You’ve probably heard the saying “diamonds are a girl’s best friend” but have never really thought about where it comes from or what exactly is meant by it. The phrase is actually a jazz song title from the 1940s, but it was made popular by Marilyn Monroe’s performance of it in the 1953 film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

In the movie, Monroe’s character is openly interested in marrying for money, and even argues that a woman’s only means to wealth is by marriage. This is of course what fuels the singing of this famous song, and the idea of marrying for wealth is a residing theme throughout the movie.

What’s interesting about these threads of wealth, marriage, and diamonds, is that they are all in many ways historically connected. In the past, women weren’t really allowed to own any wealth or property, but they were allowed to wear jewellery. In this way, women kept their wealth and were able to pass it down through generations.

Gemstones, jewellery, and precious metals have been symbols of wealth for ages – not only just for women. No matter how much time passes, they always maintain an intrinsic value, unlike paper money which can fluctuate depending on a nation’s economy.

But besides its practical uses, gemstones – and especially diamonds – are simply just beautiful. When you walk into a jewellery store like Vandenbergs Fine Jewellery you can’t help but feel awed by the beautiful sparkling and twinkling pieces.

Diamonds, in particular, are valued because of how tough they are, making them ideal for wearing in jewellery pieces. This is especially ideal when it comes to engagement rings which are supposed to symbolize love that lasts forever.

But there’s also something about how clear and sparkly they come out when cut properly. Their shine is particularly noticeable in comparison to other gemstones, and they even come in an array of colours besides colourless like blue, yellow, green, purple, pink, red, and black.

At the end of the day, the truth is that everyone loves diamonds – or else they wouldn’t be such a huge part of our culture. Not only have they become symbols of wealth but they are also simply admired for their beauty and ability to wow and awe.

Even then, most diamonds are used industrially for cutting, grinding, and drilling – small pieces of diamonds are included on the tips and edges for industrial machinery because of their hardness. Simply put, these gemstones are also incredibly useful and will likely be a part of our culture for generations to come.

Are you interested in buying a diamond ring? If so, don’t feel guilty – there’s a reason why you love these gemstones, and it’s not because you might be a gold digger. It’s because they are bold, beautiful, strong, and incredibly useful – a set of unique qualities that humans have grown to love throughout the centuries.