Diamonds are a beautiful thing. Unbreakable. Forever lasting. And incredibly rare.

Giving your future wife a diamond engagement ring is the perfect way of saying: I love you.

It’s a sign of an unbreakable bond. Just as a diamond lasts forever, so will your love for each other.

Right?

Or maybe..

Maybe it’s just a rock.

A rock subject to the greatest marketing scam of all time.

Imagine a marketing campaign that convinces hundreds of millions of people in multiple different cultures to spend thousands of dollars on a rock with no inherent value whatsoever.

A marketing campaign that transforms this rock into something that’s deeply embedded in the traditions of different cultures around the world.

A marketing campaign that managed to link a rock to the deepest possible human emotion: Love.

Why do we assume we’re supposed to spend 2 months salary on a diamond engagement ring? Why do we believe we have to “surprise” our future wife with a diamond ring? Why do so many women want a diamond ring on their finger?

This is the story of diamonds. A story of lies, manipulative marketing and human gullibility.

Before we take a look at the greatest marketing scam of all time, let’s get some simple facts about diamonds straightened out.