Yes, if snob means it comes with an attitude of "I'm better than you because I have X amount to spend on a diamond because that's the only proposal stone, because it means he loves me more than your SO, and it means I have money and status, and I will belittle your alternative choice if it's not a diamond." I have a problem when someone makes an end-all-be-all, high and mighty, blanket statement like that without delving deeper into why others might make a different choice.

On the other hand, if only diamonds will do it for you, and if you state you have 5 figures plus to spend on a stone/ring, or have spent the equivalent of a luxury car on a ring, and you're not demeaning anyone, I also have no problem with that. You may be technically be a "diamond snob" but blessedly without the attitude, and you're not enforcing or lording your choice over everyone who doesn't happen to agree with you.

I call my DH a beer snob. He doesn't like the taste of mass produced beer and only buys micro-brews. But when we have parties, he buys boh kinds so everyone has a choice. When we attend parties, he'll bring both micro-brews and the Buds, Coors, Heinekens, etc. He doesn't preach why he is right, why his beer is best to our beer drinking friends. He just likes his choice and respects the choices of others. I'm okay with that kind of "snob".

I will agree that the amount of money and the figures thrown about on PS is not the norm and average. Most people can't relate to having a large amount of liquid cash to spend, much less on diamonds. However, I don't think any less of them for having it and spending it on a diamond. Maybe they worked hard for it. Maybe their $40,0000 diamond is proportional spending to their income as our $1500 moissys are to our income. Maybe some of them are perfectly wonderful people.

I always tell my kids that there will always be someone with more money than you and less money than you. It's neither here nor there. It just it is.

PS is a diamond board. Diamonds are luxury purchases, and people who can afford luxuries usually have money. The board also has its rules, which you know full well what they are before you join. I say change the channel if you don't like what you're watching. And thank goodness for the BTD boards where we are embracing all kinds of sparkle and gemstones, man made and natural! What we buy and spend is a personal choice and matter of personal priority, no wrong or right on either side of the diamond/sim debate.

That said, I prefer here to anywhere else! And I prefer my sims and moissys to diamonds - even if I win the mega millions lottery.

Too true... I used to love diamonds a lot more, until I whacked my original engagement ring and chipped the stone. I did learn fast, at the tender age of 23 that diamonds are indeed NOT forever, and that I would never want something so expensive again, unless it was really well insured... But still, if I can have the brilliance and fire for a lot less, why spend so much?

exactly, MGR. couldn't have said it better.

Oh yes, I am sorry if my post at ALL implied they weren't perfectly wonderful! Many of those over there with huge bling ARE from what I have seen absolutely wonderful! And I also completely support people loving what they love, it is just the putting down of others that I do not support (and I do not put down diamond lovers for loving diamonds!).

No worries, RK, I got that from your post. I'm not singling you out at all. I play devil's advocate all the time IRL as I see merits in trying to understand the other side and thought I'd contribute that to this topic in general. Yes, it's the bashing that irks me and believe me, there are times my eyes need a rest from the eye rolling I do with the snarky anti-sim comments I read there and on other boards.

I lurk PS from time to time to see the pictures (I technically could join, as I have 'enough' diamond jewelry to *belong* LOL) but then I find posts that say things like 'OMG I saw a girl who didn't have a DIAMOND in her engagement ring, and I felt SOOOOOO bad for her!!' and I get annoyed. And then the other ones where they're all 'I hate anything that isn't a diamond, I can spot them from a mile away'. No you can't. No one can. I would absolutely LOVE someone to post a moissanite or asha on the boards and see the reaction. If I had one, I totally would and wouldn't care when I eventually got kicked off...just so I could say 'Ha!'
I'm sure there are tolerant people on there, like there are everywhere, but the few posts that I've seen have actually made my blood boil and I don't even have a moissanite or asha (yet)!

Yup, I think I mentioned the bolded in one of the first posts in this thread, but as I said in that one I notice a lot of people like to THINK they can spot a "fake" (as they call it) "from a mile away". However, either it is a bad "fake", or a bad diamond, in my opinion. I am sure they don't actually ask the person if it is "real" or not to verify their accuracy. Given how often jewelers don't even know without a very close and personal look (or until they are told), and how even I can't spot a freaking Asha or most moissanite and I wear lots of moissanite, I really think most of them just want to think they can tell the difference, as otherwise what is the point in spending all that money on diamond or holding themselves out as one of the "experts" on diamonds. People get a credibility thing going that they feel they cannot afford to lose.

I really like when people (this happens on the bee a lot) start saying "I can SEE the double refraction" yet never identify what exactly they think that actually means visually, I sometimes think they just heard this term somewhere and apply it randomly. I have seen people say it who have admitted never actually seeing a moissanite (that they know of!) in real life. Then someone will post a ring that I KNOW is a moissanite as they have posted it elsewhere and ask what people guess it to be and many of them will guess a diamond...ha ha! My moissanite is full of lustre, sparkle (and no does not look "overly rainbowy" which is the other thing I sometimes see people say - I get white light, reflection, and lots of different fire which is just as I see in diamonds!) and is gorgeous. Not one person has yet guessed it to be a moissanite or anything other than a diamond. I saw someone the other day comment on the bee or something about how moissanite shows "pastels" that diamond does not (as mine does in some lighting)...um, so does a diamond in some lighting...take an OEC under a sunlit tree and look! I know people love to capture this look in their diamond!))

I am pretty sure some people have posted over there before with sims or moissanite, by the way. A couple of them have pretty much admitted it there (or more vocally here) and admitted that no one even guessed.

I am not interested in Amora Gem for myself really, but I sure AM interested to see how it shakes up all those people who also insist diamonds are so much better as they come in truly colourless stones, the ones who SWEAR they can tell the difference based on colour (since diamonds apparently don't come in colours, lol) and now can't rely on the moissanite round cut either to "give it away".

Agree!! If the Amora Gem has the same high color and the same premium H&A cut, what will make the diamond better? Because its a diamond? I don't think that cuts it! I mean, how can you justify spending thousands on a diamond when you could have something that (for all intents and purposes) looks identical for $500 per carat?

IF our mortgage was paid off completely and kids school money was fully saved, I would spend $40k on a diamond. I plan to upgrade my diamond one day with another diamond...and I am not a snob. I just like diamonds. But I like lots of things, and like to have pieces with those too. I could have had an upgrade last year, but instead of spending it all on a stone for me, we got my Cupcake, and DH got a new fun car, and we bought an RV for family fun. But if I could have it all, with the 40k diamond too, I totally would. Unfortunately I am not rich, and we have to prioritize. But I don't think should be down on anyone because they choose diamonds and diamonds only.

Jcent, I agree with you that if you like diamonds, you should get a diamond!

I was saying that more towards the people who act like they are better because they bought a diamond. Well, if the stones look the same and act the same, then why is the person who bought a diamond better?

I don't think there is anything wrong at all with buying or wanting a diamond. I just don't like when those people feel the need to look down upon others who make a different decision, that's all!