I have long maintained that diamonds play a central role in society and are thoroughly entrenched in popular culture. Those who think that diamonds have had their day have nothing else to replace them with. To the writer of fiction the diamond can signify many things. Coercion, bribery, generosity, gullibility, romance, kindness, crime, furtiveness, shock, confusion, extravagance, tackiness, style, lack of style, so many things can be implied in the same sentence where a diamond ring is featured. Just take a look at these sentences and see what I mean. There are some real interesting ones here.
Before I jump into the compilation (that took me all morning to put together and format below) just let me put in a plug for my article on how to choose a diamond at Blue Nile which took me a heck of a lot longer to put together.
Anyway, here is what I had time to put together today as far as mentions of diamond rings in fiction:
The Tattooist of Auschwitz
Bonnier Publishing AustraliaHeather Morris
..He keeps a loose ruby and a diamond ring in his bag....
..‘A diamond ring. Or would you prefer an emerald?’ ‘Oh, I’ll have the diamond, thank you,’ she says, playing along....
..The kapo’s price is a diamond ring. She’s heard the rumours of Lale’s treasure chest. The deal is struck....
Crazy Rich Asians
DoubledayKevin Kwan
..She had just bought a three hundred and fifty thousand dollar diamond ring she didn’t much care for, a twenty-eight thousand dollar bracelet she quite...
The Time of Contempt
OrbitAndrzej Sapkowski
..One particularly bold newspaper had compared it to a starving pauper wearing a diamond ring. It was an apt comparison in these lean times....
To All the Boys I've Loved Before
Simon & Schuster Books for Young ReadersHan Jenny
..And there was this one veteran who lost his leg—he sent her a diamond ring!” Chris looks interested all of a sudden. “Did she keep it?”...
China Rich Girlfriend
DoubledayKevin Kwan
..Lorena zeroed in on her diamond ring....
After You
Moyes Jojo..I couldn’t help noticing the enormous diamond ring cutting into her wedding finger, and wondered with a vague pang what the last months had been like for...
In Cold Blood
VintageTruman Capote
..Clutter was wearing—a gold wedding band and a diamond ring? Yet Nye was not convinced: “The whole setup has that robbery smell....
The Silkworm
Rowling J K, Galbraith Robert..Little though the unknown accountant might believe it, Strike was grateful for Matthew’s mere existence, and for the sapphire and diamond ring that shone...
The Chance
Kingsbury Karen..“That diamond ring you won me from the machine at Pete’s Pizza. I kept that.” “You did?” He looked as happy as he was surprised. “I didn’t know.”...
Hercule Poirot: The Complete Short Stories
Christie Agatha..And if the lady likes her new diamond ring!” “And now to resume your so dramatic narrative,” said Poirot....
the Spanish Groom
Lynne Graham..With an unerring eye, he reached down to select the most opulent diamond ring. 'We'll have this one.'...
Property of a Noblewoman
Steel Danielle..He had listed them simply as diamond ring, bracelet, necklace, pin, without further detail, which would have been beyond his competence on the subject,...
..And in the third box was an enormous diamond ring, again with a rectangular emerald-cut stone, like the emerald....
..ring, the ruby one, or one of her brooches....
..She told her about the jewelry and trying on the enormous diamond ring. “Wow! It’s hard to imagine romances and people like that....
..He placed it back in its box with great care, and opened the box with the diamond ring next, which was even larger, and this time he smiled. “Wow!”...
Ladies Who Punch
Thomas Dunne BooksRamin Setoodeh
..The camera zoomed in on Star’s glistening diamond ring, as she gushed about how hard it was to patiently wait for it....
Child of All Nations
Penguin BooksPramoedya Ananta Toer, Max Lane
..There was something of his in this wardrobe: a gold and diamond ring....
..The diamond ring jumped in my pocket, piercing my thighs and demanding to be taken to Ezekiel’s shop. So Suurhof had stolen it....
..The diamond ring started jabbing and stabbing me in the thigh again....
Complete Works of Sheridan Le Fanu
Le Fanu Joseph Sheridan..When I last night sate with you I observed about you a token long since familiar to me as the light — you wear it on your finger — it is a diamond ring...
The Morning After
Reid Michelle..fingers where two new rings glinted in the light—one a hand-crafted, intricately woven band of the richest, purest gold, the other a beautiful sapphire and diamond...
..ring designed to match the necklace at her throat....
The Carrow Haunt
Black Owl BooksDarcy Coates
..But he had to go and propose with a freakin’ huge diamond ring in front of everyone. And he made such a big fuss when I laughed at him.”...
Sinners
Collins Jackie..On her finger she wore a huge cluster diamond ring, a present from Charlie....
..She flashed her diamond ring and leant forward to exchange kisses, whispering in her normal voice, ‘Thank Christ you’re here....
Untamed
Palmer Diana..He slid an emerald-and-diamond ring onto the third finger of her left hand. He kissed it. “That will have to do for an engagement ring....
Winter Street
Hilderbrand Elin..He had walked right into the jewelry store and told Phoebe Showalter he needed a diamond ring....
Once Upon a Tower
James Eloisa..“He has not,” Layla said, choosing another grape with all the seriousness of someone selecting a diamond ring....
At No Man's Command
Milburne Melanie..‘Do I get a big, flashy diamond ring with that?’...
A Coffin for Dimitrios
Vintage Crime/Black LizardEric Ambler
..The fat man spread out large, soft hands on one of which twinkled a rather grubby diamond ring. 'Iama citizen of the world,' he said....
Batman Begins
O'Neil Dennis..He never learned the identity of his benefactor, but he was met outside the jail by a small Asian man wearing a Brooks Brothers suit and a diamond ring...
Unveiled
Malpas Jodi Ellen..“I have a request,” he murmurs, before reaching across to claim my right hand, which is currently spinning my new diamond ring repeatedly on my finger....
..he asks, tracing over my diamond ring. Every defense mechanism I have flies up. “Just a ring.” Oh, this should be fun....
The Girl on Paper
Musso Guillaume..Or the price tag on that diamond ring you gave to Aurore and that she never even returned to you?’ How dare he? ‘What are you talking about?...
Private Vegas
Patterson James, Paetro Maxine..There was a gigantic diamond ring on her ring finger, and there was a kitchen knife six or seven inches away from her chest....
The Shadows
Ward J R..And then there were the tangible representations of his exalted station: the black diamond ring on the middle finger of his dagger hand, and the dense...
The Green Mill Murder
Greenwood Kerry..‘St Louis woman, love her diamond ring,’ sang Nerine, huskily but with great force. ‘Drag that man around by her apron string.’...
Silent House
Pamuk Orhan..The time after that I had removed the diamond ring from the box....
..A year later when the jeweler came in summer and carried off my rose diamond ring and rose earrings, without telling Selâhattin I gave my pink pearls to...
The Sicilian's Surprise Wife
Pammi Tara..She barely managed a gasp as the diamond ring slid in smooth and cold against her skin. Her heart slammed against her rib cage....
Queen of Hearts
Bowen Rhys..Waldeck has reported a diamond ring missing. She knows it was in her jewelry case as she took it off after the ball last night....
..“Presumably this woman who had the diamond ring stolen has a maid and a locked cabin,” Tubby Halliday said. “I do hope they catch the blighter.”...
Dirty Red
Fisher Tarryn..I deserved to be with him, wearing my two-carat, princess cut diamond ring. I got rid of her. For a while....
The Unwanted Wedding
Cartland Barbara..Putting it down on the piano in front of her, he opened it and as he did so Honora saw that the box contained a diamond ring, which was certainly very...
Holy Frigging Matrimony
Chase Emma..Then they put all of his belonging in a big plastic bag—including the two hundred thousand dollar diamond ring he’d purchased for the occasion....
The Heat of Passion
Graham Lynne..‘I think that’s more the look we’re aiming for... and this—’ He lifted her hand and tugged off the diamond ring....
Watch Your Back
Rose Karen..Karen found a diamond ring in a sewer while working for the Washington DC sanitation commission, one of the many part-time jobs she held to put herself...
A Bride Worth Millions
Shaw Chantelle..‘The jewellers who sold you my diamond ring have a matching necklace on display in the window.’...
The Emperor's Children
Messud Claire..He knew that she would try to make the numbers work, would frown over the papers and talk about second mortgages and selling her mother’s diamond ring...
Winter Storms
Hilderbrand Elin..Diamond ring. “I want you to be my wife,” he says. “Will you marry me?” Ava blinks....
Rebel Queen
Moran Michelle..Aside from a simple pearl necklace and a small diamond ring, she wore no other jewels....
Not Even for Love
Brown Sandra..He looked at the diamond ring. In a voice as hard and cold as the jewel he said, “You see, Jordan....
The Tower of Swallows
Sapkowski Andrzej..As usual, she was draped with jewellery – she even had a small diamond ring in her nostrils....
Barbarian Alien (Divided; Broken; Asunder; Reborn; Claimed; Forever)
Dixon Ruby..But Georgie's watching Vektal like he's about to give her a diamond ring or some shit....
The Fall
McGowan Claire..Alone with the tick of the clock, she slowly turned the diamond ring on her finger. This wasn’t right. This wasn’t how it was meant to be....
Greek's Last Redemption
Crews Caitlin..Theo took the sapphire-and-diamond ring she wore—that he’d slid there himself, high on a Santorini cliffside as the wind toyed with her hair and the bright...
The Sex Slave's Final Punishment
Hunt Aphrodite..Inside is a huge diamond ring. Tears come to my eyes as I look up at Max. He smiles and nods. “Take it, Gina. Please. I’m asking you to marry me.”...
Slaughterhouse-Five
Vonnegut Kurt..He knew he was going crazy when he heard himself proposing marriage to her, when he begged her to take the diamond ring and be his companion for life....
Thrill Me
Mallery Susan..Every now and then, she glanced at the diamond ring sparkling on her left ring finger....
Best Laid Plans
Brennan Allison..The only jewelry she wore was a gold wedding band and a small diamond ring. “Thank you for coming in so quickly,” Barry said....
India’s Broken Tryst
HarperCollinsTavleen Singh
..One diamond ring on her finger was worth twice as much as my meagre collection of beach house jewellery, so even the jeweller seemed to realize there was...
..Whenever my father showed us the yellow diamond ring that was believed to have been taken from the finger of one of the princes, this shameful incident...
Shadow Princess
Atria BooksIndu Sundaresan
..Jahanara had left on her mother a pair of diamond studs, the diamond ring that pierced her nose, twelve bangles with diamonds on each of her wrists, refusing...
The Bitch
Collins Jackie..She sorted out her stacks and stacks of chips with fat hands, and Nico was once again mesmerized by the size of her diamond ring. He stood up....
..Nico watched her giant diamond ring catch the lights and sparkle invitingly. It had to be worth enough to get him out of trouble....
..I have borrowed your diamond ring -but the loan is temporary and you shall be repaid in full......
..Once inside Hal produced the diamond ring and flung it down on the bed. 'Glass -fuckin' glass!' He spat in disgust....
A Whisper of Disgrace
Kendrick Sharon..Rosa stared down at the sparkle of her brand-new ruby-and-diamond ring, which had been hastily despatched to her hotel by motorcycle courier late last...
