I realised that post was a mistake shortly after it was too late to edit or delete it.

Mistake? How so?

I'd strayed to the idea of marriage/co-habitation which doesn't actually reflect the title of the thread.

Drifting is a time honored tradition. ;)

And isn't it great?!

And some more interesting information from a very lazy googling effort on my part mixed with awe at the history of it and incredulity that people have that much money to chuck around on things which are so impractical.

The Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond
In 2008, Christie's auction house sold the the most expensive commodity in history; a 35.52-carat fancy deep blue oval diamond. The diamond was originally found in India. In 1664, King Philip IV of Spain gave the jewel to his daughter, the Infanta Margarita Teresa, as a dowry. The blue diamond was purchased by Laurence Graff for $24.3 million. Graff later had the diamond "cleaned up" to improve the appearance of cracks inevitably caused by handling over the ages. The controversial move reduced the carat weight from 32.52 to 31.06-carats. The Wittelsbach-Graff is on display alongside the Hope Diamond in the Smithsonian museum.



http://www.suite101.com/content/most...riends-a309851

I LOVE the gem collection at the Smithsonian. When i went there years ago, my main goal was to see the Hope Diamond. I even bought a replica from the gift shop. And i got to see Liz Taylor's Krupps Diamond she got from Richard Burton. It was on loan. :-)