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chaoseverlasting
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I just saw Blood Diamond. I don't know how to say this, but I am never going to buy a diamond in my life.
Wars aside, diamonds are an incredibly poor "investment". They are common gemstones and the only reason that the price stays high is that DeBeers has a lock on the diamond trade and they dribble them onto the market slowly enough to keep the price from dropping. Good-quality rubies, sapphires, and emeralds have real value on the world market, as do exotics like Tsavorite (bright green garnet) and Alexandrite.chaoseverlasting said:I just saw Blood Diamond. I don't know how to say this, but I am never going to buy a diamond in my life.
Oh, yes, and the cartels have managed to infiltrate the Japamese bridal market, and push the marketing of multi-stone diamond "anniversary" rings in the US market. I have faceted hundreds of gemstones over the years, and the most beautiful was a matched pair of Tsavorites that I cut for my wife and myself to mount in his-and-her rings. We were quite poor when we married and she never got an engagement ring (though I was not a fan of diamonds even then), but she treasures her Tsavorite. The rough stones are found in Tsavo National Park in Kenya, thus the name. They are deep grassy green garnets and much rarer than emeralds. They are also much tougher than emeralds so they can be worn in rings without as much fear of damage.russ_watters said:Don't forget the marketing, Turbo: "Diamonds are forever" turns diamonds into heirlooms, ensuring they stay off the market and that also keeps the prices up.
I am NOT encouraging people to buy diamonds, but other precious stones. DeBeers pretty has a lock on the world supply of diamond rough, so when they say that they do not buy conflict diamonds, it only means that the murderers have to use a middle-man so deBeers can keep their hands clean.chaoseverlasting said:Don't you guys want to throw up at the thought of buying conflict diamonds? That diamond pendent, or bracelet, or ear ring or whatever probably cost someone their arm or leg, possibly their life, the lives of their sons, and daughters, and their wives. It cost children their childhood, a family their food, caused the destruction, no, annihilation of whole villages, and for what? So the people who caused all this can buy more guns? So they can decimate some other village?
You're encouraging people to kill each other for your temporary satisfaction. Is that what you want to make a present of? You want to make someone you care about responsible for the deaths of those people? Is that a present or a curse? Who would want that? What kind of a person would want that on their conscience? Thats some present man.
The wife of a client (technical service for paper machines) showed me an old rose-cut diamond in a platinum setting that had belonged to her grandmother and asked if should have it re-cut as her jeweler advised. It was as colorless as water, clear of any defects at 10x, and at least 3 carats in weight, although with that cut, it could have been over 4 carats easily - it's hard to estimate weight when so many stones are cut to the modern "brilliant" standard. I told her to pass the ring down and to warn her heirs never to show that ring to a jeweler again. At that time a brilliant-cut diamond of that color showing no flaws at 10x was selling for $50,000/carat with tremendous premiums for each increment in weight. She probably would have gotten back a flawless H or I stone in a gold setting to disguise the color shift, and the jeweler would have pocketed 6 figures easily.hypatia said:I only own diamonds cut befor 1860, so I feel no guilt.
That probably applies to any commodity, particularly those requireing intensive labor, e.g. coffee, cocoa, various nuts or fruits, . . . . in the pooer nations.FredGarvin said:I just saw a story the other day about scams that large coffee producers in places like Columbia were using extortion to keep local farmers under their thumbs to provide coffee to companies like Starbucks and Folgers at low prices. It is the coffee version of blood diamonds (fair trade coffee). Luckily a lot of farmers got together and formed co-ops to counter the bad guys. That story hit home for me.
Don't forget bananas. Our government has toppled other governments and has suppressed democracy in Central America for the benefit of fruit companies. "Banana Republic" may be a popular clothing vendor, but the name originates in the blood and suffering of millions.Astronuc said:That probably applies to any commodity, particularly those requireing intensive labor, e.g. coffee, cocoa, various nuts or fruits, . . . . in the pooer nations.
It ends up being a few who control supply in order to artificially bolster demand.
BobG said:The point is that both options, buying diamonds and boycotting diamonds, is supporting one side or the other. You should probably know both sides of the conflict before picking a side - if you're basing your purchasing decisions on political reasons, anyway.
I may be wrong, but aren't politics affected by economics? So, even if the UN voted to lift the ban on blood diamonds, that political decision was most probably based on economic considerations of both sides. The Sierra Leone government would want to start some form of trade, and De Beers (and others like them), would want to have one more diamond farm under their control. So, whatever the UN does, is more a token response rather than genuine goodwill or a genuine effort to improve the situation of Sierra Leone.BobG said:In any event, the UN just voted to lift the ban on 'blood diamonds' since the civil war is over, at least temporarily. Which brings up another point: perhaps you should make sure the issue is still relevant before making your diamond buying decisions.
BobG said:All of which points out the most important point: movies generally aren't a good source to base your political viewpoints on. They usually reflect the viewpoint of the moviemaker, right or wrong, and only represent a snapshot in time. They can't keep up with events that occur after the movie's release.
FredGarvin said:I just saw a story the other day about scams that large coffee producers in places like Columbia were using extortion to keep local farmers under their thumbs to provide coffee to companies like Starbucks and Folgers at low prices. It is the coffee version of blood diamonds (fair trade coffee). Luckily a lot of farmers got together and formed co-ops to counter the bad guys. That story hit home for me.
The issue of blood diamonds has greatly impacted my personal life. As a scientist, I have always been aware of the environmental and ethical implications of mining, but learning about the devastating effects of blood diamonds on communities and individuals has made me more conscious of my own consumption habits.
Blood diamonds, also known as conflict diamonds, are diamonds that are mined in war zones and sold to finance rebel groups and armed conflicts. These diamonds are often mined using forced labor and the profits are used to fund violence and human rights abuses. These diamonds are then smuggled into the legitimate diamond trade and eventually end up in jewelry stores around the world.
Consumers can make a difference by being more conscious of where their diamonds come from. They can do this by asking for certifications such as the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, which ensures that diamonds are not conflict diamonds. They can also support companies that have transparent and ethical sourcing practices.
One potential solution is for governments and diamond companies to work together to enforce stricter regulations and transparency in the diamond industry. This can help prevent the smuggling of blood diamonds and hold companies accountable for their sourcing practices. Additionally, supporting ethical and sustainable mining practices can also help reduce the demand for blood diamonds.
The long-term effects of blood diamonds on affected communities are devastating. These communities often suffer from violence, displacement, and loss of livelihoods. Children are often forced into labor in the mines instead of receiving an education. The environmental impact of mining can also have long-lasting effects on the land, making it difficult for communities to sustain themselves. It is important for the diamond industry to address these issues and work towards providing support and resources for affected communities.