[lit-ideas] Re: Blood Diamond
- From: "Paul Stone" <pastone@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 27 Dec 2006 15:34:52 -0500
On 12/27/06, Andreas Ramos <andreas@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
By the way, the diamond issue may become irrelevant at some point. There's
a fascinating
article in Die Zeit about artificial diamonds.
And that's the irony of the strategy of the diamond cartel. They are trying
to stop conflict diamonds from entering the system by making it virtually
impossible (theoretically) for them to be dealt -- except through corrupt
cartel members, thereby effectively boycotting the blood diamonds and making
THAT industry non-profitable. But, as cartels are designed to do, they also
horde their own supply and control release making sure prices stay high. If,
as you say, [man-made] diamonds become abundant, it would be interesting to
see how the glut affects the existing market.
A number of companies are getting better and better at producing diamonds.
They can grow
diamonds in any size, such as diamond sheets the size of dinnerplates
which are used for
lenses. By adding other elements, they can also produce diamonds in many
colors: blue,
green, red, orange, pink, purple, and so on. They can even make black
diamonds.
If this becomes a totally developed industry, it will effectively erase the
cartel's advantages, although even pretentious rich people might forgo the
man-made diamonds just because they can afford to. People are weird that
way...
p
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