--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: DUCHESS: Diamonds are of most value, They…" description: "\"DUCHESS: Diamonds are of most value, They say, that have past through most jewellers' hands. FERDINAND: Whores, by that rule, are precious.\" — John Web..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a7/john-webster-7470_diamond_duchess-diamonds-are-of-most-value-they_2959205.png" --- # DUCHESS: Diamonds are of most value, They say, that have… ![“DUCHESS: Diamonds are of most value, They say, that have past through most jewellers' hands. FERDINAND: Whores, by that rule, are precious.” quote by John Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a7/john-webster-7470_diamond_duchess-diamonds-are-of-most-value-they_2959205.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a7/john-webster-7470_diamond_duchess-diamonds-are-of-most-value-they_2959205.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a7/john-webster-7470_diamond_duchess-diamonds-are-of-most-value-they_2959205.png) > “DUCHESS: Diamonds are of most value, They say, that have past through most jewellers' hands. FERDINAND: Whores, by that rule, are precious.” [John Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-webster/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Value is judged by how many hands have handled something, implying that widespread use makes something precious, even if it's morally dubious. **In simple terms:** Things become valuable through repeated use, even if flawed. Key Takeaway Recognize how popularity can mask ethical concerns. Themes value morality perception society reputation Mood cautious critical Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - marketing - fashion - politics - consumer behavior Key Concepts social proof ethical relativism cultural norms Questions to Reflect On - How does repeated exposure affect our judgment of value? - When does popularity become a moral blind spot? A Different Perspective Popularity does not guarantee intrinsic worth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diamond/) [Diamonds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diamonds/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) ## Related quotes > [“Duchess: Diamonds are of most value, They say, that have pass’d through most jewellers’ hands. 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I can't tell you just now what the moral of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-carroll/you-re-thinking-about-something-my-dear-and-that-makes-you-forget-to/) [Lewis Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-carroll/) ## More by John Webster > [Sorrow is held the eldest child of sin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-webster/sorrow-is-held-the-eldest-child-of-sin/) [John Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-webster/) > [All the damnable degrees Of drinking have you staggered through.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-webster/all-the-damnable-degrees-of-drinking-have-you-staggered-through/) [John Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-webster/) > [“Cover her face; mine eyes dazzle. She died young.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-webster/cover-her-face-mine-eyes-dazzle-she-died-young/) [John Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-webster/) > [A powerful portfolio of physiological and behavioural evidence now exists to support the case that fish feel pain and that this feeling matters. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-webster/a-powerful-portfolio-of-physiological-and-behavioural-evidence-now/) [John Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-webster/) > [“We make desire, not truth, the real clue to what’s valuable. 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We may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/coal-lay-in-ledges-under-the-ground-since-the-flood-until-a-laborer/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [The only difference between black coal and a precious diamond is the amount of pressure it endured.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/the-only-difference-between-black-coal-and-a-precious-diamond-is-the/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I like everything with a heaping dose of feminitity, including my cell phone. I created this phone for the classic woman, who like me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimora-lee-simmons/i-like-everything-with-a-heaping-dose-of-feminitity-including-my-cell/) [Kimora Lee Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimora-lee-simmons/) > [The sky was a sparkling succession of black diamonds on black velvet made crystal clear by the blackout.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-sheridan/the-sky-was-a-sparkling-succession-of-black-diamonds-on-black-velvet/) [Sara Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-sheridan/) > [“You're the proverbial diamond in the rough.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-paterson/you-re-the-proverbial-diamond-in-the-rough/) [Katherine Paterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-paterson/) > [My crown is in my heart, not on my head; not decked with diamonds and Indian stones, nor to be seen: my crown is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/my-crown-is-in-my-heart-not-on-my-head-not-decked-with-diamonds-and/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Instead of the 1997 film directed, written, by James Cameron with Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane creating a love story and a large…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-baker/instead-of-the-1997-film-directed-written-by-james-cameron-with/) [Tom Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-baker/) > [“I had a dream that my boyfriend went back to his ex…I woke up and giggled because you don’t pick up a rock after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/starley-ard/i-had-a-dream-that-my-boyfriend-went-back-to-his-ex-i-woke-up-and/) [Starley Ard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/starley-ard/) > [I'll just do a round around of the house and make sure the rest of the family are fast asleep. 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