5 ms·

> Does anyone, other than geologists of course, really care about the back-story of the diamond, how it was created and how it was mined? Yes, very much so, as

> Does anyone, other than geologists of course, really care about the back-story of the diamond, how it was created and how it was mined? Yes, very much so, as is the case with all lifestyle products. People want to believe that they’re buying something special.

Nursie 5y ago
Really? I've never met anyone that talked about it at all. Maybe I don't have conversations about diamonds very often, but people only ever seemed concerned that they were 'real', and latterly that they were conflict-free. > People want to believe that they’re buying something special. What if it turns out they're not?
- alfiedotwtf 5y ago
  Jewelers provide certifications when buying diamonds. They'd be a) on the hook if they sold counterfeit products, and b) they wouldn't be able to sell anymore because of a tarnished brand.
  - shawnz 5y ago
    I don't think the suggestion is that they'd sell counterfeits. The suggestion is that even the real thing has no special differentiating properties. The authenticity certificate is just a tool to achieve better signaling, nobody cares what it says as long as it says "authentic".
  - Nursie 5y ago
    What I meant was what if it turns out diamonds are not special after all? Lab grown diamonds are diamonds. Whether one comes out of the ground or from a lab, maybe they aren’t that special.
    - alfiedotwtf 5y ago
      Ah. A lot of economists have argued that the "value" of something is based on the labor cost of production. So given that viewpoint, mined diamonds would be worth more than lab ones, even if they were identical in every way (yes, I also think this is silly, but that's what the market's indicating even today).
      - Nursie 5y ago
        I'm pretty sure that doesn't really apply in such a massively manipulated market! (And yes, those economists would tend to get laughed out of the room these days)
- ZephyrBlu 5y ago
  > What if it turns out they're not? Buyers remorse or post-rationalization.
humanrebar 5y ago
Someone should pay celebrities to wear specific jewelry with lab created stones to galas and awards ceremonies. Then resell the pieces, or even just the stones, at a premium since they were worn by <insert story here>. Then folks would be buying something ethical and more glamorous. Maybe philanthropic donations could be associated to revitalize areas hurt by the diamond industry to further tell a story for the celebrities and consumers.
- rstupek 5y ago
  Funny you mention that since that's how diamonds became the thing women desired in the first place
- PoignardAzur 5y ago
  They would need a catchy name, though... Something like Naturally Famous Treasure, or NFT for short?

Nursie 5y ago

Really? I've never met anyone that talked about it at all. Maybe I don't have conversations about diamonds very often, but people only ever seemed concerned that they were 'real', and latterly that they were conflict-free. > People want to believe that they’re buying something special. What if it turns out they're not?

alfiedotwtf 5y ago
Jewelers provide certifications when buying diamonds. They'd be a) on the hook if they sold counterfeit products, and b) they wouldn't be able to sell anymore because of a tarnished brand.
- shawnz 5y ago
  I don't think the suggestion is that they'd sell counterfeits. The suggestion is that even the real thing has no special differentiating properties. The authenticity certificate is just a tool to achieve better signaling, nobody cares what it says as long as it says "authentic".
- Nursie 5y ago
  What I meant was what if it turns out diamonds are not special after all? Lab grown diamonds are diamonds. Whether one comes out of the ground or from a lab, maybe they aren’t that special.
  - alfiedotwtf 5y ago
    Ah. A lot of economists have argued that the "value" of something is based on the labor cost of production. So given that viewpoint, mined diamonds would be worth more than lab ones, even if they were identical in every way (yes, I also think this is silly, but that's what the market's indicating even today).
    - Nursie 5y ago
      I'm pretty sure that doesn't really apply in such a massively manipulated market! (And yes, those economists would tend to get laughed out of the room these days)
ZephyrBlu 5y ago
> What if it turns out they're not? Buyers remorse or post-rationalization.

humanrebar 5y ago

Someone should pay celebrities to wear specific jewelry with lab created stones to galas and awards ceremonies. Then resell the pieces, or even just the stones, at a premium since they were worn by <insert story here>. Then folks would be buying something ethical and more glamorous. Maybe philanthropic donations could be associated to revitalize areas hurt by the diamond industry to further tell a story for the celebrities and consumers.

rstupek 5y ago
Funny you mention that since that's how diamonds became the thing women desired in the first place
PoignardAzur 5y ago
They would need a catchy name, though... Something like Naturally Famous Treasure, or NFT for short?