Is it immoral to wear diamonds?

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whatevergirl

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This might seem like a bizarre question, but I have been ring shopping these days…I would like a ‘past, present, and future’ ring…and as I was doing some ‘diamond research’ on the net, I ran across an article where a woman who is in the process of getting engaged, (and ring shopping) opted to not have a diamond at all…would rather have a gem stone, or ‘fake’ diamond, as she put it. I see nothing wrong with any of that…sounds much less expensive, indeed! But, her quote was…‘that she is morally opposed to wearing diamonds, and feels uneasy about so much wealth on her hand.’ It really got me to thinking about Christ asking that man to surrender his riches, to follow Him.

But, if we wear diamonds (and like them:o ) is there something wrong with that?

Just interested in some Catholic perspectives on the matter.
Thanks, friends!🙂
 
Unless the cost of the ring is such that it deprives your family of something important (food, mortage, etc.) or it is a gaudy and outrageous thing to show-off, then I think that it is not a problem to wear a diamond.

For someone who is poor, it may be immoral because of the cost.

Others may be concerned by the fact that in some areas, diamond miners are not treated particularly well.

On the whole, however, I think it is not a problem.
 
No, there’s nothing wrong with getting and wearing diamonds, any more than any other gemstone. In fact, some gems, such as emeralds, can be of much greater value. It all depends on the stone’s weight and clarity, as I understand it.

Many people seem to think that any “unnecessary” thing is sinful to have, but that’s not the case. Those who produce luxury items contribute to the economy as much as those who produce other goods.

Where the sin comes in, as in anything, is in excess. St. Paul taught “moderation in all things” of this world. As long as objects, and even people, are not more important to us than following Christ, there is no danger in owning things like gemstones, paintings, nice clothing, cars, and other things of beauty and art.
 
Della said:
Many people seem to think that any “unnecessary” thing is sinful to have, but that’s not the case.
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Considering we ourselves are unnecessary things, in absolute terms, that’s kind of a bad thing for us to think.
 
The moral question might be in how diamonds are mined. Are the miners virtual slaves? IOW: does a diamond appear on the market because of an unjust social system?

You have to be careful with that. The vet where I work tells me that there are massive warehouses full of ivory obtained from elephants that died naturally. None of this can be used because it promotes the black market. Boggles the mind.

Some people will not buy certain things manufactured in China or other Asian countries because of the labor conditions (child labor, subhuman wages).

Your call. How about an antique, if this troubles you?
 
I think this kind of stuff is the salvation by works that St. Paul warned us of- that is, easily controllable, external acts of devotion that make us feel good about ourselves in lieu of addressing the internal state of our souls.
 
mercygate said:
The moral question might be in how diamonds are mined. Are the miners virtual slaves? IOW: does a diamond appear on the market because of an unjust social system?

You have to be careful with that. The vet where I work tells me that there are massive warehouses full of ivory obtained from elephants that died naturally. None of this can be used because it promotes the black market. Boggles the mind.

Some people will not buy certain things manufactured in China or other Asian countries because of the labor conditions (child labor, subhuman wages).

Your call. How about an antique, if this troubles you?
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There are also diamond mines in Canada in which no one is exploited, so it’s not an industry-wide problem, really.

Any reputable jeweler will be happy to tell you where his diamonds came from and who he purchased them from, if you ask him. 🙂
 
Della said:
There are also diamond mines in Canada in which no one is exploited, so it’s not an industry-wide problem, really.

Any reputable jeweler will be happy to tell you where his diamonds came from and who he purchased them from, if you ask him. 🙂
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Now THAT is information many a young couple should know! Thanks for the info.
 
whatevergirl said:
This might seem like a bizarre question, but I have been ring shopping these days…I would like a ‘past, present, and future’ ring…and as I was doing some ‘diamond research’ on the net, I ran across an article where a woman who is in the process of getting engaged, (and ring shopping) opted to not have a diamond at all…would rather have a gem stone, or ‘fake’ diamond, as she put it. I see nothing wrong with any of that…sounds much less expensive, indeed! But, her quote was…‘that she is morally opposed to wearing diamonds, and feels uneasy about so much wealth on her hand.’ It really got me to thinking about Christ asking that man to surrender his riches, to follow Him.

But, if we wear diamonds (and like them:o ) is there something wrong with that?

Just interested in some Catholic perspectives on the matter.
Thanks, friends!🙂
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Beyond the wealth and money represented by diamonds you should do some research on “conflict diamonds” or “blood diamonds.” Some really horrible, even diabolical, things are done to people so that we can wear those pretty rocks around.
 
Legal_Eagle said:
Beyond the wealth and money represented by diamonds you should do some research on “conflict diamonds” or “blood diamonds.” Some really horrible, even diabolical, things are done to people so that we can wear those pretty rocks around.
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Whussat?
 
Legal_Eagle said:
Beyond the wealth and money represented by diamonds you should do some research on “conflict diamonds” or “blood diamonds.” Some really horrible, even diabolical, things are done to people so that we can wear those pretty rocks around.
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Bear in mind that while “conflict/blood” diamonds exist, any reputable jeweler will provide the diamond source to you. Further reputable jewelers will not even buy/sell/trade a conflict diamond.

.

If it could be considered a sin to wear a diamond, then could it also be considered a sin to wear designer clothes? Or carry a designer handbag? Or what about any other obvious sign of frivality and wealth. I ask this as I am wearing a solid 18K gold swiss watch while I am typing.

I think the real question is do you have enough money to provide a fair share to charity, a fair amount to the church, and still have a fair amount to spend on yourself and your family? If you are generous with your gifts, then you should be able to be reasonable to yourself.
 
Just to bring a spiritual element to the topic, gems put me in mind of heaven. They are symbols in the Bible of purity and constancy and of the glory of God.

They also speak of the Incarnation because they were hewn out of the ground but sparkle with light when the dross is cut away, much like we are when we are baptized into Christ and formed into his image.

I’ve often told my dh I missed my calling–I should have been a gemologist because I love gems of all sorts and colors.
 
Della said:
Just to bring a spiritual element to the topic, gems put me in mind of heaven. They are symbols in the Bible of purity and constancy and of the glory of God.

They also speak of the Incarnation because they were hewn out of the ground but sparkle with light when the dross is cut away, much like we are when we are baptized into Christ and formed into his image.

I’ve often told my dh I missed my calling–I should have been a gemologist because I love gems of all sorts and colors.
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Well the DeBeers people have certainly done a good job marketing their product with the slogan: A diamond is forever.

And a diamond certainly does have attributes that make it an apt symbol of marriage: it is precious, it ils durable, it is a symbol of light . . . It used to be the custom to have the mother’s engagement diamond mounted on the chalice the parents customarily gave to their son upon his Ordination to the Preisthood . . .

Lots of beautiful associations with diamonds.
 
All the fuzzy wuzzy imagery you wish to come up with regarding diamonds does not negate the details I posted above. One can talk their way into making just about anything acceptable with “spiritual parallels” - the fact of the matter is that many do in fact feel that wearing diamonds is immoral for very valid reasons. It is up to the individual purchaser to decide if those reasons are valid to him/her or not.

~Liza
 
lizaanne said:
All the fuzzy wuzzy imagery you wish to come up with regarding diamonds does not negate the details I posted above. One can talk their way into making just about anything acceptable with “spiritual parallels” - the fact of the matter is that many do in fact feel that wearing diamonds is immoral for very valid reasons. It is up to the individual purchaser to decide if those reasons are valid to him/her or not.

~Liza
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But Della says it is possible to obtain diamonds that are not mined by South African slaves. It’s worth exploring.
 
lizaanne said:
All the fuzzy wuzzy imagery you wish to come up with regarding diamonds does not negate the details I posted above. One can talk their way into making just about anything acceptable with “spiritual parallels” - the fact of the matter is that many do in fact feel that wearing diamonds is immoral for very valid reasons. It is up to the individual purchaser to decide if those reasons are valid to him/her or not.

~Liza
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It’s possible to buy a good many things, including foods, derived from exploiting others. One must use the brains God gave us and look into which products we are buying came from a source that does or does not exploit people to bring it to market. Yes?
 
Della said:
It’s possible to buy a good many things, including foods, derived from exploiting others. One must use the brains God gave us and look into which products we are buying came from a source that does or does not exploit people to bring it to market. Yes?
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This is precicely why I said:
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lizaanne:
It is up to the individual purchaser to decide if those reasons are valid to him/her or not.
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~Liza
 
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