By Katie DaCosta, Craig’s Fine Jewelry
I remember learning about the 4 “C’s” long before I had any business thinking about diamond rings. Years later, my college roommates and I would spend hours on Tiffany’s website, driving ourselves crazy, creating the perfect ring. At that point, it was so much more about the ring than the guy. Did any of us know what type of Ramen we were eating that night? Nope. But we knew what we wanted our rings to look like and that was enough for us.
For centuries, diamonds have been at the very heart of some of the world’s biggest heists, wars, and most importantly; romances. But what is it about these elusive gems that causes people to do everything from falling in love to carrying out robberies? Love and lust are two of the most powerful human emotions and drive people to actions they might have never considered.
What else could drive a sorority girl to leave behind the sunny skies of California and travel across the country to enroll in Harvard Law School a la Elle Woods in Legally Blonde? Elle’s mission from the very start of the film is to secure her boyfriend’s family heirloom ring. She discusses the supposed impending proposal with her friend:
“But I’m not positive it’ll happen tonight. Hello! He just had lunch with his grandmother. You know he got the rock. Why else would she fly in from Newport? She wouldn’t FedEx a six-carat diamond. Do you really think? I can’t believe you’re getting engaged!”
Alas, Elle has gotten so crazed over acquiring this “rock” that she doesn’t even realize her boyfriend is breaking up with her instead of proposing. Nevertheless, it is this crazy desire that spurs Elle to go to Harvard and actually realize her dream to become an attorney.
So, do diamonds make us crazy? Maybe. But I like to think that they’re crazy beautiful and you’d really have to be crazy not to think so.
