Diamonds from Ashes

Love that antique ring from Grandma? No, that’s not Grandma’s ring; that’s Grandma!

Most married men can tell you the most costly lesson they have ever learned in their lives.

It is a lesson learned before marriage. The lesson taught when they walked into the jewelry store, covering the ground like so many grooms before them.

“He went to Jared, he went to Jared!” Yeah, and when he did, he immediately got schooled in an expensive lesson. You want a diamond? You’ve got to learn, not the ABCs, but the Four C’s of diamond selection.

One must consider the Cut, or shape, of the diamond: round, princess, marquise, emerald, and the like. Then you must decide what Clarity and Color diamond you want. You imagined diamonds to be simply “clear” — how naïve! The final “C” is the “C” that’s really etched into one’s memory: The size of the stone (and the bill) is measured in Carats.

And now, former grooms and lavished brides, there’s a company called LifeGem (lifegem.com) that’s offering you...