You cannot put a price on that

After reading The Diamond as big as the Ritz, I was reminded of an event in my life in which I also lost a real jewel/gem.  In the short story, Mr. Washington, the father, destroys the giant diamond by employing explosives.  I, in a similar way, lost a pearl earring in the washing machine.  In both instances, a valuable is lost, but the reasons why the item holds so much worth is very different.  For Mr. Washington, the diamond was valuable because of its monetary value, yet in my instance, the pearl earring was valuable for it's emotional correlation to an important moment in my life.  My mother gave the pair of earrings to me before my first communion, a religious ceremony in which the recipient receives for the first time the body and blood of Jesus.  While the loss of my "diamond" can never be recreated, the worth of the diamond can: that is, if Mr. Washington finds another large diamond.
While the losses of material things can seem like a catastrophic event, one must remember all of the more important things in life.  Family, true friends, religion, etc., are immeasurable in worth as they are so priceless.  These things are irreplaceable, and provide one with love, happiness, and joy that cannot be achieved with petty objects.