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How do you explain PS to your friends?

Gayletmom

Gayletmom

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Nov 29, 2008
Messages
735
DH and I will be in NYC next weekend with some friends from the west coast. We're arriving a day early and making the trip to GOG to look at AV stones as we plan an anniversary upgrade (I'm pretty excited to be going but that's a whole other topic). These are close friends and I know they are going to be curious about what we're doing. I don't mind telling them about our fun but how do I explain my diamond/jewelry fetish? "I've fallen in with a crowd of really nice people on the internet who are super knowledgeable about diamonds and have learned enough to become obsessed with cut and light performance"? And "There's a jeweler on Long Island who created, for the this niche market, a proprietary cutting process that combines a love of vintage stones with a desire for great performance?" And "Thank you, but no, I'm not interested in calling your brother-in-law's buddy who can get me a good deal on a round brilliant"?

I can see myself trying to describe the different look of OMCs and OECs and how GOG took that idea and tweaked the cuts for performance and I'm guessing their eyes will glaze over!

I don't usually talk about PS casually with friends b/c I think most people just don't care as much as I do. How do you explain PS and your diamond fixation to people?
 
I don't, really. I learned shortly after joining PS that most people just don't care about diamonds, and once I start talking about things they aren't used to hearing from B&M stores their eyes glaze over, so I just avoid it.

A couple people have pushed me about it in the past, both after telling me that they have "friends" who would give me a good deal, and then I just said that I've been doing a lot of research and talking on boards with jewelry professionals so I'm really sure which direction I'd like to take.

Have fun at GOG!
 
Man I hear you. I haven't really said much to people, but I'm hoping to get to NY this winter. I'll have only 1 to 2 days and would def rather check out Leon and GOG than go to the Empire State. No one in my family would understand. But I'm hoping my sis in Conn would indulge me with out thinking I've gone off the deep end.
 
I don't.

it's my dirty little secret.

:devil:
 
I don't. It's just for me, like a secret stash of candy and cigarettes. Plus, none of my friends know anything about diamonds or gems, aren't interested and get all their bling from Jared or other similar chain stores.

They will never know the excitement I do of hunting for the perfect unheated sapphire!
 
I don't. If I know someone is shopping for diamonds (usually engagement ring), I'll tell them enough to make an informed decision. I've learned that most people don't care about things like H&A, they just want a good diamond for a cheap price. I've only referred one friend here but I don't think he ever came over.

Have fun!
 
I don't. If I bring up something and it seems like I need to explain where I heard about something or where I got my information I just mention I heard, read, saw it on "a forum I post on". I don't explain what kind of forum it is.
 
I don't. There's one person I know that would love the site, but I really don't want to lose my anonymity. Call me greedy, but PS is mine! :devil:
 
I only bring it up if they express a strong interest in my diamond or I find out there is someone looking for an engagement ring.

Most people don't care about a specialized interest such as quality diamonds, which is sad considering so many of them could have had a better-cut diamond for the same price or less.

Just think of how many poorly-cut diamonds are on the fingers out there - all unnecessary.
 
I don't. There are very few people who know I post here.
 
i don't either. they're not that interested anyway. all they care about is that i can answer a question if they ask it!

MoZo
 
none of my friends knows about PS.
 
Actually, none of my friends (non-PS friends, that is) know about PS. Or if they do, they don't know about it from me. For some reason, I'd feel funny if they knew that I posted on a forum.

ETA: I find it kind of hilarious that we're all saying the same thing. Of all the people on PS, you'd think that SOME of us wouldn't mind admitting to posting on a forum to their real life friends and family.
 
I've mentioned it to people and nobody seems to be interested, so I just pretty much keep things to myself. Nobody else really cares about colored gems or having jewelry made etc, so I quit saying anything. Too many blank stares and "So, it's not a diamond? You don't have a diamond? How can it be an engagement ring if it's not a diamond?"
 
I say "my forum". Everyone knows I love history so people are not surprized. If they ever start asking why historians are so much into the price of gold nowadays, I can tell them that it is all about the exact amount of precious metals in the talent. :D And if they ask why I get so many legal advices on my forum, I shall say "they all have studied Lex Romana". :D And if they ever ask why on earth historians are discussing cooking recipes or some frivolous subjects like boobies, I shall say we are sharing our opinion on "Courtesans and Fishcakes" (BTW - a great book with good ancient recipes and a nice discussion of sex in Ancient Greece, for once the author, a historian, managed to make some money of his profession!).
If, if... they ever ask about colored stones, I shall allude to Marco Polo's expeditions. :lol:
If I dwell on my (gem) hobby in conversations I shall lose my friends.
 
All my friends know I'm the girly one who likes jewelry, makeup blah blah. I don't mention PS ever specifically but I do occasionally mention antique jewerly to them. None of my friends are remotely into jewelry (well, one exception) so it's usually a pretty brief conversation, lol. They're used to me being really into antiques and/or jewelry and whatnot and just kind of roll their eyes indulgently at me.
 
i don't.

and for the very few i've tried explaining it to... they don't really get it or care or I THINK they think it's a strange, self-indulgent hobby.

not worth it. just like someone above said, "it's my dirty little secret."
 
I don't tell any of my friends about PS :)

I don't login to PS if I'm using a friends computer, either.

Only SO know's about it.


I like PS being a secret :)
 
If it ever comes up, I expain PS as "an online forum I participate in that covers a really wide range of topics" but I don't mention the jewelry part specifically. In fact, for awhile, DH thought it was a wedding forum since I only ever talked about it in terms of our wedding. He now knows much more about it and gives me some ribbing, but I like to think of PS as mine. He once said to me in the presences of a friend, "you should tell her about that online wedding thing you do." And I sort of just vaguely responded.

I don't think you owe anyone an explanation about why you are fascinated and excited about GOG. Everyone is allowed to be particular about certain things...you choose to be particular about jewelry!
 
Zoe said:
Actually, none of my friends (non-PS friends, that is) know about PS. Or if they do, they don't know about it from me. For some reason, I'd feel funny if they knew that I posted on a forum.

ETA: I find it kind of hilarious that we're all saying the same thing. Of all the people on PS, you'd think that SOME of us wouldn't mind admitting to posting on a forum to their real life friends and family.
Click to expand...


I've only ever mentioned PS to my IRL friends in passing. Not many people really care about jewelry/diamonds so their eyes just glaze over if you get too technical for them. I think most people are more concerned with getting the biggest diamond for the least amount of money.
 
The only person who knows about PS is my DH. Haven't told any friends.

After initiating many conversations about diamonds, I've realized that many like them, but don't want to discuss the subject. Or other situations, like ones will end up being czs (like a very well-off friend of mine had on CZ diamonds and was embarrased to tell me so) has resulted in me giving up on the conversation.
 
DH knows it as Pricescope and became familiar with it long before we were engaged. In fact, he was quite annoyed with my constant looking at jewelry and used to ask, "You'll stop once we're engaged, right?" Then it became, "You'll stop once we're married, right?" and now he knows it will never stop :twisted:

I've referred some friends who are looking for e-rings to the site, but I don't think any have used it.

I feel less odd discussing my interest in gemstones with friends than my participation in an online forum. They seem to think communicating with strangers on the internet is bizzare :confused: :confused: :wacko: ;)) I usually just say, "I know of a great online resource for diamonds and diamond information, so let me know if you're in the market!"
 
I usually just refer to it as my bling forum. My friends know about my obsession, and while they're not really interested in the particulars, several of my girlfriends have told their boyfriends to come to me if they ever decide to propose (and I have a few friends whose engagement rings I had a hand in). Funny story that kind of pertains to this. My friend, C, and her hubby went to a show in Vegas once to see the Blue Man Group. In the middle of the show, C looks down and sees some of the stones in her ring glowing blue and FREAKS because she thought her DH had gotten her a fake ring or something. She points it out to her DH, and he starts panicking, too, because he's thinking he got shafted. They called me FROM THE LOBBY of the show to ask what the hell was up with her ring, haha. After giving C a brief crash course in fluorescence, she quit mocking my PS fixation!
 
doodle said:
I usually just refer to it as my bling forum. My friends know about my obsession, and while they're not really interested in the particulars, several of my girlfriends have told their boyfriends to come to me if they ever decide to propose (and I have a few friends whose engagement rings I had a hand in). Funny story that kind of pertains to this. My friend, C, and her hubby went to a show in Vegas once to see the Blue Man Group. In the middle of the show, C looks down and sees some of the stones in her ring glowing blue and FREAKS because she thought her DH had gotten her a fake ring or something. She points it out to her DH, and he starts panicking, too, because he's thinking he got shafted. They called me FROM THE LOBBY of the show to ask what the hell was up with her ring, haha. After giving C a brief crash course in fluorescence, she quit mocking my PS fixation!
Click to expand...

Pretty funny. Way to use that PS education!

That's the road I'm going down-no details, just my obsession, unless I'm asked.
 
I don't mention Pricescope to any of my friends anymore. I did years ago and people made cracks about my having the time for chat groups. They just didn't understand.
 
I don't mention PS to anyone. My friends and family aren't really into jewelry. My husband knows about PS and calls it my bling blog!
 
Sounds like we are members of a secret society...a sister/brotherhood. Like the Masons. We even have masonic lodges (forums). :loopy:
 
My close friends know about PS. They know I love jewelry, and since a lot of my friends are or will be engaged soon they definitely like coming to me for info on diamonds and stuff (since they probably won't join PS themselves).
 
Well I started to, and then shut up about it!

My friend asked me advice about her engagement ring and knew I was into diamonds. She didn't know anything about them. I directed her to the site and answered all of her questions, but in the end she wasn't all that interested. I was hoping to get someone else hooked! :devil:

My husband knew and appreciated that I was on here when we were looking for our engagement stone, but I think is unaware of what a monster he created!! :Up_to_something:
 
crasru said:
Sounds like we are members of a secret society...a sister/brotherhood. Like the Masons. We even have masonic lodges (forums). :loopy:
Click to expand...
Yes! We should so have a secret handshake. :tongue:
 
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