Forever Ago – "How diamonds became the symbol of love"

Podcast: Forever Ago (Brains On Universe)
Host: Joy Dolo
Co-host: Dia (from California)
Release Date: March 25, 2026

Episode Overview

In this lively, family-friendly episode, host Joy Dolo and co-host Dia explore the fascinating and surprising history of how diamonds became the ultimate symbol of romantic love, especially in the context of engagement and wedding rings. The episode takes listeners on a journey from ancient traditions and the realities of diamond mining to the marketing genius that forever linked diamonds with romance. Along the way, the hosts interrogate cultural traditions, challenge assumptions, and play a fun history game ("First Things First").

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Re-examining Ways to Express Love

• Opening Banter (00:08): Joy humorously considers alternatives to diamond rings, referencing the "12 Days of Christmas" and joking about gifting birds instead of diamonds.
• Dia's Take (01:54): "I think that the best way to show someone that you love them is through handmade gifts...you care and that you put effort into their gift."
• Memorable Gift Story (02:07): Dia shares a story about receiving a handmade joke book from her mother—a touching example of meaningful, non-material expressions of love.

2. The Problems with Diamonds

• Practical & Ethical Concerns (03:28–03:57):
  • Diamonds are very expensive.
  • Many are mined in dangerous conditions with unfair labor practices.
  • Environmental harm from mining.
  • Rise in people choosing alternatives due to these issues.

3. How Diamonds First Became Linked to Love and Marriage

• Early History (04:07–04:27):
  • The first recorded diamond engagement ring: Archduke of Austria, 1477.
  • This started a trend among Europe's wealthy, but the average person still married without diamonds.

4. The De Beers Discovery & Diamond Boom

• South Africa’s Role (04:34–06:05):
  • 1800s: Major diamond discovery by the De Beers brothers in South Africa.
  • Their farm becomes one of the world’s most important diamond mines.
• Economic Implications (09:16–09:56):
  • Diamonds become much more common, threatening their rarity and value.

5. Market Manipulation: Creating (and Selling) Rarity

• The Cartel Solution (10:31):
  • Diamond miners (notably the De Beers company) band together to control supply and keep prices high.
• Manufacturing Demand (10:36–11:04):
  • Issue: Diamonds are still viewed as luxuries for the rich.
  • Solution: Aggressive efforts to create broader demand.

6. The Marketing Genius: Making Diamonds Romantic

• Mass Advertising (11:04–12:10):
  • 1930s–1940s: De Beers hires an ad agency to link diamonds to love.
  • Product placement: Diamonds in movies, on celebrities, and in the media.
  • School and community lectures delivered by the charismatic Gladys Babson Hannaford, who became known as "the diamond lady."
    • Memorable Quote (12:45): "The enduring quality of a diamond is associated with an enduring love."
• The Power of Slogans (16:42–18:18):
  • Frances Garrity (an advertising writer, one of few women in her field at the time) creates the famous phrase:
    • Quote (17:49): "A diamond is forever."
    • Colleagues initially dismiss the phrasing, but it becomes “the slogan of the century.”
  • Slogan's Impact:
    • Cemented the association between diamonds and everlasting love.
    • Led to a boom in diamond sales, especially engagement rings.

7. Game Segment: "First Things First" (06:08, 20:27–23:39)

• Joy and Dia try to put "writing a poem," "sending a Valentine’s Day card," and "candy hearts" in chronological order.
• Correct Order & Historical Details:
  • Oldest: Love poems (~2000 BCE; Ancient Mesopotamia)
  • Next: Valentine’s cards (1415; Charles, Duke of Orleans, wrote a card from prison)
  • Most recent: Candy hearts (1866; New England Confectionery Company)
  • Dia’s reaction (21:08): "Wow… That’s really cool."

8. Reflection & Light-hearted Moments

• Dia on School Lectures about Diamonds (13:17): "I would honestly be so confused. Like, am I in the wrong room? Is this supposed to be for the teachers?"
• Joy’s Alternative Romantic Symbols (19:06–19:32): Joking about pickles as a better symbol for love because "they last so long in the fridge and are great for your gut... Pickles, the snack of true romance."
• Candy Hearts and Valentine's Day Deals (22:39–22:45): Joy prefers the day after Valentine’s Day, "when you can get all the chocolate and the candy hearts for, like, super cheap."

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• On Alternatives to Diamonds:
  Joy: "I'm trying to find a better way to tell someone I love them... It’s customary to give your beloved a diamond ring. But I think we need some other options. Not everyone likes diamonds." (01:05)

• Practical Concerns:
  Dia: "New diamonds are often expensive. Not everyone has several thousand dollars to spare." (03:37)

• On Diamond Discovery:
  Joy: "The brothers' last name was De Beers...which makes sense because they were standing on what would become one of the most important diamond mines in all the world." (05:29)

• Marketing Tactics:
  Ad campaign example: "The enduring quality of a diamond is associated with an enduring love." (12:45, attributed to ‘the diamond lady’ Gladys Babson Hannaford)

• Frances Garrity & the Famous Slogan:
  Narration: "A diamond is forever." (17:49)
  Joy: "They didn’t realize Frances had captured lightning in a bottle." (18:12)

• On Receiving a School Lecture about Diamonds:
  Dia: "I would honestly be so confused. Like, am I in the wrong room? Is this supposed to be for the teachers?" (13:17)

• Summary of Change:
  Joy: "Diamonds were once very rare and very valuable. But after miners in South Africa discovered a big trove of these stones, they were much more common. So all the diamond mine owners teamed up to control prices and convince people to show affection with their stones." (19:32–19:57)

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:08–01:24: Opening banter, setting up the diamond tradition question
• 01:54–02:27: Dia’s thoughts and story about meaningful love gifts
• 03:28–03:57: Problems with diamonds (cost, ethics, environment)
• 04:07–04:27: Origins of diamond engagement rings (1477)
• 05:24–06:05: De Beers diamond discovery
• 06:08–07:32 & 20:27–23:39: "First Things First" history game
• 09:16–09:56: Diamonds become common; risk to their value
• 10:31–11:49: Formation of De Beers cartel and start of the marketing campaign
• 11:49–13:08: Gladys Babson Hannaford, the "diamond lady"
• 16:42–18:18: Frances Garrity & creation of "A diamond is forever"
• 19:06–19:32: Joy’s pitch for pickles as a symbol of love
• 21:08–22:45: Dia and Joy react to the "First Things First" answers

Episode Takeaways

• Diamonds became the symbol of love through deliberate marketing—not because of ancient tradition.
  • The story involves market manipulation, inventive advertising, and cultural engineering—mostly in the 20th century.
• Earlier traditions (poems, Valentine’s cards) have much deeper history than the diamond ring custom.
• Listeners are encouraged to think critically about why we use certain symbols and how traditions evolve—sometimes for reasons more commercial than romantic.

Tone & Style

• Playful & Accessible: Joy and Dia use jokes, personal anecdotes, and fun analogies ("Steam horses aren't a thing. It's not a thing.") to make history approachable.
• Critical Thinking: The show invites listeners to question received wisdom and consider ethical dimensions.
• Inviting to All Ages: The dialogue and explanations are suited to curious listeners of any age, making the episode engaging for families.
• Engagement: Frequent invitations for listener input and a mini history game promote active engagement with the past and the present.

Summary by Forever Ago Podcast Summarizer.