For all those who have bought diamonds for there significant other, you may be entitled to some money back. If you bought diamonds from any place other that De Beers. Thought I would pass this on in hopes that some of you might qualify.

Diamond Class Action

Well there already has been a settlement agreed upon. Now on April 14th. the Court will consider whether the Settlement is fair and adequate. The Settlement Agreement provides that $22.5 Million be distributed to the Direct Purchaser Class, and that $272.5 Million will be distributed to the Indirect Purchaser Class.

Hey its worth a shot right? There's no harm in trying. I'm getting a good chunk of change from the Smokeless Tobacco Settlement.

You don't have to go to court at all. Just fill out the application & see if you qualify. If everything goes right & if you qualify, the money will be sent to you.

It was a settlement UST is paying for monopolizing the market & increasing the price.

i
s there an application for the smokeless tobacco settlement somewhere?

Another thing about diamonds being romantic is total crapola. The fact is the origin of buying a diamond as a engagment gift dates back to the american colonies when a woman needed a man to take care of her and only virgins where marriable. So basicly if you wanted to have sex with your fiance before marriage you'd better have a nest egg for her before you could ruin her for marrying anyone else. Not really too romantic is that. Also the conditions in Diamond mines is terrible which again think what you want about that certainly not romantic. Plus diamonds support more wars then drugs do so again not very romantic. I personaly would never buy a diamond for an engagment gift or to be romantic, then again I say go pick some flowers that fit her taste and that is romantic.

bob thats a bit cynical lol.

the fact tha girls associate diamonds with love etc is the reason they are expensive. Theres nothing easier, cliche perhaps, than diamonds or red roses to show affection. and while i feel the same as you guys, about there being prettier gems, i'm sure most girls still want that diamond ring for an engagement, merely for te fact that its an engagement and its a diamond. its all a bit silly tho :)

I agree with trout. I have to say although I have been considered a very romantic chap I never will let my self get roped into following some cliche like diamonds or red roses because shes been trained to respond to them without thinking about it. Plus if she can't love you without some stupid token showing your willingness to spend insane amounts of money just to make her feel appreciated then she is not worth it at all.

I have in my personal life. I call valentines day hallmark day

If she's happy with that, then she's a keeper!!! ;~) Take her out gold panning and let her find her own jewelry. That would be a memory that would last forever.

See doing something that is actualy personal instead of prescribed is far more romantic and valuable in my opinion. I'am glad there are more ladies that admit to loving the Xbox these days.

Definately on both accounts. My girlfriend can't beat me at most games but definately gives me a good run for the money so to speak.

@ausmike, I have made some jewelry with my finds. Soldering pendent slides onto nuggets etc. I also buy pendant casting to use with the gemstones I have & just set the stones myself. Also the pendant vials I put flake in and sell. I do sell nuggets to the jeweler on occasion.
Now the pics are of the very first & only ring I have made. I know it looks a little crude but it was my first. All the gold in the ring is stuff that I have found myself. The center quartz has gold all through it, you can kind of see in pic. I found the quart with a metal detector. Now the ring has taken a beating over the years. Some of the onyx has chipped. It is a ring I wear all the time. I think it brings me luck when I go panning as I have never come home skunked. I've got a nose for gold & find it every time I go out. I normally wouldn't wear jewelry but there is a little pride about wearing something you made yourself with gold that you found. I know its not the fanciest ring, but I'm proud of it anyway and don't care. Looking down on it and remembering all the fun prospecting trips that were involved. It also comes in handy for fine tuning my metal detector. I lay it on the ground & run the detector over it a few times and get it all calibrated.

Well, at the risk of being flamed... I bought my wife a diamond engagement ring and wedding band... My father is a jeweler, I purchased everything at wholesale and he hand built the ring. My wife's birthstone is the diamond. I agree that the markup on ALL jewelry / precious and semi-precious stones is rediculous... It's got to be somewhere around 100 - 150% just over wholesale, there's no telling what the markup over cost is to the wholesaler. But hay, if you afford jewelry and that's what you want to spend your money on, then more power to you. Since then the only jewelry I've bought her is a tahitian pearl ring, diamond ear studs (again, both my father built) and ruby ear studs (birthday gift from zales)...

No worries merdock. I might flame you if you said you worked high up in De-beers. I'am not going to fault you for buying diamonds, I just think it's good to at least realize that it's a sham industry (in my opinion). Though I must admit I do love rubies. Though I like jade.