DEAR MISS MANNERS: My boyfriend gave me a pair of diamond earrings for Christmas. They are substantial in size. He also bought diamond jewelry for his daughters and mother.

Upon closer inspection, I saw that the earrings are set in silver, and I am quite sure they are not real diamonds. He is convinced that they are. That is the issue: He spent quite a bit of money, thinking he was buying diamonds.

I will wear them, regardless. But I feel bad knowing he has likely been scammed. I don't want to tell him, but at the same time, I hate to see him waste so much money on something he was fooled into believing was genuine.

Should I stay silent?

GENTLE READER: Have you never heard the adage, "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth"?

Yes, you could have the jewelry appraised, find out how much the gentleman paid for it, and, if there is a great disparity, tell him that he was made a fool of.

Miss Manners fails to see what this would accomplish, aside from discouraging him from trying again to please you with presents.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I'm a small business owner who has worked his tail off for the last 20 years to build a successful business. I have 20 employees, of whom five are full-time.

This Christmas, I gave cash bonuses ranging from $100 to $1,500 to my staff, with a handwritten note expressing my gratitude and thanking them for being a part of our team.

Of the 20, two of them sent me lovely thank-you notes, and one said "thank you" when I spoke with them over the phone. The other 17: silence.

I'm the kind of employer who never stops saying "thank you." I'm old-fashioned that way. But somehow, someone getting $400, $750 or even $1,500 can't even acknowledge receiving the gift, let alone thank me for it.

It felt good to me to give these gifts and I realize I should never expect thanks. But really, is this what we've become as a society? I am rethinking the gifts for next year if people will simply expect them. If that is how they feel, then it will become "profit sharing" with a strict formula for compensation.

Is thanks too much to expect? The two written notes I got really warmed my heart.

GENTLE READER: Nobody advocates giving written thanks more than Miss Manners does. This time of year, she is exhausted from battling those who claim that the pure joy of giving should make it unnecessary to know if a present was received, let alone appreciated.

And those two employees were wise: It is always a good idea to warm your boss's heart.

Nevertheless, she must point out that bonuses are not gifts. Even if not strictly mandated, they are, in fact, compensation for work -- presumably a reward for work well done. This is profit sharing, in the sense that people who contribute to the profits are given a share of them.

Now, if your nephew has failed to acknowledge the computer you gave him, Miss Manners is only too ready to denounce him.

(Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have an unusual houseguest situation. My in-laws visit frequently to see their grandkids, so much so that we call the guest bedroom Grandma and Papa's room. This, I do not have a problem with; I have a good relationship with my in-laws and the break I get from the kids is welcome.

Their last visit was a little unusual because my sister was also coming for one night, just to sleep on the couch as she traveled to another state. She was not taking anyone's bed; she arrived after the kids had already gone to sleep, and would be leaving before many people even woke up. No one's time or space was being hijacked.

My in-laws have never met my sister, beyond her being my maid of honor at the wedding 10 years ago. When she arrived, I grabbed glasses of wine for everyone and we all sat outside on the back patio. My in-laws said their hellos, and soon my husband excused himself to finish the dishes. My father-in-law also promptly got up, followed him inside and got on his laptop, never to come back out.

My mother-in-law, upon finishing her glass of wine, then also went inside and never came back out. My husband came out after the dishes were done, talked with us for about 20 minutes and then went inside to check on his parents, but never came back out. My sister and I were left outside for over two hours by ourselves with half our guests ignoring another guest.

I'm not worried about my husband's behavior. My sister doesn't visit often, but they have a pleasant enough relationship. But I found my in-laws to be very rude -- they didn't even try to be pleasant or get to know my sister. They are usually very chatty people. Am I wrong?

GENTLE READER: There are likely many things at play here. Your in-laws clearly feel at home in your house and that they are free to come and go as they please. And they may have thought that they were giving you and your sister some time alone to catch up.

But Miss Manners agrees that they should have said that before rudely disappearing for the night. "Please excuse me, I'm tired" or "I have some work to do," followed by "I'll let you two have some time to yourselves," would have been polite. At which point, your protests to stay could be met with gracious compliance -- or at least a more convincing excuse than checking their stocks on the internet.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Our babysitter's mother picks her up in the evening. I always keep cold drinks in the fridge for guests. When the sitter and her mother leave, they help themselves, taking five or six cans of soda. How can I let them know that one each is acceptable?

GENTLE READER: Leave them only two.

(Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

DEAR MISS MANNERS: In our neighborhood, my wife and I are one of a group of friends and couples who often get together for friendly gatherings and such. Many of us have kids of the same age, so it isn't unusual for us to get together on the weekend for birthdays or just for impromptu happy hour drinks in a driveway while our children play.

Lately, though, one of my neighbors has been putting me off.

Often, when people are conversing in groups, they will form a circle or semicircle. More than once, when this particular neighbor is standing next to me in one of these semicircles, he will step out in front of me, effectively blocking me from the group. I am then in the position of having to step over to the side of him so that people can see me and I can engage in conversation again.

This is not a guy whom I find generally boorish, but this behavior seems incredibly rude and disrespectful to me. I think he is probably doing this subconsciously, but I feel like I need to bring it to his attention the next time it happens and make it known that I don't appreciate him blocking me out.

How do you suggest I approach this situation without causing a scene?

GENTLE READER: "Bart," said teasingly, "are you acting as my bodyguard tonight? I assure you that I can defend myself if our argument about farmers markets reaches a fever pitch."

Presumably Bart will then realize his awkward position, and move. If he does not, Miss Manners permits you to repeat the admonishment with ever so slight increments of annoyance.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I recently got married for the second time, and have moved two hours away from my hometown and everyone I know. Our marriage is great, but there is a woman in my husband's friend group -- which consists of his friends and their wives or girlfriends -- who is a problem.

This woman acts like she just loves everyone, and calls me beautiful when we see each other, but I can tell she's so fake! For a THIRD time, she has posted "memories" photos on social media that show my husband with his ex-girlfriend of six years.

I don't want to seem petty or jealous, but I talked to my mom and my best friend about it, and they agree it's very rude and hurtful. Can I please have your opinion?

GENTLE READER: This woman clearly learned a lot in high school. And much like it was there, the only way to shut down such behavior is to ignore it. Miss Manners would think it particularly easy to ignore social media posts.

But if you simply cannot, perhaps you can say, "You must have been so close to Carrie. I see her on your social media all of the time. Tell me, what is the special connection?" At the very least, this woman will have to explain her seeming obsession with posting these old photos.

(Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)