Diamonds

tart -->States or any country that values the individual's
Diamonds should be known as the 'misery stone'right to pursue their chosen path to business
because of the over-importance we have placedsuccess? Of course it would not be tolerated!
on them since the Great Hole of Kimberly wasBecause of the grip this company wanted to
formed in the nineteenth century. Throughouthave on the entire market the diamond has
history, diamonds have always attracted attentionbecome one of the most overpriced commodities
and with the discovery of every large new stonearound. Its artificially high price has attracted some
a 'story' or tale spread around that gem and soof the most notorious and greedy minded people
the legends grew!in the world and it has been used to fund wars all
During the Colonial times, Cecil Rhodes and Charlesover the African continent.
Rudd founded "De Beers", a company created toAt one time or another "blood diamonds" (which is
mine and market diamonds; and no other businesswhat the illegally mined stones became known as)
has enjoyed so much protection from the crownhave funded dictators, coups and rebels alike in
and successive governments since then. Thiscentral and West Africa over the last 20 years.
created a diamond monopoly for that businessGreat publicity was made about these diamonds
and at one stage it accounted for over 80% ofand the world was encouraged not to support or
the world's supply and trade in diamonds.buy them at all. However, how do you stop
No other company or business has enjoyed suchpeople trading in things one can pick up like a bit
protectionism as De Beers and its right to trade inof dirt and then turn around and get thousands of
raw or uncut diamond gem stones in both Southdollars for it?
Africa and on the world markets. It was only byOne can't!
the late nineteen eighties that its iron-like grip onDe Beers - or the Central Selling Organization
the market started to loosen. However, as the(CSO is the marketing arm of the company) -
past shows they will not be laying down theirhas been behind some very successful sales and
so-called 'divine right' to trade in diamonds verymarketing campaigns over the last 5 decades,
easily.starting with the well known marketing slogan "a
In South Africa today it is still a criminal offencediamond is forever!"
for anyone to trade the raw uncut stonesNow with the advent of laboratory made artificial
without going though De Beers. There is an entiregemstones where you can now purchase a
police department known as the Diamond and"diamond" made in the lab at 5% of the cost of
Gold Squad whose sole purpose is to uncover andthe real stone and not be able to tell the
prosecute people who want to, or are trying to,difference, there are some people predicting the
do this. Would this situation exist in the Unitedend of the diamond as we know it.