A Diamond is Forever...or is it?... DeBeers got ya'll again!

[sillyputty]

Gray Matter: Burning Diamonds from PopSci.com on Vimeo.

Gray Matter: Burning Diamonds from PopSci.com on Vimeo.










I can’t stand diamonds. No, really, they just tick me off, because nearly everything about them is a lie. Diamonds are neither rare nor intrinsically valuable nor uniquely romantic. Those are ideas invented by the diamond industry. And no, despite what the ads tell you, diamonds are not forever. They are flammable and will burn brightly with a little help from a torch. This makes perfect sense when you consider that they are made of pure carbon, which reacts with oxygen to form carbon dioxide (“reacts with oxygen†just being another way of saying “burnsâ€).

Shine On You Crazy Diamond: A diamond burning in a pool of liquid oxygen on a block of graphiteMike Walker

Diamond has one legitimate claim to fame: It is still, as far as we know, the hardest substance. Despite its hardness, though, the chemical bonds that hold the carbon atoms in diamond together are actually weaker than those that hold together the other common form of pure carbon, graphite. The difference is that in diamond the bonds form an inflexible, three-dimensional lattice, whereas in graphite the atoms are tightly bonded into sheets. But those sheets can slide easily against each other, making graphite soft and slippery.

Cheap Rocks:The bean counters at PopSci let me burn only low-grade “Congo cube†and semitransparent diamonds, available on eBay for $50 to $300.Mike Walker
It is bond strength, not hardness, that determines how easily oxygen can attack and burn a material, allowing me to burn a diamond in a pool of liquid oxygen resting in a block of graphite.
If your house burns down with the family jewels inside, you can collect the pools of melted gold, but the diamonds will be gone in a puff of CO2. Cheaper, more attractive stones, such as cubic zirconia and synthetic ruby and sapphire, are made of refractory metal oxides that easily withstand the same heat. So it’s actually mall trinkets, not diamonds, that are forever.

Lasting Jewels:The gemstones in this incinerated ring survived without damage because they are cubic zirconia.Mike Walker

Achtung!Don’t try this demonstration at home. Diamonds can burst violently when heated. (We ruined an expensive camera lens with diamond bullets that could easily have taken an eye out.)

 

[redbox]

Interesting read

 

[uptownsdotnetstacky]

Gee, thanks Silly Putty

 

[Gex the Damaja]

I've always wonder who was the individal that decided gold, silver, plat, diamond, etc is more valuble then copper or bolders? It has to be more then rarity, we rarely utilize its any of its functional features so idk. It's amazing how even one follows without questioning anything.

 

[Hallorrann]

well you've swayed me good sir
!%+! dem diamonds

 

[je ne sais quoi]

so should ninjahood not get da iced out jacob jesus piece he's had on layaway for 14 years?

 

[sillyputty]

Originally Posted by Gex The Damaja

I've always wonder who was the individal that decided gold, silver, plat, diamond, etc is more valuble then copper or bolders? It has to be more then rarity, we rarely utilize its any of its functional features so idk. It's amazing how even one follows without questioning anything.

Welp, my job is done here.
I mean Gold itself is pretty valuable besides it being a shiny thing we can show off. It doesn't rush or tarnish and its a great conductor...but we only learned the latter with the inventions relating to electricity...so thats relatively new. 

But what you're asking is essentially what money is...and our money is valued...because other people value it. Thats it. If the system falls apart then it loses its value. 

We give things their meaning...so essentially, we're all existentialists...most of us just don't realize it. This is another story though...

 

[grypr33]

Read this in the magazine when it was first published and it pissed me off

 

[deletedelete]

Originally Posted by sillyputty

Originally Posted by Gex The Damaja

I've always wonder who was the individal that decided gold, silver, plat, diamond, etc is more valuble then copper or bolders? It has to be more then rarity, we rarely utilize its any of its functional features so idk. It's amazing how even one follows without questioning anything.

Welp, my job is done here.
I mean Gold itself is pretty valuable besides it being a shiny thing we can show off. It doesn't rush or tarnish and its a great conductor...but we only learned the latter with the inventions relating to electricity...so thats relatively new. 

But what you're asking is essentially what money is...and our money is valued...because other people value it. Thats it. If the system falls apart then it loses its value. 

We give things their meaning...so essentially, we're all existentialists...most of us just don't realize it. This is another story though...

 well call me when this conversation happens

 

[scshift]

Diamonds are only coveted because they're rare.

If they weren't in such short supply and hyped up beyond belief by companies, how many people would actually seek them out?

Besides, what makes them so much better than any other rare/non-rare rock?

 

[sifupooh]

sillyputty saving captain saveahoes and cuff daddies

 

[sillyputty]

Originally Posted by scshift

Diamonds are only coveted because they're rare.

If they weren't in such short supply and hyped up beyond belief by companies, how many people would actually seek them out?

Besides, what makes them so much better than any other rare/non-rare rock?

Diamonds are the the hardest NATURAL substance on the Mohs Scale...but it burns so easily because its just carbon rearranged. 
There are artificial things that we have created that are much harder though...but they're not natural so they don't get the "allure" that diamonds do.

Once again, its also their brilliance in the light that adds to their mystique. 

If you watch the vid they have a diamond but its really cloudy so no one cares, but its just as hard. 

 

[scshift]

Originally Posted by sillyputty

Originally Posted by scshift

Diamonds are only coveted because they're rare.

If they weren't in such short supply and hyped up beyond belief by companies, how many people would actually seek them out?

Besides, what makes them so much better than any other rare/non-rare rock?

Diamonds are the the hardest NATURAL substance on the Mohs Scale...but it burns so easily because its just carbon rearranged. 
There are artificial things that we have created that are much harder though...but they're not natural so they don't get the "allure" that diamonds do.

Once again, its also their brilliance in the light that adds to their mystique. 

If you watch the vid they have a diamond but its really cloudy so no one cares, but its just as hard. 

Yeah I agree that they have industrial and practical uses, but how many people do you know actually buy diamonds because they're incredibly hard?

People aren't spending large amounts of money on the rock because of its industrial use, they're spending it because they like the way the diamond looks, what it represents, what it signifies. People don't buy a diamond over cubic zirconia because the diamond can cut through things easier.

 

[juju]

Originally Posted by scshift

Diamonds are only coveted because they're rare.

If they weren't in such short supply and hyped up beyond belief by companies, how many people would actually seek them out?

Besides, what makes them so much better than any other rare/non-rare rock?

Diamonds aren't rare. The diamond companies just control the market and how many diamonds are put out there to create the illusion of diamonds. i mean think about it, right now there are MILLIONS of people rocking diamond jewelry and rings across in America alone. And every single day in Canada and Africa diamonds are being mined for %@%+ like jewelry and computers and cell phones and whatever else. So how can you consider something that MILLIONS of people have as just jewelry let alone the MILLIONS more used in every day items and the MILLIONS more being mined every day and call it rare. Hell Jordan 11 retros are more rare than diamonds son.

 

[airforce1king]

Interesting. P4L...

 

[gry60]

Originally Posted by scshift

Diamonds are only coveted because they're rare.

If they weren't in such short supply and hyped up beyond belief by companies, how many people would actually seek them out?

Besides, what makes them so much better than any other rare/non-rare rock?

There's no "precious material" more common on this Earth than diamonds. You can find them anywhere you have the right conditions of temperature and pressure, and if you don't want to mine them, you can recreate them in labs. Ask any chemistry teacher.
The rarity of diamonds is artificial. It was (and still is) part of a marketing strategy engendered by DeBeers in the first half of the 20th century. The founder of the DeBeers group, Cecil Rhodes, colonized most of Southern Africa where he discovered and took control of large diamond mines. What ensued was the systematic acquisition of any new mine in order to control and limit the worldwide supply. At one point, they couldn't even sell diamonds directly in the US because their monopoly violated anti-trust laws. 

At the same time, they launched ad campaigns in the Western world that convinced women that "a diamond is forever" and that they are a "girl's best friend." Although DeBeers doesn't monopolize the diamond market anymore (according to Wikipedia), their past practices have pretty much made people believe that a small piece of carbon is worth that much.

 

[pharelfor3]

1 main group controls the supply of diamonds so they seem rarer then anything else

 

[scshift]

Originally Posted by JuJu

Diamonds aren't rare. The diamond companies just control the market and how many diamonds are put out there to create the illusion of diamonds. i mean think about it, right now there are MILLIONS of people rocking diamond jewelry and rings across in America alone. And every single day in Canada and Africa diamonds are being mined for %@%+ like jewelry and computers and cell phones and whatever else. So how can you consider something that MILLIONS of people have as just jewelry let alone the MILLIONS more used in every day items and the MILLIONS more being mined every day and call it rare. Hell Jordan 11 retros are more rare than diamonds son.

Originally Posted by Gry60

There's no "precious material" more common on this Earth than diamonds. You can find them anywhere you have the right conditions of temperature and pressure, and if you don't want to mine them, you can recreate them in labs. Ask any chemistry teacher.
The rarity of diamonds is artificial. It was (and still is) part of a marketing strategy engendered by DeBeers in the first half of the 20th century. The founder of the DeBeers group, Cecil Rhodes, colonized most of Southern Africa where he discovered and took control of large diamond mines. What ensued was the systematic acquisition of any new mine in order to control and limit the worldwide supply. At one point, they couldn't even sell diamonds directly in the US because their monopoly violated anti-trust laws. 

At the same time, they launched ad campaigns in the Western world that convinced women that "a diamond is forever" and that they are a "girl's best friend." Although DeBeers doesn't monopolize the diamond market anymore (according to Wikipedia), their past practices have pretty much made people believe that a small piece of carbon is worth that much.

Alright that all makes sense. But how did they manage to convey how expensive and rare diamonds were?

I mean, what if me and several other NT members decided to do the same thing with something like sapphires (another kind of stone) or any other product. How would we go about making it seem exclusive and desirable? I can understand how DeBeers managed to portray the diamonds as desirable, but how did they manage to market them to be worth thousands of dollars? That seems like a ridiculous amount of money for something even as "rare" as it is. I figure that would turn most customers away, but people really bought it.

 

[0cks]

^You get "tastemakers" to co-sign and back then it was royalty... If you could get Lil Wayne, Kanye. Lady Gaga, Katy Perry etc. to rock sapphires the value would skyrocket

 

[yeah]

Originally Posted by scshift

Alright that all makes sense. But how did they manage to convey how expensive and rare diamonds were?

I mean, what if me and several other NT members decided to do the same thing with something like sapphires (another kind of stone) or any other product. How would we go about making it seem exclusive and desirable? I can understand how DeBeers managed to portray the diamonds as desirable, but how did they manage to market them to be worth thousands of dollars? That seems like a ridiculous amount of money for something even as "rare" as it is. I figure that would turn most customers away, but people really bought it.

The same way that Jordan makes sneakers so sought out in today's world. Here's a hypothetical method of doing so.

1. Seize control of any and all production (whether it be mining, factory creation, or otherwise.)
2. Create a logo. Something easy to put in commercials, on stickers, etc.
3. Enlist celebrities to wear the product, or get celebrity approval of it.
4. Market said product to the masses via billboards, commercials (tv + radio,) etc.
5. Lock up the extra materials you have for "safekeeping" while only allowing a small fraction of what you have to be in the market at any given time. (This allows for you to artificially drive up the price due to rarity, when in reality there couldn't be more of it.)
6. Allow the masses to go crazy for it while simultaneously keeping an eye on how much of it is on the market, so that you don't over saturate it, nor do you make it too unavailable.
7. ??
8. Profit.

2-3 years ago you could buy a snapback hat at Savers for $5 tops. Now Lids is pushing them for $30 a pop. It all boils down to supply and demand. If you keep demand high, then you can fluctuate the price however much you want by either increasing or decreasing the supply.

 

[sillyputty]

Originally Posted by scshift

Originally Posted by JuJu

Diamonds aren't rare. The diamond companies just control the market and how many diamonds are put out there to create the illusion of diamonds. i mean think about it, right now there are MILLIONS of people rocking diamond jewelry and rings across in America alone. And every single day in Canada and Africa diamonds are being mined for %@%+ like jewelry and computers and cell phones and whatever else. So how can you consider something that MILLIONS of people have as just jewelry let alone the MILLIONS more used in every day items and the MILLIONS more being mined every day and call it rare. Hell Jordan 11 retros are more rare than diamonds son.

Originally Posted by Gry60

There'sno "precious material" more common on this Earth than diamonds. You canfind them anywhere you have the right conditions of temperature and pressure, and if you don't want to mine them, you can recreate them in labs. Ask any chemistry teacher.
The rarity of diamonds is artificial. It was (and still is) part of a marketing strategy engendered by DeBeers in the first half of the 20th century. The founderof the DeBeers group, Cecil Rhodes, colonized most of Southern Africa where he discovered and took control of large diamond mines. What ensuedwas the systematic acquisition of any new mine in order to control and limit the worldwide supply. At one point, they couldn't even sell diamonds directly in the US because their monopoly violated anti-trust laws. 

At the same time, they launched ad campaigns in the Western world that convinced women that "a diamond is forever" and that they are a "girl's best friend." Although DeBeers doesn't monopolize thediamond market anymore (according to Wikipedia), their past practices have pretty much made people believe that a small piece of carbon is worth that much.

Alright that all makes sense. But how did they manage to convey how expensive and rare diamonds were?

I mean, what if me and several other NT members decided to do the same thing with something like sapphires (another kind of stone) or any other product. How would we go about making it seem exclusive and desirable? I can understand how DeBeers managed to portray the diamonds as desirable, but how did they manage to market them to be worth thousands of dollars? That seems like a ridiculous amount of money for something even as "rare" as it is. I figure that would turn most customers away, but people really bought it.

Simple. Like this:














This is why I like talking about WHY people do what they do, like in that thread about wedding rings...people really dont know the history or underlying message behind this stuff and they get swept up in rhetoric thats been pounded into their head and they've never thought to question.

People are trained to respond to this stuff.

"If you love her, you'll do XYZ."

"show her you care with XYZ."

And girls eat it up because society panders to them anyways...word to disney movies.

 

[GTA 809]

This thread...me gusta.

 

[jaehow]

this is really interesting, and insightful.

 

[dunks r nice]

Originally Posted by RedBox

Interesting read

 

[zmoney3]

dont know what normal person sits there and heat blasts a diamond....