Lab Created Diamonds Come to Market

E writes "Technology is putting some new sparkle in the world of diamonds. Until recently, naturally occurring, mined diamonds were unchallenged in their quality and desirability. But now laboratory-created diamonds, which possess the same properties as naturals, are poised to give them a run for their money. A new company, Adia Diamonds, has quite the variety in their inventory. They have the same chemical and physical properties as a mined diamond and come in white, blue and yellow. Both GIA and EGL grading labs are offering certifications for lab created diamonds. Seems like a good, high-tech alternative to the DeBeers diamond cartel."

Great!

[Average_Joe_Sixpack]

My Real Doll will never know the difference

they're missing an element

[macadamia_harold]

Seems like a good, high-tech alternative to the DeBeers diamond cartel.

Not really. They're missing an element; a human element. I expect bloodshed and slavery with my diamonds. They make the diamonds more special.

It's not love . . .

[93,000]

It's not really love unless a 12 year old lost a finger cutting it out of the wall of a mine.

(Kudos to whomever I'm paraphrasing/ripping off in saying that -- I know it's not my own.)

Re:Great!

[Anonymous Coward]

Wouldn't your Real Doll give you as much action with an onion ring too?

Re:anything is a good alternative to DeBeers

[Roger W Moore]

The sooner the myth that is diamonds is de-mythed, the better. Read more about diamond myths here.

Actually they got the first point of the FAQ wrong - a diamond is not forever even if you do take care of it. It is a metastable allotrope of carbon [wikipedia.org] and will slowly convert to the thermodynamically favoured allotrope, graphite. It might take several billion years for a diamond to decay into graphite but that is still a lot less than forever.

The purpose of the diamond ritual...

[inviolet]

The purpose of the diamond ritual is to require the male (or whoever) to put his money where his mouth is, to prove that he is sincere about the relationship. And what's the old saying? "Money has a truthfulness. If a man speaks of his honor, make him pay in cash."

The diamond is idea for this purpose because it has almost no resale value. It's a way for the male to make a demonstratively extravagant purchase, one which the female (or whoever) is not able to whip back around for a cash refund.

Of course, it didn't have to be diamonds. Were it not for the DeBeers' marketing savvy, any arbitrary rare object could've sufficed. If technology had evolved differently, women might now be wearing tiny LCD displays on their fingers which play a video loop of their husbands throwing a bundle of cash into the ocean.

Re:Real importance beyond jewelry?

[Jack Pallance]

I wonder if they might collaborate with Microsoft to setup a Windows based website for people to verify their diamond activation codes. They could call it the "DeBeers Genuine Advantage". Or maybe I heard that somewhere else.

Re:Great!

[fyngyrz]

You don't even want to know what can be done with a RealDoll(tm) and an onion ring... you can't handle the truth!

Re:The purpose of the diamond ritual...

[humberthumbert]

Isn't society fucked up? I wish we would stop
bringing up children to harbor such retarded notions
of what love is about.

Well, I don't know what love is, either. But it's not
Hollywood, it's not dinners and flowers, and it's not
about all the bullshit games that people play.

But thanks to the mass media and the continual
dumbing down of the populace, I reckon I will
die alone.

I know, I know, I'm a real downer at parties.

Re:Not cheap

[aussie_a]

Hey, they invented an alternative to Da Beers diamonds for cheapskates like you ages ago. It's artificially created as well [wikipedia.org]`

Re:ethical diamonds?

[aussie_a]

Whenever I hear blood diamonds I expect them to actually be red. I'm always dissapointed :(

Re:Real importance beyond jewelry?

[Joebert]

When you really stop to think about it, the diamonds themselves ARE activation codes. ;)

Re:Great!

[zerocool^]

You do whatever you think is right with your Real Doll's O-Ring...

Truth in Advertising

[MarkRose]

DeBeers is getting closer and closer to truth in advertising. At first, it was "Diamonds are forever." Then it became "Diamonds, take her breath away." Next? "Diamonds... that'll shut her up!" ;-)

Growing profession

[Tablizer]

Is there any way to buy stock in DeBeers hitmen? I suspect an upswing in business ;-)

Re:Indistinguishable?

[jbrader]

I'm not sure why you would consider putting hardened oyster snot in your mouth wierd.

Re:Real importance beyond jewelry?

[Joebert]

Let me rephrase that, "Pussy activation codes".
Don't get busted trying to use a fake one, you think Microsoft can be a bitch to deal with ?

Re:Indistinguishable?

[Orlando]

Apparently the new ones can be designed to have flaws.

I hear they spoke extensively to Microsoft to find the best way to consistently achieve flaws.

Re:Indistinguishable?

[nospam007]

>Yup. They're calcium carbonate, same material as the oyster shell is made of, and will dissolve in acid.

For an expensive drink, Cleopatra is supposed to have drunk pearls disolved in wine.
That must have been some particularly rough wine...
---
It was her osteoporosis medication.

Re:Indistinguishable?

[Anonymous Coward]

Same reason chicks want a chunk of fossilized dinosaur poop on their fourth finger I guess...

Re:Real importance beyond jewelry?

[toleraen]

Obviously, you aren't married. Second hand diamond exposure is a serious threat!

Cash as aphrodisiac

[douglips]

Apparently $100 bills have aphrodisiac properties. Can anybody confirm or deny this, since although I've seen bathtubs full of $100 bills do the business, it could be explained as placebo.