Forget the part about Grandpa - what's important is that synthetic diamonds are now hitting the consumer retail market. To me, this indicates three things, all of them good:
1. de Beers is boned.
2. Diamond roadbeds, computer chips, eyeglasses, and kitchen knives are not too far off in the future.
3. de Beers is really boned.
Unfortunately, I doubt this is a sign de Beers is in trouble. Three years ago I worked for a company that made synthetic diamonds for industry. Their diamonds can be made much cheaper than the existing market price and can be of equivalent or superior quality.
When I asked someone in the know why they don't put de Beers out of business, he explained that de Beers has such low overhead, cheap labor and large inventory that they would just lower the price til they put the opposition out of business.
One thing de Beers can't do is dig up a diamond made from your Grandpa.
Did you hear awhile back about the woman that will create a 'work of art' out of your loved ones ashes? It was on t.v.--not cable either. I had to watch, but couldn't at the same time. She mixes the ashes in the oil paint. I'm not so sure. What if I didn't like what she painted?
When we first heard of this (quite some time ago) my wife (yes we finally got married! :-) and I both thought it would be neat, when we eventually have children, to will them each a ring with a stone made from each of us.
Forget the part about Grandpa - what's important is that synthetic diamonds are now hitting the consumer retail market. To me, this indicates three things, all of them good:
1. de Beers is boned.
2. Diamond roadbeds, computer chips, eyeglasses, and kitchen knives are not too far off in the future.
3. de Beers is really boned.
We can only hope so.
Sounds a bit on the pricey end of macabre to me. Why not use gramps' skull for an ashtray or process grandma down into heating oil instead?
http://www.discover.com/may_03/featoil.html
Unfortunately, I doubt this is a sign de Beers is in trouble. Three years ago I worked for a company that made synthetic diamonds for industry. Their diamonds can be made much cheaper than the existing market price and can be of equivalent or superior quality.
When I asked someone in the know why they don't put de Beers out of business, he explained that de Beers has such low overhead, cheap labor and large inventory that they would just lower the price til they put the opposition out of business.
One thing de Beers can't do is dig up a diamond made from your Grandpa.
Did you hear awhile back about the woman that will create a 'work of art' out of your loved ones ashes? It was on t.v.--not cable either. I had to watch, but couldn't at the same time. She mixes the ashes in the oil paint. I'm not so sure. What if I didn't like what she painted?
When we first heard of this (quite some time ago) my wife (yes we finally got married! :-) and I both thought it would be neat, when we eventually have children, to will them each a ring with a stone made from each of us.