Cultural Representations and Transformations of a "Girl's Best Friend"

Are diamonds really a girl's best friend? Diamond jewelry became a booming industry in the United States after World War II. Many advertisements at the time emphasized themes of love and devotion that are only accurately expressed when you buy diamond jewelry for your significant other. These positive images of diamond jewelry changed drastically in the 1990s when the label "blood diamond" was introduced to describe both the environmental and humanitarian crises of the natural diamond industry, predominantly in Africa. This book discusses the emergence of diamond jewelry in the United States, the ways in which the lab-made diamond industry is a technological solution for blood diamonds, and how diamonds made from ashes complicate the average consumers' traditional vision of diamond jewelry. Ultimately this book shows that there is still a plethora of natural diamonds in the earth, but lab-made diamonds eliminate the environmental and humanitarian issues associated with natural diamonds. There are consumers that will prefer purchasing natural diamonds, but a new generation of consumers, mainly Millenials, are looking for alternative sources for diamond jewelry.

Autorentext

Bryn Whiteley received her Bachelor of Arts in Humanities, Science and Environment with a minor in Vocal Performance in 2012, a Master of Science in Science and Technology Studies in 2014, and Doctor of Philosophy in STS in 2016, all from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Klappentext

Are diamonds really a girl's best friend? Diamond jewelry became a booming industry in the United States after World War II. Many advertisements at the time emphasized themes of love and devotion that are only accurately expressed when you buy diamond jewelry for your significant other. These positive images of diamond jewelry changed drastically in the 1990s when the label "blood diamond" was introduced to describe both the environmental and humanitarian crises of the natural diamond industry, predominantly in Africa. This book discusses the emergence of diamond jewelry in the United States, the ways in which the lab-made diamond industry is a technological solution for blood diamonds, and how diamonds made from ashes complicate the average consumers' traditional vision of diamond jewelry. Ultimately this book shows that there is still a plethora of natural diamonds in the earth, but lab-made diamonds eliminate the environmental and humanitarian issues associated with natural diamonds. There are consumers that will prefer purchasing natural diamonds, but a new generation of consumers, mainly Millenials, are looking for alternative sources for diamond jewelry.