Why do we buy jewelry?

Why do we buy jewelry? As an entertainer/jeweler, I've witness people with close to nothing spend every dollar they have on jewelry. Is it the way jewelry makes us feel? How does it make us feel? Why does it make us feel valuable? Isn't all jewelry really is, at the end of the day, metal and stones? I've known rappers who are late on their mortgage and car payments spend every dollar they have on jewelry! Why would they sacrifice the little money that they do have just to be seen as successful? Has our materialistic world really created this much insecurity in society? Why would some one choose to buy a diamond over a moissanite, when a moissanite is only 10% of the price?! I sell both but these questions that I keep inside bother me!

Please share your thoughts!