more to life than diamonds

Why are diamonds considered a girl's best friend?

Don't get me wrong, I like jewelry as much as the next girl. I adore the gorgeous pieces that adorn the store shelves these days. More so with the trend for "statement pieces" and elegant looks. But if you turn to any of the advertising on television or the radio, diamond jewelry seems to be the one-stop-solution for anything and everything - whether it's a forgotten anniversary, or a last minute Diwali gift, or even getting random brownie points with the wife. 

The problem I have with these advertising messages is two-fold.

One, it isn't just diamonds that look good on jewelry. Up to the first 20-25 years of life, most girls are happier with chunky silver jewelry, beads, artificial stuff and these days stores like Accessorize, Zara, Vero Moda, Forever 21 and Mango provide interesting enough pieces at (relatively) affordable prices. And even among the more grown up women, the more exquisite and interesting pieces they own may not even be diamonds - instead a strings of pearls, or a set with rubies, sapphire and other precious stones may be more sought after.

And two, girls love other things in life too! Diamonds or jewelry every time is not exciting. Takes away from the "special feeling" factor. Think about it, getting a nice Armani exclusive for him may be just the right gift for a particular special occasion like a big promotion or a new job. But, buying a shirt (albeit an Armani or Gucci) every time is just so unimaginative.

I don't know if I'm an exception to the rule, but I definitely get more excited with gifts that are personalized and more thought through than jewelry. Gift me a new gadget and see me jump with joy. Buy me an adorable pair of heels and see how much I appreciate you. Bags, dresses.. hell even a much awaited PS3 game sometimes may be more appreciated than a piece of pretty rock that I mostly keep locked up somewhere. And if it has to be that expensive a gift, then an adorable Beetle or a Mini Cooper would be much appreciated, thank you very much! ;)