Fungibility is great, but there is something delightful about unique things too.
Many investments are in financial instruments or asset classes where everything is fungible but then you do get the collectables. Often what gives collectibles their intrinsic value is their unique elements.
I love diamonds, each can and often does display unique characteristics and history.
I love the uncut ones, for me, they have more variety, intricacy and beauty than the polished stones.
Some of them display the intricate crystalline structures that reveal their inner workings and atomic assembly.
Its rare, but they can be found still embedded in their kimberlite or peridotite host rock.
They are found on their natural state in a variety of different shapes, sizes and colours
These are some of the more scarce and exotic colors.
They can be cut into so called "fancy" diamonds.
But ultimately, they are just little crystals formed at between 1 billion and 3.3 billion years ago, deep within the earth.
They are now contained in rocks 150 to 450 kilometers (93 and 280 miles) beneath the surface and were brought up to within our reach 180-60 million years ago by explosive kimberlite volcanics.
About 6,400 kimberlite pipes are known. Of the around 900 classified as diamondiferous, only just over 30 are economic enough to mine for diamonds.
These are some pictures and comments I put up as part of a post I did 2 years ago on the subject.
I guess these would make me like a pirate of old running his fingers through a treasure chest of jewels.