Are buying fake items a sin?

[DexUK]

I don’t think wearing a ‘diamond’ ring that is actually made with something perfectly legitimately sold as looking like diamond but isn’t, is in any way a problem. Apart from anything else, diamonds aren’t anybody’s ‘design’, they just ARE. So what if people, upon the basis of their own observation, think you are wearing a real diamond. They only reason they think that is because they are accustomed to glass-like twinkly gemstones being diamonds. That’s what they’re inculturated to expect. If most people thought, upon seeing such a gemstone, ‘cubic zirconia’ then that’s what they’d think even if they saw a real diamond. You know what you bought, you know why you bought what you bought. In this instance you’re deceiving nobody so long as you don’t tell someone that it actually IS a diamond when it isn’t. If they jump to conclusions, well it’s only because that’s what they think by default when they see it. Not a problem in my book.

 

[andrewstx]

I think anybody should be very carefull in buying counterfit items, even if you lay aside the moral dimmension.

There’s an old saying “you get what you pay for” and that is true. You pay a cheap priced item and you usually get a cheaply made good.

I watch Pawn Stars on TV a lot, and sometimes people try to sell “rolex” and other exspensive watches. The brokers open the “Rolexes” and find they are cheap knock-offs that are without value.

I’d rather wear less exspensive Seiko that is real than a fake Rolex that cost’s a lot and stops in a week.

 

[Joe_5859]

Ok, I have one for you. I am so morally opposed to diamonds. The whole industry is immoral and disgusting. I refuse to buy or wear them. I do have a lot of jewelry that is made with diamond simulants that make it look like I paid De Beers too much money. Even my engagement ring is moissanite (at my request). Its beautiful and only cost about 1K. A comparable diamond ring would have been about 7K. Now, when I’m complimented on it I always say that it isn’t a diamond, because I’m proud that I have an ethical ring and I want others to see how pretty it is and realize that they don’t have to throw money away on something so horrible. But, if I did pass it off as a diamond would that be wrong?

If you tried to pass it off as a diamond in order to sell it to some unsuspecting person on eBay, that would be wrong.

If you tried to pass it off as a diamond in order to gain esteem from others, then perhaps you would be committing the sin of vanity and/or the sin of lying.

If you simply don’t correct people when they assume it is a real diamond, then that might be a gray area.