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Forget billions of years: Researchers have grown diamonds in just 150 minutes

https://charmingscience.com/forget-billions-of-years-researchers-have-grown-diamonds-in-just-150-minutes/
SuckMyWang @lemmy.world - 1.6yr

A diamond gets its value from human suffering. The more pain and suffering to obtain it the more value is placed on it.

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ChocoboRocket @lemmy.world - 1.6yr

Diamonds actually get their value because a single entity (DeBeers) owns something like 80% of all diamonds in the market.

They dictate the price by throttling supply and naming a price. People are willing to pay as a flex but you are right in that DeBeers markets "real" diamonds and "lab grown".

It's mostly done to capture different market segments, and to keep up the value of their stockpile of nearly unlimited diamonds already mined by people who are essentially slaves.

That being said, if there was a market for diamonds soaking in vials of oppressed orphan blood (with provenance of course) DeBeers would absolutely sell it.

If lab grown diamonds became significantly cheaper than slave mined diamonds, DeBeers would still likely keep their mines open to maintain control of the market. Even if they successfully moved consumers on to lab diamonds - can't have someone else get diamond market share.

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CosmicTurtle0 [he/him] - 1.6yr

There was a study done a while back that looked at what happens when fake contraband (rhino horn in this case) is mixed in with real ones. They found that killing of rhinos went up because people wanted the real horn. The goal of pushing out fakes was to decrease the demand and it ended up with the opposite effect.

I imagine that diamonds will be similar.

Until there comes a point where anyone can grow a diamond in their home, DeBeers is going to continue to exploit people.

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Simulation6 @sopuli.xyz - 1.6yr

It is impossible to tell natural from man made diamonds. If it becomes cheaper to make them then EvilCorp will switch to doing that and probably not tell anyone.

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FreudianCafe @lemmy.ml - 1.6yr

Thats what scientists dont get. No child blood = no value to rich people

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Fedizen @lemmy.world - 1.6yr

I'd like one lab diamond pocket knife pls.

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pumpkinseedoil @feddit.de - 1.6yr

I can't wait for the glorious future - one day this won't be unrealistic anymore.

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Destroyer of Worlds 3000 - 1.6yr

I want diamond optics for my camera, unless that is stupid for the physics of optics.

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Ð Greıt Þu̇mpkin - 1.6yr

Pretty sure the lines of cleavage would make it pretty difficult to get a useful lense shape made out of the stuff.

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CookieOfFortune @lemmy.world - 1.6yr

Diamond doesn’t have the best absorption spectrum compared to high quality optical glass. You’d end up losing more light.

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Donjuanme @lemmy.world - 1.6yr

In the future (probably in the next couple years) after a company I with with release their product, I've learned of the stupidest use for diamonds you've never heard of, I'll drop it here in whatever announcement package they release.

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Kowowow @lemmy.ca - 1.6yr

Shotgun pellets?

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mriormro @lemmy.world - 1.6yr

Butt plug

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Donjuanme @lemmy.world - 1.6yr

Much more frivolous.

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