I like to think that I am unique, but I am just like many other women in one respect: I have a weakness for shiny things and pretty rocks. I always wished I’d been born in April so the diamond would be my birthstone, but fortunately it’s a gem that isn’t confined to one month.
I’m not a big fan of colored diamonds, or at least I wasn’t until I saw my first chocolate diamond. “Ooo,” I thought, “how exotic! How special! Just like me!” My sweet husband surprised me with a gorgeous necklace one Christmas, nestled in a box of my favorite chocolates. “Best of both worlds,” he said, “for my best girl.” Could it get any sappier? I wore that diamond every day for months.
Then one day I was researching how to clean my jewelry and came across an interesting – and somewhat distressing – article about my beloved chocolate diamond. Most of these rocks come from a mine in Australia. Still exotic, still special. Brown is the most common color of diamond. Uh-oh. Until the 1980s, they were considered useless as gems and were used primarily for industrial purposes. Oh, my. Then, in the 80s, a new mine with better quality brown diamonds opened, and some clever marketing person got a hold of the idea, and chocolate diamonds became treasured objects.
On one level, I was disappointed that my diamond wasn’t as exotic and special as I once thought. But the marketing person in me was impressed. My college classes were filled with case studies of amazing marketing campaigns that elevated products to unbelievable heights of popularity. Common things and even common people can become extraordinary with the right marketing. Just like me! 😀
