5 on the hardness scale, good sparkle. I am currently mesmerized with my latest pendant/ring made up of red (ruby), cobalt blue and yellow sapphires. Yikes!
Still... diamonds (check out the colored ones, too) are king. Maybe because it's carbon based like all life here on earth; it's a thing of raw natural beauty regardless of social hype. I agree about the shady business and blood. The gemstone business is tough all around.
WinAce, try getting a high quality ruby or alexandrite compared to a diamond. Diamonds are much less rare, and relative prices reflects this (i.e., diamonds are cheaper).
Might I suggest Spinel? Much , much less expensive than diamonds or corundum, 8 on the hardness scale with little cleavage so very durable, and the colors are incredibly saturated and vivid (pink, blue, red and other colors available). Many historically famous "rubies" are actually spinels. I saw a stunning red one online for only $15.00
I posed this somewhere else but it bears repeating...can we please come up with another name for the nauseating term "Bling". I don't even like real diamonds let alone this forgery of the pathetically self indulgent and hideous need to draw attention to the possiblility that one might be important. We need another term that doesn't make me, and hopefully other people, hurl.
If "Bling" means "the pathetically self indulgent and hideous need to draw attention to the possibility that one might be important" won't any term used for that idea be nauseating?
I like gemstones and jewelry and I wear them because I like having little bits of beauty to look at throughout my day. I wouldn't care if anyone else ever saw any of my jewelry.
In fact, I wish they didn't...
(j/k! Other people can see and react to my stuff anyway they like!)
Might I suggest Spinel? Much , much less expensive than diamonds or corundum, 8 on the hardness scale with little cleavage so very durable, and the colors are incredibly saturated and vivid (pink, blue, red and other colors available). Many historically famous "rubies" are actually spinels. I saw a stunning red one online for only $15.00
Yeah, my goldsmith really likes spinels. I haven't had much dealing with them, but I'm sure I will one of these days.
xishi: ... but let us not fool ourselves that that would satisfy the demand..nor deny that cruelty will not disuade the greedy and the vain
Those are pretty harsh words. Pardon if I don't accept your opinion that owning pearls is a bad thing.
you do not have to accept my opinion on anything...i used to make jewelry but would not use pearls..if my words are harsh it is because i feel deeply about the ubiquitous cruelty that prevades life...when i see people wearing bits of pink and purple fur on their oh so trendy outfits i feel disgust...it is unnecessary...silk is luxurious and you do not have to kill for it....gems are in the ground...you do not have to kill for them...mangos fall of the trees...you do not have to kill for them
you do not have to accept my opinion on anything...i used to make jewelry but would not use pearls..if my words are harsh it is because i feel deeply about the ubiquitous cruelity that prevades life...when i see people wearing bits of pink and purple fur on their oh so trendy outfits i feel disgust...it is unnecessary...silk is luxurious and you do not have to kill for it....gems are in the ground...you do not have to kill for them...mangos fall of the trees...you do not have to kill for them
So you only eat food that has fallen off the tree? Does the ability to perceive pain figure into your idea of "cruelty" or merely death?
Oysters do not appear to have any pain perception capacity, even Peter Singer (animal ethics author) doubts they experience suffering. And yes, silk kills the silkworm larvae.
I don't see anything about cashmire or angora, but for regular wool, they are just shaved, not killed. Is that really your only criterion?
Quote:
What's wrong with wool? Scientists over the years have bred a Merino sheep
which is exaggeratedly wrinkled. The more wrinkles, the more wool.
Unfortunately, greater profits are rarely in the sheep's best interests. In
Australia, more wrinkles mean more perspiration and greater susceptibility to
fly-strike, a ghastly condition resulting from maggot infestation in the
sweaty folds of the sheep's over-wrinkled skin. To counteract this, farmers
perform an operation without anesthetic called "mulesing", in which sections
of flesh around the anus are sliced away, leaving a painful, bloody wound.
Without human interference, sheep would grow just enough wool to protect them from the weather, but scientific breeding techniques have ensured that these animals have become wool-producing monstrosities.
Their unnatural overload of wool (often half their body weight) brings
added misery during summer months when they often die from heat exhaustion.
Also, one million sheep die in Australia alone each year from exposure to cold after shearing.Every year, in Australia alone, about ten million lambs die before they are more than a few days old. This is due largely to unmanageable numbers of sheep and inadequate stockpersons.
Of UK wool, 27 percent is "skin wool", pulled from the skins of slaughtered sheep and lambs.
i am going to leave the fine points of pearls to you..i was ignorant about the silk..i eat fruits, vegetables, rice, soy milk and some dairy from cows raised in kinder conditions..i eat nuts and use a spirulina based shake...as much as possible and within the limits of my understanding i do not want to participate in cruelty of any kind...i am not claiming to be a paragon..when i first became a vegetarian i used to eat onion soup but later found out it was based on meat stock...it is a process that i have chosen to commit to...
I don't see anything about cashmire or angora, but for regular wool, they are just shaved, not killed. Is that really your only criterion?
Quote:
What's wrong with wool? Scientists over the years have bred a Merino sheep
which is exaggeratedly wrinkled. The more wrinkles, the more wool.
Unfortunately, greater profits are rarely in the sheep's best interests. In
Australia, more wrinkles mean more perspiration and greater susceptibility to
fly-strike, a ghastly condition resulting from maggot infestation in the
sweaty folds of the sheep's over-wrinkled skin. To counteract this, farmers
perform an operation without anesthetic called "mulesing", in which sections
of flesh around the anus are sliced away, leaving a painful, bloody wound.
Without human interference, sheep would grow just enough wool to protect them from the weather, but scientific breeding techniques have ensured that these animals have become wool-producing monstrosities.
Their unnatural overload of wool (often half their body weight) brings
added misery during summer months when they often die from heat exhaustion.
Also, one million sheep die in Australia alone each year from exposure to cold after shearing.Every year, in Australia alone, about ten million lambs die before they are more than a few days old. This is due largely to unmanageable numbers of sheep and inadequate stockpersons.
Of UK wool, 27 percent is "skin wool", pulled from the skins of slaughtered sheep and lambs.
that is really upsetting..i do not happen to like wool..also i live on south beach so is not needed..but i was planning on school in nyc and was wondering how to keep warm..thus my questions about cashmere..i thank you for giving me all this information..it is helpful in my quest to not contribute to misery in any life form..yes i know maybe the spinach doesn't want to be eaten either...enough for now...will come back...
Angora rabbits are shaved. Cashmere goats, depends on the cashmere. Some are shorn, some are combed (the very fine cashmere comes from their bellies). As to whether conditions are cruel, that depends on the farm where they're raised. Basically, if you're buying anything farmed, raised, or in any way manufactured by someone you don't know, you probably won't know whether conditions are cruel, and there is rarely an easy way to find out. Even non-animal products can be plenty damaging to native species, because of pollution, destruction of native habitats, etc.
If I was concerned about the amount of suffering of the animal, I'd be more inclined to wear fur and leather than I would be to wear wool, because at least the dead cow or ermine doesn't have to live with whatever suffering comes with being combed or shorn on a regular basis.
Also gems are in the ground, but have you any idea the suffering (human suffering) that miners endure to get those gems out of the ground? I bet pearl-diving is a lot more enjoyable.
(My god have I posted the exact same thing before? I swear I had the most outrageous deja vu just now!)
well i do not care for wool..so will not contibute there...in reference to gems...is it not the diamond mining that is the most exploitative...i guess you cannot win in trying to be as kind as possible...but you can try....
xishi: ...if my words are harsh it is because i feel deeply about the ubiquitous cruelty that prevades life...
Everyone is entitled to their opinions, but if you are going to direct your moral outrage in my direction because I don't happen to agree with some of your opinions, then don't be surprised if I choose to reciprocate at some point.
i was not aware of directing my moral outrage in your direction...i mean i did not even know of your existence...and as for not being surprised at your reciprocating...is this some type of threat...and i read the story and understand it...
No more Bling!
That's my latest loose gemstone I'm on the look out for.
In fact, I wish they didn't... 
You're kidding, right?
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