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Have people made assumptions about your wealth due to your jewelry?

nala

nala

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
Messages
7,347
Has anyone ever commented that you must be rich bc you are wearing X,Y orZ? Or do most people you come across have no idea how much you have spent on your jewelry?
 
Well, I did have a friend make a comment recently that took me off guard. I have the VCA sweet Alhambra Necklace and a perlee band ( really the least expensive items at VCA :cool2:) She randomly sent me a photo of some VCA pieces she saw in a store while on vacation and I asked her if she got some new goodies. She replied “I wish. Only you can afford”. It took me aback, especially because she has nice things and drives a much nicer car than me. Ah well. I guess people make all sorts of assumptions!
 
Fortunately in Australia, the average person isn't that savvy about diamonds so they don't make too many assumptions. Not too many women rock 2+ carat stones where I'm from so my collection of beauties don't attract that much attention.
 
Diamonds have become very affordable now with lab grown diamonds being so readily available. My 1.6ct RB was 80% cheaper than its mined counterpart. I think the stigma of big diamond = rich person will disappear as the years go on and more people find out about and have lab grown diamonds.
 
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Some people who have made direct comments are in the same income range (although I suspect we have more wealth). I was particularly uncomfortable because they could easily afford jewelry but simply choose to spend their money elsewhere. To each his own.
A few other friends have complimented my wedding ring but they are much to nice to verbalize if they made any wealth assumptions.
Most people in my life don’t seem to notice. For all I know they may think I’m wearing glass.

I do have a relative, aside from jewelry, who makes assumptions and comments. I like to DIY things and she constantly says things like “Why are you doing all of that work yourself? You can afford to hire people.” :???:
 
i feel some pieces are automatically status symbol, i.e. cartier, hermes, etc. if i saw anyone wearing a stack of cartier, vca and hermes, etc... and big bling bling diamonds.. i would automatically assume the person is rich!
 
Eeveepenny said:
Diamonds have become very affordable now with lab grown diamonds being so readily available. My 1.6ct RB was 80% cheaper than its mined counterpart. I think the stigma of big diamond = rich person will disappear as the years go on and more people find out about and have lab grown diamonds.
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Disagree or moissy would have done the same. There will always be a special appreciation for a natural stone.
 
Horsegirl76 said:
Disagree or moissy would have done the same. There will always be a special appreciation for a natural stone.
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Moissy isn’t a diamond though, it’s chemically and visually different. Lab diamonds are diamonds, they are chemically and visually exactly the same. The only difference is where they are made. So you can’t compare lab diamonds with moissy’s. People can make assumptions about wealth but no one knows your wealth from a ring you wear on your finger because no one can tell if it’s a mined diamond or a lab diamond unless you tell them.
 
I feel like people who know each other at all probably have a good idea of what level of wealth each other are at, but more as an overall, background thing from where you live, what kind of work you do etc. I'd think jewelry less so because people usually can't even tell if it's real or not.

I have received a couple of weirdly snide comments about my jewelry from other women through the years though, which kind of shocked me at the time. It's been from women who were obviously not poor so I don't know why.

I don't even answer because I am not about to argue with some dummy about how I spend my own money. But it has made me write that person off as a potential friend. Whatever their problem is, it's not how I want to be treated.
 
stonehunter20 said:
i feel some pieces are automatically status symbol, i.e. cartier, hermes, etc. if i saw anyone wearing a stack of cartier, vca and hermes, etc... and big bling bling diamonds.. I would automatically assume the person is rich!
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I think most people in my town would not even recognize those brands or understand their value.
 
Eeveepenny said:
Moissy isn’t a diamond though, it’s chemically and visually different. Lab diamonds are diamonds, they are chemically and visually exactly the same. The only difference is where they are made. So you can’t compare lab diamonds with moissy’s. People can make assumptions about wealth but no one knows your wealth from a ring you wear on your finger because no one can tell if it’s a mined diamond or a lab diamond unless you tell them.
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Thanks for the information. I’m aware of how they are made and lab colored gemstones as well. Resale value is telling.

Enjoy your lab diamond.
 
I will be able to afford only MMD for sure, I want a no heat pigeon blood ruby of Burmese origin instead of a "real" diamond :D. Could you believe that I had never seen a "real" diamond in my life? Maybe I saw something around 0.5ct and wasn't' impressed...Maybe I saw them in a moll, but I wasn't shopping for them. Being "rich" is not bad at all! It is a good sign that many people can afford big and sparkly things. Nothing to be ashamed of!
 
I would say by and large no one has ever commented to me, and therefore their assumptions are their problem, not mine. I like and wear nice things (handbags, jewelry etc) but I don’t ever talk about money with people because it’s not their business. Though, this one time, I ran into this lady while I was wearing this bracelet (many small multicolored stones with a few diamonds, it actually wasn’t very expensive at all!) and after a bit of chitchat she says “oh my God I love your bracelet! Is it real?” And I was completely taken off guard and didn’t know what to say. She quickly followed it up with “oh no no it must be fake, I get it, if that was real it would be worth a fortune!” It was awkward as hell but also kinda funny to me because, well, I was wearing my studs, and those are many orders of magnitude more expensive than a random bracelet...
 
I am definitely interested in MMD, though it took me a while to get used to the idea. I would love a chance to get a big fatty secondhand while they still have low resale value. :)
 
If I see you dripping in designer jewelry,
yes I would assume you are rich.

However, I don’t assume you are poor just because you look casual. Some of the richest people I know dress very very casual but they own 20+ houses. :eek-2:

Beware of the bum at the jewelry store. :lol:
 
My MIL has a few mill in the bank but she wears not a scrap of jewelry, not even a wedding ring. Her watch is a $10 one from the markets and when it stops she just buys another one. She is so frugal she goes to the Charity shops to buy stuff. She loves that they give her price reductions / extras because they assume she’s an pensioner struggling to get by on benefits.
 
AllAboardTheBlingTrain said:
...Though, this one time, I ran into this lady while I was wearing this bracelet (many small multicolored stones with a few diamonds, it actually wasn’t very expensive at all!) and after a bit of chitchat she says “oh my God I love your bracelet! Is it real?” And I was completely taken off guard and didn’t know what to say. She quickly followed it up with “oh no no it must be fake, I get it, if that was real it would be worth a fortune!” It was awkward as hell but also kinda funny to me because, well, I was wearing my studs, and those are many orders of magnitude more expensive than a random bracelet...
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Ha, that is what happens to me too. When I do get a compliment on my jewelry, it's usually for the least expensive thing.
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As far as the obvious designer stuff, my first thought is usually more that the person wants to be thought of as wealthy but is not, like they are kind of overdoing it in an insecure way when the brand logos scream at you from a mile away. The wealthiest people I've known have mostly been more quiet about it, too.
 
About MMD, my husband and I were just talking about them today because I only recently learned they could now make larger ones.

Especially when they are marketing MMD as the eco-friendly, ethical choice and it seems like plenty of young couples are picking them over mined diamonds these days, I wonder if mined diamonds could someday go the way of fur coats. When I was young, a fur coat was the height of glamour but now you'd probably get a pie in your face from PETA if you dared go out in one. Could happen. Who knows.
 
if you give your diamond engagement ring a pet name like some do around PS = Friggin Rich lol
 
jp201845 said:
if you give your diamond engagement ring a pet name like some do around PS = Friggin Rich lol
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What if you give a pet name to a diamond engagement ring that you don't have? LOL what does that make you?

seaurchin said:
About MMD, my husband and I were just talking about them today because I only recently learned they could now make larger ones.

Especially when they are marketing MMD as the eco-friendly, ethical choice and it seems like plenty of young couples are picking them over mined diamonds these days, I wonder if mined diamonds could someday go the way of fur coats. When I was young, a fur coat was the height of glamour but now you'd probably get a pie in your face from PETA if you dared go out in one. Could happen. Who knows.
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I agree that we are more savvy these days and definitely with all the financial commitments early on - paying off your uni debts, buying a house etc the last thing you want to commit to is a large diamond purchase when you can get a MMD for cheaper. I think in the last few years I have been more thoughtful around the eco friendly and ethical choice hence why I love and buy antique cuts - problem solved! But you might be onto something about the fur coat thing.


Buttercookies said:
If I see you dripping in designer jewelry,
yes I would assume you are rich.

However, I don’t assume you are poor just because you look casual. Some of the richest people I know dress very very casual but they own 20+ houses. :eek-2:

Beware of the bum at the jewelry store. :lol:
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LOL what about imitation/fake designer jewelry? Happens with designer bags etc all the time. I see lots of people driving nice cars, only to find out they are renting and on government benefits. So the rich people hide their money and the ones that don't have money like to flaunt it hahaha.
 
maryjane04 said:
What if you give a pet name to a diamond engagement ring that you don't have? LOL what does that make you?



I agree that we are more savvy these days and definitely with all the financial commitments early on - paying off your uni debts, buying a house etc the last thing you want to commit to is a large diamond purchase when you can get a MMD for cheaper. I think in the last few years I have been more thoughtful around the eco friendly and ethical choice hence why I love and buy antique cuts - problem solved! But you might be onto something about the fur coat thing.




LOL what about imitation/fake designer jewelry? Happens with designer bags etc all the time. I see lots of people driving nice cars, only to find out they are renting and on government benefits. So the rich people hide their money and the ones that don't have money like to flaunt it hahaha.
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That would make you a non Pricescope member
 
I‘ve never specifically had anyone say anything too much about being rich with my display of jewelry since I don’t have a large stone yet (I wear a 16 point eternity band on a daily basis) and I have a nice watch (Cartier tank francaise) but most people are pretty clueless. I once had a woman at Target (when we had them in Canada) ask if I got my Burberry bag there. Her daughter quickly corrected her. My mother in law still brings up the cost of my Chanel bag though (I bought it 10 years ago). I was in a jewelry store with her last year and tried on a HOF stone that was about $25K cdn and she exclaimed out loud that it cost more than her kitchen renovation. I’m just waiting to hear how she tries to pry into our finances once I get my ACA. I’ve had nothing but compliments from strangers or salespeople though.
 
Horsegirl76 said:
:wavey: And there it is.
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You’re being very hostile and I’m not sure why. Are you ok? I merely made a comment on the fact that diamonds are more affordable now due to the lab diamond option and you have attacked my opinion. It’s very strange behavior, I truly do hope you’re ok..
 
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Horsegirl76 said:
Thanks for the information. I’m aware of how they are made and lab colored gemstones as well. Resale value is telling.

Enjoy your lab diamond.
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Horsegirl76 said:
:wavey: And there it is.
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What's with the unreasonable snark here? She stated factual information. She made no value judgements, nor did she criticize anyone's preferences or choices; she just stated facts. As more people choose to buy lab diamonds, as lab diamonds in larger sizes become more available, and as more people in society simply become aware of their presence in the market and their lower purchase price point, people will not know enough about what they're looking at on others' fingers, ears, necks, etc. to make assumptions on their level of wealth the way people have been able to in the past, unless the wearer tells them that they're mined or lab. That didn't happen with moissy or with lab colored gemstones because moissy does look a bit different visually from diamonds, and lab gemstones have visual differences from mined as well. That's not the case for diamonds - there is no way without specialized equipment or being told that anyone knows the origins of someone else's diamonds. There was nothing whatsoever in her statements that attacked anyone's choices or preferences, so why the need to be so snotty with her? How did anything she said pee in your personal Wheaties?
 
If anyone’s made assumptions about me based on my jewelry they’ve done so silently. That said, I don’t wear especially big diamonds or branded pieces. In general I don’t think many people think about or even really notice other people’s jewelry the way we do.

As for the MMD side convo — I think someone who is going to make assumptions will sooner assume a large MMD is fake than that large diamonds have become “very affordable.”
 
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