Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by martyb on Thursday May 31 2018, @06:05AM   Printer-friendly
from the if-you-can't-beat-'em... dept.

De Beers admits defeat over man-made diamonds

The world's largest diamond miner is doing the unthinkable: Selling stones produced in a laboratory. De Beers launched a new jewelry brand on Tuesday that features synthetic diamonds, a major reversal for a company that had implored consumers to stick with "real" stones.

The brand, called Lightbox, will offer synthetic diamonds at a fraction of the price it charges for stones pulled out of the earth. De Beers framed the move as a response to consumer demands. "Lightbox will transform the lab-grown diamond sector by offering consumers a lab-grown product they have told us they want but aren't getting: affordable fashion jewelry that may not be forever, but is perfect for right now," said De Beers CEO Bruce Cleaver.

[...] De Beers had been an outspoken critic of synthetic diamonds. Company executives vowed never to sell artificial stones, and it participated in the diamond industry's "real is rare" campaign. It even developed a machine that spots lab-grown stones.

Also at Bloomberg and TechCrunch.


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 1) by anubi on Thursday May 31 2018, @10:53AM (2 children)

    by anubi (2828) on Thursday May 31 2018, @10:53AM (#686663) Journal

    I think they value it for the same reason people started smoking, valuing mink stoles, feathers of rare birds in ladies hats, the Cardassians, Justin Beeber, etc.

    They are promoted in the movies... and it seems everytime someone picks up a microphone and stands in front of a camera, for some unknown reason, people follow the noisemaker. Ever watched the old movies where they were doing product placement with cigarettes, especially trying to get women to smoke? Later it was cartoons plainly directed at kids to give the illusion it is cool. Geez...last I looked around here, $7.50 a pack. Now trying to get kids hooked on those vape pens... ohhh so cool. No, addictive.

    Thats why advertising is a multibillion dollar industry. A lot of people do as they are told. There is a lot of money to be made if you are in a position that you tell people what to do. People will be obedient to the loudmouth, even if they are not paid to do so.

    --
    "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 31 2018, @05:39PM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 31 2018, @05:39PM (#686844)

    > the Cardassians

    Now there is a show I'd watch.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 31 2018, @07:43PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 31 2018, @07:43PM (#686892)

      From all the jokes that fly around the net I'm pretty sure that is what you are getting, no matter how you spell the name. Figuratively and literally.