Why do Women Love Diamonds?

Ah… some men, whether they’re beasts or chivalrous knights in shining armor, can sometimes sweep a woman off her feet. But diamonds – they take a woman’s breath away, not sometimes, but always.

Diamonds. They’re so beautiful. Women are fascinated by them, and this fascination could never fade away. This is one reason why every woman, no matter her economic class, must at least have one. Even women from non-Western cultures swoon over them. We’d bet that even in societies where material wealth is frowned upon, a woman would not be able to resist glancing at or touching one. Those who don’t own a diamond daydream about owning one someday, while those who already own a few stones won’t hesitate to express a healthy desire to add to their collection.

What is it about diamonds that turn women on?

The Diamond Mystique
There has always been a certain mystique about these gorgeous gemstones—perhaps because of the process that transforms them into one of the most desired commodities in the world. Diamonds are made of ordinary, everyday carbon—but the way in which that carbon is transformed into a diamond is anything but ordinary.

Natural diamond formation takes thousands, even millions of years, and requires extremely high pressure and temperatures. In other words, the right environment is necessary to turn them into objects of desire. These conditions make diamonds—one of the hardest substances known to mankind—one of the most indestructible.

We’d venture to guess that another reason women love diamonds is the painstaking effort that goes into creating them and the length of time required to make them the ideal symbol of an indescribable connection between two human beings. Because diamonds express a symbolic message – romantic or otherwise – the manufacturing and cutting process signifies a true labor of love. Diamond cutters demand much respect in the industry, and if they’re skilled at cutting these gems straight from their origins, knowing the secrets of the trade like the back of their hand, there’s no telling where their talents can take them. These skills come with a tempting price tag. “Name your price” is what some diamond companies will tell expert cutters. Because of this and other factors, the diamonds that leave a cutter’s hands carry a tender message of affection, value, and eternal beauty. Only an expert cutter’s excellent craftsmanship can make this come true, injecting profound meaning into the message.

Does Cost Play a Role?

While we prefer not to think of diamonds in terms of their retail value, the ironic reason many women crave them is the fact that they are so expensive. Cost is not just the jeweler’s price; it’s more complex than that. The cost of a diamond is itself like a magnet for many women.
“How much do I love thee? Well, let’s look at my Visa bill.” This is likely how a man who is smitten with his belle would answer. The expense of a diamond is related to its size, the brilliance of its color, and the quality of its cut—the larger the diamond, the more brilliant the color, and the better the cut, the more expensive the diamond will be. And naturally, the more beautiful it will be.

Want something exquisite to cement your love relationship? Invest in a quality diamond. Besides, there’s nothing more enthralling than seeing a woman wearing a fragile but sparkling diamond on her finger or around her neck. What was that saying again?

She’s got you wrapped around her little fingers… and neck.

Suddenly, a woman who receives a diamond gift becomes a special and prized individual, a woman with enviable celebrity status. It’s a man’s way of saying, “You’re quite a catch, and let this diamond ring symbolize my wish that you never leave me.”

Granted, saying that women love diamonds because of their exorbitant value is somewhat crude, but psychologically and honestly speaking, cost somehow compares to the value-added component in a love affair. Hollywood will tell you time and time again. Films about beautiful women being ensnared by wealthy men with lavish gifts do a great job of fueling a lady’s imagination. If one of those gifts is a diamond, then he’s a man who has mastered the seduction game very well. So while it’s impossible to say which of those attributes is the most important—the diamond’s beauty or its cost—deep down, we all know that cost does play a vital role. Or perhaps it’s a combination of both. In the society we live in, some degree of importance is still placed on material wealth. Can you truly blame a woman for cherishing the diamond not only for its beauty but also for its value? It’s her insurance policy for the future.

But the Rest of Mankind Does Too!

Many clichés have been created regarding diamonds. Who could forget Marilyn Monroe when she sang “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend” in the movie *Gentlemen Prefer Blondes*? That image of Marilyn draped in the glittery maze of diamonds, with gentlemen in courtly attendance, as captured by the skillful hands of a cameraman, is forever embedded in our collective consciousness. The song, the woman, and the gemstone are icons. These sexy stones also earned high-profile status thanks to Elizabeth Taylor’s Krupp diamond (which later changed its name to the Taylor-Burton diamond).
Hollywood has its share of stories surrounding the glamour of diamonds, but so does the fashion industry. Did you know, for example, that the most expensive bathing suit was featured in New York Fashion Week in 2005, priced at US$18 million? The diamonds used in the swimsuit surrounded a rare 103-carat Golconda diamond, according to Vicky Paterson in her book Diamonds (2005). Still in the world of fashion, Harrods of London sold a pair of diamond and platinum shoes for US$1 million.

Leaving Hollywood and turning our attention to history, specifically the year 1642, the Darya-i-Nur was discovered in southwest India by Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, an explorer who had a penchant for seeking out stones. He found a huge pink diamond that historians believe may have come from the Golconda mines. The story goes on to say that the diamond was eventually cut into two parts, and when renowned jeweler Harry Winston set it on a platinum tiara, Farah Dibah wore it in 1958 when she married the Shah of Iran.

Have you heard of the Black Orlov diamond? Patrick Voillot (Diamonds and Precious Stones, 1998) suggests that this diamond may have been taken from Pondicherry, India, though there’s a mystery attached. For one, India believes that black diamonds bring bad luck. Additionally, it was speculated that this diamond was owned by a certain Russian princess named Nadia Viegyn-Orlov, but records indicate that she never existed. Years later, the diamond went on display at Harry Winston’s New York store and was eventually sold to a private owner.

If women love diamonds, it seems that some men must share the same passion. In the early 1940s, Harry Winston once again gained attention when he booked a last-minute flight to Brazil as soon as the Vargas diamond was discovered. Named in honor of the country’s president, Getúlio Vargas, the diamond weighed 726.60 carats and is considered the sixth-largest diamond in the world. Winston tried desperately to purchase it, but by the time he arrived, the stone had already been sent to Belgium via registered mail. Winston eventually succeeded and acquired ownership.

History, Hollywood, and Hope have the answers.

When a woman wears a diamond, she wears a link to ancient history, a valuable partnership with the miners who toil day and night to harvest diamonds, a “cutting-edge” relationship with expert cutters who treat their trade with reverence, and an investment connection with reputable retailers. But most of all, that diamond on her finger is a sign that she is loved, cherished, and eternalized. Because long after she’s gone, the diamond she once wore will live forever.