labratory grown diamonds

[francolettieri]

Heres some info with huge technology implications for semi-conductors/ computer chips. Two U.S. based companies are actually creating or "growing" synthetic diamonds in labs for both technology and jewerly applications. These synthetic diamonds are exactly like natural diamonds that are mined, they are made of carbon and have the exact same optical qualities. The two companies currently doing this are Apollo Diamond of Boston Mass. and Gemesis of Sarasota FL. Websites listed below.

http://www.apollodiamond.com
http://www.gemesis.com

[ZombieHorde]

1. I wonder if this will devalue existing diamonds. Very interesting, thanks for posting.

[Orrex]

2. I'll tell you what would devalue existing diamonds

Breaking the decades-old monopoly held by a few families that create an utterly artificial market driven by slave labor.

I would sing from the rooftops if the market could be flooded with enough artificial diamonds to depreciate the existing inventory.

[Nikki Stone1]

4. +1

If I ever need a diamond, it will be a synthetic one. I'd rather have one from paid chemists than from slave labor.

[pipi_k]

27. I actually prefer the synthetic ones now

My engagement ring is a real diamond, but I have Moissanite ear studs, and a different kind of lab created diamond necklace. The "fakes" are just as pretty as...actually they're prettier than...the "real" ones.

Plus there's that whole slave labor/people (including kids) being abused and stuff thing that leaves a sour taste in my mouth.

Synthetic from now on...

[Catshrink]

37. My CZs are pretty sparkly

and I love my Swarovski crystal earrings and pins. On a teacher's salary, that's as much glitz as I can afford.

[Cassandra]

9. Be careful what you wish for.

10-15 years ago DeBeers got tired of dealing with the Australian mines, which produce some truly spectacular diamonds and a whole lot of little brown crap. DeBeers announced that they would no longer prop up the prices of little brown diamonds and their prices dropped 50% overnight. Those diamonds were cut in India and they had lots of stock on hand, which was devalued immediately and put many Indian cutters out of business. Some of them crowded into the colored stone business, while some took advantage of an emerging technique in America to set diamonds in the wax castings so that the diamonds were cast in the jewelry (in-line casting). Since this is an extra added value process, it took off. American jewelry manufacturers who had bet their continuing business on this process (a $6 an hour wax worker is cheaper than a $25+ an hour setter) went out of business.
DeBeers doesn't want to tell you that the very large, clean and/or fancy colored diamonds are the only ones whose value can stand on their own. Even good diamonds of a carat or less are quite common and not worth buying as an "investment".

[Orrex]

12. That simply proves that it's an artificial market that should be dismantled.

If DeBeers can kill the price with a single huffy decision, then the entire industry needs to be restructured. There is no excuse for letting a single dynasty run the entire world market.

I'm sorry that American manufacturers would suffer, but they knowingly entered into an industry that's been openly and artificially manipulated for generations.

[MineralMan]

3. Hard to say. Diamonds are so over-valued already that

they may simply stay over-valued. The jewelry business is probably the biggest rip-off business ever.

[Cassandra]

5. It doesn't...

as the lab grown are too expensive to be a threat. The real threat is from enhanced, filled and off color diamonds, all of which are cheap and easy to sell to the unsophisticated.

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[hedgehog]

7. They are marketting 1/2 caret diamond earrings at $995 on their web site,

Amazon sells something similar for about $200.

That's without being able to judge if there are differences in clarity or cut.

[Cassandra]

10. The lab grown will be very clean...

because the other uses require clean material. CZs are clean, too.

[udbcrzy2]

8. I have a moissanite from JC Penney

I love my ring, it was reasonable ($800) from JC Penney and the color and sparkle is unbelievable.
It looks real and I get compliments on it too. It's 1 carat size. Of course I will never tell. LOL

[pipi_k]

28. Yep, just posted upthread

about my Moissanite ear studs.

Love them.

They sparkle like crazy

[SallyMander]

30. My engagement ring is moissanite

And i tell everyone about it all the time, because i get so many compliments on it, and i want to spread the word! It's people-friendly, eco-friendly, and we saved lots of money too!

:hi:

[Iggo]

11. Amal.

[silverweb]

13. Pretty sparklies, oooooooooh.

I never did get the obscenely excessive value placed on gems and jewelry, especially diamonds -- nothing but over-expensive baubles with which narcissists like to show off their "superior" social status.


On edit: There was a short story I read many years ago, the author and title of which I cannot remember, that I am reminded of. A young woman of modest means borrows a very beautiful necklace from a wealthy friend in order to wear it to a special event. The necklace breaks and she buys a high-quality replacement to return to her friend, never telling her what happened to the original.

For many years, she slaves away at menial jobs in order to pay the jeweler for the replacement necklace. In the end, she finally tells her friend what happened, who is utterly shocked and reveals that the genuine necklace had never left her safe, while the borrowed one had merely been a paste replica.

Pretty baubles of illusory value, not worth their price.

[Peter1x9]

14. I've always seen jewelry as an extreme form of materialism.

It has no use other than as a status symbol.

[silverweb]

15. Exactly.

And I really dislike the use of status symbols (to put it very mildly).

[ZombieHorde]

17. I think wedding rings can be status symbols for some, but more of a symbol of love for others.

Some jewelry has sexual uses, such as some penis piercings.

[silverweb]

20. Of course.

The diamond as a symbol of "forever" love and socially mandatory as an engagement ring was a very successful creation of DeBeers.

But bigger and flashier and more expensive -- that's purely for status advertisement.

[Orrex]

18. I believe that's "The Necklace," by Guy de Maupassant

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_necklace

Now here's a big shout-out to my 10th grade English teacher!

[silverweb]

21. Yup, that's the one.

Thanks for the memory nudge! :hi:

[Orrex]

22. No problem. The weird thing...

is that I had completely forgotten about that story until I read your post. So thank you for the memory nudge!

[silverweb]

24. Cool.

I always liked that story. Glad we got to nudge each other! :D

[pipi_k]

29. I don't love sparklies for the status...

Whenever I express an interest in some pretty jewel, Mr Pip reminds me that "We never go anywhere and nobody would see it".

Which is true, but I don't wear them for other people. I wear them for me. Just like I wear perfume for me.

Sometimes I'll get one of my necklaces out and play with it in different kinds of light, just to watch the sparkle and rainbows. I like to imagine I'm inside being surrounded by beautiful lights and colors.

I can be just as amused by similar light/color shows in a glass prism, which I'd probably be prone to wearing around like jewelry if it weren't so easily chipped.

[silverweb]

31. I understand that.

And I have a few pieces I like, as well -- mostly of sentimental and/or symbolic value. "Pretties" are fine for our own pleasure.

The difference is that we don't spend lavishly on large genuine stones in flashy settings that are primarily meant to impress other people, and enhance our own sense of wealth and privilege.

[pipi_k]

36. Yeah, gaudy and vulgar....

I think if I had all the money I wanted to buy all the sparklies I could ever want, I still would not buy the big vulgar flashy stuff.

I like reasonably sized, tasteful settings

[Vinnie From Indy]

16. Gee thanks for the advertisement and Welcome to DU!

FYI - diamonds have been created in labs for decades. Not a huge tech breakthrough!

[Hawkeye-X]

19. LifeGem also does this.

Strange but it works.

http://www.lifegem.com/

The disadvantage is you get yalla diamonds.

Hawkeye-X

[silverweb]

23. Gross.

Completion of the life cycle means going back to the earth, IMO.

[Orrex]

26. The other disadvantage is that you're almost certainly getting bilked

There's no way to verify that the diamond for which you're being fleeced has anything to do with the ashes of the deceased.

[Orrex]

33. How's that for a kickin' rhyme?

[ProgressiveProfessor]

25. This is old news

Wired and others have given this coverage in the past. Several different ways to do it. Security precautions are very high with many participants. Diamonds are often used in lieu of money in "international barter transactions"

DeBeers has taken a position trying to get man made stones declared "not diamonds". They have also funded the development of equipment that can tell man made from natural without a great deal of specialized training.

Cost for man made are expected to fall over time. Their market focus has been for industrial use and "colored" diamonds which are currently popular. Despite the above post, I believe that they are already cheaper than natural stones

[FarCenter]

32. Diamonds are useful for carbon sequestration

Let's convert that CO2 to face-centered cubic carbon crystals.

[pipi_k]

34. Speaking of which...

I just found out recently that diamonds are actually not virtually indestructible, which was a big surprise to me, but now that I think of it, it does make sense...

They can be destroyed by fire. Carbon and all...

It just never occurred to me all these years, you know?

[pipi_k]

35. oops...duplicate deleted