Are diamonds still precious if we can make them in a lab?

[@VergeScience]

Do you think synthetic diamonds should be considered “real”?

[@jamesjross]

YES they should - they are the same thing. F the dimond industry. they are a-holes

[@ncrtrooper7153]

Real diamonds should be outlawed once our technology becomes good enough. No point wasting time and energy digging in the ground. Synth diamonds are the future!

[@BaliAgha]

No

[@rwg5167]

Yes chemically they are the same.

[@miloszagorac7973]

Yes yes yes yes.... yes!!!

[@zegrumpygerman]

Diamonds aren't scarce at all. It's actually a scam. Artificial scarcity.

[@AdamSmith-gs2dv]

Same with oil, if it wasn't for fracking OPEC would have us paying $4 for gas

[@williamshaun6715]

Not fully true but places where u can successfully mine them and get profit is less

[@BenPulido]

Yup Blood Diamond is a great movie and def true

[@Bittzen]

@@AdamSmith-gs2dv I am from the future, places like Cali already do. And by the end of 2019, most of America will be paying up to 5 or 6 USD per gallon, though not because of opec

[@Binyamin1444]

@@Bittzen lottery numbers please

[@sunil198925]

Yes.. a diamond is a diamond as long as the chemical composition and the optical properties are identical, no matter if it is lab grown or mined

[@Netherdan]

yeah but if you destroy nature and have people kill each other... that's love if you didn't know

[@TommoCarroll]

Netherdan this....is love? 😭

[@skuyzy198]

A human is a human and a diamond is just a piece of material.

[@stuff6181]

You're talking about a living being that has a consciousness, which is completely different from an inanimate object.

[@clamdong1974]

@Dziordan1 the process of "cloning" a human in real life really just involves the creation of a foetus with identical dna to another individual, they grow up and developed no different to a placental baby, so yes they would be human

[@michietn5391]

Q artificial vs real ... the language is deceptive. More clearly the appropriate terms should be something like artificial vs natural, or manufactured vs discovered. Both types are real.

[@marios1861]

artificial means manufactured tho. So artificial or natural would be a better distinction

[@sasori144]

What's most interesting about this though, is how it will change our perception of value. Although of course, we recognize the source does not change the actual product, it *feels* different. The sense of fantasy and preciousness has changed and with reduced cost, how will designs and our perception of value and jewellery in general change?

[@seededsoul]

Manufactured vs Mined

[@blooogisss]

Synthetic vs natural, I would say

[@KkutD07]

@@marios1861 Artificial does not mean manufactured in this case the stones chemical composition is identical. The conditions under which they are formed has been manufactured but the diamonds are not artificial they are identical to mined Diamonds. Artificial is more about the ascribed value that the industry has created. These two types of hard crystalline structures are identical

[@PJSproductions97]

Screw real ones if the synthetic ones are cheaper, they're just pretty rocks anyway

[@macva553]

@Thornback sorry terminator for our human flaws

[@celicobain8270]

What humans want vs what is (morally) right/wrong has always gotten the best of us.

[@youssefchaoui2940]

And much better quality. I agree I want the market to be flooded.

[@arielandrade6246]

Minerals*

[@slippinchillin]

and screw those cartel bastards

[@jacquesgrove7009]

"Diamonds have always been extremely rare and valuable" Lol no they haven't. You have been duped by De Beers. That is the exact reason why De Beers have now started producing synthetic diamonds, so that they can monopolize the synthetic market, and then kill it.

[@sprig3432]

Yep

[@romanbazowski954]

You are 100% right.

[@karhukivi]

Name one diamond mine in Europe. If they are expensive and not rare as you suggest, then why isn't everyone mining and selling them? De Beers had a monopoly on production in the 19th century but now Canadian, Russian and Australian producers mean that the monopoly is gone. The Oppenheimer family sold their interest to a major metal mining corporation Anglo American. I think you are reading very old books - entertaining but out of date!

[@At0mHeart]

@@karhukivi just because its not found in particular regions doesn't make it rare. Diamonds are the most common precious stone. Only a few types of diamond are actually rare like the red variant. The price is kept high by the diamond industry by hoarding diamonds so there appears to be a scarcity, the same is true for gold.

[@karhukivi]

@@At0mHeart You are confusing the mining of diamonds with the cutting and polishing industries. A typical diamond pipe of kimberlite or lamprophyre rock only covers a few hectares. These "pipes" are only found in the oldest rocks in a few places on Earth. Some are slightly magnetic, some are weathered and conductive, but even with detailed aerial geophysical surveys they are very difficult to locate. Then, when you find them, most are not diamond-bearing. To ascertain that, a 100-ton sample has to be dug out and put through a pilot plant. Even if a few diamonds are found, most will not be of gem quality. A $6M project in Scandinavia over 5 years resulted in 20 small diamonds of little value for jewelry as they were not of gemstone grade. If that is not "rare" then what is? Compared to that, gold is easy to find and plentiful .- gold has been found in most European countries and gold mining has taken place in Finland, Sweden, Bulgaria, Spain, France, Ireland and Turkey. Nobody can "keep the price of gold high" as it is a freely-traded commodity and the market demand determines the price I'll bet you are not a geologist!

[@khavaliar]

If you cannot tell them apart, I'd consider a man made diamond. Eco friendly and cheaper. Let De Beers go scam other people. Also, diamonds have a very poor resell value!. Try reselling that diamond to a jeweller or a pawn shop

[@picanha694]

De Beers are also flooding the diamond industry with man made diamonds to reduce its price.

[@lepidoptery]

@obicapa most natural diamonds have very little resale value and you also spent a lot more buying it in the first place.

[@khavaliar]

obicapa go to a pawnshop or a jeweller and try reselling a diamond ring is when you'll realize they have very little resell value. For ALL diamonds

[@jaynelson1762]

My wife's engagement ring cost £999 we sold it on eBay for £110. A jewellers offered us £55.

[@FreshSmog]

@Ahmed S. Yes. But natural diamonds are impure. Naturally, there are always impurities within the diamond, cracks, foreign substances and trace amounts of other chemicals. Detecting them is a sign that the stone isn't made in a clean lab environment. However, while de beers used to sell diamonds for the purity, they changed tactics to "natural" diamonds after man made diamonds are shown to be purer than natural ones. They are scummy businessmen through and through.

[@cedeelbe]

Let the diamond companies die. They can't escape their dues.

[@Roxor128]

The diamond companies of the future will be making window panes.

[@igor-fk3vv]

@cedeelbe

[@deadpresident679]

Diamond table top instead of granite

[@ThatsPrettyFunnyMan]

What about the diamond miners? Some of them are only good for that one specific thing.

[@Bittzen]

Well the sellers arent the same as the miners, and many of the miners are getting blood diamonds in Africa. Sellers will still exist and buy from the new diamond making companies

[@HiFiInsider]

artificial is best IMO because of the environmental impact of mining real ones. Your friends are not experienced jewelers so if an artificial one looks identical to the real why the need to destroy our planet for the real thing.

[@reezdog]

Here is the thing. What if the person you are buying it for has an issue with it? I don't mind buying it.

[@ghostnoodle9721]

@@reezdog Thats a good sign to get married to someone else

[@alexevanspoppsychedelicren4158]

Thousands of people die to mine diamonds. Look into tDebiers. Fuck diamonds. People who buy natural diamonds are utter fools.

[@audy6947]

This is stupid, those debeers capitaslist prolly laughing their ass off that one's months of salary is worth their piece of man made gem. It is as if gold can be manufactured, would ppl still buy them anyway?

[@reezdog]

@@ghostnoodle9721 that's very true. But then it points out the whole purpose of the "engagement ring", is it really necessary?

[@youknow8754]

If chemically and structurally they are the same then there is NO difference PERIOD .

[@jayvaughnpelonio3707]

But synthetic diamonds could have some impurities

[@karelenhenkie666]

@@jayvaughnpelonio3707 so do natural diamonds. That's why they are sometimes yellow or pink and also why they lose Almost half of most diamonds in the cutting process to cut off the parts with impurities in it.

[@jayvaughnpelonio3707]

@@karelenhenkie666 cost vs value of synthetic dia?

[@iamwisdomsky]

@@jayvaughnpelonio3707 isn't it the opposite? it's stated in the video that synthetic diamonds are much purer. Since they are lab grown (in a controlled environment), it should be obvious that grown ones should be purer.

[@florix7889]

Well they have à différent history

[@rahulnarjiary4887]

Precious metals like Gold have value because not only are they rare but also difficult to mass manufacture. Gold, silver, platinum, e.t.c can be produced in trace quantities (counted in atoms) using nuclear reactions and particle accelerators. It would require enormous amounts of energy and several years to produce even a single gram. Since Diamond can already be mass manufactured, theoretically it should be priced below precious metals.

[@miyatenmeiritsu1810]

Soon the diamonds will become the next aluminum, it was insanely rare that it was once ranked higher than even gold and silver, but now we alloyed it for our aircraft parts.

[@terra1355]

Indeed. The reason gold, silver etc "precious metals" are so hard to make is because they are raw elements, whereas diamonds are just a fancy carbon crystal. Crystals can be grown, but elements can only be made in particle accelerators or in the cores of stars.

[@rayuduraavan8187]

It's really fascinating that no one is able to replicate gold

[@sprig3432]

No one is funding Graphene, Synthetic Diamonds, Thorium and other gizmos Wonder why lol

[@karhukivi]

@@rayuduraavan8187 With what, another metal? Gold is an element - you can't "make" it!

[@PHxii]

Why even call it fake when it's the same chemical compound?!

[@rezaadhitama1741]

Money

[@Apodeipnon]

Because poor Africans didn't risk their lives and health for it. How else are they gonna get exploited?

[@frankschneider6156]

Synerrox Well they may be exploited, but they earn money to buy food. If there is no mining they have no job and have to live of the non-existant social security net in a 3rd world nation, which very likely means they have to become criminal or starve (if they could get a better job, they would, I mean they are poor, not dumb).. It's always nice how "civilized" western people tend to think that dying of starvation is far better than a shitty job that earns money for food and shelter.

[@stuff6181]

So it's okay to rape someone as long as you don't kill them?

[@DzinkyDzink]

Blood and Sweat, huh? Now that's something worth valuing!

[@SCMabridged]

The "real" diamond industry is dying and I say "good riddance!" Diamonds are only valuable because of artificial scarcity and the monopolised nature of the industry; an industry which hasn't given the world anything beyond constant bloodshed, human slavery, catastrophic environmental damage, and bunch of worthless rocks.

[@1001stmonkey]

An excellent case study in marketing and economics.

[@waderyun.war00034]

There are so many diamonds sitting in vaults if they were all released at the same time it would make diamonds almost worthless

[@Yuki_Ika7]

They are kinda worthless, company's just made them mainstream for weddings, I mean they do have value, but some prices are just ridiculous and result of capitalism.

[@redsquirrel3893]

They have value in industry for cutting things just nothing like as high as the jewelery market pushed the prices.

[@BLITZKRIEG1]

exactly, they are spreading fake news. diamonds are worthless all stocked and hoarded by De Beers.

[@Pwn3dbyth3n00b]

Diamonds are worthless. They're only useful for industrial uses like tools.

[@Netherdan]

You can't make them worthless! If you do that they'll make tons of diamond tip bullets and most protective gear would become useless! That's the real diamondapocalypse!

[@HomersIlliad]

These synthetic diamonds are real, superior, and ethical compared to the natural diamonds that Debeers hoards to induce artificial scarcity. I would go out of my way to pick "synthetic" diamonds over natural ones.

[@claycarrie1]

Then you`re paying for nothing. Because lab diamonds are worth nothing on resale. You own a nic stone worth nothing.

[@YagamiKou]

@@claycarrie1 2 issues 1 buying a thing based on resale is kind of meaningless 2 if u have ever tried to resell a real diamond, ull know they still resell dirt cheap too

[@yiwu9968]

@@claycarrie1 is ice frozen in the river noble than ice in freezer? The difference is only the story

[@biff5856]

Amen!

[@haroon420]

I agree. And we shouldn’t even called it synthetic and natural diamonds. It should just be lab grown or mined diamonds

[@RWBHere]

Of course they're real diamonds. Man-made, but real. The current situation reminds me about what happened with Aluminium. In 1900, Al was more valuable than Gold. People made expensive rings and bracelets with it. Statues were clad with it. Then someone discovered how to mass produce the metal using electricity, and within a few years Aluminium became the utility metal which we have today. The same thing will happen with diamonds. The question is though, 'What will suitors buy for their future spouse, if diamonds become much cheaper?' Since most large diamonds are sold at auction (hence the enormous price which is about to be paid for a 14.85 carat (almost 3 grams) pink diamond), it will be interesting to see how the diamond mining, cutting and auctioneering industries cope with the changes.

[@aurum3747]

You can produce aluminum with electricity? That's so cool, I was never aware, I always thought it was just a very common metal

[@epsospremium6088]

Diamonds can be nice. Why damage the planet for a shiny stone, if the same one ca be made in the factory ? One day the *synthetic diamonds* will be so cheap that we will use them for decorating floors in fancy rooms.

[@strider029]

Well factories also destroy the planet, like the video said it is once a product of a cartel, like drugs, why not just completely ban diamonds.

[@ct1762]

@@strider029 haven't you learned anything about establishing prohibitions? just makes the price go way up, and cartels take over. not good.

[@Nanamowa]

@@strider029 Also, diamonds are very useful for a lot of things. And while factories can be harmful, you have to consider the pro's and con's. Which causes more environmental damage, these factories, or a large scale mining operation, because if you think it's the factory, you are sorely mistaken.

[@malcite]

@@strider029 Considering that the energy needed to make these stem from electricity, then as long as the source of that energy is clean then factories do not actually destroy all that much.

[@caav56]

@@malcite So, nuclear (or upcoming fusion) power should be fine for that, since it's the cleanest power source available today.

[@Rin-qj7zt]

Saying synthetic diamonds shouldn't count as real diamonds is like saying "this carbon atom isn't a real carbon atom." It's silly. They are literally the same material. The only difference is the purity level and even that can be replicated. It's simply the same thing.

[@AhnafAbdullah]

Synthetic diamonds are purer, so they should be even more valuable, in that sense...

[@campkira]

One is make in the lab and other happen in the wild.....

[@alsdjfknbo]

Actually like the other person said, synthetic ones are actually more purer/ perfect because they don't have flaws. "Real" diamonds have flaws in them, that is how they tell them apart.

[@joshuascholar3220]

@@alsdjfknbo I'm sure they can learn to make synthetic diamonds with flaws.

[@royalarmy1837]

Thats what sales reps say to sell their diamonds.

[@Raiyanx]

I work in the gemstone industry and I can honestly say diamonds have little to no resale value at all. If you want a gemstone that has resale value, try a paraiba tourmaline, or a kashmir sapphire.

[@CyclingSteve]

Raiyan Dansson I've heard this quite recently and am surprised it wasn't mentioned. Diamonds are basically a status brand and are vastly overpriced when retailed, sometimes 4 or 5 times their resale worth. The whole thing is a con.

[@supportervandeeuropeseunie1625]

@captain planet Kashmir = Serbia

[@LeonLunna]

tourmaline is extracted from the state I live

[@wolfsbane1991]

captain planet What's wrong with kashmir?

[@laladada7]

Raiyan Dansson How about Alexanderite? I really want that gemstone>.< I’ve heard it’s very rare

[@beth-rg8bm]

I will never buy a "REAL" diamond but synthetic...bring them on!

[@NimrodTargaryen]

There is no “artificial” diamond, only naturally or lab grown ....

[@treeinafield5022]

Lab grown diamonds are artificial diamonds

[@callinfordooty5502]

theres no such this as artificial intelligence :D

[@isaaccisneros6206]

More like eco-diamonds vs blood diamonds. Atomically both are diamonds.

[@sprig3432]

So true and it has so many industrial applications Why havent we made an industry from this?

[@Supermariocrosser]

Blood diamonds sounds ironically cool if you think about it.

[@LZKS]

Can't wait for diamond prices to drop to a point where we can afford to make diamond smartphone screen that's finally 100% scratch resistant.

[@jaycie5021]

Poly crystal displays are already a thing. This was talking about gem quality.

[@jaycie5021]

@gtq838 can we now start drooling over the potential wurtzite boron nitride screens?

[@seyiayoade9886]

Woo Cheol Shin real talk

[@bharathch8304]

Diamonds are 'Hard'. That doesn't necessarily imply they are tough. The crystalline tip of a diamond is the hardest in nature ever found. That is the reason why you won't see diamonds in 'sphere' shapes or 'curved'. Edges and corners are the strongest points in any crystal. They are toughest when they are in some form of geometrically stable shape. You can make smartphone camera lenses, but not screen protectors with diamonds. I'm an Engineer. Don't be offended by long comment.

[@jaycie5021]

@@bharathch8304 that's why i mentioned polycrystal. Set a bunch of diamonds in a plastic resin and you get the best of both. Ps. There is a growing list of compounds harder that diamounds and to my memory atleast one can be found in nature.

[@florencegielen5640]

I say good riddance. The diamond mining industry needs to go away. The artificial ones are just as beautiful. I’ve never understood why goods, like collectibles, should be more expensive when they’re rare. It seems so vacuous. I care about utility and beauty, not rarity.

[@hamishmckenzie7153]

It's a status symbol, rarity ups the price because demand is high for a product (everyone loves diamonds) and supply is low, therefore people are willing to pay more for it.

[@florencegielen5640]

Hamish McKenzie yeah, I mean, I get the economics of it. Status symbols are just not a thing I care about, especially not damaging ones like diamonds or fur. I think the world would be better off if we got past this bullshit.

[@StephenOrion]

there are many things that needs to go away. like nuclear weapons, wars, tax fraud, gas cars and maybe high heels. But the diamond industry doesn't really need to. Let them do what they do, as long as there's demand, the supply is there and as you know it is what it is. Some people collect shoes, books. Some just like diamonds. haha

[@frankschneider6156]

Florence Gielen You may have heard of it: it's called demand and supply. If the willingness to pay higher prices exist, the prices will rise. Yeah, but you don't need to understand such complicated things.

[@florencegielen5640]

Frank Schneider no need to be so snarky, you mean. I’m talking about the deeper motivations, beyond supply and demand. I’m talking about why we value rare things over common things. For something like these artificial diamonds, which are identical to real ones, it’s deeply irrational.

[@crackedemerald4930]

Ohhhh, poor jewellery industry, I'm feeling sooooo bad for them right now...

[@timothyosborn637]

Flood the market. Do it soon. I do not approve of the Dimond industry's ethics.

[@kronalord3764]

It also defunds blood diamond suppliers

[@herivelton1973]

Yeah, Diamonds are one of the reasons that some places at africa are horrible.

[@igor-fk3vv]

what about honest people who are able to feed their family with this industry ?

[@smurfx]

buy lab made diamonds and help destroy a monopoly that has profited off of human misery. although the diamond cartel will likely next pay off politicians and try and make selling lab diamonds unprofitable.

[@MaskHysteria]

Diamonds are incredibly common so they have little monetary value in the true sense of the term. The only reason they have such high cost is because of DeBeers' monopoly on the market and severely restricted supply.

[@Bittzen]

Diamonds are plentiful on Earth, but they're hard to obtain. The main cost of obtaining them is because of property and the fact that Africa, the one of few places that legally permit diamond mining, has warlords and gangs that roam the countries that diamonds are obtained from. So, the price if diamonds is what they should be. The equilibrium would be lower to something like a free market price if the government didn't restrict mining and such

[@leftifornian2066]

@@Bittzen nope

[@maxcovfefe]

I've known a few geologists, and it's from talking to them that sold me on synthetic gemstones.

[@tthinker9897]

I am confused by your comparison of "artificial" diamonds with real ones. Zirconia are artificial; diamonds made in a lab are real diamonds man-made in a lab. Now that gemstones can be manufactured with greater purity and little environmental impact, the prices can become much lower without monopolies controlling the market.

[@sylkates]

I have a synthetic gemstone on my engagement ring. I love it. I still wear it all the time, even though we're married now, and if anyone asks, I love explaining that it's synthetic. They're just better: more ethically sound, (no more evil than your average manufactured thing like a pair of shoes), and cheaper. I got a sapphire but mined sapphires would have been out of my partner's and my price range. (It wasn't a surprise, we shopped for the ring together after the question was popped without a ring.)

[@zer0b0t]

sounds good, some materials are better than diamond and more rare, so why not

[@akaurb]

Thats a responsible choice. Can i ask you where to buy reputed synethetic diamond jewellery in UK Or online... thankyou..

[@ccggenius]

Shoes MIGHT not be the best thing to compare to when you're arguing about how ethical a product is... Though honestly, I'm coming up blank when I try to think of a mass-produced product that DOESN'T have a bunch of negative baggage attached.

[@DzinkyDzink]

Pair of shoes got a cow killed.

[@Smithy250]

Why would you say shoes? Syn Diamonds are made my scientists not sweatshops lol. It literally has zero ethical problems

[@phillippearl647]

Actually there are tons of diamonds out there. They are almost worthless. So don't worry about real or fake.

[@maythesciencebewithyou]

Most things are worthless. It's all about finding an idiot whom you can trick into buying something for a high price

[@igor-fk3vv]

U can see the earth globally or something ? what about the rappaport ? it's bullshit and trump is a reptil ?

[@amritjanardhanan]

The DeBeers corporation has monopoly over diamonds, so they vastly overprice them.

[@igor-fk3vv]

@@amritjanardhanan That was 20 years ago, this time is over.

[@SkyVioletPanda]

I'd rather get a synthetic diamond tbh. The destruction we're doing to this planet just for a fancy rock is ridiculous. To appease my vanity in exchange for helping to lessen this planets life span is not worth it in my opinion. A diamond is a diamond. Synthetic or discovered.

[@Ron4885]

Women want real diamonds. And they want to divorce rape you as well. The man NEVER wins.

[@elio5105]

Aaron B its 2019 not all women are the same

[@toysmostwanted]

While synthetic diamonds are not mined, don't be fooled that it's eco friendly. The amount of heat and pressure needed to create artificial diamonds require lots of power. That power comes from among others, oil and coal burning power plants. You're basically trading in one kind of mine for another.

[@MJ-tx8jz]

❤👍

[@janebennett6716]

@@toysmostwanted thank you! I hate how people so easily overlook this fact in so many industries that are touted as "clean"

[@crackedemerald4930]

"diamonds are forever" So are rubies, sapphires, emeralds, amethysts, goddamn teeth and also any other rock Except limestone, limestone isn't forever, especially in the ocean, in the future

[@donaldhbramwell]

Amethyst is so pretty

[@FaithandNova]

@@donaldhbramwell yes so pretty

[@sprig3432]

Diamonds melt, very low temperature resistance

[@angelaphsiao]

Lets kill the “real” diamond industry together!

[@sprig3432]

Soon, we need an IPO that cannot be shorted by predators and manipulated in anyway and a fair distributed IP to benefit the majority not the minority

[@dizzyshmizzy2624]

Finally, I can make my diamond chestplate.

[@alphakenny1620]

@Carmozz Karmozz I have good news for u

[@matthewellison1025]

Delsen what?

[@matthewellison1025]

Delsen that makes zero sense

[@gilgabro420]

@@matthewellison1025 exactly

[@EricaYE6]

Lab grown diamonds are not cheap. They're still in the thousands of dollars, each. Just not as much as a real diamond.

[@ChuckReynolds]

There is absolutely no reason to buy a mined diamond and pay extra for it when you can grow the exact same thing in a lab. Their marketing campaigns only fool the foolish.

[@InsidiousSwede]

The diamond industry has had it WAAAY too good for way too long... Its about time they bring their prices down, "real is rare" is just the kind of BS i'd expected from these out-of-touch billionaires!

[@kathleengivant-taylor2277]

Yup.

[@Tyrister]

Diamonds are the biggest scam in history of scams.

[@grantc.7838]

When can we start making diamond swords?

[@muhammadabdullahhanif8860]

On chemical point of view, of course artificial diamond is real diamond. In my opinion, Artificial diamond is the better because it has Millions of years history of humanity advance. From using just Bone and rock to make your own hardest material is one of the most magnificient thing that ever happen.

[@solanumtinkr8280]

Diamonds have NEVER been that rare, most of the market for it is artificial in nature and the companies are ruthless in stopping others from mining and marketing diamonds. Synthetic diamond makers on the other hand have a market and trying to kill them off will be hard. Gold, by comparison, to demand is rare as each gram of gold is thought to be owned by at least 3 people. Stuff the diamond miners, hard to make money from blood diamonds if synthetic is easier to get and cheaper. The fun part maybe when making coloured diamonds to order... If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's probably a duck.

[@vsahoo]

Each gm of Gold is owned by three people- true for other parts of the world. Here in India we need to hold the real thing to consider it purchased. So no problem for us.

[@maythesciencebewithyou]

Adam Ruins everything

[@igor-fk3vv]

Lool give me some if it's not rare. Also, you are saying "blood diamonds vs synthetic" what about normal diamond ? the kind who feed honest family in Africa, India, Russia, china, europe,.. ?

[@solanumtinkr8280]

@@igor-fk3vv The price is kept artificially high, along with ruthless suppression of competing diamonds mines (companies that want to get into the diamond mining business,) and a very clever marketing campaign that plays on vanity.

[@EricaYE6]

Most rocks you see on the ground and near rivers can be turned into beautiful jewels and stones if cut and polished right.

[@cruisedeshevy7301]

Diamonds are great for blades and digging instruments not much else , I look forward to the day that the Jewelers are flooded with dirt cheap rocks

[@Guru_1092]

They're also really good for see-through ports in high-pressure vessels. It's like super tough glass!

[@crackedemerald4930]

They are also really good at scratching things, like, the best

[@EleanoraDzen]

“For most of human history” You mean for most of recent human history. I feel like this is badly scripted at best

[@katokianimation]

Why would anybody talk about what was considered history in the past with outdated datas or why would somebody talk about what will be history in the future? In the recent present this is redundant because everybody know you are talking about current history.

[@MrRetroCentral]

Diamonds have never been rare, real or not. Do your research. Why do artificially made ones make a difference to artificially mined ones lmao.

[@aniketnandy3124]

Rare times when something man-made is eco-friendlier than something natural.

[@anon4336]

The process of extraction is the problem which is caused by humans.

[@kuyaleinad4195]

There are two types of resources that are ecologically damaging: -Damaging due to Extraction/Production -Damaging due to Byproducts Resources that are damaging due to Extraction (like diamonds) are generally better made synthetically :)

[@k1ngjulien_]

"Real" and "Synthetic" Diamonds are the same thing as they are chemically the exact same. There is no debate to be had, I think. It's not like with butter and margerine or synthetic or regular motor oil where they are chemically different.

[@toysmostwanted]

While they are the same physically, some people percieve age and history as a factor in value. How old something and what it has gone through can increase or decrease its worth to them. Consider this: a romantic couple is offered two physically identical pair of wedding rings, one pair was made with a cut of a diamond formed over millions of years ago then mined in the 1960's, discovered to be the biggest one mined at the time to be toured many cities including Paris then sold to at auction to a private collector who before his passing wished for it to be cut and set onto 1,000 pairs of wedding bands in celebration of his love for his wife, wherein a portion of profits from the sale will be donated the small village where the diamond came from and this particular pair is the 143th of the 1,000, and this other pair is an exact replica with stones made in our lab last week. They are physically identical, which one would you like Mr. & Mrs.?

[@Alucard-gt1zf]

toysmostwanted i would like the one which is 30% bigger due to the price difference thanks

[@toysmostwanted]

@@Alucard-gt1zf Um actually... it would be 42.8% larger.

[@darcismyname]

I’ve always loved lab grown diamonds because I know where they come from

[@veterayt6800]

I want my ashes turned into a diamond and become a family heirloom

[@hinata5736]

... If you want something, that has been made through great pressure and heat over millions of years you could also just buy some petroleum 🙄

[@YeviCoulson]

ah yes taste just as great as diamonds and even more useful to humans

[@RMoribayashi]

The diamond industry has kept its market position on the myth of diamond rarity. Once that's gone and something else becomes fashionable as an engagement gift they're toast.

[@HoldMyMatcha]

My wife’s engagement ring diamond was made in a lab. We’re very happy with it. It saved us a ton of money, it looks beautiful, and as an added bonus it was environmentally sustainable

[@Hey_IMBM]

If you need a lab to see a difference there is no practical difference between real and synthetic.

[@maddisonscott2998]

They’re both real diamonds one just happens to be made in nature and the other one is man made

[@ertugruldogruluk]

well technically, a simple rock from a street also aged "billions of years" . I think synthetic diamond gives us a chance for "a change to the industry". 💍

[@tjs200]

thats so true! everything on the earth is really "billions of years" old

[@HrGTOfficial]

harbi doğru soyadın gibi.

[@jackchow4316]

So true, the water we drink is also billions of year old..

[@Vulcano7965]

Not true. There are only a few places where rocks date more than a billion years (mostly cratons like the canadian shield, australia, greenland and parts of scandinavia). Most are still millions of years old tho.

[@q45ij54q]

@@Vulcano7965 Technically, the particles that make the atoms that compose everything are billions of years old.

[@יאירהבר-ח2ו]

Diamonds are considered luxurious for a literal *FRACTION* of human history, from about the 1920-30.

[@TommoCarroll]

Wasn't the whole idea of a diamond ring for a wedding just part of a marketing ploy by the jewelery makers? Just like 'breakfast is the most important meal of the day' by the cereal companies?

[@TommoCarroll]

Donald Kasper turns out you’re correct - at least in that the use of diamonds in ring has been popular for many many years. Although interestingly I found the thing I had heard about: “ In 1947 the slogan "a diamond is forever" was introduced.[27] Ultimately, the De Beers campaign sought to persuade the consumer that an engagement ring is indispensable, and that a diamond is the only acceptable stone for an engagement ring.” After the younger generations stopped caring about rings this campaign pretty much single handed lay got the entire world obsessed with them! Now that’s marketing!

[@igor-fk3vv]

Diamond was precious before Jezus christ, for example in India.

[@q45ij54q]

Yes. Gold and silver have always been treasured because of their beauty and rarity, but diamonds just look like quartz until they are cut and polished. No ancient cultures ever revered diamonds.

[@igor-fk3vv]

@@q45ij54q If you have a diamond a who look like quartz, that was not a diamond. What u say is so stupid ! of curse ancient cultures revered diamonds( specially diamond in fact) (most strong material on earth) If diamond look like quartz, silver is aluminium.

[@danyala.1659]

I wouldn't be surprised if they can get the price of synthetic diamonds to lower than gold. The unique characteristics of diamonds can revolutionize nearly every industry in some way.

[@NathanLoveridge]

I bet we'll see artificial Dimond phone screens and screen protectors. That'd be legit

[@ryanmcentire5704]

I would argue syntehtic diamonds are cooler because that means the human race is so advanced that we can create one of the hardest (literally) things to make. I mean we invented the technology to wipe out the entire world, go to the moon, and instantly message people all around the world before we could make our own diamonds. While regular diamonds are done with just a giant rock with water being hot and heavy on top of it.

[@zodiacfml]

Resistance is futile. The internet already revealed the ugly truth with diamonds. I would not be surprised if these shady companies start putting their brand to the stones.

[@TempestBear06]

Diamonds aren’t even rare! It’s a lie told by a business that stands to lose everything if people actually realize that. I’m so glad people are finally figuring it out. Diamonds are beautiful but they’re a waste of money

[@Proprogrammer001]

This is the ONLY channel I have notifications switched on for, and I don't regret that. Great video, as always

[@TommoCarroll]

You should definitely find another, it makes for an incredible notification experience. Might I be of some assistance? haha 😅

[@Proprogrammer001]

Haha, i'll check your channel out xD

[@jackiehonour1423]

I bought myself a lab-created diamond ring, and it's beautiful. Better than a mined diamond as there is no harm to the environment. I may buy another!

[@davidonfim2381]

A diamond is a diamond is a diamond. It's just that some are old and some are new. The creation of new diamonds is no less amazing than how the old diamonds were created. In many ways, it is even more amazing.

[@caav56]

Some were created by the brute force of nature (natural), some - by human ingenuity and its marvelous technology (synthetic). I'd take the latter.

[@danstiver9135]

Rubies, sapphires, and emeralds are much prettier anyway.

[@ultm8ninja]

Mr Shambleface there are also rarer stones than diamonds

[@sylkates]

They're also made synthetically now!

[@deadtoallnohonornohope]

Synthetic Gem stone embedded jackets and other clothes crafted by lines of automated robots that night be in fashion in a hundred years

[@StephenOrion]

Well, they're all just natural stones basically. hahaha they just seems shinier. Wonder if they will still be valued like today in abt 500 years. People used to think fire is valuable too.

[@ooooneeee]

We... Are the crystal gems!

[@aiyhavnouneim]

But can i craft a diamond armor with it?

[@incription]

yes

[@kinga6347]

Someone is asking the real questions here

[@ToneyCrimson]

Would be brittle af.

[@danyala.1659]

Yeah, if you got that kind of money.

[@EchoObserver9]

hmm maybe with bort normal diamond kinda shatter but bort is strong all around sad thing is if you can make armor with it you can also make bullets

[@abhaschandrakumar]

if chemically they are same then they are equal, the difference only is the cost. Earth diamonds are costly due to the resources that are spent to get them to the customer not because they are real and synthetic diamonds are not.

[@almisami]

Actually the cost is just DeBeers marking up the mined diamonds several thousand times over...

[@samualaddams705]

If that is true go into a pawn shop right about now and try to sell them a wedding ring diamond. If that doesn't prove it to you nothing will.

[@CrimFerret]

Lets be real. A large part of the percieved value of diamonds is artifical. Clear, yellow, and pink are pretty common. Not quartz common, but not far off of the true gem varieties of quartz. Now blue, red, green, and the really high quality colorless ones are still rare, especially in larger sizes. Forget ruby, sapphire, and to a large part emerald. Those can be lab created relatively easily and natural stones are almost all treated with heat, oil, radiation, or a combination. If you want something that has yet to be equalled in the lab, there are black opals (ceramic ones are easy to spot) and real alexandrite (they are green to red, not purple to red).

[@vilenationgaming]

Considering that Diamonds are practically worthless and prices are kept artificially high, I say let the synthetic diamonds take over. Logically it makes no sense buying a shiny rock that cost two months pay.. Finally, how can they be considered "artificial" if they have the exact chemical makeup of the real one? They are real diamonds, only difference is that humans have the technology to recreate the process at a higher rate.

[@georgplaz]

If they look the same, why would any consumer care? I thought diamonds are expensive because they were pretty. Humans are so weird at times 🙄

[@joenishit]

History associated with each real diamond is valuable to some people.

[@zodiacfml]

Marketing. They were heavily marketed before we were born

[@pocketknifeMT]

yeah, if it's grandma's ring, or you own a real piece of history, like something that could have it's own Wikipedia page.

[@maythesciencebewithyou]

How else would women chose a mate. The guy has to be able to throw away money for some useless trinket, so she can fall for him. Not all women of course, but a very high percentage. Gold and gems are only valuable because women liked them so much that they gave men access to sex.

[@cypherelite9725]

I’m so thankful for this wonderful channel

[@TommoCarroll]

Same! They've taken science communication on this platform to another level!

[@GrahamHettinger]

Opening line is bullshit. Most of human history? People only recently started caring about diamond because of an incredibly effective ad campaign.

[@taffdaddy1291]

Lab diamonds are diamonds, as diamond is the crystalline form of carbon that is clear.

[@Incubansoul]

Thinking diamonds in nature were ever scarce to begin with lol. Never change, Verge. You're too hilarious

[@ByteRoster]

*MORE. VERGE. SCIENCE!!!*

[@TommoCarroll]

It's all we need! Verge is top tier stuff and it's bleedin' great!

[@TommoCarroll]

I take it you're a massive science fan? Which is your favourite of the STEM fields?

[@udtheaesir]

But is there science in Axiom Verge?

[@nioxic77]

lab diamonds are the best diamonds, coz you know they weren't obtained with child and/or slave labor.

[@goarmy69]

Mikkel H or get diamonds that were mind in areas that are known to be conflict free, real diamonds are laser inscribed and can be traced to country of origin

[@brainfragrances]

This is a bit naive...even if you can't possibly tell by looking at them that they are synthetic, there will still be (rich) people who want the 'real thing' purely for status. The industry wouldn't let this happen anyway, they are already keeping the prices high themselves. There's no practical distinction between a lot of high fashion brands white t-shirts as opposed to cheaper brands. There's no visible distinction between some artworks and some reproductions. There will always be people that want the more expensive option

[@Cybo-Man]

The diamond industry is a joke anyway. Diamonds are no longer rare and have no value. Sure they're pretty, but so are artificial diamonds.

[@jasonducly6912]

If it hasn’t already happened, I can totally see lab diamond being certified as mined diamonds for profit.

[@nkh9048]

is a "car" even a car if it isnt made in germany?

[@SandyRiverBlue]

Real diamonds were never really that rare. Most of their value comes from the consolidation of mining interests, price fixing and purposeful supply choking. I prefer rubies.

[@lassebom]

What's the background song at 0:40 ???

[@lenkiatleong]

To me, diamonds are just stones that reflect light amazingly. Yes, it's rare but if synthetic diamonds can do the same job, why pay an obscene amount and destroy the earth for one? Some super rich ones love to associate themselves with diamonds so that they could be on "par" with Queen Elizabeth. It's QE that makes diamond super popular. I remember in those days during Qing dynasty, jade was super popular because the Emperor household was very fond of them. But today, jade is just another piece of stone.

[@camerontaylor7471]

the pearl is also a precious gem and has been grown artificially in oyster farms for a long long time now. Natural pearls are not consistent in geometrical proportions so farm made ones allow manufacturers to produce ‘beautiful’ jewelry since they will all be the same shape... even though a natural pearl with an organic and unique shape is obviously more luxurious and should be of higher value since no other pearl would be that same shape.... but humans are so mentally insane they don’t see it that way.

[@talkingalltimechina9678]

I once knew a girl. I became convinced of a personality trait of hers I didn't like at all when we got into a convo about the wedding ring she wanted. A platinum 1 karat ring. I asked her, so you want to start out your marriage with 15 k in debt for a diamond on your finger? Some girls just like small shiny things, especially if they are expensive I guess. I then proceeded to ask her, you know diamonds are just the same thing as coal, just a form of carbon. We're carbon based lifeforms, it's one of the most abundant things in the universe. She responded, "diamonds are their own thing." Nope, sorry I had to tell her, diamond is not it's own element, it's just pure carbon. Have you ever looked at a pressure temperature graph of carbon, I proceeded to ask her. I mean, If I was like I ain't marrying a girl unless she goes out to the candy store and buys me a lollypop for 15 thousand dollars that would be insane right? She comes to me trying to reason to me, but honey you know lollypops are just sugar right? But I want an expensive lollypop from her to know that she loves me......................................................................................................................

[@willardSpirit]

Some person: ah! GMO diamonds! 😅

[@montlejohnbojangles8937]

>luxury items for most of human history ...were they, though? Really?

[@rickjohnson1719]

There are tons of reasons to choose "synthetic" diamonds over "natural" diamonds(quotes because theyre the same damn thing), but i honestly would choose synthetic regardless because it is a marvel of modern engineering and science and that makes it way cooler.

[@markvoelker6620]

Diamonds are diamonds, no matter what their origin. In fact I love the perfection of lab created stones. I hope their size increases and cost decreases to the point that they become an engineering material, like synthetic sapphire. People still value mined sapphires and rubies for what they are, even while we can grow gigantic, pure synthetic crystals of aluminum oxide for use in industrial applications. The same will happen with carbon crystals.

[@christian101112]

As long as De Beers isn't profiting from it, i'll support it!

[@el_saam0]

Hype hype hype! Been waiting for this for too long!

[@kevin7849]

Are diamonds still precious/valuable if they are actually abundant and just supply controlled to hike the price?

[@miguelrage6810]

Real diamonds should be responsibly mined. More synthetic means more accessible to consumers and less damaging to environment

[@themalcontent100]

Naturally occurring Diamonds aren't rare. They are made to look rare.

[@ZombieProdigyUS]

*What Im most likely to buy:* 1. Moissanite 2. Strontium Titanate 3. CZ 4. Lab Diamond 5. Diamond 6. White Sapphire 7. White Crystal

[@seyyyer]

Or just don't buy some little shiny stone at all? I mean why would you spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on a stone.

[@BibleStorm]

@@seyyyer Rich people and poor hippies both seem to think there's some magic in stones. Rich people magic is the status that comes with shiny things.

[@seyyyer]

@@BibleStorm rich people spend money on them because they have money and want to show of

[@BibleStorm]

@@seyyyer rich person magic

[@prafulvikram1391]

Thank you VERGE SCIENCE for this information, but I think 💭 keeping our planet 🌎 should be our main pirouette that's why i would like artificially made diamonds 💎 rather than natural diamonds 💎

[@Angle86]

I am wearing one and it looks identical to my natural one.. can't tell one from the other..

[@Samburger13]

Lab diamonds are actually a lot worse for the environment than natural diamonds.

[@mmdirtyworkz]

I understand why greedy (and bloody) monopolists in the diamond market are upset. If it has the same structure as a natural diamond then it is a diamond. Also as many others said, the "scarcity" of the diamond is fake. Artificially maintaining that "scarcity" results in high price per karat.