Ready to “Dip” Into the Diamond Market?

Man-made diamonds have been around since the 1940s, but diamonds made of food products? Well, that’s a relatively new trend, both from a fashion — and culinary — standpoint. Are you ready to “dip” into the food-based diamond market?

If so, the very latest comes from the makers of Hidden Valley, the Chicago-based condiment maker, which worked with geologist Dean VandenBiesen to create a two-carat sparkler out of its famed ranch dressing.

“Dip” into the Diamond Market

It was a five-month process. First, Hidden Valley’s dry ranch seasonings were heated to 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit, transforming them to graphite.

Then, the graphite was inserted into a diamond press. There it was crushed under 400 tons of pressure for two months, eventually creating the sparkler. The jewel was polished and set in a white-gold band with the initials HVR LVR — for “Hidden Valley Ranch Lover” — engraved on the side.

While Hidden Valley is reaping a bonanza of publicity from its ranch dressing-to-diamond foray, it’s not making a profit from the newly minted two-carat diamond. The ring was put up for sale on eBay. Seventy-nine bids came in, and once the auction closed, the proceeds went to the non-profit organization, Feeding America.

And how much did the ranch dressing bling go for? $12,500. Now, that’s a lot of lettuce!

And while the ranch-dressing diamond is an oddity, it’s not the first food-based gemstone. Previously, peanut butter and tequila were transformed into diamonds. The mind — and the tummy — boggle!

Other “Unique” Diamond Options

As for me, diamonds — whether slow-cooked by nature over hundreds of thousands of years or rapid-fired out of salad dressing or even yummy peanut butter — leave me cold. They’re not called “ice” for nothing. Me? I’m an emerald and sapphire girl!

Yet, if you’re still seeking “unique” diamonds, just not food-based diamonds, there are options. You can always consider sparklers made of your loved ones’ ashes!

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And in closing, a few diamond quotes!

I never hated a man enough to give him diamonds back. Zsa Zsa Gabor

I don’t work out. If God had wanted us to bend over, He would have put diamonds on the floor. Joan Rivers

A diamond is a chunk of coal that is made good under pressure. Henry Kissinger

It’s hard to be a diamond in a rhinestone world. Dolly Parton

And, of course,

Diamonds are a girl’s best friend. Marilyn Monroe