They would be the De Beers of precious metals [1]. With that kind of wealth at stake, the monopoly wouldn't last long. You'd see competition from other private

They would be the De Beers of precious metals [1]. With that kind of wealth at stake, the monopoly wouldn't last long. You'd see competition from other private ventures, as well as from countries (Russia, China, ...). [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Beers#Diamond_monopoly http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Beers#Diamond_monopoly