The idea of wearing a diamond on one’s finger is, when one thinks about it, absurd. But, then, all ornament[16] is absurd. My husband, who does not understand jewelry, connects it to the mystery of gender difference[17]. He thinks there is something hormonal in the desire to display a mutated piece of carbon on one’s finger.[18] His theory misses the fact that many men have a taste for diamonds.

As I see it, diamonds reconcile in the simplest possible way two elements that appeal to us—the glittery fun of bling and the solidity of a good investment.[19] These are also the two attributes[20] we seek in marriage and, indeed, in life. A diamond, by symbolically denoting brightness and endurance, reminds us of the fact that our passage through this mortal space is fleeting and will inevitably end in (carbon) dust.[21]

Vocabulary

1. sparkly: 活泼的，生气勃勃的。

2. unconventional: 不守成规的，不依惯例的;engaged: 订婚的。

3. fiancé: 未婚夫，未婚妻为fiancée;1.5-carat diamond with a yellow gold band: 黄金戒圈的1.5克拉钻戒，克拉为钻石等珠宝的重量单位，等于200毫克。

4. compliment: 赞美，恭维。

5. in time: 一段时间之后;diminish: 减少，缩减。

6. accomplishment: 成绩，成就。

7. prized commodity: 价格高昂的商品; detractor: 诋毁者，贬低者。

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