Sunday, November 23, 2008
A Diamond is Forever
The meaning we deduct from things in society is what Roland Barthes calls myth. What I think has become a perfect example of myth in western culture is the symbol of a diamond. The dictionary definition of a diamond is an extremely hard, highly refractive crystalline form of carbon that is usually colorless and is used as a gemstone and in abrasives, cutting tools, and other applications. If a diamond is just a rock, why is there so much meaning placed on the diamond as a symbol of everlasting love, what makes it so special? The connotations that are attached to certain objects in pop culture are unexplainable for the most part, and the example of a diamond gives a perfect example. Why not use an emerald, or topaz to signify the union between two people? We take for granted the symbol of a diamond as a representation of marriage, never questioning it. Perhaps it is purely a marketing scheme to create more sales for jewellery stores. Who wouldn’t, if given the chance, try to buy love, or at least a mere symbol or token of a fragment of what it stands for?# posted by Lauren @ 1:44 PM 
