A mound awaits. Me and my friend stand in awe, suited up for the occasion with gloves, as we begin to dig. We dig through heaps of clothes, though, rather than dirt. Pulling out shirts, squinting at hoodies, looking at tags, hoping we find the diamond in the rough. This is not a job for novices, as me and my friend are trained professionals. 

A perfect find. The perfect pair of Levis, the hidden designer shirt, a perfect fitting graphic tee is the payoff for this long day of work. We try to use discretion when looking to not buy any old rocks that can beguile us into thinking they're diamonds. Once these diamonds get found and we feel like our minecarts are sufficiently filled we go to the register and pay by pound. But the job isn't over yet. 

Polishing. We begin this process when we get home, first running our clothes through a heat machine (that my friend provides) to kill off germs, then running them through the laundry to make them smell squeaky clean like polishing a diamond after discovery. Then we shape the diamonds, when they need it, by looking for tears or holes that can be easily fixed with a needle and thread. Then, we start to plan outfits like picking out the perfect metal band to hold the diamond – finding what colors, textures, and silhouettes look good with the new find – just like at Tiffany’s. Finally, we get to wear the outfits we worked so hard for, feeling the same as new brides wearing sparkly diamond rings.