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Diamond Media Watch: Cnet, New York Observer, etc.
February 15, 2007

- I have gotten some interesting reactions to my comments in the Cnet article on synthetics that just ran. I think the synthetic people have gotten so used to laudatory coverage that they get freaked out when something is even remotely balanced.

There was one paraphrase of my quotes that I think was misinterpreted, when I said lab-grown gems "don't live up to the hype." This made it seemed like I was putting them down. The first thing the cNet reporter asked me is "How are these impacting the industry?" My answer: They aren't impacting it, even a bit, as there aren't that many around. For now, it's just "media hype."

For the record, I have nothing against synthetics (which I will call "lab grown gems" for the rest of this post.) I was just up at Pintura, and they showed me some very nice stones. I think they will be a real competitor if they ever start to be mass-produced, but that won't happen for a very long time. As a cheapskate myself, I don't envy the "mined industry" having to make the case that one should spend more for the same product just because it comes out the ground. 

That said, I think the "lab-grown gems are more ethical" argument is completely bogus (it translates to: "Care about Africa? Starve it of funds!"), and was a little disappointed to see Apollo make it in the piece. In addition, I stand by my contention that there aren't that many lab-grown gems out there ... and if I'm wrong, please, Gemesis and company -- share production figures! You read some of the articles, you'd think there were tons of them out there. Why is this dangerous? Well check out this comment on the cNet story:

Synthetic diamonds may not be as common as natural diamonds, but nevertheless they're everywhere. Do an eBay search for "diamond", eliminating keywords "cubic zirconium" and "CZ" and arranging the results from least to most expensive, and you'll see what I mean.

I bought some synthetic diamond earrings this way and found that they are visually indistinguishable from natural diamonds. Personally, I feel better knowing that DeBeers didn't profit from my purchase.

Now, since this person bought that "diamond" on ebay, we can be relatively sure that she did not get not a real lab grown stone -- most likely a CZ or a moissanite -- and the only person who profited from her purchase was a crook. This is the danger of pumping demand up for a product that really isn't available.

- The New York Observer wrote a piece this week on the Rapaport conference on alluvial diggers. It's amusing, if ultimately unenlightening and more than a little condescending. I get a little tired of hearing that "X" is the only person who REALLY cares about Africa -- whether it's Rapaport, the NGOs, the filmmakers, or whoever.

I've been in this business long enough to know that this is an industry with many consciences. Nobody has a monopoly on caring. I think sometimes people talk too much about motive, and why somebody does something. Ego, self-aggrandizement, hypocrisy, and all our foibles play a role in every human endeavor, including altruistic ones. In the end, what really matters are our deeds, as there are real people impacted by these issues the industry faces. 

Anyway, if you disagree with me, there is a comment button below, feel free to use it.

UPDATE: Here is a much better and more serious article on the Rapaport conference, in a publication that likely has far less readership than the Observer. But it's a good primer on the topic.  One quibble: The author mentions the "the development and infrastructure issues that are bred by blood diamonds." Actually, it's the other way around; while war can certainly ravage a country's infastructure, it is usually the unregulated conditions in the alluvial mines that cause conflict diamonds. In other words, get the digger situation sorted out, and you have far less of a chance of a new conflict diamond situation erupting. (Not that that will be easy, but ...) 

Posted by Rob Bates on February 15, 2007 | Comments (0)