Everyone who hasn't read the article from The Atlantic should do so. Tldr; the diamond as an.object of value was an invention of the Oppenheimer family and the Ayer advertising agency. They have reshaped the world, and the customs and the imaginations of its people, to suit their agenda.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.theatlantic.com/amp/article/385376/

All those lives lost, hands chopped off, babies orphaned. Just for a sparkly thing that literally nobody needs. To try and take in the scope of what they've done is staggering. I dont even want a second hand diamond unless it was my grandma's or something. The industry is pure evil and I refuse to be party to it. With apologies to those who want or wear them, diamond engagement rings are corny, basic, and unethical.